Burma

Burma’s Union Election Committee has announced highly restrictive regulations on statements made by political parties in the upcoming nationwide election. The regulations include vetting statements made by political parties and limit them to 15 minutes on state-controlled media outlets and an outright ban of criticism against the country’s all-powerful military. The UEC said that information “that can split the Tatmadaw…

David Tharckabaw, head of the Karen National Unions Alliance Affairs, in an exclusive interview with Karen News, explains why he is opposed to the current Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement that he believes will deliver little for the majority of ethnic people and only benefit a few people. Mr Tharckabaw said he was not against a nationwide ceasefire that was in the…

Burma’s Parliament has passed controversial laws regulating religion and marriage, amid concern from human rights organisations that the laws further isolate minorities. “Parliament has not only shown disregard for basic human rights norms, but turned up the heat on Burma’s tense inter-communal relations and potentially put an already fragile transition at risk, with landmark elections right around the corner,” Phil…

Two senior members of the Karen State’s National League for Democracy resigned from the party to join the newly formed Karen Party. According to a Karen state NLD official, Saw Poe Wah, vice chairman of NLD Karen State, and Saw K’lue Htaw, administrative committee member from Hpa-an district resigned and will contest as representatives of the Karen National Party (KNP)…

In August 2011, at Mae Sot General Hospital, a mother found herself facing a choice no parent should have to make. She had given birth three days earlier and walked seven hours from her home in eastern Burma to seek medical treatment for her sick newborn daughter, Naut Naut, leaving her husband and other infant daughter at home. She went…

The floods in Burma may have stabilized for the moment, but it is forecast that heavy rainfalls will continue to fall across the country during the later stages of August. “The Czech INGO, People in Need’s website have estimated that as many as 1,100,000 people are affected in almost all regions of the country.” People in Need have donated about…

The United States Secretary of State, John Kerry announced that his government would give “US$600,000 for immediate response through USAID’s Office of Foreign Assistance (OFDA)” for Burmese people affected heavy rains and flooding that has devastated most of the country. A media statement released on August 7 by the U.S.Embassy Rangoon, said that the “USAID is working to address the…

The floods that have devastated Burma and affected as many as one million people have galvanised support from around the world. The US has donated US$600, 000, China has sent ‘experts’ in disaster relief and the European Commission have contributed US$606,000 in aid to the Burmese people. Abbott Ba Danda Wa Thay Hta from the Ananda Myitta Clinic in Hpa-an…

The European Commission has pledged €1 million ($US 1.97 million) in emergency aid to help Burma’s flood victims. The promise of aid comes as tropical cyclone Komen battered the country leaving at least 69 people dead and affecting as many as 1 million people. Christos Stylianides, the EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, said in a statement that,…

Thai people from Thailand’s border province of Tak, have donated aid worth 750 million kyat in relief items through the Mae Sot-Myawaddy border crossing in Karen State for the people affected by the severe flooding throughout Burma. Mr Sumchai Katiyasanti, governor of Tak province, said all districts in Tak have contributed to the aid effort. “People from all the nine…