The war in Karen State has raged for decades, making it currently the world’s longest running conflict. It was in 1949 when the fighting began and ever since the Karen National Union (KNU) has been defending themselves against the oppressive Burmese junta, ironically called the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC).

On 31 January, 2011, I attended a ceremony at a jungle base camp buried in Karen State, where Karen soldiers and political and religious leaders gathered to mark the 62nd year of their struggle for freedom. Here, the Karens moved