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Human Rights Abuses and Conflict in Burma

News related to human rights abuses and conflict in Burma, including communal violence and ongoing conflicts between the Burma army and ethnic armed groups.

US Campaign for Burma

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Oh, I get it! #Burma #military considers decades of #war crimes to be #GenevaConvention training @hrw @BradAdamsHRW http://bit.ly/15qa9vo

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irrawaddy.org
Burmese army torches Shan rebel outpost | Democratic Voice of Burma

By NANG MYA NADI Published: 8 May 2013 Soldiers from the SSA-S display their military skills at Shan resistance day at their headquarters in Loi Taileng in February 2011 (Francis Wade) An outpost belonging to the Shan State Army-South (SSA-S) in northeastern Burma was burnt down on Sunday by government soldiers, who claimed to be searching for four Burmese "civilians" who went missing at the end of last month, rebels say.

dvb.no
Burmese troops sneak into UWSA area

A Burma Army patrol had recently trespassed on the United Wa State Army (UWSA) controlled area in Eastern Shan State, according to the local news sources. "The patrol from Mongkhark based Infantry Battalion (IB) 281 crossed the Nam Lwe and trespassed on our 468th Brigade area.

english.panglong.org
english.panglong.org
english.panglong.org
uscb

@uscb

Wa surface in #conflict development as #Burma army continues #Shan offensive. http://bit.ly/12W9JIC who's the supplier? #China. Surprised?

twitter.com
Myaing Gyi Ngu residents flee from DKBA and Govt militia fighting « Karen News

Myaing Gyi Ngu villagers have fled fighting between the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army and the government-controlled militia, the Border Guard Force (BGF). A Myaing Gyi Ngu resident said that the fighting started on April 27 and forced villagers from Shwe Nardar Myaing, Pidouk Myaing, Ninsi Myaing, and Ziza Wah Myaing to take refuge to safety in nearby villages that were away from the conflict zone.

karennews.org
english.panglong.org
Kachin troops continue fight against Burmese army and forest fires | Kachinland News

By KLN Published: 29th April, 2013 KIA's 38th Battalion under 4th Brigade soldiers have battled Burmese army troops from Kutkai-based 242nd Light Infantry Regiment (LIR) state as the two sides encountered near Gawn Sam and Kawng Hkam in northern Shan on April 28 at 2:20 pm.

kachinlandnews.com
economist.com
uscb

@uscb

Plight of #Rohingya, #Kachin shows "fairytale of #Burma's rosy #democratic transition is exactly that - a fairytale" http://bit.ly/ZzezMT

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Myanmar to Face Human-Rights Test as ASEAN Chair - WSJ.com

Bandar Seri Begawan, BRUNEI-Myanmar's turn next year as chair of a Southeast Asian regional bloc will put a spotlight on the country's record on human rights and democracy, and should help accelerate reforms on those issues, Indonesia's foreign minister said Wednesday.

online.wsj.com
Burmese military launching two parallel campaigns

Not only is the Burma Army stepping up a military campaign against the Shan State Army (SSA) in central Shan State, it has also started another one further north on the Chinese border against the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) since 19 April, according to reports coming from northern Shan State.

english.panglong.org
irrawaddy.org
BBC News - Burma: Monywa mine protest leads to clashes with police

Seven policemen and three protesters have been injured in a second day of demonstrations by villagers against a Chinese-backed copper mine in north-western Burma, officials say. The protesters say that they are been forced to give up the land for the mine to expand.

bbc.co.uk
Shan NGO accuses Myanmar army of using civilians as human shields

The Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF) has reported that Myanmar government troops stopped about 50 young men and women on a road in Tangyan Township in northern Shan State during last weeks' New Year celebrations and forced them to walk alongside the column as human shields.

mizzima.com
irrawaddy.org
Burma Army accused of atrocities in Shan State offensive « Karen News

Burma's military accused of mass human rights abuses in Shan State as President Thein Sien is awarded peace prize and the EU economic sanctions. The Shan Human Rights Foundation has expressed grave concern over new widespread abuses being committed by the Burma Army in recent weeks.

karennews.org
BBC News - Q&A: Communal violence in Burma

Religious and communal tensions have bubbled to the surface in Burma three years after military rule ended, with deadly consequences. In 2012, waves of religious violence engulfed parts of Rakhine state, leaving nearly 200 dead and thousands displaced. But after deadly rioting erupted in central Burma in March, it became clear that tensions had spread.

bbc.co.uk
uscb

@uscb

As soon as #EU lifts #sanctions against #Burma, @hrw report details govt's active role in #Rohingya ethnic cleansing http://bit.ly/11v6Gp9

twitter.com
No ceasefire for Shan army

The Shan State Progress Party / Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA) that had signed the ceasefire agreement with Naypyitaw on 28 January 2012 is now facing another military campaign launched by the Burma Army, according to local sources.

english.panglong.org
bbc.co.uk
Asia Times Online :: Nowhere to hide for Myanmar's Muslims

Asia Times Online. The Asia News Hub providing the latest news and analysis regarding economics, events and trends in business, economy and politics throughout Asia.

