This article was written in 2016. Figures are as reported at that time.
The Karen are one of the largest ethnic groups in Myanmar (Burma). Karen communities live mainly in Karen (Kayin) State and along the Thai–Myanmar border in the east of the country, in the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) Delta in the south, and in the Yangon and Bago regions. Karen communities also live in western and northern Thailand.
For decades, conflict between the Myanmar military and Karen armed groups has had a severe impact on Karen civilians. Human rights organisations and United Nations bodies have documented serious abuses against Karen villagers by the Myanmar military, including forced labour, killings, sexual violence and the destruction of villages. Many Karen people have fled to Thailand. In 2016, more than 100,000 refugees, most of them Karen, were living in nine camps along the Thai–Myanmar border, and many more were displaced inside Myanmar.
Karen refugees began arriving in Brisbane in the mid-2000s, after the Thai government agreed to allow refugees from the camps to resettle in third countries through programmes supported by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). By 2016, more than 700 Karen people were living in Brisbane and Logan.
The Australian Karen Organisation's Queensland branch (AKO Qld) was formed in late 2006, a few months after the first Karen families resettled in Brisbane, and its youth and women's sub-committees were formed a year later. AKO Qld represents the Karen community in its dealings with government and with cultural and social organisations.
