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People group profile · PG009510

The Bwe Karen of Myanmar

The Bwe Karen of Myanmar, numbering about 21,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic subgroup of the Karen, an ethnic group indigenous to Kayin State in southeastern Myanmar.

They are an indigenous people in the Karen people cluster of the Southeast Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Animism, and they primarily speak Bwe Karen.

Pray for the Bwe KarenPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Bwe Karen people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Karen, Bghai

Fast facts

Country
Myanmar
Population
21,000
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
Karen
Primary language
Bwe Karen (bwe)
Primary religion
Animism
Strategic Progress Index
No Longer Unreached
Evangelical
20% or Greater but Less than 30%
GSEC
10% or Greater Evangelical
Lostness priority
Significantly Reached People Group
Also known as
Red Karen
Region
South-Eastern Asia, Asia

Where they live

Gospel status

The Bwe Karen are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 10% evangelical.

  • Congregations exist Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Bwe Karen

  • Pray for the churches among this group to grow in faithfulness and maturity
  • Equip believers to reach the unreached peoples around them
  • Send out laborers from this people to the nations

Primary religion

Animism · Ethnoreligion

74% adherents

Primary language

Bwe Karen · Sino-Tibetan family

73% speak Bwe Karen

Gospel resources in Bwe Karen

  • Bible available, published 1888
  • JESUS Film not available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources not available
  • Bible stories not available

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Bwe Karen

  1. 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
  2. Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
  3. Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
  4. Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.

Download a prayer guide

Karen, Bwe in other countries

The same people (ROP3 108338) is reported in 1 other country.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
Bghai KarenThailand2,100No Longer Unreached

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