atimes.com
uscb

@uscb

Story of "Ismail" shows plight of #Rohingya: witnessing horrific #HR abuses in #Burma, suffering #Thai navy #torture http://bit.ly/ZBCxlU

twitter.com
Shan refugees remain wary of returning home

About 30 Shan people who had fled their homes in March due to fighting near Tangyan Township returned to their villages on Thursday, rescue committee members said. However, some 400 displaced Shan villagers remain at a makeshift camp outside the town and are monitoring the situation before committing themselves to returning home.

mizzima.com
Two villagers hurt in army assault on Shan state | Democratic Voice of Burma

By NANG MYA NADI Published: 18 April 2013 Troops from the Shan State Army-North on patrol in Shan state. (Reuters) Two locals, including a toddler, were injured by an artillery shell after clashes broke out between government forces and the Shan State Army North (SSA-N) earlier this week, according to local sources.

dvb.no
english.panglong.org
uscb

@uscb

Shan #refugees fear returning home: yet another instance of #Burma govt's greed disrupting lives of ordinary people http://bit.ly/12VVtif

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twitter.com · clipped by US Campaign for Burma

Oh, I get it! #Burma #military considers decades of #war crimes to be #GenevaConvention training @hrw @BradAdamsHRW http://bit.ly/15qa9vo
— uscb (@uscb)

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Refugees Face Uncertain Future as Burma Opens | The Irrawaddy Magazine

irrawaddy.org · clipped by US Campaign for Burma

MAE LA REFUGEE CAMP, Thailand-Since the day she was born, 20-year-old Naw Lawnadoo has known almost nothing of the world beyond the fence and guard posts that hem her in with 45,000 others - ethnic minorities from Burma and those like her who were born and raised in the Mae La refugee camp in neighboring Thailand.

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Burmese army torches Shan rebel outpost | Democratic Voice of Burma

dvb.no · clipped by US Campaign for Burma

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�C��e�a�� H��nWO�{ uXR��:�`� ��w;��om��r��d�l�?VG�'��\��c��.��Z��XzR�;JrLN^�t{�+�4��?Y��>#��w��I]':�f� 0!(r�He��[�Z1�O�4�n�� tI�E(�+#�)P�@��s@?�2E��[��A#-lT��#A��!�*�,:��6l>D�,�&�O%I(�P(I��uM��Ba em��3� "�� 9zq_�� n�aZ�4z1��.��g2��O�6Kj3U[/f��h�~�e��"�� *��:�4�!��>(O�5xPt� ��e"�i|�+�� J��aD�}\9��O|��LC��*�>TfT��Y� tY��[�D�:H��I}M�w.��!��9;t��*0;i�P��mz��@��g��%��s})�7�S6��z^�Y|��?�X��dW��y2��|��SV"\ae��j��C��^��xf��e%�Tv,��M��N7��di�L�� w��){��2��JH�tEu�1��x��W,�� zG�^L��H��"�)��c�U��\l"1&S�GB�3� $��g��u�~��z'{��4V+��.��T�0{�^��y{�U��+z�$�H�S�W�c��H: Asp��)�p��e��B�]�pR�gt��?��[q��jX&��/��NzSujz�VM`��m� ��%]Q�4j��g��h'��K7�>�gkY�j�|��og3��]do:3��$z"�(��\��&��U�L�� M�p��u�d�� O��w��Eh��T�#��c*4E2X��.t=�z��0��Y�x7�� I�-��v�5�,��"��~t\��a�8\�3��iKz�"3}��J��l2��dut=�Wk�`�hu��V��l(��Q>/6�� xS��G"V|+��!?��{�o.v �I�B��q- '��0��3r�\��*X��a�/U,:L��*��v�M��Z�[��c�S_|�G��|��;t��T�F��M>�� 8�:1|�WS� �cbE��>_X(@D��q�}�E�� _�vZ?�W�p��#B��wE�W|��Vn��*v�c� ��@��'�Gp�2�NyMy��3�%0I��R��/2h�7�Og��{u�YS%\�~��Q+��d��+��zkSU9� W��4�L��F k2c��f�*z,l7�R;��O�$o��,��}��!�8� 7I-�g tLh��.64:?y��CP�n6M��]�_>��s"qw�G j��1��lF�=��MPi��]Sv�)��J��r/��K��f.��)k��j$_��OsL��Y��R}r��$oh�Z��w>�s �\�� f�A5��8��|�s:�\O�,��-�+��s��xX;�� D�

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Burmese troops sneak into UWSA area

english.panglong.org · clipped by US Campaign for Burma

A Burma Army patrol had recently trespassed on the United Wa State Army (UWSA) controlled area in Eastern Shan State, according to the local news sources.

“The patrol from Mongkhark based Infantry Battalion (IB) 281 crossed the Nam Lwe and trespassed on our 468th Brigade area. We had gone to intercept them as soon as we were informed, but they had already escaped across the river. We don’t know why they came,” a commander from the UWSA said.

According to the locals, they are from Pang Kay military camp of Infantry Battalion 281 which is based in upper Wan Nam Hook between Mongyang Township and Mongkhark Township, Kengtung District.

“They came to the 468th Brigade area at Htam Mon, which is situated across the Nam Lwe, west of Mongyang. Although we don’t know their purpose exactly, it could have been 3 reasons: 1) because of orders from the Tactical Operations Command’s, 2) to extort the villagers, and 3) to inspect our military camps,” an officer from the 468th Brigade commented.

