Villagers Confined After Burma Army Shelling of Shan Ceasefire Group Near Thai Border

Ethnic Padaung villagers of Ho Ha, in Ho Mong township, southern Shan State, were confined in their village for three days after Burmese Army soldiers attacked the nearby base of a Shan ceasefire group earlier this week.

On October 26, 2013, about 30 Burmese troops from Light Infantry Battalion 287, led by Major Min Zaw Lin, fired 60 mm mortar shells at Tab Kawng Hsarng, a base of the Shan State Army-South (SSA-S) […]

Burmese Government Troops Use Villagers as Human Shields After Attacks Against Ceasefire Group in Central Shan State

On October 13, 2013, Burmese government troops forced 18 villagers to walk between them as human shields while returning to their base, after attacking a Shan ceasefire group in Kunhing, close to the Salween River, in central Shan State.

About 80 Burmese troops from Light Infantry Battalion 150, based at Mong Zarng, 30 miles north of Kunhing, had attacked the Shan State Army-South during October 10 to 12, firing mortar shells and causing over 100 people from the village of Paeng Ner, southeast of Kunhing, to flee their homes […]

Shans fear repatriation to Burma

The weather is often misty and cold in the mountainous jungle surrounding Koung Jor, the Shan refugee camp located a stone’s throw from the Burmese border in Thailand’s Wiang Haeng district.

Koung Jor means “happy hill”, and dozens of Shan families were smiling widely last Sunday morning when a donation of mosquito nets arrived from the International Office for Migration.

“Their happiness at receiving new mosquito nets will soon disappear if you start asking them how they feel about repatriation. They will panic,” said 33-year old Sai Kyaw, who has been volunteering for nearly 10 years on an education program for children at the camp […]

Shan Community Groups Fear Signs of Premature Refugee Repatriation

Shan community groups are concerned at signs that Burmese authorities are preparing to repatriate Shan refugees from a camp in northern Thailand, even though there is no guarantee for their safety.

Last month, Burmese policemen from Tachilek visited Koung Jor camp in Wiang Haeng district, northern Chiang Mai province, asking whether the refugees wanted to return back to Burma […]

Five-Point Agreement with the United Wa State Army

The full text of the agreement between the Union Peace Working Committee and the United Wa State Army (UWSA) in Burmese language.

Burma Army Shows Contempt of Buddhism During Latest Attacks in Shan State

During attacks last week violating the ceasefire with the Shan State Army-North (SSA-N), the Burma Army shelled a Buddhist temple in central Shan State, displacing dozens of monks, and turned the temple into a military base […]

Statement by the Restoration Council of Shan State

In recent trip, invited by the Union Peacemaking Working Group (UPWG), RCSS chairman, Lt. Gen. Yawd Serk led a delegation of RCSS Peace Making Committee to meet and discuss with president U Thein Sein. At this golden opportunity, the delegation also met with political parties, foreign diplomats, civil societies and Shan State people of the north, the south and the east. The trip started on 09 June 2013 and ended at RCSS headquarters, Loi Tai Leng on 23 June 2013. This statement is released as an outcome of the trip […]

Arm Conflict in Kutkai Township Creates More Internal Displacement

On 18th June 2013, in Kutkai Township, Northern Shan state, there was a conflict between the TNLA Battalion (112) and the Burmese military Infantry Battalion (IB) 145 which resulted in over one hundred villagers fleeing their homes […]

The Burmese Government Must Immediately End Human Rights Violations, Including Violence Against Women, in Palaung Areas

During the past four months, the Burmese Army has been carrying out fierce military offensives in Palaung areas against the Shan State Army-North (SSA-N), Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA). The Palaung Women’s Organization and Ta’ang Students and Youth Organization (TSYO) are gravely concerned at the impacts of the fighting on local communities, who have suffered widespread abuses by the Burmese military […]

Update of Human Right Violations by the Burma Army During Offensives in Palaung Areas (March and April 2013)

Since January 2013, Burmese government troops have been carrying out military offensives in Palaung areas against the Shan State Army-North (SSA-N), Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA). The Burmese troops have committed widespread human rights violations during these operations […]