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The Karen Baptist Convention (Burma) has invited officials from the Karen National Union and community based organizations on the Thai-Burma border to attend a meeting tomorrow, November 17, to explain its on-going ‘peace talks’ with the government. Dr. Gabriel, KBC’s executive officer explained to Karen News that the two-day meeting would discuss religious issues, but this year a special segment…

The Nationalities Brotherhood Forum, an ethnic alliance, issued a statement on November 11 expressing their willingness for the emergence of federal system in Burma. After a two-day meeting held on November 10th to 11th, the Nationalities Brotherhood Forum issued a six-point-statement – one of the points said that ‘federalism is not separatism’. Mahn Aung Pyi Sone, vice chairman of the…

The end of the monsoon season has seen the Burma Army repairing supply roads to their bases in Karen State. This has caused Karen army officers to question the strategy behind the rebuilding of the supply roads when the government is supposed to be withdrawing its troops from the region. The Burma Army began repairing the transportation road into Thandaung…

A sergeant from the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, an ethnic armed group operating in Northern Shan State, was arrested and killed by Burma Army yesterday while he was on leave and traveling back to his village to see a sick family member. Sergeant Ayaing Aung was travelling to Mout Tan Tay village in Manton Township of Northern Shan State. The…

Access to further education opportunities for migrant children was the subject of a seminar held in the Thai border town of Mae Sot this week. The Thailand based educational organization, Bridging Education Access to Migrants (BEAM), and the Burma Migrant Teachers Association organized a seminar in Mae Sot on November 12 to look at the further education needs of children…

Two men from Mae La refugee camp were shot dead in mysterious circumstances last week. The two men were from Mae La refugee camp in Tak Province on the Thai-Burma border. Both men were found dead on November 7 outside the camp. The men had been traveling between the Thai villages of Nya Mu Klo and Htee Maw Hta, about…

Young Karen people who fled conflict in their homeland in Burma and resettled in Australia are able to learn, write and speak their own language. Victoria State, appreciate and happy for being able to maintain their language through the official Karen language class. The Australia government first recognized and introduced into state schools the teaching of the Karen language five…

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.…