An unconfirmed report said that the Burma Army is planning to attack the UWSA either from Shan State Army (SSA) North’s controlled area or the Mongla based National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA), that shares its border with the UWSA on the upper Nam Lwe. Meanwhile, the Jane’s Intelligence report on April 29, quoting ethnic sources, claims the UWSA to has obtained 5 helicopter gunships from the Chinese government to enhance its defense capability from the Burma Army’s attacks.

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Burma army torches Shan rebel base

english.panglong.org · clipped by US Campaign for Burma

On 3 May, a unit of Burma Army while searching for their men inside the Restoration Council of Shan State / Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) base, torched it to ashes next day, resulting in anger by Shan troops under the command of Task Force 701 based in the Nam Mao (Shweli) valley region, according to local news sources.

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Most Burma Army units are ethnic areas: observer

english.panglong.org · clipped by US Campaign for Burma

Most of the Burma Army Light Infantry Divisions (LIDs) and Military Operations Commands (MOCs), the backbone of Ministry of Defense (Army), are now in frontlines positioning themselves in the ethnic armed group areas, said U Aung Kyaw Zaw, a Sino-Burmese border military and political observer.

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Wa surface in #conflict development as #Burma army continues #Shan offensive. http://bit.ly/12W9JIC who's the supplier? #China. Surprised?
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Myaing Gyi Ngu residents flee from DKBA and Govt militia fighting « Karen News

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Myaing Gyi Ngu villagers have fled fighting between the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army and the government-controlled militia, the Border Guard Force (BGF).

A Myaing Gyi Ngu resident said that the fighting started on April 27 and forced villagers from Shwe Nardar Myaing, Pidouk Myaing, Ninsi Myaing, and Ziza Wah Myaing to take refuge to safety in nearby villages that were away from the conflict zone.

Speaking to Karen News, a resident from Myaing Gyi Ngu said.

“Most of the residents of Myaing Gyi Ngu have fled. Only those villagers far from the fighting area are still living at their homes. People who’ve fled the fighting haven’t been able to return.”

A DKBA officer told Karen News that DKBA 905 battalion led by Colonel Pue Lay Baw, was attacked by soldiers from BGF 1011th Battalion under the command of Major Saw Soe Naing. Battalions 1017, 1018 and 1019 were sent to support and reinforce the 1011th. The BGF is a government militia under the control of the Burma Army.

The DKBA officer said.

“The fighting is still on-going. I don’t know the numbers of casualties. The BGF are mainly using heavy artillery in their attacks, but so far are unable penetrate our positions and have withdrawn.”

The DKBA officer said that fighting had also broken out between DKBA soldiers and soldiers from BGF 1012th and 1015th battalions on April 29 at Nar Htee Kwe, the area between Myaing Gyi Ngu and Mae Tha Waw village – killing two and wounding three BGF soldiers.

Villagers were caught by surprise by the conflict between the BGF and the DKBA as the area has known peace for 20 years. The DKBA had set up their headquarter in Myaing Gyi Ngu 20 years ago, and this is the first time in 20 years civilians have had to flee from their homes.

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Shan rebels, Burma army-troop deployments intensified

english.panglong.org · clipped by US Campaign for Burma

It is reported that a region between Tangyan and Monghsu or trans border between northern Shan State and southern Shan State, the two rival armed movements are readying to wage a fresh war as deploying their troops have intensified, according to the local news sources.

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Kachin troops continue fight against Burmese army and forest fires | Kachinland News

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Kachin troops continue fight against Burmese army and forest fires
By KLN

Published: 29th April, 2013

Kachin Independence Army soldiers (Photo: Myutsaw Kasa)

KIA’s 38th Battalion under 4th Brigade soldiers have battled Burmese army troops from Kutkai-based 242nd Light Infantry Regiment (LIR) state as the two sides encountered near Gawn Sam and Kawng Hkam in northern Shan on April 28 at 2:20 pm.

In Kachin State, a battle broke out between KIA’s Padang sector troops under 1st Brigade and a combined force of Burmese army troops from 10th LIR and 74th near Lawk Hkawng in Pangwa area on April 25. Burmese army soldiers circled KIA positions located on Chik Jaw hkyet road and offensive began at around 3:30 pm, said a source in KIA. An artillery unit supported Burmese troops by shelling continuously on KIA positions with heavy artilleries during ground offensive.

Meanwhile, local sources reported that government troops continue to set forest fires in KIA-controlled territories. An arson attack by Burmese government troops burned down 49 houses in Wara Zup village in western Kachin state. The arson attack began as soldiers set forest fires near Wara Zup village on April 26 at 11 am. 451 ton of raw rice, 3 boat engines, 1 Chine-made Tung Fung car, 1 jinma tractor, and 1 rice milling machine were destroyed by the fire, said a local source.

Burmese army soldiers from 418th LIR are setting forest fires along Sang Gang and Bum Sen where renewed battle broke out after 17 years of ceasefire between KIA and Burmese army in June 2011. KIA sources say that most arson attacks happened near KIA front line posts and fires spread to nearby villages burning and destroying civilians’ properties.

Related posts:

Burmese government soldiers set forest fires near KIA frontline posts

Burmese army increases troops as the two sides prepare for talk

More government troops deployed for Kachin war

Kachin troops recapture former posts

Burmese Army continues shelling and burning

Posted by kachinlandnews on April 29, 2013. Filed under Featured Stories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
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When praying is not enough

economist.com · clipped by US Campaign for Burma

Authoritative weekly newspaper focusing on international politics and business news and opinion.

