Articles

The Palaung Women’s Organization have estimated that several thousand Palaung villagers from northern Shan state have been displaced in the protracted conflict between the Burma Army and local ethnic armed militia since early 2011 to now. A report ‘The Burden of War’, released in early November by the PWO’s report claims thousands of civilians from 15 villages, are hiding in…

Karen villagers have accused the Border Guard Force, a militia under the control of the government military, of forcibly recruiting villagers. The Border Guard Force (BGF) militia in the Nabu area, Hlaingbwe Township Karen State is alleged to have conscripted civilians since late October 2012. Villagers alleged that the four BGF battalions – 1017, 1018, 1019 and 1020 based in…

An ethnic alliance, the United Nationalities Federal Council and members of the 88 Student Generation group led by Ko Myat Aye, met informally at a restaurant in Chiang Mai on the evening of November 7. Colonel Khun Ohkka, the joint secretary of the UNFC said that the two groups discussed how they could work together during the current peace process.…

15,000 Karen people from villages affected by conflict got together to voice their concerns to their community leaders about unfettered developments earmarked for Karen State during the peace process negotiations. The people’s forum ran from October 26 to 28 and was held in Kyain Seikgyi Township, Karen State. The 15,000 villagers called for “the suspension of all large scale economic…

The Karen National Union stopped the Italian-Thai Development Company after one of its bulldozers ‘cleared’ an ancient pagoda near the Karen village of Myitta while constructing the Dawei-Kanchanaburi highway east of Dawei, Tenasserim Division. Villagers believe the Italian-Thai Development Company bulldozer may have accidently destroyed the pagoda that was obscured by bushland. A Myitta villager reported the destruction of the…

The Committee for the Protection and Promotion of Child Rights (Burma) said at a ceremony to acknowledge the organization’s 10-years working on the Thai Burma border that they had organized 20,000 birth certificates for children from Burma. Ma Aye Thandar Aung from the statistics department of CPPCR spoke to Karen News. “We’ve provided birth certificates to 21,700 children in 10…

Soldiers from the Karen National Liberation Army’s 1st Brigade were beaten in a friendly football match against a celebrity team, Actor Star FC, from the Myanmar Motion Picture Organization at Bilin on Thursday 1st November. The game was played to help raise funds for development in Bilin Town, Mon State, The KNLA team was beaten 2-0 win by the Actor…

A Karen woman who resettled to Australia from Burma in 1999 received an award for her work in the community from the Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard. Say Htoo Eh Moero received recognition for her work with the Australian Karen community when she was presented with the ‘Above and Beyond’ Award from Prime Minister Julia Gillard last week. Say Htoo…

Using support from the Asia Development Bank, Thailand is planning to restart construction of the road between Myawaddy and Kawkareik Town in Karen State by the end of 2012. Saw Khin Maung Myint, the Karen State Transport Minister confirmed in an interview with Karen News that the planned road construction is part of the highway connection between Thingan Nyi Naung…

Hpa-an householders and students are finally out of the dark after four days without electricity. Hpa-an Town residents were without electricity for four days from the 21st to the 25th of October. Students had to use candlelight during their preparation for their first semester exams. A 60-years-old grandmother spoke to Karen News about the lack of electricity. “The power came…