Kawthoolei

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Kawthoolei is the Karen name for a proposed state in Myanmar. Karen nationalists have pushed for Kawthoolei since the late 1940s, starting as an idea for an autonomous region after Burma’s independence and later becoming the name of lands controlled by the Karen National Union (KNU).

In 1953 the KNU declared Kawthoolei Free State, with Papun as its capital. In the 1990s, KNU leader Bo Mya shifted focus to a smaller Kawthoolei in eastern Myanmar, centering on the area around Manerplaw. He envisioned a self-governing community separate from the central government’s military rule.

On January 7, 2026, a splinter group called the Kawthoolei Army declared the Republic of Kawthoolei independent. The KNU dismissed this as a publicity stunt, saying Kawthoolei has no real territory or broad Karen support.

Names and meanings around Kawthoolei are unclear. The term appeared in Burma’s 1948 constitution as a possible autonomous region, but exactly who counts as Karen and what Kawthoolei would look like were never settled. The Pwo Karen use a different phrase, Kan Su Line, meaning “land cool cave.” The Kawthoolei flag was adopted in 1974.

Historically, Kawthoolei has not been a single, clearly defined country. The KNU has controlled parts of Kayin State and nearby areas in Mon, Tanintharyi, Bago, and Ayeyarwady. After independence, some Karen leaders talked about Karenistan, but the British asked for unity among ethnic groups rather than separate states. Over the years, Kawthoolei has been tied to a mix of self-rule, armed conflict, and negotiations rather than a stable, recognized nation.