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Plight of #Rohingya, #Kachin shows "fairytale of #Burma's rosy #democratic transition is exactly that - a fairytale" http://bit.ly/ZzezMT
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Myanmar to Face Human-Rights Test as ASEAN Chair - WSJ.com

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Bandar Seri Begawan, BRUNEI—Myanmar's turn next year as chair of a Southeast Asian regional bloc will put a spotlight on the country's record on human rights and democracy, and should help accelerate reforms on those issues, Indonesia's foreign minister said Wednesday.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Marty Natalegawa spoke to reporters on the sidelines of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit, following a state visit to Myanmar Wednesday.

Mob attacks against ethnic Muslims in western Myanmar have left tens of thousands homeless and more than 200 dead in the past year. On his visit this week, Mr. Natalegawa said he and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono urged Myanmar's leaders to address religious strife in the country and "bring the perpetrators to justice."

Reuters
A Buddhist woman cried after her home was burned down during violent sectarian clashes in Myanmar's Meikhtila in March.

Human rights groups say Myanmar authorities haven't done enough to protect minorities and in some cases have been outright hostile to Muslim Rohingyas living in the majority Buddhist country. They also say that while Myanmar has released scores of political prisoners, many remain unjustly locked up.

Myanmar's government has formed a commission to investigate the causes of violence against the Rohingyas, which is expected to release findings soon.

Mr. Natalegawa said he was encouraged by Myanmar's response and expressed confidence in the leadership's resolve to quell the violence.

"From our own national experience, in the process of democratization there will be ups and downs—there will be progress and there will be setbacks," the Indonesian minister said. "Myanmar has been clear and consistent in saying they reject such intolerance and want to solve these problems."

The European Union gave Myanmar a vote of confidence Monday by permanently removing trade sanctions that until now had been only temporarily suspended. The next day, Myanmar released nearly 100 prisoners, including dozens of political detainees.

Acting U.S. Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis on Wednesday became the latest in a succession of U.S. officials to visit Myanmar, showing "the United States' support for development and desire to deepen economic engagement between our two countries," according to a statement from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

Myanmar will claim Asean's rotating chairmanship next year, which means it will organize and host meetings of diplomats working to achieve the bloc's goals to create a single market and ensure stable politics in the region. It refused an earlier opportunity to serve as chair in 2005, before the watershed political and economic reforms that have thrust the former pariah state into the global spotlight.

The imminent chairmanship "underscores that Myanmar has regained its rightful place in the Asean family," Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Thailand's permanent secretary for foreign affairs, said in a separate interview.

More than that, the role will force Myanmar to maintain the pace of reforms, Indonesia's Mr. Natalegawa said.

"As chair of Asean in 2014, Myanmar will be taking us to that community that is democratic and respectful of human rights and good governance," Mr. Natalegawa said. "More than anyone, they need to be out there propagating Asean views on these issues."

Discussions of human rights lately have taken on more prominence within Asean, and the bloc adopted a human rights declaration in November. The U.N. said the declaration was weaker than international standards, however, and criticized Asean for not seeking more input from civil society groups.

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Burmese military launching two parallel campaigns

english.panglong.org · clipped by US Campaign for Burma

Not only is the Burma Army stepping up a military campaign against the Shan State Army (SSA) in central Shan State, it has also started another one further north on the Chinese border against the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) since 19 April, according to reports coming from northern Shan State.

Apart from units under the Kunlong-based operations command, units under Light Infantry Division (LID) 11 are involved in the fighting. LID 11 is based near Rangoon.

The assault on the KIA’s 4th Brigade HQ, Loi Kangmong, in Kutkhai township, yesterday was aimed at cutting off the communication line between the KIA and its allies, according to Aung Kyaw Zaw, military analyst based on the Sino-Burmese border. “It is a key link in the communication line,” he said.

The KIA’s closest allies in northern Shan State are the Shan State Progress Party / Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA), more commonly known as the SSA North, and the Palaung Shan Liberation Front / Ta-ang National Liberation Army (PSLF/TNLA).

According to Mai Phong Kyaw, General Secretary of the PSLF, the Burma Army forces in Shan State’s top north area has increased from around 1,000 to around 3,000 recently, reported Mizzima News yesterday.

It is not known whether the campaign is the direct result of the joint operation by the three groups against the Burma Army’s Panhsay People’s Militia Force (PMF) in the neighboring township of Namkham on 8 April.

All the three groups plus the SSA South are active along the oil-gas pipelines coming from the Arakan coast that pass through northern Shan State into China’s Yunnan.

Meanwhile, the Mongnawng based Military Operations Command (MOC) # 2 has reinforced its forces in Mong Awd, Monghsu township, with 200 fresh troops coming from Infantry Battalion # 248 (Mong Nai) and Light Infantry Battalions (LIBs) # 515 (Laikha) and # 517 (Mong Pawn), according to SSA sources.

So far the campaign against the SSA North has been waged by the Northeastern Region Command based in Lashio. “It appears the Central Eastern Region Command (based in Kholam, Southern Shan State) is entering the fray soon,” commented an SSA officer.

