Indigenous Karen activist calls for global solidarity amid continued struggles in Burma

By A Representative 

At the International Festival for People’s Rights and Struggles (IFPRS), Naw Paw Pree, an Indigenous Karen activist from the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), shared her experiences of oppression, resilience, and hope. Organized with the support of the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), the event brought together Indigenous and marginalized communities from across the globe, offering a rare safe space for shared learning, solidarity, and expression.

Speaking during the “People Power Hour,” Naw Paw Pree described the festival as a powerful global platform where Indigenous voices could be heard without fear or filter. Sitting alongside speakers from the Centre for Research and Advocacy-Manipur and the Kapaeeng Foundation from the Chittagong Hill Tracts, she represented the voices of the Karen people of Southeast Burma (Myanmar), highlighting decades of armed conflict and human rights violations.

Wearing the traditional blue Cheh Su of the Karen, she expressed a sense of honor in representing her community and emphasized the importance of understanding the common threads running through the diverse struggles of Indigenous Peoples worldwide. “It was a safe space for all people to enjoy freedom of expression, share their feelings, and demand for change,” she said, noting how deeply moved she was by the empathy shown by participants from different regions.

The Karen people, who inhabit the locally defined Karen State in Southeast Burma, have endured systemic oppression since the country’s independence in 1948. Naw Paw Pree detailed the long history of military persecution under the Burma Army, including forced displacements, shelling of civilian areas, destruction of cultural practices, and violations of international humanitarian law. Despite a brief period of reduced conflict following a National Ceasefire Agreement in 2015, she stated that the military’s continued aggression and the 2021 coup had plunged the region back into violent turmoil.

She pointed out that the Karen people and other ethnic minorities have been subjected to targeted campaigns including extrajudicial killings, torture, looting, sexual violence, and the bombing of schools and clinics. According to her, these actions may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity under international law.

Paw Pree made several recommendations to the international community, urging them not to recognize or collaborate with the military junta in Burma. She called for coordinated sanctions on arms and fuel supplies, financial support for grassroots humanitarian organizations, and increased legal accountability for Burma Army officials. Most importantly, she demanded the full recognition of the right to self-determination for Indigenous Peoples at all levels.

“The People Power Hour event made us feel confident to continue our fight, without feeling the burden of other international views that often accuse us of being rebels, terrorists, and dangerous people,” she said. Her voice, though echoing years of struggle, carried a renewed sense of strength and unity. “We need more international solidarity to support the voices of Indigenous and minority people and to stand firmly with us.”

Her message was not just one of grief or resistance, but also of enduring dignity and hope. It was a call to action for a world that too often turns a blind eye to the struggles of Indigenous communities.