Zoya Phan, an ethnic Karen and long-time political activist, briefly met with King Charles III of the United Kingdom on 1 February.  

The exchange took place as the King and Queen Consort hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the contribution of East and Southeast Asian communities to the United Kingdom. 

At the event, Charles III was quick to recognize Zoya as Karen from her ethnic dress. “The King seems to have a keen interest in Burma,” Zoya told Mizzima. “At one point he wants to visit Burma if there are genuine democratic reforms.”  

As for Zoya, she thanked the King for his support for Burma and told him about ongoing junta attacks targeting civilians and how people in Burma are desperate for help. 

During the period of British rule in Burma, many Karen worked closely with the British administration and military. Shortly after Burma gained independence in 1948, the country was plunged into what some refer to as the world’s longest ongoing civil war. The conflict has seen several ethnic groups, including the Karen, fighting for political, economic, and cultural rights. 

“Karen and many other ethnic people suffered great cruelties and exploitation under the rule of the Burman Kings,” explains Zoya. “For the Karen and many ethnics in Burma, things improved under British rule. As Karen we don’t want to be ruled by the British or the Burman. We want autonomy and control over our own lives, land, and natural resources.” 

The meeting at the start of the month was not the first between Charles and Zoya. The then Prince of Wales recalled meeting Zoya several years previously, at which time he shared how he learned about Burma and the Karen from Earl Mountbatten of Burma.  

Burma became a colony of Britain with the fall of the Konbaung dynasty in 1885.