Mae Sot’s Global Day of Action

Nearly 200 people gathered in Mae Sot on Thursday morning as part of a global campaign against this year’s general election in Burma.

The event was organized by the Ten Alliances, a Burmese pro-democracy and ethnic rights movement, and was endorsed by more than 150 organizations worldwide.[..]

Buddhists and Christians in Sri Lanka: a postcard for democracy in Myanmar

The group Friends of the Third World (FTW) yesterday held a lunchtime protest outside the Myanmar Embassy in Colombo, to protest against the dictatorship and demand the release of democracy leader Aung Sang Suu Kyi and many other political prisoners […]

Myanmar may descend into chaos post-election: Civil groups

Ethnic paramilitary groups and the wider population may rebel after the planned 2010 election in
Myanmar, spiralling the junta-led country further into chaos, ethnic leaders and civil groups said […]

Myanmar may descend into chaos post-election: Civil groups

Ethnic paramilitary groups and the wider population may rebel after the planned 2010 election in Myanmar, spiralling the junta-led country further into chaos, ethnic leaders and civil groups said Wednesday […]

Burma flag ‘erases ethnic armies’

By Francis Wade

The new Burmese flag to be hoisted following elections this year is evidence of the ruling regime’s attempt to wipe out ethnic armies, Burma observers say. […]

Artist Jane Birkin Tours Mae Sot

By Alex Ellgee

Jane Birkin, the internationally acclaimed actress and musician who has been a Burma activist for over a decade, recently concluded a three-day trip to the Thai-Burma border in and around Mae Sot, where she visited several organizations in an effort to spread awareness of Burma related issues […]

Activists Hold Little Hope for 2010 Elections in Burma

Burma is now preparing for elections at the state, regional and national level. But the country’s much-criticized election laws prompted the main opposition party to opt out, leaving many activists disheartened and disgruntled.

This is how Burmese, pro-democracy advocates living in India reacted to new election rules in Burma. The rules essentially bar Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and other opposition leaders from running […]

Rights groups to Asean: Keep junta on leash

By Estrella Torres

Following the landmark call of leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to the military junta in Burma to hold an inclusive, fair and free elections this year, rights groups from the region urged the regional bloc to put benchmarks in the junta’s commitments […]

Timid ASEAN Still Fails on Burma Issue

Guest Comments by the Burma Partnership Secretariat

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Inter-governmental Commission of Human Rights (AICHR) held its first meeting here from March 28 to April 1. Delegates discussed the rules of procedure by which they will operate and a first five-year work plan, both of which were to be taken up at the 16th ASEAN Summit in Vietnam.

Civil society from across ASEAN gathered to raise important human-rights cases, including that of Burma, only to be ignored by the new body […]

Regional Rights Groups Fret Over Burma

Regional human-rights groups have called on the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to make the systematic rights atrocities in Burma top priority among those to be taken up by the new Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) that will be launched officially at the Asean Summit in Hanoi on April 8 and 9.[…]