Burma

Hpa-an residents who lost their 40 acres of land to a construction project in town’s industrial zone want compensation from the government for the loss of their rubber plantations. Saw Khant Win Aung, had his land confiscated for the construction, said that on January 25, the Karen State Chief Minister, U Zaw Min, visited the project site and said that…

A campaign by the Burma Campaign UK is trying to highlight ongoing human rights abuses in Burma. To make its point, Burma Campaign has delivered more than 2,000 rose-tinted glasses, and issued photo petitions to the British Foreign Office to put pressure on the British government to a “return to putting human rights as their top priority in Burma,” the…

The Burma Campaign UK has launched a campaign calling for the release of a Burmese political activist, Sein Than, currently serving a two-year prison sentence for leading peaceful protests to support people demanding compensation or return of their land confiscated by the government’s military. In a statement released today, the Burma Campaign UK “urged people to email President Thein Sein…

Padoh Saw Thamein Tun, a member of the Karen National Union (KNU)’s Central Executive Committee said that the KNU would never go alone and sign a national wide ceasefire in Burma. The KNU said that it is only willing to sign the ceasefire together with the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) and the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT). Padoh Saw…

It is expected that Thailand’s Prime Minister’s, Prayut Chan-o-cha’s will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the $60 billion Dawei mega project during his visit to Japan next week. The cabinet on Tuesday approved a wide-ranging economic partnership with Japan that will be signed during Prime Minister official visit next week. It was reported in the Bangkok Post that…

Burma’s path to democratic reform and improved human rights stalled in 2014, Human Rights Watch warned in its latest world report. The New York based human rights organisation cited the widespread persecution of Burma’s ethnic Rohingya that has become a humanitarian crisis, the military’s ongoing dominance in the country’s politics, and little improvement in government transparency before the planned 2015…

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…

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…

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…