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A Karen National Union delegation, led by its chairman, Saw Mutu Say Poe, left yesterday for Rangoon to meet with government officials for a new round of peace talks. Padoh Thaw Thi Bwe, the organisations joint secretary confirmed with Karen News that a KNU delegation, led by Chairman Saw Mutu Say Poe, is schedule to meet government Minister, U Aung…

Government officials, from Nay Pyi Taw, working for the land confiscation investigation commission team and led by Dr. Htay Win were in Hpa-an last week on a fact finding mission. The investigation team met with landowners who alleged their land had been confiscated. Local farmers confirmed that the Nay Pyi Taw investigation officials called them to the Hap-an District administration…

Captain Gyi No, a Karen National Union (KNU) leader from the Tenasserim Division in southern Burma confirmed with Karen News that a Burma Army officer attacked three villagers without reason on June 5. Eyewitnesses said that the three villagers were so badly beaten that they needed hospital treatment. The KNU’s Captain Gyi No claimed the attacked was unprovoked. “The Battalion…

Padoh Kwe Htoo Win, the Karen National Union’s general secretary, in an exclusive interview with Karen News explains his organization position on development and land ownership. “Everyone wants development but when there is development, there is always a price to pay. Do you want roads, if you want roads, you will have to cut down trees. Do you want electricity,…

Padoh Kwe Htoo Win, the Karen National Union’s general secretary, in an exclusive interview with Karen News explains his organization position on the peace process with the Burma government, repatriation of refugees and land ownership. In part one of a three part series Padoh Kwe Htoo Win talks about the peace process. Padoh Kwe Htoo Win said that despite three…

More than 150 representatives and observers from 40 Karen organizations from inside Burma, along the Thai-Burma border and overseas who took part in the 9th Karen Unity Seminar voiced their concern that there has been a significant decrease in humanitarian aid for communities at risk in Karen state. Karen representatives at the Seminar expressed their concerns that the Karen National…

Following three days of discussion representatives from organizations working on refugee issues along the Thai-Burma border, refugee representatives, civil society groups, political leaders agreed that the current situation in Burma is not safe for refugees to return. Over 40 representatives including the United Nation High Commission on Refugee, Refugee Camps Committees, The Border Consortium, Karen National Union, Thai official from…

The participation of women in future peace talks between the ethnic groups and the central government will be critical contribution to achieving lasting peace in Burma. Durable peace goes beyond the mere absence of conflict, and whilst the Burmese military and the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) can put a halt to actual fighting, greater participation by civil society (including…

Villagers living along the Salween River claim that the Thai energy authority are moving ahead with plans to build a dam at the Hat Gyi site. Villagers in the area said that the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) have put up water level measurement posts on the Salween River bank at the proposed dam site. Local sources alleged that…

Local people affected by the construction of Thailand’s and Burma’s Dawei-Kanchanaburi road link in Southern Burma have rejected to be involved in a ‘public consultative meeting’ to approve the last stage of an environmental impact assessment report. A villager from Kaw Htee Klo (Tha Byut Chaung) told Karen News that surveyors from the Environmental Research Institute of Chulalongkorn University headed…