Kayin State

17°0′N 97°45′E Template:Infobox Burmesestatedivision Kayin State is an administrative division of Myanmar and also known as Karen State. The capital city is Pa-an. Control of the area is disputed between the military government of Burma and Karen groups, who refer to the area as Kawthoolei.

The ethnic Karen are organised into a political wing, the Karen National Union (KNU), and an army wing, Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA).

The Karen people in Burma are Christian, Buddhist and animist. Most Christian Karens are Baptists.

Many Karen consider the Karen National Union to be their true government and have joined the Karen National Liberation Army to fight the Burmese junta. However, the Karen are not the only ethnic minority fighting the junta; there are many different armies that are fighting against the military government of Burma . These irregular armies are not, however, politically or strategically unified, because of different religious beliefs, political stands, social customs, and organisational structures.

Organization

There are three districts, seven townships and 4092 villages. Kayin State has also one city and nine towns. Three districts are

• Hpa-an District
• Myawaddy District
• Kawkareik District

Seven townships are

• Hpa-an Township
• Hlaignbwe Township
• Hpapun Township
• Thandang Township
• Myawaddy Township
• Kawkareik Township
• Kyain Seikgyi Township

Hpa-an is one city and nine towns are

• Hlaignbwe
• Hpapun
• Thandang
• Thandanggyi
• Myawaddy
• Kawkareik
• Kyaikdo
• Kyain Seikgyi
• Payathonsu

Education

List of Universities, Degree Colleges and Colleges in Kayin State

• 1. Hpa An Degree College
• 2. Hpa An Education College
• 3. Hpa An Government Technical College
• 4. Hpa An Government Computer College

See also

• Annual Dry Season Offensive

External links

• Kayin (Karen) state: Militarization and human rights - Amnesty International
• Burma Campaign UK
• Burma Insurgency
• Insurgents on burmese-indian border
• Bo Mya book
• Bo Mya interview