By Janis Mork

January 17, 2013 (San Diego) --Recently, the Karen [pronounced ‘care-en’] organization held its fourth annual Karen New Year at Crawford High. Karen New Year is a culture celebration for refugees from Burma.

More than 1,200 refugees from Burma now call San Diego home, resettled here after living in refugee camps in Thailand. Many were forced to leave their homeland after the Burmese government began burning villages as part of a religious persecution. The Karen includes both Buddhists and Christians, who received a warm reception from civic leaders at the celebration.