Articles

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…

In a speech to the UN Security Council a prominent community based human rights organization has expressed concern over the lack of transparency and accountability surrounding Burma’s reform process. Burma’s government, led by ex-general Thein Sein, recently passed an ‘action plan’ to end the use of child soldiers in the military by 2014 – when the country is set to…

The Burmese authorities have warned the Heinda mining company, operating east of Tavoy, in southern Burma to improve and contain their work practices – that have destroyed villagers plantations – or their mining operation will be stopped. Villagers in Heinda who asked not to be named, told Karen News. “U Thein Lwin, the Minister of Forestry and Mining in Taninthanyi…

Despite a ceasefire agreement being in place between Karen soldiers and the Burma Army, fighting broke out in Thandaung Township, Karen State on 27th June. The Karen National Union accuse the Burma Army’s Infantry Battalion 1, under the command of Division 66, for violating the ceasefire agreement and crossing into KNU controlled territory and starting the fighting. Padoh Saw Eh…