Articles

The Border Consortium, a coalition of INGO’s that has administered aid to the camps for over three decades, is preparing for a pilot project that uses a card system to deliver food rations to refugee camps residents from the end of July, 2016. The food card system will begin with some households in the Nu Po and Tham Hin refugee…

The ongoing conflict in Shan and Kachin State is escalating, according to frontline humanitarian organization, Free Burma Rangers, with two civilians killed. “The Burma Army is currently engaged in an escalating conflict in both northern Shan and Kachin states. The situation has left several dead, including a 22-year-old man killed by a landmine, and others injured, such as a 39-year-old…

Delegates from ethnic political parties and women groups are to be invited to the plenary ethnic armed groups’ summit scheduled to be held from July 26 to 29 at Mai Ja Yang, Kachin State. The decision to invite ethnic political parties and the women’s groups was decided the Delegation for Political Negotiation (DPN) and leaders from Coordination Team (CT) of…

An 11-memeber new central executive committee was voted in at the 5th Karen Youth Organization congress held on June 29 at Lay Wah (Law Khee Lar), Pa-an district in Karen State. The new elected central executive members include Saw Ler Ner as chairman, Saw Eh Soe as vice-chairman, Saw Lar Set Wah as general secretary, Saw Thoo Lei as joint…

The United Nationalities Federal Council are in discussion with the government in order to join the ongoing political dialogue, now widely known as “21st century Pinlon Conference” to be held in August, 2016. Ku Oo Reh, leader of the Delegation for Political Negotiation (DPN) said that UNFC needs to continue discussions with the government. The Delegation for Political Negotiation led…

A group of 19 community based organizations has called for an official investigation into the destruction of religious buildings in Burma. The statement was signed on behalf of a range of ethnic and human rights groups both local and international including Burma Campaign UK, Fortify Rights, and the Kachin Women’s Association of Thailand. The statement comes after a spate of…

Health workers in two refugee camps on the Thai-Burma border stopped work over non-payment of compensation and claims that they are treated unfairly by a non-government organization running hospitals in the camp. Camp residents said that on July 5th, health workers employed by Premiere Urgence – Aide Medical Internationale at Mae La and Umpheim Mai refugee camps went on strike…

Students from the Children Development Centre (CDC) have an opportunity to continue their education at a Thai university, Rajamangala University of Technology, Tak. The university has decided to move forward with a scholarship program for students of the CDC. Qualified students from migrant schools in Tak province will have a chance to apply for a scholarship, according to Saw Myo…

Burma’s new Government, led by Aung San Suu Kyi’s National league for Democracy party, is in a position to repeal a swathe of colonial-era laws that criminalize cornerstones of a functioning democracy, including freedom of assembly and free speech. Human Rights Watch has called on the new Government to use its parliamentary majority to repeal draconian laws, detailed in a…

The Burma Army is engaging in “systemic torture” of civilians, a report by the Ta’ang Women’s Organisation (TWO) has found. The TWO is a community based human rights advocacy organization representing the ethnic Ta’ang, a minority in Eastern Burma. The report, Trained to Torture, documents more than 100 case studies across 33 villages in the Ta’ang areas. Civilians reported being…