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Small girls and boys in a variety of traditional Karen costumes – girls wear striped, white, blue and yellow dresses, while boys wear red. It is Saturday morning and the children gather in front of their wooden school, a basic structure that lacks walled classrooms. The children are primarily students. On normal schooldays the students wear a uniform of white…

Padoh David Taw, a Karen leader, died tonight at 10:30pm in Mingalardon military hospital in Rangoon. Padoh David Taw, aged 65, passed away after suffering from a long illness. The Burma government tonight (Sunday) will fly by helicopter, Padoh David Taw’s body to Karen State. On Monday morning, the Karen National Union will take Padoh David Taw’s body to their…

An attempt to reunify a recent division in the Karen National Union has made marked progress this week when both sides agreed to talk. Karen people and community-based-organizations around the world were shocked to read in the media that three KNU leaders had breached the political organizations ‘peace-talks’ protocols and were negotiating independently with the Burma government. Tension among the…

Bad weather has closed schools and is making life miserable for residents in Umphiem Mai refugees camp that is located on the Thai side of the border with Burma. Refugee camp residents say October has been a bad month for them. Heavy rain, strong winds and dense fog has made it hard for refugees living in Umphien Mai camp, in…

Since the beginning of October the Burma military has started a major crack down on motorbike smugglers crossing over from Thailand. Burma Army officials in the Dawei area of Tanintharyi Division have been arresting and stopping all smuggling and possession of unlicensed motorbikes brought from Thailand since the beginning of the month. Sources close to Thai army told Karen News…

The European Karen Network (EKN) urged the Burmese government and international aid donors not to seek to divide the Karen under the guise of ‘peace-talk’ initiatives. An EKN released a statement paper following the Karen National Union’s dismissal of three of its leaders for failing to adhere to its principles. The three leaders dismissed for organizational misconduct are – Karen…

The Karen National Union Executive Committee has dismissed the head of its army, and two other KNU leaders for breaching its ‘peace-talk’ protocols. The three dissenting leaders are General Mutu Say Poe, the Karen National Liberation Army’s General-Officer-in-Command, Padoh Saw David Taw, Chief of the Justice Department and Padoh Saw Roger Khin, Chief of Health and Welfare Department. The three-sacked…

The local people in Ka Moe Thway area, Tavoy (Dawei) town, in southern Burma have called for the Thai government to not to build dirty industry near their homes. On September 20, around 200 villagers, who live along the Dawei-Kanchanaburi road, constructed by the Thai Italian-Thai Development Company, gathered in Kaw Htee Lor village to pray for a stop to…

Protesting Karen villagers and community organisations concerned that a dam construction will destroy plantations, roads and their way of life stage a protest against the energy company. As many as 200 villagers from Taungoo Township in Pegu (Pago) Division staged a protest last week against Shwe Energy (Asia World) Company voicing their concerns over the negative impacts of the Thauk…

In defiance of Karen National Union policy, Karen National Liberation Army chief General Mutu Say Po opened a temporary central level liaison office in Pa-an Town, Karen State on Saturday, September 29. An attendee at the opening ceremony told Karen News that around 200 people attended turned up as well as representatives from the Burma government. Minister Aung Min, representing…