Articles

As many as 2,000 villagers from 12 villages in Mae Tha Wor areas have fled their villages in fear of being caught in the crossfire between the Burma army, Government backed militia the Border Guard Force (BGF) and the ethnic Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) troops. Armed skirmishes between BGF and DKBA forces have intensified in recent days in a…

The New York based human rights organisation Human Rights Watch has called on the US Government to retain ‘key sanctions’ in order to keep pressure on the Burmese military to reform. “US sanctions are focused on the Burmese military and its cronies, not the people of Burma,” John Sifton, Asia advocacy director at HRW said in a statement, “The sanctions…

Ethnic leaders have warned that now is not the time to give up arms, in reaction to a speech calling for disarmament by the Burmese Commander-in-Chief General Min Aung Hlaing. The speech was made at the 21st Panglong Conference in Naypyidaw, which had a series of high-profile international guests including U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon. General Min Aung Hlaing said…

Armed clashes broke out in Karen State between splinter Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) forces and government backed militia. The fighting started in central Karen State on September 2nd, in Mae Tha Waw areas in Hlaingbwe Township, and has continued over the last few days. According to both BGF and DKBA sources, four armed clashes were reported within a day…

Some 20,000 convicts toil in prison labour camps across the country, where they face abuse, exploitation and forced labour, a Myanmar Now investigation finds. NAUNG CHO TOWNSHIP, Shan State (Myanmar Now) – Under the glare of the midday sun, several dozen men wearing blue outfits, with shackles around their ankles, stood grouped together in a field of shrubs and tall…

Karen community based organisations have condemned the Asia Highway project for displacing local communities who had the “misfortune of standing in the way of transnational interests” in a report. The report, entitled ‘Beautiful Words, Ugly Actions: The Asian Highway in Karen State’ documents a range of community concerns regarding the Asia Highway project, which is part of a much larger…

A statement by the Committee for Shan State Unity (CSSU) has criticised Burmese Government plans to dam the Salween river, questioning the economic benefits of various projects and raising concerns over their environmental impact and effect on the ongoing conflict situation in Shan and Kachin States. According to the community based organisation Salween Watch, six hydropower projects are being developed…

A report by the frontline humanitarian organisation Free Burma Rangers has said that the war in Kachin and Shan States is escalating. The FBR said in a report dated 29 August 2016 that “clashes and infantry assaults backed by mortar attacks are now a daily occurrence, and civilians are frequently caught in the crossfire.” The FBR said in its report…

YANGON (Myanmar Now) – Last month, Phyu Phyu made a life-changing decision that few women in Myanmar dare to take in her situation: the 38-year-old mother of two left the family home in Yangon’s Thingangyun Township to escape her abusive husband. “I was hit with a broken glass, and got bruises and cuts on my head. Once I was hit…

Saw Kweh Say Karen activist, songwriter, singer, filmmaker and founding member of Karen News, died in Mae Sot at the age of 43. Kweh Say suffered from diabetes and number of other health related illnesses in recent years. His commitment to his family, Karen related issues will be missed. Kweh Say worked with Burma Issues for more than a decade…