ethnic

The United Nationalities Federal Council says they have come to a common agreement and are now prepared to help the Kachin if the government troops do not stop their offensive in Kachin State. The alliance group made the public statement at a press conference held on the Thai-Burma border saying they have agreed on ways of helping Kachin from their…

Naing Han Tha, a spokesperson for a key ethnic alliance, the United Nationalities Federal Council compared the attacks on the Kachin by the Burma government’s military as an attack on all ethnic people in the country. Naing Han Tha, the general secretary of the UNFC told Karen News that its members are opposed to the government’s attacks on the Kachin.…

The Ethnic Human Rights Network issued a public statement calling on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her political party, the National Liberation Party, to take a stand against the abuses being committed in Kachin State by the Burma military. The Ethnic Human Rights Network statement said the fighting in Kachin State had resulted in “human rights violations such as…

Communities attending public meetings across Shan State voiced their despair at ongoing abuses committed by the Burma Army despite the fact that a peace process has been underway for over a year. Various community groups, including the Shan Women’s Action Network (SWAN) have highlighted the concerns of many Shan communities in the midst of instability in Shan State. SWAN members…

Ko Nay Myo Zin, who works to help farmers and rural villagers’ fight for the loss of their farmlands and for their rights, spoke publically in Karen State about the poor living conditions that ethnic people are having to endure. Ko Nay Myo Zin who is a former Burma Army officer and served jail time as a former political prisoner…

The United Nationalities Alliance, which represents leaders from many of Burma’s major ethnic groups, has released an open letter addressed to the U.S. President Barack Obama urging him to be cautious in America’s relations with the military-backed government of Burma. The letter comes on the heels of Barack Obama’s visit to the once isolated country. The US President’s 6-hour visit…

The Nationalities Brotherhood Forum, an ethnic alliance, issued a statement on November 11 expressing their willingness for the emergence of federal system in Burma. After a two-day meeting held on November 10th to 11th, the Nationalities Brotherhood Forum issued a six-point-statement – one of the points said that ‘federalism is not separatism’. Mahn Aung Pyi Sone, vice chairman of the…

A sergeant from the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, an ethnic armed group operating in Northern Shan State, was arrested and killed by Burma Army yesterday while he was on leave and traveling back to his village to see a sick family member. Sergeant Ayaing Aung was travelling to Mout Tan Tay village in Manton Township of Northern Shan State. The…

A peak ethnic group has urged its member organizations, currently holding ‘peace-talks’ with the government, to stop all communications if the Burma Army continues its offensive against the Kachin. The Ethnic Nationalities Council (Union of Burma), an umbrella ethnic group, yesterday, issued a statement following their Third Annual Meeting (from September 11 to 12), held at a undisclosed area on…

A coalition of Shan community groups have voiced concern about the repatriation of over 500 refugees from a camp on the northern Thai border into an area of conflict. On August 27th, the Norwegian Refugee Council, part of the Norwegian-led “Myanmar Peace Support Initiative,” began house-to-house surveys of refugees in Koung Jor camp, northern Chiang Mai province, asking about their…