ethnic

As the world celebrates Christmas, villagers in northern Burma have fled their their homes in fear Burma Army attacks. Burma Army offensives are underway in northern Shan State, with reports of a village being torched and civilians being used as forced labourers and guides. The Shan Human Rights Foundation, an ethnic community based organisation monitoring human rights abuses in Shan…

A humanitarian aid organisation said that Burma Army offensives during October and November have displaced more than 10,000 civilians,. The Free Burma Rangers, delivers medical aid and monitors conflict areas inside Burma, recorded 92 new armed clashes in parts of Northern Shan and Western Kachin State over the last two months, including attacks by Government aircraft, heavy artillery, and armoured…

Thelma Gyi, the daughter of the charismatic Karen political leader, Saw Ba U Gyi, has called for the country’s ethnic people to stand up for their rights. “Unite, demand the legal recognition of your state borders. Demand an end to corruption, war crimes, land grabbing, selling and exploiting the land rights for personal gain.” Speaking just before Burma’s national elections…

The Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement signing ceremony on Oct 15 was Thein Sein’s big chance to add some much-needed credence to the national elections to be held next Sunday. But despite Thein Sein and Gen Mutu Sae Po’s optimism, not everyone is convinced the NCA will bring stability to the country. In fact, ethnic groups say fighting continues unabated, killing civilians…

Ethnic Shan human rights organisations have urged the Government to halt Burma Army attacks in Shan State, saying these attacks undermine hopes for a lasting peace agreement. The statement, which was signed by 18 organisations including the Shan Human Rights Foundation and the Shan Women’s Action Network, said that recent attacks had already displaced 1,500 civilians. The mass displacement of…

Ongoing Burma Army offensives in Shan and Kachin State are blocking key armed groups from signing a Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement, the community based organisation, the Women’s League of Burma warned. The NCA is set to be signed on October 15, but only eight armed groups have decided to sign it. “We do not trust Naypyidaw’s [government’s] peace process. It’s clearly…

The Burma Army has kidnapped and tortured a man from Wan Kawn Yao, Shan State, local villagers claim. The villagers have written a letter to the local Burma Army commander demanding the return of the man, named as 33 yer-old farmer Sai Thein Tun. The villagers claim that Sai Tun was kidnapped on September 10 this year while on his…

Burma’s Government is engaged in the illegal displacement of thousands of its own citizens, a leading human rights organization has concluded. The New York based Physicians for Human Rights collected evidence of 8,000 people being relocated against their will to make way for dam projects in Shan State. One example cited in the report was the Upper Paunglaung dam, which…

The ethnic armed organizations representatives have reached the end of the nationwide ceasefire agreement process following a three-day meeting in the Thai Northern city of Chiang Mai. The meeting held from August 21 to 24 resulted in the appointment of a new delegation of eight members to meet with President U Thein Sein and General Min Aung Hlaing in Nay…

The case of a Burma Army soldier raping and murdering a 28-year-old woman in Shan State throws government promises of an end to sexual violence in doubt, a human rights organisation has claimed. The Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF) said the murder happened in Ho Pong Township in the State’s south on June 6. The soldier subsequently charged with the…