Articles

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…

Twenty-year old Hla Ko* has an easy smile, a cool haircut and the manic energy of a young man with few ties. He studies medicine but adores politics. He has an opinion about everything but isn’t too sure about anything. The church is an anchor, but hanging out and flirting with his many female friends is how he spends a…

Retired middle school headmaster Saw Maung Tote, an organizer and a committee member of the Karen Literature and Culture Committee in Rangoon, said the Ministry of Education Department has not given permission to teach S’gaw Karen Literature in Mawbi state schools. “The Karen Literature and Culture committee in Mawbi have gathered the number of students who want to learn Karen…