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To coincide with ceasefire talks between the Burma’s government and the Karen National Union (KNU), Karen communities around the world are holding traditional peace ceremonies in front of Burmese Embassies. In a media statement issued today an alliance calling itself the Karen Communities Worldwide said. “The traditional peace ceremonies are being held to call on the military-backed government to not…

A network of Karen community–based-organisations on the Thai Burma border on the eve of official ceasefire talks between the Karen National Union and the Burma government have issued a media statement calling for third party observers to be involved. The group calling itself the Karen Community Based Organisations (KCBO) issued a media statement today that said. “There must be third-party…

The Karen National Union’s 19-member ‘peace talk’ delegation left the border town of Myawaddy this morning for official ceasefire talks in Pa-an Town, Karen State, with Burma government representatives on Thursday, January12. The KNU delegation is led by the Karen National Liberation Army chief of staff, General Mutue Sae Poe – Karen News understands that the KNU delegation have prepared…

The renowned international environmental group, EarthRights International welcomed reports that the Burma government has canceled the planned 4,000-megawatt coal-fire power plant that was to be part of the US$60 billion Dawei development project in southern Burma. EarthRights International’s Burma Project Director, Naing Htoo, told Karen News. “We welcome the [Burma] government’s decision to cancel the power plant and to listen…

Salt producers in Mon State say they are facing heavy financial losses this year as salt prices plummet to below 50kyat a viss (a viss is equal to about one and a half kilogram). Salt producers told Karen News that he had to invest 70kyat a viss salt but the market price has dropped suddenly to 50kyat in recent. A…

Today, five of Thailand’s senior ministers will meet in Dawei with their Burmese counterparts to support the Burma government’s push to attract foreign investment for mega development projects to the country. The Thai ministers of foreign affairs, energy, transport, industry and finance will attend the Dawei meeting, organized by Burma’s President, Thein Sein, to highlight Thai investment in Burma. Burmese…

A Karen student organization has come out in support of the Karen National Union and the Burma government ‘ceasefire talks’ and urges the government to establish genuine peace. The KNU and the government plan to officially meet in Pa-an Town on 12th January to negotiate a solution to the 60-year civil war. The Karen Student Network Group (KSNG) said in…

The Karen National Union is considering allowing the Italian-Thai Development Company to build a road linking Burma’s Tavoy Special Economic Zone to Thailand after a meeting between the KNU and company representatives on December 28. Saw Kwe Htoo Win, KNU chairman of the Mergui-Tavoy District and the KNU’s representative in meetings with the Italian-Thai explained to Karen News. “The company…

Thousands of villagers turned up to celebrate the Karen New Year for the first time in Tavoy (also known as Dawei) Town, the capital of Tenasserim Division. The huge turnout was in response to the Burma government’s offer to let Karen people their cultural holiday in the divisional capital. Saw Poe, who was among the thousands of rural villagers who…

Residents of Zin Kyaik village, Paung Township, Mon State claim a fire that destroyed more than a 100 houses on the night of 25 December was a caused by an electric fault. A woman villager who witnessed the incident told Karen News. “A hundred houses are gone. People say that the fire was caused by an electric failure. The electricity…