Agreement Between the Chin National Front and Union-Level Peace Working Committee at the 2nd Round of Peace Talks

An unofficial translation by the Chinland Guardian of the original document containing agreements between the Chin National Front (CNF) and the Peace Committee of Burma’s government after their three-day Union-level peace talks held in Rangoon on 7-9 December 2012 […]

Ending 50 Years of Military Rule? Prospects for Peace, Democracy and Development in Burma

The thaw in the repressive climate of Burma was epitomised by by-elections held in April 2012 in which the opposition National League for Democracy, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, scored a resounding victory. President Thein Sein’s government has also reached initial peace agreements with most armed groups. But the challenges faced by a reformed Burmese state remain vast, while serious doubts remain as to the real commitment of military and business leaders to a thoroughgoing process of democratisation and accountability […]

Steps Towards Peace: Local Participation in the Karen Ceasefire Process

During the ten months since a preliminary ceasefire agreement was reached between representatives of the Government of the Union of Myanmar and the Karen National Union (KNU),[1] negotiators from the two parties have met twice, most recently on September 3rd and 4th, aiming to build trust and progress towards a code of conduct that will set guidelines as to how the armed actors must operate towards each other.[2] As the details of this document have not yet been made public,[3] this moment presents an opportunity to consider what impact the ceasefire has had for villagers in eastern Burma in the last ten months and, based on their perspectives, to suggest further steps that are still needed to ensure sustainable peace.

Analysis Paper on the Ceasefire Process Between the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) and the Burmese Government in the Last Six Months

At the start of the current peace negotiation process between the KNPP and the Government of Burma the Karenni Civil Societies Network (KCSN) released a statement welcoming the talks, and is continuing to monitor closely the peace process between the two parties.

KCSN believes that only through negotiation between both parties to seek solutions to the problems in Karenni State, as agreed during the State Level and Union Level talks, can genuine and permanent peace be achieved […]

Concerns and Recommendations Regarding Peace Funds

While peace funds are well intentioned, the governance of them has some shortcomings. Burma groups are concerned that they have the potential to undermine the agenda for a comprehensive peace process and engender more harm than the projected benefits.

This position paper outlines a collective message to the Peace Donor Support Group, especially to Norway and the World Bank given that they are moving ahead with their peace fund initiatives, as well as other proponents including the Burma government and its concerned agencies, the implementing NGOs, private firms and consultants […]


“We Have Seen This Before”: Burma’s Fragile Peace Process

This paper seeks to outline and analyze the peace processes initiated by President Thein Sein’s government in the last year in both ceasefire and non-ceasefire areas […]

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 […]

The Six-Point Political Program of the Ethnic Nationalities Regarding the Peace Process

The following six points were agreed to at the Ethnic Nationalities Conference that was held from 14 to 16 September in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The conference was attended by 130 ethnic political leaders, representatives from civil society and armed ethnic groups. This “political roadmap” is their alternative to President Thein Sein’s eight-point peace plan […]

‘Threats to Our Existence’: Persecution of Ethnic Chin Christians in Burma

This new report “‘Threats to Our Existence’: Persecution of Ethnic Chin Christians in Burma” by the Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO) exposes a decades-long pattern of religious freedom violations that persist today under the new government, and documents other serious human rights abuses such as forced labour, torture, and other cruel and inhuman treatment, forcing thousands of Chin to flee their homeland […]

Eight-Point Union-Level Agreement with the Pa-O National Liberation Organization

The Union Peace-Making Work Committee and peace representatives from the PNLO held Union level peace talks and signed the Union level eight-point agreement as follows […]