Hobsons Bay City Council has celebrated Karen National Day, February 11, at the Altona Meadows Library and Learning Centre in Victoria.
Mayor of Hobsons Bay Councillor Sandra Wilson said she hopes the event will attract the wider community and increase understanding of the Karen culture.
“The Karen National Day celebrates the peaceful demonstration made by more than 400,000 Karen people who marched over 1400 kilometers from Myitkyina, Kachin State, Northern Burma to Myeik, in Southern Tenasserim of the Tanintharyi Region in Myanmar (Burma) on February 11, 1948, demanding equal rights and justice for all Karen.
“The Karen community is the largest group of new arrivals in Hobsons Bay and many of its community members have come from refugee camps where they had spent most of their lives.”
The celebration included a bi-lingual story time with special guest storyteller and Karen community leader, Ida Bright, and a craft activity for children. Traditional Karen music and dance also featured.
