Burma

The Thai-Burma border based Emergency Assistance and Relief Team (EART) has opened a donation center to accept aid for Burma flood victim. The EART is made up of community groups to provide emergency aid – members include Mae Tao Clinic, Burma Medical Association, Back Pack Health Worker Team and Children Development Center based on the Thai border town of Mae…

The number of political prisoners that have been released since 2014 is incredibly low given the number of overall prisoners released during that same period, an organisation representing political prisoners has said. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) noted that while 6,966 prisoners had been released since an amnesty in October 2014, only 13 of those were political prisoners.…

Weeks of non-stop heavy rain have caused flash flooding throughout Burma and northern Thailand. Residents in the Ma Ra Moe Refugee Camp on the Thai Burma border were terrified as flood waters swamped 30 houses. Aid vehicles were unable to get into Section 6 of the Camp as road access was cut off by floodwaters. Saw Ywar Baw, social issue…

Community-based-organizations in Karen State are coming together to increase their efforts to educate people about voting in the national elections to be held on November 8, 2015. A workshop on voter education, led by the Nyein Civil Organization was held together with Karen community-based-organizations at Hpa-an in the second week of July, to raise awareness about voting in the various…

Land confiscation in Karen state has continues to increase according to a new report from the Karen Human Rights Group. The KHRG report titled, “With only our voices, what can we do?” was released on July 15 in the Thai border town of Mae Sot. The report documents the increased land confiscation by government officials and the Burma Army and…

A senior member of the Hpa-an based, Plone-Sgaw Democratic Party (PSDP), a Karen political party, said that they are planning to contest all constituencies in Karen State for the November 8, 2015 general election. Speaking to Karen News, the party’s vice-chairman Mahn Aung Pyi Soe said. “We will contest all 36 constituencies including places where Burman, Pa-o, Mon ethnic people…

The Committee to Protect Journalists urged the Burma government and relevant authorities to “prosecute the perpetrators” of an attack on the owner of the Eleven Media Group. The Burmese media reported that slingshot-wielding assailants attacked Than Htut Aung, the owner of the Eleven Media Group last Tuesday. The Committee to Protect Journalists issued a statement condemning the attacks. The CPJ…

The government and ethnic groups’ representatives reached an agreement in principle to work towards getting the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement signed and starting the process of drafting a political dialogue framework with President U Thein Sein’s administration. The Union Peacemaking Working Committee led by Minister U Aung Min and the Ethnic Senior Delegation led by Padoh Naw Zipporah Sein met on…

Human rights watchdog, Freedom House issued a statement condemning the contempt of court charges filed against 17 journalists in Burma. Freedom House said in their statement that the contempt of court charges filed against the 17 journalists was an indicator of the lack of press freedom in Burma. Freedom House’s executive vice president, Daniel Calingaert said. “This action is indicative…

The start of the regional wet season has seen an increase in dengue fever cases coming to Mae Tao Clinic located in the Thai-Burma border town of Mae Sot. Health workers at the clinic told Karen News that since the beginning of June “dengue patients had noticeably increased.” Saw San Myint Tun, from Mae Tao Clinic’s community health department said…