The Karen, Kayin, Kariang or Yang people (Per Ploan Poe or Ploan in Poe Karen and Pwa Ka Nyaw or Kanyaw in Sgaw Karen; ကညီကလုာ္, pronounced: [kəjɪ̀ɴ lù mjó]; Thai:กะเหรี่ยง or ยาง) refer to a number of Sino-Tibetan language speaking ethnic groups which reside primarily in Karen State, southern and southeastern Burma (Myanmar). The Karen make up approximately 7 percent of the total Burmese population with approximately 5 million people.[5] A large number of Karen have migrated to Thailand, having settled mostly on the Thai–Karen border.
The Karen are often confused with the Red Karen (Karenni), which is one of the tribes of Kayah in Kayah State, Myanmar. One subgroup of the Karenni, the Padaung tribe, are best known for the neck rings worn by the women of this group of people. This tribe resides at the border region of Burma and Thailand.
Some of the Karen, led primarily by the Karen National Union (KNU), have waged a war against the central Burmese government since early 1949. The aim of the KNU at first was independence. Since 1976 the armed group has called for a federal system rather than an independent Karen State.
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