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Culture
KYO Day Celebrations 23rd May 2009
The 20th KYO Day was celebrated in the Karen refugee camps, IDP camps, districts and townships inside Karen State and among the overseas Karen communities. KYO Central level celebrated KYO Day in Ler Per Her IDP camp. We held football, volleyball and caneball competitions over the preceding 3 days, a music concert the night before and speeches, games and music on the day itself.
Sports competition winners:
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Football - KYO Summer Camp students
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Volleyball - KYO Summer Camp students
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Caneball - 24th battalion KNLA soldiers
Speeches were given by (in order):
- Saw Hla Tun (KYO Central Committee Chairman)
- Padow David Thackarbaw (KNU Vice-Chairman)
- Padow Dot Lay Moo (KNU Joint Secretary 2)
- Naw D'bwey Paw (KYO Ler Per Her Executive Committee) read the KYO Chairman's speech
- Saw Bu Lu (KYO Pa-an District Executive Committee) read the KNU statement
Download the 20th Anniversary of KYO Day Chairperson's Speech:
| Karen Version here | Burmese Version here |
After the formal ceremony, lunch was provided for everyone in the camp. The menu was beef curry, tomato curry and noodle soup. Iced strawberry and lemon drinks were served.
After lunch, games and races were organised for children, young men and young women. After the games there was a music concert all evening in which anyone could participate.
Big thanks to all of the KYO former students, friends and overseas Karen organisations who supported the celebrations. These donations were used to buy food for the lunch, give prizes for the competitions, make decorations and pay for some of the travelling costs. Without your help we would not have been able to celebrate KYO Day this year. Thank you!
Karen New Year
Download KYO's New Year speech here
Download KNU's New Year speech here
KYO organises social activities for youths whenever there is a special celebration, such as Karen New Year. Youth committees traditionally organise celebrations for weddings and support groups for funerals too. Youths usually organise songs and dances; football and volleyball competitions; concerts, drawing, story and poetry competitions and public speaking competitions.
In SPDC-controlled areas, even this kind of activity may be banned and any kind of work group to organise a celebration is suspected as being 'against the State'. Nevertheless, most Karen youths continue to organise and celebrate occasions whenever they can.
In DKBA-controlled areas, youths are sometimes forced to participate in military-organised activities against their will and pay contributions towards the cost of the celebration.