Articles

Advocacy groups claim government’s mining decision derailing country’s democratic progress. The Molo Women Mining Watch Network (MWMWN) and the Karenni Civil Society Network (KCSN) today strongly condemned the government of Burma’s decision to grant mining contracts inside Karenni State, an ongoing zone of conflict. The two advocacy groups said the decision highlighted how Burma’s reformist government, led by ex-general Thein…

The head of Burma’s military met with members of the Karen armed resistance in the country’s capital to discuss how the ceasefire between the two could be progressed. The meeting is seen by ethnic leaders as a move by the government to acknowledge the Karen National Union (KNU) as a necessary component in the country’s political future. The delegation met…

A local rights group, the Tavoyan Women’s Union (TWU), releases video it claims shows how Thai and Burmese developers of the Dawei deap-sea mega project are abusing villagers’ rights. The video purports to show how the beauty of the Tavoyan coast is being destroyed by the massive port and industrial zone that has been in the planning since 2008. After…

The jailing of 10 activists by Burma’s government was slammed by regional human rights groups who accused the government of muscling out local villagers in favor of multinational development projects. The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), that represents 47 member organizations from 16 nations across Asia, has criticized Burma’s decision to throw 10 rights activists in prison.…

The Karen National Union met last week with Burma government officials in Rangoon and Nay Pyi Daw to try to give its ceasefire arrangements and peace talks a higher priority ranking. A KNU nine-member delegation led by its chairman, General Mutu Say Poe left for Burma on September 26 to meet with both the government’s senior administrators and its military…

Medics in southern Burma said that they do not have enough medicine to treat a diarrhea epidemic that has swept through a Karen village. Medics for the Karen National Union said that as many as 40 villagers from K’neh Kaw (Pya Tha Chaung) in Dawei Township, in Sothern Burma are sick and needed emergency treatment. A Karen medic working in…

Japan joined a meeting between Thailand and Burma to discuss how to kick-start the Dawei $60 billion mega project in southern Burma. It was the first time the three countries had met to discuss Japan’s role as a potential investor in the massive Dawei project that includes, a deep-sea port, industrial zone, rail and road links to Thailand, power plants…

Monks and residents from Hpa-an protest against the destruction of the town’s historic football ground to make way for the construction of a hotel and shopping mall. As many as 500 monks gathered on Friday, September 27, at the Hpa-an Maebaung Monastery to demonstrated against the building of the hotel and shopping mall on Myoma Football ground. The Myoma football…

A woman from Mae La refugee camp on the Thai Burma border was found dead in suspicious circumstances in close proximity to the camp. Camp officials confirmed that a woman refugee was found dead in a nearby forest close to Zone-C, of the Mae La refugee camp in Tak Province. The Mae La Camp’s chairman, Saw Honest, told Karen News…

Burma’s refusal to sign a declaration against sexual violence comes despite pressure from the British government. The declaration of commitment to end sexual violence in conflict was launched by the British Foreign Secretary William Hague and Zainab Hawa Bangura, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, at the United Nations in New York. On Tuesday 24th September…