Karen

Despite some educational reform taking place in Burma, ethnic education workers claim that equal opportunity for them will only be possible when the country’s education system is decentralized. Padoh Saw Lah Say, Head of the Karen Education Department, the educational wing of the Karen National Union (KNU) made the point during the World’s Teachers Day on October 5th in Thay…

The Karen traditional Don Dance has been included in the Burma National Performing Arts competition that has been held for over 20-years. The inclusion of the ethnic performing arts, particularly ethnic traditional dances, were discussed at the recent meeting of the competition convening committee where Karen and Rakhine traditional dances were voted to be included, according to a senior official…

Saw Kweh Say Karen activist, songwriter, singer, filmmaker and founding member of Karen News, died in Mae Sot at the age of 43. Kweh Say suffered from diabetes and number of other health related illnesses in recent years. His commitment to his family, Karen related issues will be missed. Kweh Say worked with Burma Issues for more than a decade…

Karen students from village schools in Kungyangone Township in the Rangoon Region are to be taught their mother language, but outside official school classes. The schools that Pwo [Plone] Karen will be taught are; Taitkyi, Zuklug, Tawjyaung, Wagauttaw, Mankaleit, Kayan, Hseikyi, Kamarpar and Naung Ngu villages. The decision to teach the ethnic language was reached at the Teaching Karen Language…

The winner of the 2015 Padoh Mahn Sha Young Leader Award, is Sa Shine, a youth educator from the Hpa-an Youth Network. Sa Shine was presented with the award at the 66th commemoration ceremony of the Karen Martyrs’ Day held at the Karen National Liberation Army’s 7th brigade headquarter on August 12, 2016. Saw Say Say Phan, one of the…

A lance corporal and platoon commander from the Karen National Union’s Kawkareik police force was attacked and killed by a man wielding a sword. The killing of the police officer took place in Ang Pha Lay village in southern Kawkareik, around 2pm on August 8, 2016. The police officer, Saw Khin Shwe, 52 was returning from Ang Pha Gyi Station,…

The Border Consortium, a coalition of INGO’s that has administered aid to the camps for over three decades, is preparing for a pilot project that uses a card system to deliver food rations to refugee camps residents from the end of July, 2016. The food card system will begin with some households in the Nu Po and Tham Hin refugee…

An 11-memeber new central executive committee was voted in at the 5th Karen Youth Organization congress held on June 29 at Lay Wah (Law Khee Lar), Pa-an district in Karen State. The new elected central executive members include Saw Ler Ner as chairman, Saw Eh Soe as vice-chairman, Saw Lar Set Wah as general secretary, Saw Thoo Lei as joint…

Health workers in two refugee camps on the Thai-Burma border stopped work over non-payment of compensation and claims that they are treated unfairly by a non-government organization running hospitals in the camp. Camp residents said that on July 5th, health workers employed by Premiere Urgence – Aide Medical Internationale at Mae La and Umpheim Mai refugee camps went on strike…

A prosthetic leg production center has been set up in Klo Yaw Lay area of Hlaingbwe Township on June 20, with the coordination of Kawthoolei Department of Health and Welfare and Mae Tao Clinic with support of donors from South Korea. The building of the prosthetic workshop started in February 2016. Padoh Saw Eh K’lu Shwe Oo, head of the…