Karen Martyrs’ Day Invitation

Karen Community Association UK would like to invite you to the 61st Commemoration of Karen National Martyrs’ Day.

12th August 2011 (Friday)
10:00 – 13:00
Hillsborough Trinity Methodist Church
Middle wood Road
Sheffield
S6 7HE

Refreshment will be served afterwards

For more information please contact:
Saw Eh Htee Kaw on 07861786539 email: hteekaw83@yahoo.com
 
Brief History of Karen Martyrs’ Day

The Karens are an indigenous people in the Southeast Asian countries of Thailand and Burma. In Burma, the Karens are the second largest ethnic group. The Karen aided the British during World War II, when the Japanese occupied the region. Many Karen were slaughtered by both Japanese and Burma Independence Army soldiers.

After the war ended, Burma was granted independence in 1948 from Britain. The Karen, led by the Karen National Union (KNU), have been struggling for freedom, national equality, democracy and peace for several decades.
The Karen struggle has the aim of achieving a genuine federal on the political basis of equality and self-determination for all the ethnic people in Burma.

On August 12, 1950, Karen national leader Saw Ba U Gyi, who was the founder and president of the Karen National Union (KNU), was assassinated along with eight of his colleagues in Kawkareik, Karen State (Burma) by Burmese Army. Since then August 12 is recognized as Karen National Martyrs’ Day.

On Martyrs Day Karen people all over the world commemorate and honour fallen leaders, soldiers, and civilians that have lost their lives in the struggle for freedom, democracy, human rights and national equality in Burma.

Due to the ongoing attacks by the Burmese Army, more than one hundred thousand Karen refugees are currently taking refuge in the refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border. A significant number of Karen recently migrated to western countries under the refugee resettlement program. And now around five hundred Karen people are residing in the United Kingdom.

Come and join us for the remembrance of our love ones who had sacrificed their lives for our Karen struggle to live free from oppression.