Articles

Asian World Company, the biggest infrastructure and construction company in Burma says it will re-house a hundred families relocated from Htone Bo village, because of the construction of a hydro-power dam project on the Palet River. Htone Bo village is located 14 miles from Taungoo Town in Pago Division. Mr Ko Si Thu, an official from the Asian World Company…

Naw Dabora Htoo, education coordinator with the Karen Refugee Committee, said schoolteachers working in refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border are long over due a pay rise, but this academic year they will get an increase in their monthly subsidy. Speaking to Karen News, Naw Dabora said camp teachers have deserved better pay for a long time. “We would like…

Yesterday a gas explosion at the Andaman Seafood Company factory in Ranong, Southern Thailand, injured 27 Burmese migrant workers and two Thai workers. A woman Burmese translator at Ranong Hospital said women workers wounded in the explosion were sent to the hospital in Ranong on the Thai Burma border – three of the woman is still receiving treatment at the…

It is early morning in Wa Su Ko village. It is quiet. Mist from the monsoon rains necklace the surrounding mountains. The small village is located east of the Burma town of Tavoy. A small boy dressed in a big, dirty white shirt and yellow shorts is carrying a traditional Karen bamboo fish basket trap. The boy is returning from…

The Thai-Burma border based Mae Tao Clinic has cut the number of its patients for referral due to budget shortages for the year 2012, according to senior staff at the clinic. Mae Tao Clinic also known as Dr. Cynthia’s Clinic, treats as many as 150,000 cases a year, most of its patients are from Burma or migrant workers. U Aung…

Villagers from Htee Poe Klone claim that their farmlands and community graveyard, north of Hpa-An Town were confiscated by government officials for industrial zone and for re settlement of Border Guard Force families. A villager said the government has not yet started the project, but villagers are barred from working on their farmlands. “They [government] won’t let us work our…

According to Mae Tao Clinic medical staff, seasonal illness amongst children on the Thailand-Burma border coming to the clinic for help has more than doubled since last month. Naw May Soe, the child health coordinator at the Mae Tao Clinic said that in June, 40 children came to their department seeking treatment, in the first two weeks of July staff…

Villagers in the Mu Lah townships area are concerned that the Italian-Thai Development Company are soon to finish the last phase of the soil survey for the building of the Tenasserim hydro-power dam in southern Burma. Pdoh Saw Eh Htoo, chairman of the Karen National Union’s (KNU) at Ler Mu Lah townships told Karen News. “The company (ITD) that was…

Karen villagers are being scared off from using the newly opened Karen National Union (KNU) liaison office in Tavoy town in Southern Burma, as they fear their personal data is recorded and then given to Burmese military intelligence. Saw David, a Karen from Tavoy Town spoke to Karen News of his fears. “I’m afraid to go back to the KNU…

The Thailand based Human Rights Education Institute of Burma said they will meet in the near future with the Myanmar Human Right Commission after being invited to do so recently by Railways Minister, Aung Min. U Aung Myo Min, the HREIB director told Karen News. “Myanmar still has a bad reputation in regard to human right abuses and needs to…