DKBA ordered not to carry weapons, wear uniforms while travelling

Members of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) have been told by Burma’s ruling military junta not to carry weapons or wear uniforms while travelling in Karen State. The Irrawaddy reports the order came from Tactical Operation Command in Thingannyinaung, near the border town of Myawaddy. Under the order, DKBA troops can only hold weapons [...]

Children drown fleeing possible army offensive against DKBA

Three children, including an eight-month-old baby, are dead after the boat they were on sank as they attempted to cross the border into Thailand. The Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) reports the children were among Karen villagers who in the past week have fled to the border following reports of a possible Burmese army offensive [...]

Five DKBA Battalions defect to KNLA

Five battalions from the pro-junta Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) will defect to the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), the armed wing of the opposition Karen National Union (KNU). The split follows divisions within the group over a proposal by the military junta for DKBA troops to join a junta commanded Border Guard Force (BGF). [...]

Tensions rise along Thai-Burma border

Hundreds of Karen villagers have reportedly fled their homes and are heading for the Thai border as the Burmese military reinforced its troops in a standoff with its former allies in the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA). The Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) reports the junta has moved artillery near to Walay, near the border, [...]

Malaria endemic among IDPs

Seven out of ten Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in the jungles east of Taungoo District in Burma’s Pegu Division are in desperate need of malaria medicine. The exiled Mizzima News Agency reports the IDPs, most of who are Karen villagers, who were forced to flee their homes to escape Burmese military offensives are in an [...]

DKBA takes defectors’ families captive

The Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), a pro-government militia group has taken captive family members of soldiers who have deserted the group and joined the opposition Karen National Union (KNU). The Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) reports that family members, including young children of four defectors are being detained with the DKBA demanding compensation for [...]

DKBA and KNU in secret peace talks

The Karen National Union (KNU) and the pro-junta Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) held secret peace talks in June reports the Irrawaddy. The DKBA split from the KNU in 1995 and signed a ceasefire agreement with Burma’s ruling military junta. Since then they have been fighting alongside the Burmese Army against the KNU. However, in [...]

Refugees facing cut in rations

Food rations for refugees in camps along the Thai-Burma border are to be cut from August because of a funding shortage. The Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) reports the Thai Burma Border Consortium (TBBC) that runs the border camps is facing a US$2.5 million budget shortfall this year. The shortfall is caused by changes in [...]

DKBA given August 10 deadline to transform into Border Guard

Burma’s ruling military junta has told the pro-government Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), it has until August 10 to place its troops under the military’s command as part of a new Border Guard Force (BGF). According to The Irrawaddy, the junta has threatened the group that it will resort to armed intervention if they do [...]

DKBA splits over Border Guard Force

Hundreds of soldiers from the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) have reportedly broken away from the pro-junta militia and are looking to defect. Mizzima News reports that according to sources within the opposition Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), the DKBA soldiers have split from their officers and are moving towards the Thai border, with the [...]

KNLA takes responsibility for attack on dam

The Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) says it was behind a grenade attack on Tuesday on the construction site of a dam in eastern Burma that injured four civilian workers. The Democratic Voice of Burma reports a KNLA elite unit carried out the attack on the Thaukyegat dam in Karenni State because the increased military [...]

Villagers facing food shortages as DKBA mines for gold

Karen villagers in northern Karen State are facing food shortages after being restricted access to their paddy fields by the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), a pro-junta militia group. The Irrawaddy reports the DKBA are mining for gold in the area and have already destroyed over 10,000 acres of paddy fields, while travel restrictions make [...]

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