Fighting between Tatmadaw and DKBA soldiers along the Asian Highway displaces villagers in Dooplaya District, July 2015

This News Bulletin describes the displacement of villagers in Kawkareik Township, Dooplaya District as a result of fighting that took place during July 2015 between Tatmadaw and Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) soldiers over control of a recently completed section of the Asian Highway […]

Burma: Protect, Not Target, Gay People

(New York) – Burma’s government should publicly condemn grossly discriminatory remarks by a regional official about gay men and transgender women, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to senior Burmese officials. The Burmese government is obligated under international law to protect all people in the country regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity […]

AAPP and FPPS call for the Release of the Graffiti Students

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) and the Former Political Prisoners Society (FPPS) express great concern over the treatment of student activists Naing Ye Wai, Aung San Oo, Jit Tu and Nyan Lin Htet who are currently being held in solitary confinement in punishment cells in Obo prison as a result of the recent hunger strike they launched in response to the denial of their request for bail to attend their exams […]

Burma: Land Rights Activists Are Newest Political Prisoners

(Bangkok) – Burmese authorities should immediately stop using abusive laws on association and expression to halt the activities of land rights activists, Human Rights Watch said today. The recent arbitrary arrest of a prominent land rights advocate in Karen State exemplifies the government’s persecution of vocal opponents of land grabs by officials and their business associates […]

FBR Report: July Update – Kachin and northern Shan State

The Burma Army continues its attacks in Kachin State and northern Shan State, Burma. Clashes continue unabated, as the Burma Army attacks Mali Yang Village in northern Shan State, and abuses such as killings, torture, forced labor, and theft remain a tool of the Burma Army to oppress ethnic groups in Burma. Please see below the list of figures for specific accounts of Burma Army abuses […]

Report Briefer: How to Defend the Defenders? A Report on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders in Burma and Appropriate Protection Mechanisms

Testimonies and reports from inside the country have painted a very different picture to the new tolerant and free Burma that the Burma Government wants the world to see. Those who try to defend human rights, or question the power or narrative of the Burma Government — and their military and corporate backers —now seem to be operating in as dangerous an environment as ever […]

An Interfaith and Peace Activist has been Arrested

A Burmese Muslim activist, Zaw Zaw Latt, who has been working tirelessly for interfaith peace building in Burma, has been arrested.

Zaw Zaw Latt was arrested at 8 pm, on 14th July in Chan Aye Thar Zan Township, Mandalay. He was arrested in a café by police officer U Soe Naing, who arrested him without an arrest warrant. Zaw Zaw Latt is charged under section 17/1 of the penal code for unlawful association with a blacklisted organisation […]

Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Leila Zerrougui, Concludes Her First Visit to Myanmar

The United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for children and armed conflict, Leila Zerrougui, concluded a five-day visit to Myanmar today. Her first visit to the country, at the invitation of the Government, aimed to assess the impact of the conflict on children in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolution 1612, focusing in particular on the implementation of the Joint Action Plan (JAP) signed in 2012 by the Government and the Country Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting (CTFMR) to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children by the armed forces of Myanmar (Tatmadaw). The SRSG visited Nay Pyi Taw, Yangon, Mandalay and Myitkyina (Kachin state) […]

Asian Highway Project Undermines Peace in Karen State

(10 July 2015) – The Karen Peace Support Network (KPSN) is alarmed by recent fighting between the Burma Army and the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) along the recently completed section of the Asian Highway between Myawaddy and Kawkareik. The Burma Army began heavy fire on DKBA positions along the road in the early morning of 2 July. Fighting has lasted for one week, has spread to other parts of Karen State, and tensions remain high. This is the fourth instance of armed clashes in the area in the past year, breaking out amidst rising tensions over control of the highway, which is slated to officially open later this month […]

UN Resolution – Human Rights Situation of Muslims in Myanmar

Condemns the systematic gross violations of human rights and abuses committed in Rakhine State, in particular against Rohingya Muslims […]