The Burma Army’s objectives, according to the SSA, are 4 mountain bases on the west bank of the Salween: Loi Khawk, Loi Zay, Loi Lan and Loi Khio. “They would be used as staging areas for the offensive against the Wa (east of the Salween),” he said.

The KIA, SSA North and the United Wa State Army (UWSA), two of which have signed new ceasefire, are on the Burma Army’s “hit list”, according to a report coming from Naypyitaw.

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Letpadaung Farmers Beaten, Shot at for Plowing Fields | The Irrawaddy Magazine

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BBC News - Burma: Monywa mine protest leads to clashes with police

bbc.co.uk · clipped by US Campaign for Burma

25 April 2013 Last updated at 09:28 ET
Seven policemen and three protesters have been injured in a second day of demonstrations by villagers against a Chinese-backed copper mine in north-western Burma, officials say.

The protesters say that they are been forced to give up the land for the mine to expand.

The clashes on Thursday began when about 100 villagers tried to cultivate the land and were confronted by police.

Dozens of people were injured in similar protests in November.

The mine at Monywa is jointly owned by a Chinese company and Myanmar Economic Holdings, owned by the Burmese military.

Correspondents say that most farmers in 26 villages surrounding the plant who were told to surrender about 3,000 hectares of land have accepted compensation. But some have not, and they staged sit-ins on Wednesday and Thursday.

Officials say that the demonstrators on Thursday were confronted by about 400 policemen. Three protesters were injured and taken to hospital, including one man who was shot in the leg.
Chemical burns
During the protests at the end of last year, villagers - supported by activists and Buddhist monks - took part in months of sit-ins.

An official parliamentary report in Burma last month found that police had used smoke bombs containing phosphorus during the protests against the mine.

The panel, led by opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, said protesters had suffered "unnecessary burns" - contradicting police reports that they only used tear gas and water cannon against the protesters.

The report recommended work on the mine continue, however, despite opposition, and refrained from demanding punishment for police officers involved in the violence.

Correspondents said that the findings posed a problem for Ms Suu Kyi because they identified her with government pro-growth policies rather than grassroots people's movements.

A separate report in February compiled by Burmese lawyers and the US-based Justice Trust also accused police of using military-issue white phosphorus grenades to disperse protesters.

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Shan NGO accuses Myanmar army of using civilians as human shields

mizzima.com · clipped by US Campaign for Burma
The Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF) has reported that Myanmar government troops stopped about 50 young men and women on a road in Tangyan Township in northern Shan State during last weeks’ New Year celebrations and forced them to walk alongside the column as human shields.
“They [the 50] were riding motorbikes from Mine Kaung village to Nant Pan Chaung to take part in the Water Festival,” said SHRF’s Kham Han Pha. “A column of Tatmadaw [Myanmar army] soldiers stopped them and told them to park their motorbikes on the side of the road. Then they instructed the youngsters to walk ahead of, behind, and alongside them.

“The purpose of the soldiers’ act was clearly to avoid being shot at by Shan army troops,” he said. “They were used as human shields. After they arrived at their destination, the Tatmadaw unit released the young people.”

On April 15 and 16—the third day and fourth day of the annual Thingyan Water Festival which traditionally marks Myanmar New Year—several skirmishes were reported in the Tangyan area between the Shan State Army- North (SSA/SSPP) and government forces.

The hostilities reportedly happened three times and lasted only a few minutes, but SHRF reported on Monday that two local children were injured in the crossfire, and that a number of schools and houses were destroyed by heavy weapons fire from government army side.

SHRF said that the Tatmadaw also burned some vehicles and threatened to burn down villages close to the battlefield.

“Some civilians fled from their village because of the fighting, but encountered a column of Tatmadaw troops,” said Kham Han Pha. “The Myanmar army soldiers asked the villagers where they were going, and they replied that they were running away from the hostilities out of fear for their safety. The Tatmadaw commanders told them they were not allowed to go anywhere, and instructed their men to burn the villagers’ motorbikes and vehicles.”

Fighting between the SSA/SSPP and government forces flared up at the end of March and several battles have broken out around the villages of Loilem and Loisay in Tangyan Township, which is located in a hilly area between Shan State’s main towns of Lashio and Kengtung. Local sources say that some 2,000 villagers have since fled their homes and are displaced in makeshift camps in the Tangyan region. Their basic needs are being provided by local Buddhist monks, civic groups, political parties and township authorities.

Speaking to Mizzima, SSA/SSPP Col. Phain Pha said that the Shan army had requested the government forces to desist from fighting to allow war refugees to return to their homes, however the Tatmadaw continued to launch attacks.

Col. Phain Pha said the SSA/ SSPP had held a meeting with Myanmar government delegates on April 3 to discuss the issue, but hostilities have continued regardless.

He could not confirm casualties, saying that communications in the Tangyan region were difficult.

SSA/SSPP agreed a ceasefire with government forces in January 2012, but hostilities have occurred frequently with more than 100 skirmishes or battles reported.
For more background:

Shan refugees remain wary of returning home

Shan farmers urge gas pipeline project to be moved

Shan army told to make way for Salween Dam
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More Than 1,000 Civilians Flee Amid Shan State Fighting | The Irrawaddy Magazine

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More than 1,000 villagers have fled their homes in eastern Burma's Shan State since fighting escalated late last month between the government army and an ethnic armed group, Shan activists say.

