Karen

The Karen people have finalized the draft policy papers on the four sectors that will be proposed at the upcoming 21st Century Panglong Conference or the Union Peace Conference scheduled to be held in February, 2017. Karen nationals held their last round of National-Level Political Dialogue at the Karen National Union controlled territory at Lay Wah from January 28 to…

Karen representatives discussed an eight-point draft policy for the political sector during the Karen National Political Dialogue for Political Sector, which was held at Zwegabin Hall in the Karen State’s capital Hpa-an from 11 to 13 January. During the press conference held in the evening on the last day of the discussion, Pado Saw Eh Kalu Say from the Karen…

The Karen National Union 16th Congress vote, scheduled for March 2017, is looking like one of the most critical elections the KNU has held. Observers note that the outcome will decide which KNU faction will lead the organization’s efforts to work on securing peace for the Karen people. In determining who can vote at the KNU’s 16th Congress, members of…

The Phan Foundation has issued a final call for nominations for the annual Padoh Mahn Sha Young Leader Award for 2016 – the closing date is December 31, 2016. Slone Phan, Director of the Phan Foundation and the youngest son of Padoh Mahn Sha said in the statement that the award launched in memory of his father, who was murdered…

Karen Members of Parliament (MPs) will lead the first Naypyidaw Karen New Year Festival when the 79th New Year Festival is held at the MCC-2 Hall in Naypidaw on 29 December. Saw Shar Phaung Awar, the Naypyidaw Karen New Year Organising Committee Joint Secretary told Karen News that it was decided to hold the festival in Naypyidaw at a meeting…

A number of concerned civil society organizations have issued a statement demanding an investigation into the murder of a young Karen women activist, Naw Chit Pandaing, stabbed to death on November 19, in Dawei Town. Naw Chit Pandaing was a human right activist and a former worker with the Takabaw civil society organization – at the time of her killing,…

The Karen Health and Welfare Department, a health service provider under the Karen National Union is planning that its teaching hospital, near Kawkariek will be set up and running by January, 2017. The teaching hospital, called Taw Nor [Daw Na], was planned to open on the first of January, but it is thought that unfinished building works might delay the…

The 30th batch of students to pass Karen National Liberation Army’s (KNLA) Basic Medical Training course graduated at a ceremony held on 10 November in Karen National Union (KNU) Brigade 7 territory. The 105 students, who are all members of ethnic armed organisations (EAOs), came from many ethnic groups including the Karen, Kachin, Arakan, Kayan, Naga and Palaung ethnic groups.…

Eight health organisations from the Thai-Burma border, which have been providing birth certificates and documents to enable children to be properly registered, will discuss their work with Karen State Government departments on 28 November. The organisations help provide birth certificates and documentation to unregistered children born in the border areas of Karen State, including in Karen National Union (KNU) controlled…

Karen people living in the USA gathered in front of the White House in Washington DC to call for sanctions to be continued to be imposed on Burma. The Karen began their protest outside the White House on November 11, 2016. The more than 700 Karen protesters said that the lifting of sanctions on Burma by the US government was…