AFP Forum

MYANMAR - CONFLICT - ETHNIC - KAREN
This picture taken on January 31, 2015 shows soldiers from the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)'s Seventh Brigade parading as part of celebrations marking the 66th Karen Revolution Day at their headquarters in Myanmar's eastern Kayin state. The KNLA is the armed wing of the Karen National Union (KNU) and is believed to have between 3,000 to 5,000 active fighters in its ranks. The KNU signed a ceasefire agreement with Myanmar's central government in 2012 but fighting has continued sporadically in several border areas, undermining the authorities' hopes to reach a nationwide ceasefire with all of the country's armed ethnic groups ahead of the 2015 general elections scheduled for the end of the year. AFP PHOTO/KC Ortiz
KC Ortiz / AFP