Villagers in Karen State have lodged a protest to their local land registration office against applications by companies and investors to take community land for development projects. The villagers from Minekan, Hpa-an Township, submitted an letter to the township land registration office on May 27 protesting that applications for permits to grow long-term crops in unclaimed forest land was owned…
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On Tuesday, the Burma government handed down a two year jail sentence to writer, Htin Lin Oo for criticizing religious extremism in a speech. The Burma Campaign UK in a media statement, urged the British “Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond to pressure the Burmese government to ensure the immediate unconditional release of Htin Lin Oo and the remaining political prisoners in…
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A Karen woman’s groups is running training for community-based-organisation to help them understand and identify the different and often conflicting elements in Burma’s ceasefire process. Naw Suzanna Hla Hla Soe, a director of the Karen Women Empowerment Group (KWEG) told Karen News that topics covered in the training were understanding armed conflict, violence resulting from the conflicts and identifying different…
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A senior member of the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team explained to Karen News that the United Wa State Army (UWSA) and Restoration Council of Shan Sate/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) will not attend a conference to discuss the nationwide ceasefire draft documents. Padoh Kwe Htoo Win, a senior member of the NCCT told Karen News that the “conference is about informing…
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A senior Thai Health Ministry official said that from May 2015, government health insurance packages are available to buy for every registered migrant worker and their dependents. Dr. Poonlarp Chantavichitwong, Chief of Tak Public Health Officer from Tak Public Health Office, told local reporters after a joint health conference held in Mae Sot with the Karen State Health Department of…
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Refugee camp officials on the Thai Burma border are concerned that a funding shortfall may result in further ration cuts. The officials said that they are now holding discussions with donor organizations to try to manage the basic food rations provided to the refugees. The camp officials pointed out that a funding shortfall for the year may cause further reductions…
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Frontline humanitarian organization, the Free Burma Ranger report that the Burma Airforce continues to bombard Kachin Independent Army positions using jet fighters. The Free Burma Rangers said in a statement released this week that the Burma military has focused its attacks around Nam Lim Pa village. “On the 18th and 19th of May alone clashes continued for many hours and…
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Residents of Mae La Refugee Camp suffering from water shortages were relieved when heavy rain drenched the region this week. This year’s dry season has caused Mae La refugees’ additional hardship as their water sources dried out and camp residents faced severe water shortages during April and May. Camp officials told Karen News that this year was the worst drought…
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Karen villagers whose lands were taken by companies to build a hydropower dam are angry and now want their lands returned. The villagers from the Palet Wa region in Thandaung Township lost their homes and land to a hydro-power dam in Htantabin Township are protesting and demanding their lands are returned from the companies. More than a 100 villagers and…
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Media reports estimate that the Indonesian navy and fishing boats rescued as many as 1,000 asylum seekers off its coast near Aceh, on Friday 15th May. An Indonesian military spokesperson, Major General Fuad Basya, said in a interview with the ABC, Australian’s national broadcaster, that the 200 asylum seekers rescued by the Indonesian’s navy were spotted earlier that morning by…
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