Articles

Burma Campaign UK, a human rights advocacy organisation, has called for Burma’s President to release the country’s remaining political prisoners and repeal Article 18 of the controversial Peaceful Procession and Peaceful Assembly Law, claiming that the law is being used to repress political dissent. In its media statement, Burma Campaign UK cited the cases of Nay Myo Zin and Win…

Today marked World Malaria Day, and while the global community celebrated significant declines in moratlity rates from malaria since 2000, a new drug-resistant form of the parasite has one leading expert warning of a potential health disaster. In the last ten years, the fight against malaria has seen dramatic decreases in deaths. A concerted effort across the world to combat…

Human rights organisations are expressing grave concerns over the fate of a prominent ethnic Karen activist who disappeared after reportedly being arrested on April 17 at Kaengkrachan National Park in Petchaburi province by Thai authorities. The New York based Human Rights Watch said it was concerned that Por Cha Lee Rakcharoen, also known as Billy, had been “forcibly disappeared.” HRW…

International pressure for an investigation into sexual violence in Burma is mounting, with the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon calling for the Burma government to co-operate with the UN on the issue. Ban Ki-moon called on the Burma Government to investigate human rights abuses, including sexual violence. “I call on the Government of Myanmar to fully investigate and respond…

Reports of rape and the murder of two civilians have emerged following a Burma Army offensive in parts of Kachin State and Shan State, that has also led to more than three thousand civilians displaced in the attacks. The frontline humanitarian organisation, Free Burma Rangers, allege that on April 10, Burma Army soldiers from Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) raped a…

In an exclusive interview with Karen News, the Secretary of the Karen Women’s Organization (KWO), a community based organisation representing more than 49,000 women including refugees in Thailand and internally displaced persons inside Burma, said that ethnic women were second-class citizens in their own country. “We are not only ignored, we are being abused and victimized. The peace talks don’t…

Karen political and community groups representing Karen communities from across Burma will hold a Karen National Convention in 2014 to discuss the cooperation between Karen armed organisations and political parties in ensuring there is unity going into the future. The Karen Unity and Peace Committee (KUPC) held a meeting on April 10 in Pyin Oo Lwin that led to the…

Residents of Mi Kayin village, Hpa-an, Karen State, are once again united to oppose a proposed cement factory planned to be built near their village by the Myanmar Ji Dong Cement Company Limited. Saw Nyan Win, a Mi Kayin villager said in an interview with Karen News that residents are planning to take their opposition to the proposal to build…

Villagers celebrating the New Year Water festival ended up in hospital after eating special fragrant rice. More than 200 villagers from Paw Baw Kho village, in Myawaddy Township, Karen State were admitted to Myawaddy Hospital’s intensive care unit suffering from food poisoning. The mass poisoning happened after villagers ate specially prepared fragrant rice (Thingyan rice) served at the Myanmar New…

Human rights organisations and ethnic political groups have called for an international investigation into systematic sexual abuses committed by the Burma Army, noting that reports of rape continue to emerge three years after reformist President Thein Sein’s administration took power. The Kachin National Oganisation, a political party from Kachin State, called for an international investigation and alleged it had documented…