Articles

The road between Eindu and Kawkareik is in a bad way – it turned to mud in the wet season and to dust in the dry season. The upgrading works for the 66.4 kilometer section of road connecting the two towns was planned to improve the Asia Highway link of the Greater Mekong Sub-region East-West Corridor. Currently, the construction work…

Saw Joseph, a medic with the frontline humanitarian organization Free Burma Rangers is the winner of the 2018 Padoh Mahn Sha Young Leader Award. In a media statement the Phan Foundation said the annual award is given to young Karen leaders who have demonstrated they have developed their communities. The award comes with a $2,000 grant. The Phan Foundation said…

It is expected representatives from all Karen armed organizations will join the activities for the 70th Karen Revolution Day on January 31 in the Karen National Union’s Pa-An district, in Karen State. Local communities are excited with plans to hold a Karen traditional Don dance competition program at the event for the first time. Saw Tha Mawt Phaung (a.k.a Saw…

The Karen State Social Welfare Department announced the Myanmar government will give support to pregnant mothers and their children (under two) starting from January, 2019. U Zaw Min, Director of the Department of Social Welfare, told Karen News pregnant women and children under two years old (or under 1,000 days) will be given financial support the government under its Strategic…

Armed clashes in January 2019 between troops from the Karen National Liberation Army and Burma Army soldiers in Northern Papun District of Karen State. KNLA sources reported that two armed skirmishes happened on January 5 and 13 in the Karen National Union’s controlled Papun (Mutraw) area between the KNLA Brigade 5 and Burma Army units operating in the area. Major…

Advocacy group Burma Campaign UK published its ‘Dirty List’ in early December 2018, slamming 49 international companies accused of “operating in Myanmar in such a way that contributes to human rights violations and environmental destruction.” Burma Campaign UK Revives ‘Dirty List’ Following Recent Atrocities This is the first time Burma Campaign UK has published a ‘Dirty List’ since the country…

Amid increasing cases of land disputes in Burma, the country’s Parliament on September, 2018 ratified a controversial land law. The new law has been opposed by civil society and human right groups and the Karen National Union. The KNU released a statement on December 15 calling for the elimination of the newly enacted “Vacant, Fallow, and Virgin Land Management Law…

The Karen Peace Support Network put out a statement condemning the conviction and jailing of three Kachin peace activists claiming the action is designed to silence the criticism of Myanmar’s military and its abuses. The three Kachin activists, Lum Zawng, Nang Pu and Zau Jat were involved in protests to demand the military allow trapped civilians safe passage from the…

To mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women that falls on November 25, the Karen Women Organization (KWO) launched 16 days of activism with event held at Lay Ger Kler, Ta Mo Daw (Kyauk Taung) village in Thaton District, Karen State. Under the banner of a ‘Future Generation Free from all forms of Violence’ the KWO…

A third batch of refugees from camps along the Thai-Burma border who wishes to voluntarily want to return to Burma are being processed by officials from the UN refugee agency and Burma and Thailand. In Mae La camp, the largest camp on the Thai Burma border, fewer people showed up at the processing center. Officials from the Royal Thai Government…