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Burma Army accused of atrocities in Shan State offensive « Karen News

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Burma’s military accused of mass human rights abuses in Shan State as President Thein Sien is awarded peace prize and the EU economic sanctions.

The Shan Human Rights Foundation has expressed grave concern over new widespread abuses being committed by the Burma Army in recent weeks. Despite ongoing peace talks with the Shan State Army-North (SSA-N), Burma’s military has launched a new wave of attacks in Tangyan, northern Shan State, leading to civilian casualties.

Local sources told Karen News that the latest attacks began on April 15, during the annual New Year Water Festival, when Burmese troops launched new offensives in civilian areas.

Mortar shells landed in two villages, the SHRF reported, injuring two children, and damaging a school and several houses. Burma Army patrols are accused of detaining and beating civilians in at least nine villages, causing serious injury. This included children, who were allegedly beaten with rifle butts.

Karen News is led to understand that a group of about fifty young men and women travelling to celebrate the Water Festival were apprehended by Burma Army soldiers, and forced to walk in front and behind them as human shields, to ward off attacks by Shan troops.

As a result of these attacks, the SHRF estimated that nearly 2,000 villagers fled to Tangyan, where they are taking refuge in temples and in the homes of relatives.

“The Burma Army attacks are in direct contravention of their ceasefire with the SSA-N, and call into question the viability of the ongoing peace process between the Burmese government and the ethnic armed groups.” The SHRF said in a media statement.

If accurate, the reports undermine the decision by the EU to lift a raft of economic sanctions on the impoverished country this week. Regional analysts have warned that the lifting of sanctions has the potential to line the pockets of ‘cronies’ aligned to the military.

Meanwhile, the International Crisis Group (ICG) is set to grant Burmese President Thein Sein its annual ‘In Pursuit of Peace’ award at a prestigious gala dinner in New York on Monday in recognition of the democratic reforms and peace efforts that he has introduced, it was reported in the regional media.

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BBC News - Q&A: Communal violence in Burma

bbc.co.uk · clipped by US Campaign for Burma

22 April 2013 Last updated at 08:47 ET
Religious and communal tensions have bubbled to the surface in Burma three years after military rule ended, with deadly consequences.

In 2012, waves of religious violence engulfed parts of Rakhine state, leaving nearly 200 dead and thousands displaced.

But after deadly rioting erupted in central Burma in March, it became clear that tensions had spread.

What is the nature of Burma's communal violence?

Over the last year there have been two major sites of communal conflict in Burma.

In 2012 widespread rioting and brutal clashes between Rakhine Buddhists and Muslims, largely thought to be Rohingya Muslims, devastated parts of western Rakhine state.

It was the rape and murder of a young Buddhist woman that May which sparked off the deadly chain of events. Violence escalated as Muslims and Buddhists attacked each other. The confrontations re-ignited in October.

Rakhine Buddhists and Muslims blame each other for the violence which left almost 200 dead and displaced thousands. Many Rohingyas fled and crossed the border with Bangladesh.

In March 2013 central Burma was the site of violence between Buddhists and Muslims, which left more than 40 people dead.

It started at a Muslim-owned gold shop where a Buddhist couple had gone to sell some jewellery.

A dispute over the price escalated into a bigger fight and after a Buddhist monk died as the result of an attack, a sustained mob assault on Muslim areas began.

Entire Muslim neighbourhoods were razed and about 12,000 Muslims are thought to have fled their homes. The rioting also spread to other towns in the area.

How have the authorities handled the unrest?

The authorities have been criticised for failing to act swiftly and assertively enough in both outbreaks of violence.

In response to the violence in Rakhine last June, a state of emergency was eventually declared across the state. This allows the introduction of martial law, which means the military can take over administrative control of the region.

It was the first time that the current government has declared a state of emergency anywhere in Burma and officials were forced to do the same when violence escalated in Meiktila.

Rights groups have also criticised the government for failing to bring anybody to justice in Rakhine.

Almost a year on from the initial outbreak of violence, in April 2013, Human Rights Watch said that although state forces did intervene to protect fleeing Muslims, more often they fuelled unrest either by standing by or taking part in violence.

All their allegations were rejected by the government, with a spokesman saying the group did not understand the situation on the ground.

But in the more recent unrest in central Burma, there is damning video evidence.

The BBC obtained police footage showing officers standing by while Buddhist rioters attacked minority Muslims in the town of Meiktila.

The government has yet to present any long-term proposals to resolve these conflicts.

Are the two outbreaks of violence linked and might it spread?

Burma has a long history of communal mistrust, which was allowed to simmer, and was at times exploited, under military rule.

While there are not thought to be direct links between the two outbreaks of communal unrest, the mistrust felt for decades is out in the open now in the new climate of freedom and appears to be spreading.

Observers say the government is not doing enough to head the violence off and because of this, further conflict is a risk.

It is particularly difficult for journalists to operate in Rakhine state and verify reports. But reports say tensions remain high and many people are yet to return to their homes.

Analysts say the potential for unrest to flare up again or even spread remains.

What is the religious angle to the violence?

In Rakhine state, there have been particularly bitter and long-standing tensions between the Rakhine people, who are Buddhist and make up the majority of the state's population, and Muslims.

Most of these Muslims identify themselves as Rohingya, a group that originated in part of Bengal, now called Bangladesh.

