Preloader
Company Logo
  • Home
  • Who we are
    • About us
    • Leadership board
  • Publications
    • Articles/BLOG
    • Media statements & releases
  • What we do
    • Cultural promotion
    • Language & Education
    • Advocacy and Settlement support
    • Sports & Recreation
    • Events & activities
  • Departments
    • Youth affairs
    • Women affairs

Articles/Blog Explore more about us

Posts Articles
Nov 30 2016

An overview of the Karen people

  • AKO Media Team
  • articles
  • QLD
  • 3.2K
AKO

Karen people are well known as the indigenous people of Burma and second largest ethnic group after the majority Burman. Karen people mostly live in the western Burma region (Delta), Rangoon, Pa Gu divisions and eastern Burma, along Thai Burma border. They can be found, also in northern and southern Thailand as well.

Karen people are very optimistic, love their land and value peace. However, they have been oppressed by the ruling Burmese military junta for over sixty years. They have been tortured, killed, forced to be military slaves, punished and otherwise mistreated. Moreover, their villages are attacked, burnt down to ash and women raped. Consequently, they have to flee to the neighboring country of Thailand to seek protection in refugee camps. There are over 140,000 Karen refugees, currently residing in seven refugee camps in Thailand and larger numbers living in regions inside of Burma along its eastern border as internally displaced people after fleeing into the jungle to escape the random brutality of the Burmese military.

Karen refugees started arriving in Brisbane in 2006 after the Thai government allowed them to resettle into Western countries as part of the humanitarian resettlement program of the UNHCR. The number of Karen in Brisbane and Logan city is now over 700 persons. The Australian Karen Organization Inc, Queensland Branch (AKO-Qld) was formed in late 2006; a few months after some Karen families were resettled into Brisbane. The youth and women's sub committees were formed a year later. The AKO (Qld Branch) is committed to work as the representative of the Karen community in the Community Relations Commission and other cultural and social organisations.

source taken from https://akoqld.org.au

  • karen, overview of Karen people, article,

Recent Posts

67th Karen Martyrs D...

On the 12th of August 2017, the 67th Karen Martyrs' commemoration servic...

Read more
28th KYO Day Celebra...

The 28th KYO day was celebrated successfully in Queensland on 20th of Ma...

Read more
Karen Women's Day in...

On the 5h of April 2017 the Australian Karen Women group held the Karen...

Read more
Multicultural Race D...

On the 8th of April 2017, the Australian Karen Organisation of Victoria...

Read more
Multicultural celebr...

On the 29th March our AKO Australia Karen Organisation in Victoria membe...

Read more

Announcements

Hooray!... there are no announcements.

Related Posts

Karen New Year (era 2756) Celebration (Melbourne, Victoria)
  • VIC
  • Mar 30, 2017
The establishment of National Karen Youth Seminar (Australia)
  • QLD
  • Mar 30, 2017
Sports & Recreation
  • QLD
  • Nov 30, 2016
The establishment of Basic Karen Language School in Queensland
  • QLD
  • Nov 30, 2016
Cultural promotion
  • QLD
  • Nov 30, 2016

Important links

  • Contact us
  • Sitemaps
  • Karen calendar

Blogrolls

  • AKO QLD
  • Karen National Union
  • Karen News
  • KIC News
  • Drum Publications group
  • KTWG

Facebook pages

  • Western Australia
  • Victoria
  • Queensland
  • New South Wales
  • Australian Capital Territory
  • Copyrights © 2016 - 2021 Australian Karen Organisation INC. All rights reserved
  • Website: ako.org.au
  • Web Designed & Managed by: AKO Media Team