Category Archives: Social Welfare
Statement of Karen Women Organization’s 6th Congress
Use this link if you’d like to download or read it.
KWO 6th Congress Statement 2013 Burmese Version
KWO Chair Person Speech at Karen National Day.
KWO Chair Person Speech at Karen National Day
Use this link if you’d like to download or read it. KWO Chair person speech
Karen People’s Forum Statement and Press Release Regarding the Peace Proces and Mega Development Projects
Use this link if you’d like to download or read it.
Karen People’s Forum Statement _Burmese_
Karen People’s Forum Statement (English)
Karen People’s Forum Statement (Karen)
KWO Magazine in Skaw Karen
KWO puts out a quarterly magazine in Skaw Karen which are distributed through out the 7 Karen refugee camps. Each magazine is passed between refugees being read by multiple people. It is just one way we seek to keep our community up to date and informed.
Use this link if you’d like to download or read our magazine:
KWO Letter of Remembrance of 62nd Karen Martys Day
KWO letter of Remembrance of 62nd Karen Martys Day.
Please see the link here: Martyrs Day 2012
KWO Magazine in Skaw Karen
KWO puts out a quarterly magazine in Skaw Karen which are distributed through out the 7 Karen refugee camps. Each magazine is passed between refugees being read by multiple people. It is just one way we seek to keep our community up to date and informed.
Use this link if you’d like to download or read our magazine:
Women’s League of Burma Calls for Greater Women’s Participation in Peace Process
International Women’s Day 2012 – From Fear To Freedom
Karen Language Version KWO Statement for Int’l Women Day 2012
Date: 8th March 2012
“Women moving forward from Fear to Freedom”
The Karen Women Organization (KWO) welcomes another International Women’s Day. One of the themes for this year is “FROM FEAR TO FREEDOM”. On March 8th each year, women around the world reflect on our progress toward equality and freedom. We celebrate our victories and look at how far women still have to go. KWO has worked for many years to protect, support, defend and empower women who have been abused, by anyone from members of the Burmese military or their own husbands. These women have been taught to be afraid, to live each day with fear.
Worldwide, at least one third of all women are victims of violence. It is the most widespread human rights violation on earth. We see this every day, particularly in the 7 refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border where KWO runs safe houses for women who have been subjected to violence and need a safe harbor. 77% of the cases we handle are women who have been subjected to domestic violence, the other 23% are rapes or attempted rapes. Women will not be able to move from fear to freedom without a working system to achieve justice in the camps and for any cases referred outside of camps to the justice system in Thailand.
We believe the current system is failing women in our community. Community systems and structures need to be supported and strengthened in order to directly and effectively reduce the violence experienced by women in our community. Camp justice systems must be made more comprehensive and supported rather than undermined.
KWO Joint Secretary 2, Ta Mla Saw said today, “Daw Aung San Suu Kyi wrote a book called “Freedom from Fear” so we know that she too, as a woman, understands how important this idea is. Our aim in KWO is to help women who have suffered from violence, to transform their fear, and for it to grow into something stronger. freedom! Every woman understands this.”
Currently, the Burmese government says they want to work for peace in Burma and has started the peace process talks with different ethnic opposition groups. KWO has called for women’s participation in the peace process to ensure that this process reflects the voices of women who live this conflict. KWO reaffirms that only women’s participation in the peace process can stop fear and create freedom without fear for all women
As KWO has been involved in solving the problem of violence against women in the community, we believe that any solution must include an empowered, engaged, and educated community, especially women and women’s groups. “KWO believes that all refugees and particularly women should continue to say to everyone, “Nothing about us without us.” We need to be involved and engaged in order to gain our rights, equality and our freedom.” Stated Dah Eh Kler, Secretary
Right now the current system is teaching women that there is no safe place and no future. There is a lot of fear and not enough freedom. This International Women’s Day all of us should recommit ourselves to strengthening the justice systems available to abused women in refugee camps. We have to work together to win access to real justice and so women can find themselves successfully walking from fear to freedom.
Contact:
Nan Dah Eh Kler – +66 857269291
Naw Blooming Night Zan- +66 885455746
Karen Women Organization condemns attempted rape of 22-year-old Karen woman by Burmese Army
Karen Women Organization
P.O. Box 19, Mae Sariang, Mae Hong Son, 58110, Thailand,
Email: kwocentral@gmail.com Website: http://www.karenwomen.org
Karen Women Organization condemns the attempted rape of a 22-year-old Karen woman by the Burmese Army
Date: March 5, 2012
The Karen Women Organization today has begun caring for a 22 year old mother who was viciously attacked yesterday by two members of the Burmese Military. The two soldiers attempted to rape her while she was working to grow vegetables for her family. The victim has been badly beaten and drugged. She was only able to escape when nearby gunfire caused the soldiers to leave. This case of violence against a young woman in our community is particularly disturbing as it confirms previous reports of continued human rights violations against women and others despite the Burmese government’s initial cease fire agreement with the Karen National Union and some recent changes inside Burma.
“We are outraged and deeply saddened to hear about this attempted rape and brutal attack. Unfortunately, it is only the most recent case. We hope for peace every day, but this despicable attack reminds us how far we have to go to have the rights, peace and safety our community deserves.” stated Dah Eh Kler, Secretary, Karen Women Organization
There must be an end to human rights abuses in order for true peace and democracy to be achieved in Burma. Karen women, along with Karen men and children, have been abused by the Burmese military for decades. While the international community has welcomed changes inside Burma as the beginnings of a new day, the day to day reality for people living in villages throughout Karen State remains unchanged. This most recent egregious case is only one example of human rights abuses which continue every day including forced labor and other acts of violence against women. The United Nations Commission on Human Rights has affirmed many times that violence against women is a violation of human rights and has emphasized the particularly heinous role such violence plays in conflict situations or when condoned or encouraged by the State.
We ask the international communities, who have been encouraging the Burmese dictatorship to move toward democracy, to take our reports of abuse seriously. We ask that you take all possible steps to create a more comprehensive Peace Agreement which ends human rights violations so a legitimate political settlement can be reached. We need a Peace Agreement which the military-backed government can be held to with real monitoring and accountability. Violence against women cannot be tolerated, nor can Karen women have faith in a process for change or the Thein Sein government when they are faced with this type of abuse.
Contact: Nan Dah Eh Kler – +66 857269291
Naw K’nyaw Paw – +66 810295503
