human rights

The Thailand based Human Rights Education Institute of Burma said they will meet in the near future with the Myanmar Human Right Commission after being invited to do so recently by Railways Minister, Aung Min. U Aung Myo Min, the HREIB director told Karen News. “Myanmar still has a bad reputation in regard to human right abuses and needs to…

In a speech to the UN Security Council a prominent community based human rights organization has expressed concern over the lack of transparency and accountability surrounding Burma’s reform process. Burma’s government, led by ex-general Thein Sein, recently passed an ‘action plan’ to end the use of child soldiers in the military by 2014 – when the country is set to…

The Burmese authorities have warned the Heinda mining company, operating east of Tavoy, in southern Burma to improve and contain their work practices – that have destroyed villagers plantations – or their mining operation will be stopped. Villagers in Heinda who asked not to be named, told Karen News. “U Thein Lwin, the Minister of Forestry and Mining in Taninthanyi…

Villagers living along the Dawei to Kanchanaburi road, in Southern Burma accused the Burma Army of illegally extorting money from them and for driving their motorbikes. Saw Eh, a local villager told Karen News. “From Mae Tha Mee Kee on the Thai-Burma border to Myitta village there are many Burma Army checkpoints that collect money from people going to and…

The Kachin Women Association Thailand released a report – Ongoing Impunity – that documents the continued abuse of civilians by the Burma Army. The report, released yesterday at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand, details the killings, rape, forced labor and displacement that has occurred in the last twelve months of fighting between the Kachin Independent Army and government troops.…

The Burma Army is accused of ongoing human rights violations –including the use of violent torture- according to a report by a grassroots humanitarian organization, the Karen Human Rights Group. The human rights violations come amidst recent ceasefire agreements signed between Burma’s government and the two separate branches of Karen armed resistance – the Karen National Liberation Army, and the…

The Karen National Union says human rights violations and military related issues will be discussed with the Burma government in the next round of ‘peace talks’ planned for later this month. It was statement by some of the KNU’s Peace Negotiation Team members who were held a discussion and press conference with some NGOs and media at Bangkok about update…

A village headman from Htee Wah Plaw village, in Eastern Nabu Township in Karen state has gone into hiding over fears for his safety after he denied an order from the government’s Border Guard Force (BGF) militia to supply recruits. According to a villager, BGF Battalion 1017, demanded new recruits from Htee Wah Plaw, Htee Law Thay, Tan Pa Yar,…

British Prime Minister David Cameron’s visit to Burma this week is the highest-level visit by a Western leader to the strife-torn country since United States secretary-of-state Hillary Clinton briefly visited in November last year. But despite reforms that have so far taken place, including allowing the leading opposition party, the NLD, to compete in April’s by-elections, human rights abuses are…

Burma ethnic refugees living in the United State sent a petition to Ambassador Derek Mitchell urging him to pressure the Burma government to stop the systematic widespread human rights abuses in ethnic areas. On March 22nd, the petition was signed by 5,000 refugees from eight different Burma ethnic groups in 67 cities in the US. The petition was delivered to…