ethnic

The State Administrative Council sent its invitation to all of the Ethnic Armed Organizations, both signatories and non-signatories of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement, those exclude were those labelled by the military regime as terrorist organizations. Padoh Saw Taw Nee, head of the KNU’s Foreign Affairs Department, said they would not attend the meeting that will be led by the regime’s…

The statement issued on January 20, by Karen, Karenni, and Chin Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) demanded international governments, ASEAN and UN establish safe zones for the protection of civilians and to declare military no-fly zones in Burma where the military has ordered airstrikes and artillery shelling targeting civilian areas. In response to the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy’s proposal to send…

The Covid-19 Task Force (CTF) was formed on July 22 by the leaders of the Ethnic Health Committee (EHC) and the Ministry of Health of the National Unity Government (NUG) to effectively carry out Covid-19 prevention and control measures. Dr. Cynthia Maung, representing the Ethnic Health Committee will lead the CTF, Dr Zaw Wai Soe, the National Unity Government’s Health…

By Myra Dahgaypaw* There’s an undercurrent of woman-hating in the term but I’m not one to engage in too much cancel culture. That said, Foreign Policy Deputy Editor James Palmer might want to rethink his recent “Karen” jokes as they relate to recent atrocities committed against the Karen people, an ethnic group in Burma, of which I happen to be…

The letter from the ethnic Karen women acknowledges Palmer may have been attempting to be funny, but criticized his execution and choice of subject. “It was most certainly offensive and not in the least amusing. He has trampled on the ethnicity and lived experience of women who are living under an oppressive military dictatorship.” Karen women and people of Myanmar…

A statement put out by the Ethnic Health Committee (EHC), an alliance of Ethnic Health Organizations (EHOs), on May 6, 2021, said the flow of anti-coup protestors taking refuge in ethnic areas and the thousands of recently displaced villagers caused by fighting between ethnic armed organizations and the Burma Army, meant EHOs face lack material and financial support to assist…

The Karen National Party and the Karen National Democratic Party leaders have refused to accept an offer of government positions by military coup leaders on February 4, 2021. An Ayeyawaddy Delta based Karen National Party leader (who asked not to be named) confirmed to Karen News the rejection of the military’s offer. “We were told about the offer yesterday for…

Monday was to be the opening session of Burma’s newly elected parliament. Instead the country’s President Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi were detained along with national and regional political leaders, activists and National League for Democracy officials. Armed soldiers controlled city streets, the International and Domestic Airport, phone services and a wide range of media outlets…

The arrested organizers, Sa Thein Saw Min and Saw Hser Kwa Lar were taken into custody and now face charges under the notorious Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Act. The Karen Peace Support Network issue a statement condemning the arrest of organizers for commemoration of 70th Karen Martyrs’ Day in Rangoon on August 12, 2020 and calling for the charges…

By *Myra Dahgaypaw As far back as 1949, civilians have suffered at the hands of the Tatmadaw [military]. When the country opened its borders and declared a democratic transition, civilians hoped the situation would get better, but that has given way to disappointment as the Tatmadaw continued its abuses and horrors. Respective ethnic and civilian political leaders tried to fix the…