Kawkareik
Encyclopedia
Kawkareik is a town
in the Kayin State
of south Burma. It is the capital of Kawkareik District
. The Kawkareik Pass across the Tenasserim Hills
is named after this town.
In January 2009, the forces of the Karen National Union
and the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army
clashed outside of Kawkareik. The DKBA set up their military command post inside the town, and although soldiers burned down several civilian houses and detained dozens of citizens in villages across the border in Thailand, Kawkareik was left intact.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in the Kayin State
Kayin State
Kayin State is a state of Burma . The capital city is Hpa-an.-History:The region that forms today's Kayin State was part of successive Burmese kingdoms since the formation of the Pagan Empire in mid-11th century...
of south Burma. It is the capital of Kawkareik District
Kawkareik District
Kawkareik District is a district of the Kayin State in Myanmar. It consists of 4 towns—Kawkareik, the capital, Kyain Seikgyi , Kyondo , and Payathonsu—and 552 villages.-Townships:...
. The Kawkareik Pass across the Tenasserim Hills
Tenasserim Hills
Tenasserim Hills or Tenasserim Range is the geographical name of a mountain chain in Southeast Asia. Despite their relatively scant altitude these mountains form an effective barrier between Thailand and Burma in their northern and central region, extending to the Kra Isthmus into the Malay...
is named after this town.
In January 2009, the forces of the Karen National Union
Karen National Union
The Karen National Union is a political organisation with an armed wing, the Karen National Liberation Army that represents the Karen people of Burma. It operates in Eastern Burma, and has underground networks in other areas of Burma where Karen people live. In Karen, this Karen area is called...
and the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army
Democratic Karen Buddhist Army
The Democratic Karen Buddhist Army is a breakaway group of Buddhist former soldiers and officers of the Karen National Liberation Army , one of the larger insurgent armies in Burma...
clashed outside of Kawkareik. The DKBA set up their military command post inside the town, and although soldiers burned down several civilian houses and detained dozens of citizens in villages across the border in Thailand, Kawkareik was left intact.