Burma’s Largest Coal Project Poisons Communities Near Famed Inle Lake

Burma’s largest coal mine and coal-fired power plant, located thirteen miles from Burma’s famous Inle Lake in Shan State, are polluting waterways, threatening the health of local populations, and displacing villages, according to a report released today […]

New Dam in China Disrupts River Trade at Major Burma Border Crossing

A recently built hydropower dam on the Longjiang River in China’s Yunnan Province is causing severe disruption to thousands of villagers relying on cross-border trade in Burma’s northern Shan State, according to a new report by local Shan researchers[…]

SWAN Denounces Burma Army Build-up and Rape in Central Shan State

SWAN strongly denounces the Burma Army build-up around the Shan ceasefire area in Ke See township, central Shan State, which led to the rape of a young disabled woman on the eve of the November 7 election.

Since November 3, more than 1,000 new troops have been deployed from other parts of Shan State to areas adjacent to territory of the Shan State Army-North (SSA-N) First Brigade […]

China to build two more hydropower plants in Shan State

The Burmese military junta had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Chinese officials to build two more hydropower plants in Shan State North during the visit of Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping to Naypyitaw in December 2009, according to a report from the China-Salween, an Environment group that focuses on hydropower developments along the Salween (Thanlwin) River and its tributaries […]

Poisoned Hills: Opium Cultivation Surges Under Government Control in Burma

Through community assessments, this report shows that opium cultivation is increasing dramatically in Burma’s northern Shan State. The amounts are far higher than reported by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and are flourishing in […]

Roots and Resilience

The report focuses on the ecologically unique area of Keng Kham in Shan State, a community of 15,000 that was forcibly relocated over ten years ago; the majority have fled to Thailand. Today the estimated 3,000 that remain are managing to maintain their livelihoods and culture despite the constant threats of the Burma Army and […]

Robbing the Future: Russian-backed Mining Project Threatens Pa-O Communities in Shan State, Burma

This report details the development of the Burma’s second largest iron deposit by the military regime and a Russian state-owned company. The project will destroy the homes of 7,000 villagers and affect another 35,000 people. […]