Background

The Karen People

The Karen, who originated from the region of Mongolia many centuries ago, are a large ethnic group or nationality within the country of Burma. Called Myanmar by the present ruling Junta, Burma in its pre Second World War period was a wealthy country in Asian terms, “the rice bowl of Asia”. Now it is one of the world’s poorest countries.

Poverty has come about in recent decades mainly by the oppression of the population at large and by a policy of “Burmanisation” targeting the ethnic peoples. In the case of the Karen people, there has been a history in this recent period of armed resistance to the destruction of villages, land and infrastructure that has resulted in disease and hunger.  Oppressive activity has taken place through most of Karen State, situated in East Burma. The Burmese regional military tactics have included maiming and killing many people.

As a result of having to flee from danger the refugee camps just inside Thailand along the border with Burma were established in the mid 1980s. Numbers in these camps have ranged from 120,000 to 15,000, mainly of Karen but also of Karenni and Mon peoples. The Thai Burma Border Consortium was formed to provide basic necessities such as rice and fish-paste.

From the late ‘90s some Karen families have resettled in western countries. Australian intake dramatically increased in 2006. In 2008 there are approximately 2000 Karen people living in Australia along with ‘Burmese nationals’ and other ethnic nationalities than Karen. 

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   Related Facts

Burma Population: 40 million

Karen Population: 9 million

Karen in Cyclone affected Delta region: Approximately 1 million

Burmese in Thailand: Estimated 2 million

Karen in Thailand: Estimated 1 million

Karen outside Burma: 1.5 million

Karen Religion: Approximately 70% Buddhist, 20% Christian, 10% Animist

Also:

- Burma is rich in gas, timber,  and with the building on dams hydro electric, offshore oil,

- Karen helped the Allies on the Burma front 1944-45 to defeat the Japanese,

- British at that time promise an independent Karen State,

- The British withdrew from Burma in 1947,

- Now the Karen people seek democracy for their country of Burma in a federated system of government. The Karen leadership works closely with the other ethnic nationalities and the N.L.D., Aung Sun Suu Kyi’s party.

   Australian Karen Foundation: The Beginnings

In 2005 Australian Karen Foundation (AKF) was formed as a result of study tour groups visiting the Thai Burma Border. These were church-based visits since group members had met Karen people settling in Australia through the churches. On return from the powerful experience of spending time in the refugee community and hearing the stories of affliction and courage, a number of individuals in Melbourne decided to seed the organisation. Incorporation was sought and a constitution was established.

The first committee got to work in strengthening relations with  church and community groups on the Thai Burma border in order to evolve a few grass-roots projects that the refugee people themselves wanted and were committed to operate.

While the organisation and its membership are small, AKF highly values having close community-to-community contact and support from Australia to ‘the border’. This contact is enhanced by there being 50% Karen membership on the committee and regular visits by members to border communities.

AKF is therefore governed by a committee including Australians and Karen. It isMelbourne-based with strong links with the Australian Karen Organisation (AKO). AKO was formed as a result of the increasing Karen population in Australian state capitals. AKF involves both Australians and Karen in its work in Melbourne and on the Thai-Burma border.