Karen Environmental and Social Action Network.
Empowering communities, securing peace, protecting environment, land and livelihood
KESAN is a community-based, non-governmental, non-profit organization that works to improve livelihood security and to gain respect for indigenous people’s knowledge and rights in Karen State of Burma, where the violence and inequities of more than 60 years of civil war have created one of the most impoverished regions in the world.
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For Present and Future Generations: Community Forests in PIST
For generations, the Karen people have managed and protected their forests through community-based traditions rooted in collective responsibility and long-term care. In most villages, certain forest areas are set aside as community forests, protected not for profit, but for the survival and well-being of present and…
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Declaration of the Pawklo Indigenous Stewardship Territory Marks a Milestone for Indigenous Self‑Determination
From April 22 to 24, 2026, Indigenous Karen communities of the Pawklo River Basin gathered to officially declare the Pawklo Indigenous Stewardship Territory (PIST), an Indigenous conserved territory initiated through community-led efforts that began in 2018. The three‑day ceremony, held in K’Ser Doh Township, Mergui‑Tavoy District…
Statement on the Declaration of the Pawklo Indigenous Stewardship Territory (PIST)
April 27, 2026 On April 22, 2026, during a historic gathering held from April 22 to 24, we the Indigenous Karen communities of the Pawklo River Basin, located in K’Ser Doh Township, Mergui‑Tavoy District of Kawthoolei, formally and collectively declared the Pawklo Indigenous Stewardship Territory (PIST).…
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Strengthening Indigenous Biodiversity Research in the Salween Peace Park
From February 23rd to 28th, 2026, a biodiversity research training was conducted at the Kheshorter Community Forest Center in Paw Law Pu, Luthaw Township, located in the north‑western part of the Salween Peace Park. A total of 30 people joined the training, including members of the…
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Honoring a Defender of Indigenous Rights:In Loving Memory of Saw Keh Doh (1967–2026)
The Karen Environmental and Social Action Network (KESAN) and the people of Ler Doh Soe Township, Mergui-Tavoy District, are mourning the loss of a dedicated community leader, caretaker, and Indigenous rights defender, Saw Keh Doh, who passed away from illness. Saw Keh Doh was born on…
Regional Partnership Forms the Greater Mekong Subregion Breath Council to Tackle Air Pollution
On January 20, 2026, Mr. Paul Sein Twa, Executive Director of the Karen Environmental and Social Action Network (KESAN) and Director of the Salween Peace Park, joined civil society partners from Thailand and Laos in signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish the Greater Mekong…
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The 20th Anniversary: A Pathway to Social and Environmental Justice
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Annual Report
Empowering Communities to Protect the Environment, while Securing their Lands, Livelihoods and Peace
