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Burma’s military accused of mass human rights abuses in Shan State as President Thein Sien is awarded peace prize and the EU economic sanctions. The Shan Human Rights Foundation has expressed grave concern over new widespread abuses being committed by the Burma Army in recent weeks. Despite ongoing peace talks with the Shan State Army-North (SSA-N), Burma’s military has launched…

The once forested slopes of the hills around Kyeik Pe Lor village are now surrounded by rubber trees or burnt black in preparation for the planting of more rubber trees. Forests have been burnt to the ground. The burnt land once was part of the villager’s rotation rice farming, but now has been taken over by a company for a…

Fort the first time the Karen Education Department and the Karen Teachers Working Group held a summer camp for teacher training in a government controlled area. The training was held in Pway Poe Kla village, east of Dawei, in Southern Burma. The training was made possible because of the ceasefire agreement reached between the Karen National Union (KNU) and the…

Dengue fever, a mosquito-borne infection that peaks during Burma’s wet season has struck Karen children early this year. A government health official told Karen News that the number of children in Pa-an, the capital of Karen State, presenting with dengue are high. Dr Win Naing, the Burma government’s health director for Karen State, explained to Karen News that while malaria…

Following the recent fire that killed 39 refugees and destroyed the Ban Mae Surin refugee camp, people living in camps along the Thai Burma border are scared that their respective camps are firetraps. As precautionary measure, refugee camp officials have put in place compulsory measures. Residents have been told that they have to fill plastic bags with sand and water…

More than 1,000 villagers have fled in the face of new operations by the Burma Army against the Shan State Army-North (SSA-N), said the Shan Human Rights Foundation. “Atrocities by Burmese troops in a new military operation against the SSA-North have caused over 1,000 villagers, from 16 villages in Tangyan, to flee from their homes during the past two weeks.”…

Villagers in Hpa-an Township, Karen State say for the first time in memory Government officials have involved them in discussions about a development project planned for their area. Villagers’ say an assessment was carried out and they were consulted with over a development project before it started. Karen State Ministers and Members of Parliament visited Mi Kayin village on April…

Disputes over land issues have increased in the Hpa-an Town region in Karen State since the establishment of economic zones and a rush to start ‘development projects’ in the area. Myaing Thar Yar villagers have reported to government officials that the children of Khun Bayin, an early settler of the village, are claiming their lands. Villagers said Khun Bayin’s children…

Burma Campaign UK, a human rights advocacy group, has urged the European Union to refrain from lifting further sanctions on Burma citing the deteriorating situation in Shan State. “There is no doubt that there have been dramatic changes in Burma in the past two years, and that there is opportunity for further change which must be encouraged. However, European Union…

The Burma government and Karen health officials have agreed to join forces to combat malaria in rural communities. Officers from the Karen National Union (KNU) health department and the Dr Win Naing, the Burma government health director for Karen State, agreed to cooperate to fight malaria at a recent meeting in Karen State. The head of the Karen Department of…