People Begin to Flee Homes Under Threat of Civil War

The situation in north-eastern Burma is becoming increasingly tense and unstable as yet another set of deadlines pass, by which ethnic ceasefire groups were supposed to join the junta’s Border Guard Force (BGF) under the command of the SPDC Army. On 25 April, the National Democratic Front, made up of 8 ethnic armed groups, released a statement rejecting the BGF proposal and demanding that the junta end its military operations and intimidations in ethnic areas. The Kachin Independence Organization/Army, the United Wa State Army (UWSA) and the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA, aka Mongla) also remain resolute in their opposition to the junta’s proposal and stand by their counter proposals, which have been dismissed by the regime.[…]

Stateless and starving in Bangladesh

By Richard Sollom
Global Post

The Rohingya are a poor minority stuck between two countries that won’t help them. Who will come to their aid?

Government officials in Bangladesh are preventing charities from delivering food to tens of thousands of starving Burmese refugees living in its southeastern corner, across the river from Burma (*Myanmar). […]

Functionally Refoulement: Camps in Tha Song Yang District Abandoned as Refugees Bow to Pressure

Two temporary refugee camps established during June 2009 in Tha Song Yang District, Tak Province, Thailand, to provide refuge for villagers that fled increased conflict and exploitative abuse in Pa’an District have now been all but entirely abandoned. The camps were home to more than 2,209 refugees as recently as January 2010; over the last two months, the camp populations have dwindled as small groups have departed one by one. […]

2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Burma

Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor

Burma, with an estimated population of 54 million, is ruled by a highly authoritarian military regime dominated by the majority ethnic Burman group. The State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), led by Senior General Than Shwe, was the country’s de facto government. Military officers wielded the ultimate authority at each level of government. […]

Repatriation of Karen Refugees Halted for Time Being

According to the Thai Foreign Ministry, the repatriation of refugees from Burma’s Karen State has been halted for the time being. Spokesman Thani Thongphakdi said that the Foreign Ministry wants “to dispel any concerns that their return would not be on a voluntary basis.” Friends of Burma (FOB) has informed us that it has not […]

Thailand Begins Forcibly Repatriating Karen Refugees

We have heard that 3 families of Karen refugees have been sent back to Burma today, despite promises from the Thai military that all the refugees would be safe. The families were staying in temporary camps at Nong Bua (also called No Bu) and Mae U Su, in Tha Song Yang District, Tak Province, Thailand, […]

Karen Refugees to be Forcibly Repatriated to Burma

Thai authorities have announced that they will begin repatriating up to 3,000 ethnic Karen refugees to a land-mined war zone, on 5 February. These refugees from Burma’s Karen State fled the SPDC’s offensive in June, and are currently staying in temporary camps in Tha Song Yang, Tak Province, Thailand. The Thai authorities claim that these […]

3,000 Ethnic Karen Refugees At Risk Of Deportation From Thailand To Burma

The Burma Campaign UK today called on the government of Thailand not to go ahead with forcing around 3,000 ethnic Karen refugees back to Burma. The refugees fled into Thailand in June 2009 following a military offensive by the Burmese Army and their allies, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), in Karen State, Eastern Burma. […]