Articles

The United Nation High Commission for Refugees and the Thai Ministry of Interior are planning a joint exercise to verify refugee population in the nine camps along the Thai-Burma border in January, according to sources from camp service providers. Saw Robert Htwe, chairperson of the Karen Refugee Committee confirmed to Karen News about the planned verification process. “The UNHCR and…

Dr. Cynthia Maung, founder of the Mae Tao Clinic on the Thai-Burma border have been announced the joint winner of South Korean POSCO TJ Park Prize for 2015. Dr Cynthia award was in the category of Community Development & Philanthropy awarded by POSCO TJ Park Foundation. A letter of announcement and invitation to receive the award was sent to Dr.…

The New York based Human Rights Watch called on the Burmese government to amend citizenship law, claiming it “fuels repression” and denies basic human rights to the country’s ethnic Rohingya minority. Brad Adams, HRW’s Asia director, said the law entrenched discrimination and must be changed. “Burma’s discriminatory citizenship law not only deprives Rohingya of citizenship, but for decades has encouraged…

A meeting between villagers, company officials and officials from both the Karen National Union and the government was held on Tuesday, January 6 to discuss and resolve problems of land destruction caused by coal mining in Southern Burma’s Tanitharyi Division. Coal mining carried out by May Flower company, Thai Asset Company and East Star Company in the area of Ban…

An ethnic human rights organization alleged the Burma Army killed a villager in front of his family in early December. The Shan Human Rights Foundation released a media statement Wednesday, January 7 accusing the Burma Army of committing the crime. “On December 12, 2014, Burma Army troops from LIB 573 shot and killed a 32-year-old mentally ill villager, Sai Sarm…

Journalist organisations joined with world leaders in expressing condemnation and shock at an attack by masked gunmen on a newspaper in Paris on Wednesday morning. The Paris newspaper, Charlie Hebdo, was attacked by two masked gunmen, named as brothers Chérif Kouachi, 32 and Said Kouachi, 34, shouting, “God is great” in Arabic yesterday. At least 11 were killed in the…

The Dawei Special Economic Zone is threatening local peoples’ way of life, according to a report by the Tavoyan Women’s Union. The DSEZ, a joint venture of Thailand and Burma, has faced controversy since it’s inception with local and international human rights organisations expressing concerns over the project’s affect on the lives of people living in the zone. According to…

Burmese authorities have arrested a Kachin man after he alleged his daughter was shot and killed by the Burma Army, leading to condemnation by international human rights organisations. An alliance of human rights organisations responded following the man’s arrest by sending an open letter last month to President U Thein Sein calling for the man’s release, named as Shayam Brang…

As many as 2,000 people joined the celebration of Karen New Year of 2754 and the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army’s 20th formation day that was organized at DKBA’s Sone Si Myaing headquarter in Karen State. Karen villagers, representatives from political parties, Karen State government officials and civil society groups attended the Karen New Year celebration that falls on the 21st…

A report by the Harvard Law School’s International Human Rights Clinic, has found the Burma Army guilty of ‘war crimes’ constituting ‘crimes against humanity’ in Karen State. The result of a four-year investigation, the report said there was ample evidence of government forces committing human rights abuses including the torture, rape and executions of civilians during a three year military…