In the towns bordering Bangladesh, where the violence has taken place, the majority of the population is Muslim.

Overseas-based Rohingya rights groups have said that Rohingyas bore the brunt of the violence. Rakhine Buddhists said Rohingyas were mainly to blame for that outbreak.

In central Burma the violence is not thought to involve Rohingya Muslims. Instead members of Burma's other Muslim communities have been affected.

Who are the Rohingyas?

The United Nations describes Rohingya as a religious and linguistic minority from western Burma. It says the Rohingya are one of the most persecuted minorities in the world.

But even the origins of the word Rohingya, and how they came to be in Burma, are controversial with some historians saying the group dates back centuries and others saying it only emerged as a campaigning force last century.

The Burmese government says they are relatively recent migrants from the Indian sub-continent. As a result, the country's constitution does not include them among indigenous groups qualifying for citizenship.

Historically, the Rakhine majority has resented the presence of Rohingyas, who they view as Muslim people from another country. There is widespread public hostility towards the Rohingya in Burma.

The Rohingyas, on the other hand, feel they are part of Burma and claim persecution by the state. Neighbouring Bangladesh already hosts several hundred thousand refugees from Burma and says it cannot take any more.

What kind of threat does this pose for the Burmese state?

These troubles are being seen as a key test for Burma, which saw a nominally civilian government elected in 2010 after decades of oppressive military rule.

The clashes have raised concerns about the fragility of Burma's democracy. President Thein Sein has previously said that the Rakhine violence puts the country's moves towards democracy in danger.

Burma needs to be seen as a stable state, but it is always going to have to contend with the fact that it is one of Asia's most ethnically diverse countries and people are watching to see how the government handles tensions between its many communities.

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As soon as #EU lifts #sanctions against #Burma, @hrw report details govt's active role in #Rohingya ethnic cleansing http://bit.ly/11v6Gp9
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No ceasefire for Shan army

english.panglong.org · clipped by US Campaign for Burma

The Shan State Progress Party / Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA) that had signed the ceasefire agreement with Naypyitaw on 28 January 2012 is now facing another military campaign launched by the Burma Army, according to local sources.

The campaign which began late last month, following the Burma Army’s order to move out from its mountain bases west of the Salween on 26 March, has already claimed more than 100 casualties on both sides plus the populace.

“Infantry Battalion (IB) 291 and Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 322, temporarily based in Mongkao, Tangyan township, on their arrival, were together 85 strong,” read a field report from the SSA. “But now only 20 remain.”

This was supported by a local source who claimed to have seen the bodies of dead soldiers stacked like wood on a truck. “There were two decks on one of the trucks,” he said. “The bottom deck was for the corpses and the upper for the wounded.”

At least 17 people have been reported beaten, 3 domestic dogs shot to death and 3 civilian motorcycles set on fire by the army. Two ethnic boys were also injured by the shelling. “We don’t know how many homes were destroyed,” said a villager. “But three of the villages, especially Wanlao, Nam Ta Kiang and Namhu Yerng were almost completely shot up.”

Youth coming from Nampang with more than 50 motorbikes for the annual water festival on 15 April were also seized to act as “human shields” for the army from Namlao to Mongkao and then back to Namlao before their release.

The mountain base being targeted by the Burma Army’s Lashio-based Northeastern Region Command is Loizay. The SSA has 3 other mountain bases just west of the Salween: Loi Khawk, Loilan and Loikhio.

So far only 5 under strength infantry battalions are taking part in the operation: 33, 291, 322, 326 and 523. “But after U Aung Min’s return from Europe and US tour, maybe a major offensive will be launched,” commented an SSA officer.

U Aung Min, Minister for President’s Office and Vice Chairman of Union Peacemaking Working Committee (UPWC), that had concluded ceasefire agreements with 13 armed movements is currently in the United Kingdom to study the peace process in Northern Ireland, according to The Irrawaddy News.

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New video reveals Burmese violence

bbc.co.uk · clipped by US Campaign for Burma

The BBC has obtained police video showing officers standing by while Buddhist rioters attacked minority Muslims in the Burmese town of Meiktila. The footage shows a mob destroying a Muslim gold shop and then setting fire to houses. A man is seen on fire.

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Asia Times Online :: Nowhere to hide for Myanmar's Muslims

atimes.com · clipped by US Campaign for Burma

Nowhere to hide for Myanmar's Muslims
By Himaya Quasem
PHUKET - In a narrow, damp alley at the heart of this bustling tourist hotspot sits a row of tin-roofed shacks. Hidden from view, they house Rohingya Muslims who have fled sectarian bloodshed in neighboring Myanmar.

Described by the United Nations as one of the most persecuted minorities in the world, the Rohingya - including women and children - have been fleeing the country by boat in growing numbers to escape communal rioting, which has killed an estimated 200 people and left tens of thousands homeless.

Although Myanmar has been widely praised for adopting democratic reforms after years of isolation, a recent spate of

ethnic clashes has raised fresh concerns about its stability.

Last month, Buddhist mobs were locked in deadly clashes with Muslims, burning homes and mosques, in the central part of the country. The carnage followed similar sectarian violence between Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims in western Myanmar last year.

Denied citizenship by the authorities, the stateless Rohingya - who are categorized by the United Nations as a religious and linguistic minority from western Myanmar but widely viewed inside the country as illegal Bengali migrants - seek sanctuary in neighboring countries.

