Grabbing Land: Destructive Development in Ta’ang Region

In accordance to the land confiscation documented in this report, the Burmese military regime has not only constantly violated the domestic laws in Burma like the Nationalization Act, the Land Acquisition Act and also Customary Law but also international law […]

63% of Families Lose Land and Livelihoods to Destructive Development and Land Grabs in the Ta’ang area

A new report released by Ta’ang Students and Youth Organization (TSYO) estimates that 63% of farming families have lost their land to confiscation by the Burmese military and their cronies. Despite much-publicized political “reforms” in the country, the authorities […]

Opium Cultivation Surging in Constituency of Burma’s New Ruling Party

A new briefing paper by the Palaung Women’s Organization (PWO) exposes a dramatic increase in opium cultivation in Burma’s northern Shan State in the constituency of a drug lord elected into the new military-backed parliament […]

Still Imprisoned: Opium Cultivation Soars in Palaung Areas Under Burma’s New Regime

Almost one year after Burma’s long-awaited elections were held in November 2010, Palaung communities in northern Shan State are suffering from the effects of an even greater upsurge in opium cultivation than in previous years. Local paramilitary leaders, some now elected into Burma’s new parliament […]

Military repression in Burma’s northern Shan State fuelling human trafficking to China

A new report released today by the Palaung Women’s Organisation reveals alarming rates of human trafficking from Burma into China, fuelled by large scale migration due to increased military repression and economic hardship in northern Shan State […]

Stolen Lives: Human Trafficking from Palaung Areas of Burma to China

The Palaung Women’s Organization (PWO) has released a new report that explore and uncovers human trafficking in Ethnic Palaung areas.

PWO has documented 72 cases of actual or suspected trafficking involving 110 people, which took place along the China-Burma border, mostly during the past six years. The majority of those trafficked were young Palaung women from tea farming communities in Namkham, Namhsan and Mantong townships […]

Monopoly Tea Farms

A new briefer on the tea farming crisis in Northern Shan State where the majority of ethnic Palaung people reside. The briefer highlights the monopoly in the tea leaf business by local tea factories, and how the decline in tea price effects the farmer population.

Because of this monopoly, the main source of income of the Ta’ang people is in crisis, and the local population is facing economic, social, educational and health problems. This briefer explains how the residents cannot balance the high price of rice and other basic food with the income earned from their tea farms […]

The Collapse of Tea Market, Plunges Tea Farmers into Crisis

Ta’ang (Palaung) Working Group has revealed and released a briefing paper on the huge economic crisis that Ta’ang people are facing in 2011 due to the decline of tea prices and the collapse of the tea market […]

Statement on the 47th Anniversary of Palaung National Revolution Day

# Today is an important day for the Palaung Nation because it marks 47 years of resistance against the dictatorship of the State Peace and Development Council.
# We appreciate and respect all those Palaung civilians, leaders, and comrades who have given their lives and blood for our struggle during the last 47 years.[…]