The Karen resistance movement started in 1949. The Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) remains active today, defending and fighting for self-determination for the Karen people. Following the November 2010 elections, the SPDC has tightened its grip on the State, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, resisting assimilation into the Border Guard Forces, and the SPDC have been engaged in fighting and the KNLA has also been drawn into the conflict. The fighting creates a very volatile situation for the civilian populations living in Karen State, who face threats to their physical security and to their livelihoods, and are at risk from direct attacks by the SPDC.