Final Announcement from Burma Partnership: As Burma Partnership Comes to an End, Progressive Voice Remains to Amplify Voices from the Ground

This year, Burma Partnership celebrated its 10th Anniversary. Over the last decade, our organization has had the privilege to work alongside a vibrant civil society – from both inside the country, along the Thai border and in networks from across the Asia Pacific region and around the world – in mobilizing and coordinating a solidarity movement with a common strategy for a democratic and free Burma […]

Burma Partnership Celebrates Continuing Regional Solidarity for Burma and Embraces the Work Ahead for Progressive Voice

[Rangoon, 10 October 2016] – Today, after reflecting on ten years of work coordinating the regional solidarity movement for human rights and democracy in Burma, Burma Partnership (BP) announced its discontinuation and the establishment of ‘Progressive Voice,’ a new participatory, rights-based research and advocacy organization, born out of Burma Partnership […]

Kachin Women’s Peace Forum Urges an Immediate End to Myanmar Tatmadaw Offensives in Kachin Areas So That the Peace Process can Proceed

The Kachin Women’s Peace forum was held for two days, from September 28 to 29, 2016, in City Park Royal Restaurant, Myitkyina, Kachin State. The forum was attended by 104 women leaders, including representatives from IDP camps in areas of Kachin and northern Shan State where military offensives are currently taking place. Peace and women’s security issues were discussed […]

Time for a Paris-Principles Compliant National Human Rights Commission in Myanmar

The Asian NGO Network on National Human Rights Institutions (ANNI), together with its member, Burma Partnership (BP) deplores recent actions taken by the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission (MNHRC) in urging the victims in a high-profile child torture case to pursue financial settlement instead of proper legal action. ANNI and BP also wish to reiterate the need to further strengthen the Commission in order to fully comply with the Paris Principles […]

Burma Army’s actions in Karen State threaten to expand fighting, endangering peace process and displaced people’s return

YANGON, MYANMAR (Sept. 29, 2016) — A continued Burma military offensive into the contested Hat Gyi dam area threatens to ignite fighting with the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and imperils a 4-year-old ceasefire, says Karen Rivers Watch […]

Burma’s CSO leaders: Alternative leadership to build peace and vibrant communities in 21st century

The role of Civil Society Organizations emerged in Burma during the late 1990s led by students and citizen journalists in Yangon. The term “CSO” has been used in both the Burmese and English media over the past 30 years […]

Border-based CSOs call for elimination of blacklist

Civil society organisations (CSOs) operating on Burma’s borders are calling on State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi to eliminate a blacklist that continues to prevent them from fully participating in the country’s democratic transition, according to a statement released on Tuesday […]

CSOs Call For Investigation of Attacks on Muslim Places of Worship

RANGOON — Civil society organizations (CSOs) urged the government to investigate recent attacks on Muslim places of worship in Pegu Division and Kachin State, calling to protect the rights of religious minorities, according to a joint statement on Tuesday […]

Eliminating sexual violence in conflict areas

“Do you have an emergency basket at your door?”

This is a question that Ph.D. candidate Jenny Hedström soon learned to ask whenever she interviewed Kachin women about their support for and involvement with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) for her research on gender, peace and security issues in Burma […]