Women Bear Burden of Displacement in Palaung War Zones

“The Burden of War,” based on interviews with women in three IDP settlements in Manton and Namkham townships, describes the abuses that drove them from their homes, their perilous journey through the jungle and living conditions in the camps, where over 1,000 IDPs from fifteen villages are sheltering.

Changing Realities, Poverty and Displacement in South East Burma/Myanmar

Simultaneous and interdependent reforms promoting democratisation, economic liberalisation and conflict transformation present a plethora of opportunities and risks for the people of Myanmar. The prospect of progressing from ceasefire […]

Rohingya in Bangladesh: Maintaining the Status Quo; Squandering a Rare Opportunity

For decades, Burmese Rohingya fleeing persecution have sought refuge in Bangladesh. June’s inter-communal violence in Burma’s Rakhine State, as well as subsequent state-sponsored persecution and targeted attacks against Muslim populations […]

Rohingya in Burma: Spotlight on Current Crisis Offers Opportunity for Progress

Despite an abundance of natural resources, Rakhine State is the second-poorest state in Burma. The simmering tension that exists between the Rakhine and stateless Rohingya communities has been stoked by poverty for decades. However, in June 2012 that tension boiled over […]

Myanmar at the HLP Crossroads

Few issues are as frequently discussed and politically charged in transitional Myanmar as the state of housing, land and property (HLP) rights. The effectiveness of the laws and policies that address the fundamental and universal human need for a place to live, to raise a family […]

Destination Unknown: Hope and Doubt Regarding IDP Resettlement in Mon State

The growing optimism surrounding Burma’s political and social transitions has begun to be accompanied by ambitions to resettle displaced communities along the country’s border with Thailand. As the notion and its attendant proposals continue to proliferate, it seems timely to assess how the communities directly affected by this prospect feel about resettlement […]

From Persecution to Deprivation: International Donors Neglect 60,000 Displaced Kachin on China-Burma Border

About 60,000 Kachin villagers fleeing Burma Army attacks and persecution, who are sheltering in Kachin-controlled territory along the China-Burma border, have received almost no international aid since conflict broke out in June 2011.

Data compiled from local relief groups shows that international aid agencies, including the UN, have provided only 4% of basic food needs of this displaced population, who have been kept alive almost entirely by private donations from local and overseas compatriots […]

Ad Hoc and Inadequate

Thailand’s Treatment of Refugees and Asylum Seekers