Articles

Padoh Saw Diamond Khin, head of the Karen Department of Health and Welfare (KDHW), explained the Omicron variant – the fourth wave of Covid-19 – is on the increase in many parts of Burma, including Karen State, protocols and restriction to prevent the spread of the infection have been revised by districts health officials in KNU-controlled areas. Padoh Saw Diamond…

A community leader, documenting the population of displaced villagers, told Karen News the increasing numbers of displaced people has put strain on the limited resources. The community leader said despite the the strain on the dwindling resources people continued to share with the new arrivals. “The list of people is still not complete. But since the fighting intensified last year,…

A peanut farmer in An Pha Gyi village explained to Karen News. “Our peanuts have been harvested. We had to harvest the peanuts during the day and flee [the fighting] at night. We had to harvest and shell them in a rush. Some were not exposed to the sun [to dry]. We usually sell them as soon as they are…

Justice for Myanmar, a campaign alliance collecting, investigating evidence and exposing the business network of the Burma military, issued a statement welcoming the European Union’s decision to impose economic sanctions on 22 individuals associating with the junta and four companies, including the International Group of Entrepreneurs (IGE), Mining Enterprise 1 (ME1), Htoo Group, and Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE),…

Colonel Saw Htoo Ka Shaw, tactical commander of the KNLA Brigade 5, told Karen News the Burma Army is using the BGF to reinforce its depleted troop numbers because of the high casualties it suffered in recent fighting. “The Burma Army now needs to send weapons and food rations to Papun [its front line bases] because many of its soldiers…

Charcoal sellers said city residents and villagers that had access to electricity have been experiencing regular power outages, with most ordinary people having to rely on charcoal for cooking, charcoal traders are facing increased demands for charcoal. A charcoal trader in Hpa-an told Karen News. “Now, the electricity supply is not running regularly. If there is no electricity, we rely…

A local KNLA commander spoke to Karen News about the battle to win back the territory from the Burma Army. “We have now regained control of the [Burma Army] hilltop base. It was a strategic target, whoever gets control of the hilltop will take position there and control the area from the high ground. Now we have the position under…

On Wednesday, 16th February, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and its allies attacked Burma Army positions in the Palu area, including an artillery launching pad on a hilltop overlooking Palu Lay village. The Burma Army in response launched airstrikes and heavy artillery bombardments into the battle zone. A KNLA Joint Forces Officer, Captain Saw Da Baw, based in the…

The Karen National Union’s 5th Brigade issued the letter on January 29, calling on all civil servants in Papun, Karen State to leave their positions from February 1st to the 10th, and to refrain from performing their duties under the military dictatorship. Local KNU officials confirmed to Karen News that more than 100 Papun civil servants working in a variety…

Trawling through transcripts of my interviews with the late Padoh Mahn Sha, it stood out that his guidance and political intellect would be invaluable today as fighting rages between ethnic armed groups, their allies and the Burma Army and its sponsored militia’s. In November 2006, Padoh Mahn Sha explained why the Karen National Union was unwilling to surrender. “Our resolve…