Burma army

Since the beginning of October the Burma military has started a major crack down on motorbike smugglers crossing over from Thailand. Burma Army officials in the Dawei area of Tanintharyi Division have been arresting and stopping all smuggling and possession of unlicensed motorbikes brought from Thailand since the beginning of the month. Sources close to Thai army told Karen News…

The Karen National Union (KNU) and the Burma Government announced today that they have agreed on the dates and location for the third round of their ‘peace-talk’ negotiation. The two parties finally agreed to meet in Hpan-an, Karen State on September 3rd and 4th after the Burma Government had earlier postponed the ‘peace-talks’ that were originally scheduled for August 27th…

The Kachin Women Association Thailand urged the Myanmar Human Right Commission to do a proper comprehensive and in-depth inquiry into the massive amount of people who have been displaced or made refugees by Burma Army offensives in Kachin State. The government controlled newspaper, the Myanmar Alin, reported on a statement put out by the Myanmar Human Right Commission’s recent trip…

Boat travelers on the Zami waterways in the Three Pagoda and Kyain Seikgyi Township region of in Karen State claim they are tax targets of various armed soldiers. Mi Myint, a traveler who was taxed when using traveling on the river spoke to Karen News. “Boat fees are 32,000kyat. The boat driver on our trip paid for us at the…

Fighting between the Karen National Liberation Army and the government’s Border Guard Force resulted in four BGF being killed two KNLA soldiers wounded. The firefight between the government’s militia and the Karen army broke out on August 5, in Mae Seik village, Papun Township in northern Karen State. The fighting happened on the same day as the Karen National Union…

Villagers from Htee Poe Klone claim that their farmlands and community graveyard, north of Hpa-An Town were confiscated by government officials for industrial zone and for re settlement of Border Guard Force families. A villager said the government has not yet started the project, but villagers are barred from working on their farmlands. “They [government] won’t let us work our…

In a speech to the UN Security Council a prominent community based human rights organization has expressed concern over the lack of transparency and accountability surrounding Burma’s reform process. Burma’s government, led by ex-general Thein Sein, recently passed an ‘action plan’ to end the use of child soldiers in the military by 2014 – when the country is set to…

The Kachin Women Association Thailand released a report – Ongoing Impunity – that documents the continued abuse of civilians by the Burma Army. The report, released yesterday at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand, details the killings, rape, forced labor and displacement that has occurred in the last twelve months of fighting between the Kachin Independent Army and government troops.…

The Burma Army camp based east of Tenasserim division in Southern Burma has increased its demands on villagers to use their vehicles to transport military supplies. A pick-up owner who does not want to be named (for his own security), told Karen News that despite the cease-fire between the Karen National Union (KNU) and Burmese government the Burma Army are…

After receiving abuse from their senior officers, three Burma Army soldiers deserted to Phop Phra district on the Thai side of the border at the end of last month. The soldiers were from the Burma Army Light Infantry Battalion 61 operating in the Waw Lay area, Myawaddy Township in Karen State. According to local military sources these are the first…