How Did The Karen People Aid Britain During The War?

The Karen people, an ethnic group of people native to Burma (now Myanmar) and Thailand, (formerly Siam), helped the British army during World War II. This was at the height of the Japanese occupation of the region. The soldiers of the Japanese Army and the Burma Independence Army captured many of the Karen people during the war and slaughtered them, suspecting them of being spies employed by their enemies, the British army.

The Burma Independence Army was an ally of the Japanese invaders, who arrived in the country during the war. The Karen people's only demand was to have a separate state for their group within Burma like they were made for the other ethnic groups, but despite several discussions with the British and empty promises made by the British to improve their lot, nothing was actually done to this effect before the British left the country.

The Karen crisis is now a full-blown issue, and while they have formed the Karen National Union (KNU) to push forward their case for a separate Karen state, they find themselves outnumbered and having no political clout to rebel against the Myanmar army.

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