Articles

Respected Health Worker Loses Battle with Cancer Padoh Saw Eh Kalu Shwe Oo, a department head of the Karen National Union, passed away on February 8 at 12:49 PM at his home on the Thai-Burma border. Padoh Saw Eh Kalu Shwe Oo, aged 65, died after suffering from liver cancer, according to his eldest son, Saw K’ser Mu Khah, who…

The International Court of Justice began its hearing on December 10 in The Hague, Netherlands on its genocide lawsuit filed by Gambia against Burma government. Prior to the court hearing, several ethnic Karen, Karenni and Shan civil society groups put out a joint statement supporting Gambia’s lawsuit. On December 2, 2019 the Worldwide Karen Community issued a statement welcoming the…

On a recent mission to Mon State, Burma Children Medical Fund staff were surprised to see an old patient, Saw Than Htet turn up with villagers to have their eyes tested. Now grown up, married with wife and family, Saw Than Htet, now 33, reflected back to when BCMF organized lifesaving heart surgery for him in 2014. Saw Than Htet,…

The Karen National Union is to meet with Burma Army officers to discuss tensions over road building, troop expansion in Karen State. The meeting will be held in Naypyidaw, today, December 10 2019, according to KNU statement released yesterday. The meeting is mainly to discuss about military issues including tensions in some areas of the KNU controlled territories due to…

50 Community groups from Burma country and overseas signed a petition rejecting the World Bank’s proposed “Peaceful and Prosperous Communities Project” (PPCP), planned for conflict-affected areas in Eastern Burma. In a statement issued by the Karen Peace Support Network (KPSN) on 25 November 2019, the groups claimed the World Bank’s project would fuel conflict in the region. Naw Wah Ku…

Overseas based Burma ethnic alliance and coalition groups issued statements welcoming Gambia’s lawsuit to the International Court of Justice for genocide against the Rohingya by the Burmese government. Mahn Kyaw Swe, president of the Canadian Burma Ethnic Nationalities Organization (CBENO) said the aim of their statement is to support the international community’s actions to bring the Burmese military to justice,…

For the first time, four Karen ethnic armed groups have agreed to hold the district level Karen New Year celebrations on December 26, 2019. Padoh Saw Shwe Maung, the Karen National Union’s Doo Pla Ya District Chairman said. “Karen people have survived many hardships from generation to generation. Even though we are different [armed] organizations, we are the same Karen.…

Communities in rural Karen State don’t refer to climate change by name, but they have experienced its negative impacts and are responding. At the foot of Maw Law Ei Mountain, the highest peak in eastern Myanmar’s Karen State, increasing temperatures, drought and extreme weather events, such as flash-flooding, have become common. Members of the indigenous groups that make up the…

The Karen National Union said the effectiveness and the usefulness of foreign funding has been nullified by need for ethnic armed organizations to seek permission from the government. The National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC), formed by the President’s Office to set policies and guidelines for reconciliation and peace process taking place, sent an official letter to 10 ethnic armed…

Karen women’s groups called for more women to be involved in Burma’s federal political and Karen National Union elections. The call was made in a statement issued after the 4th Grassroots Karen Women Seminar held during the last week of October, 2019. The statement called for the abolishment of the 2018 Vacant Fellow and Virgin land law and for widespread…