Burma

Farm workers refusing to work for low wages in the Irrawaddy Delta has caused a labor shortage in the region. Farm owners in Ba Wine village, Pantanaw Township, say it is now difficult to find workers to work for wages lower than what is on offer in the big cities. Saw Han Gyi, a local farm owner from Ba Wine…

More than 5,000 Burmese people turned up at the Myanmar Convention Centre to show their support for the 1988 democracy protest anniversary. The silver jubilee anniversary commemorating the 8.8.88 uprising that swept through Burma 25 years ago finished today with democracy leaders calling for the struggle for political freedom to continue. Keynote speakers, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and…

Burma Campaign UK, a prominent rights advocacy group, has accused the President of Burma, U Thein Sein, of keeping hundreds of political prisoners in jail despite his claims of democratic reform and liberalising the country’s political system. The group has highlighted the case of two leading rights activists as symbolic of the tenuous human rights situation in Burma despite the…

RANGOON – The 88 Generation Students began its silver jubilee commemoration activities today in Rangoon. The silver jubilee celebrations started at 8am on August 6th and will end on August 8th at the Myanmar Convention Centre in Rangoon. The members of 88 Generation said in a statement that they were “encouraged by the spirit of unity today at this 25th…

Burma’s government released 73 prisoners on the 23rd of July, a move welcomed by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP). The AAPP is cautious in it’s praise of the current release of political prisoners made by Burma’s government. “Despite the positive steps taken in freeing those imprisoned, there is still the increasing issue of the number of current activists…

A diplomat from the British Embassy in Rangoon met with member of a Karen political party to discuss ethnic issues and the ongoing political reforms taking place in Burma. Mr Joseph Fisher, the second secretary at the British Embassy said at the meeting with the Phalon Sawaw Democratic Party (PSDP), that ethnic issues are a crucial factor in Burma’s transition…

A prominent human rights group has called into question President Thein Sein’s recent commitment to clear Burma’s jails of prisoners of conscience by the end of the year, with a human rights activist jailed in Rakhine State the same day the announcement was made. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners in Burma issued a statement calling for the President’s words…

The Burma News International (BNI), an alliance of mainly ethnic news organizations rejected the controversial draft Printing and Publishing Enterprise Law that was approved by the Lower House of Parliament on July 4. The BNI in its statement released on July 9 said that its strong opposition is because the law has too much control over ethnic media outlets. Ko…

The United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) in its latest meeting held with its member organizations, ethnic armed groups and political groups have reached a common position to push for a national convention. The UNFC said that its aim is to include everyone in the drafting of a new federal democratic constitution. During a three-day workshop held from July 5th to…

Two people were injured in two separate landmine incidents, in February and June 2013 in Mone Township, Nyaunglebin District, leading to fears that land mine areas have recently been laid. On February 2nd 2013, a 22-year-old man was walking home after collecting firewood in Maw Lay Forest when he stepped on a landmine, sustaining injuries to his leg. On June…