Some end up in parts of Thailand, including Phuket, which is better known for its sun-drenched beaches and raucous nightlife. Sitting cross-legged on the floor of a shack on the outskirts of Phuket town, Ismail, not his real name, tells a story of suffering and abuse that is a far cry from the carefree domain of the happy holidaymaker.

"I saw my neighbors' house being burnt to the ground," said the 47-year-old fisherman, recalling the gruesome scenes he witnessed during the violence in Rakhine state. "I could find no sign of my neighbors after that. People were being shot and stabbed. I saw a small child being hacked down like a sapling."

The conflict erupted in June amid reports that a young Rakhine Buddhist woman had been raped and murdered by Rohingya men. As retaliatory attacks spiraled out of control, entire villages were razed, leaving an estimated 125,000 people homeless, most of them Rohingya.

A state of emergency was declared, which briefly stemmed the bloodshed, but a fresh wave of violence broke out in October. This time it was not clear what sparked the clashes. Human rights groups have accused the Myanmar security forces of tacitly supporting Rakhine Buddhist outrages against the Rohingya as part of a policy to drive them out of the country.

The bloodletting certainly prompted Ismail to leave. His boat was destroyed in the rioting and he could no longer feed his family, so he decided to find work abroad. Along with 63 others, he boarded a rickety boat that sailed for 12 days, sometimes through storms, before nearing the Thai coast.

Ismail said the Thai navy captured them and sold them to people smugglers who took them by truck to a camp in southern Thailand. "We were stuffed into a small house like cattle. I had no idea where I was or what was going on."

He lived on mouthfuls of rice scooped from a single large bowl he shared with the other captives. They slept in a cramped room next to the only toilet, which was a fetid hole in the ground covered by a sheet, he said. Those were the least of Ismail's worries. The men who were holding him demanded 40,000 baht (US$1,400) as a "fee" for entering Thailand.

"Some days, without any reason, they would grab me, tie my arms and legs and lay me flat on my stomach," he said. "Then, they started hitting me on my back and legs with heated metal rods and rope. After three or four blows I would pass out."

Ismail understood that unless he could produce the money, the beatings would not stop. His captors allowed him to contact a fellow Rohingya living in Phuket, who managed to raise some of the funds. The rest came from his wife, who is still in Myanmar. To save her husband's life, she sold a cow and sent the money to his captors via a shadowy network of brokers who took a cut, Ismail said.

After 24-days in the camp, his ordeal ended and he was sent by bus to Phuket, where he is now living illegally. Down the road from where Ismail lives is a government-run shelter housing children who have recently arrived in Thailand by sea.

"We were on the boat for days without food, we just had a small amount of water to drink," one of the boys told this writer. "The youngest among us is four years old."

Although Thailand has provided temporary protection to Rohingya, the government does not register them as refugees. Instead, it adheres to an official policy of "helping on" boat people to a third destination by providing them with food, water and assistance to continue their perilous journey.

But the Thai Navy has been accused of abuses, like the ones that Ismail describes. These also include shooting at boatloads of Rohingya and selling others to human traffickers. The Thai government has said it will look into the allegations.

The situation for Rohingya heading to Bangladesh and Malaysia is also far from ideal. An estimated 200,000 Rohingya languish in squalid, unofficial camps on the Bangladeshi coast and only around 28,000 of them have been registered as refugees. After violence erupted in Rakhine, Bangladesh turned away boatloads of fleeing Rohingya.

While Malaysia takes in Rohingya who arrive at its shores, the country is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees. This means asylum seekers are treated as illegal migrants, making it difficult for them to secure formal work.

Back in Myanmar, tens of thousands of displaced Rohingya living in overcrowded and unsanitary camps face food shortages and the threat of disease because the government has restricted the flow of aid, said Human Rights Watch deputy Asia director Phil Robertson.

However, there is little public support for the Rohingya in Myanmar, said Chris Lewa, head of human rights organization the Arakan Project, which specializes in the minority group. "One key reason is religion," she added. "There is a strong anti-Muslim discourse here."

Those simmering tensions bubbled to the surface again last month when an apparent argument between a Muslim gold shop owner and Buddhist customers provided the first spark for deadly clashes in the central city of Meikhtila which killed around 43 and left 12,000 homeless, mostly Muslims.

The latest violence against Muslims, most of whom were not Rohingya, and Buddhists represents a challenge for the nation's democratic reform progress.

"Who will be next?" said Akbar Ahmed, Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University in Washington, DC. "This kind of ethnic and religious violence is a slippery slope for a country at such a juncture."

Many of the Rohingya are just the latest of generations who have lived in Myanmar. Ahmed, who researched the group for his book The Thistle and the Drone, said the Rohingya should be granted citizenship. Such a move would bolster Myanmar's democratic "legitimacy", he added.

"Whether they can rise above issues of race and religion to be a united and democratic [Myanmar] will be their first and most important test."

Himaya Quasem, a former reporter for the Sunday Mail, is a Singapore-based journalist.

(Copyright 2013 Himaya Quasem)

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Story of "Ismail" shows plight of #Rohingya: witnessing horrific #HR abuses in #Burma, suffering #Thai navy #torture http://bit.ly/ZBCxlU
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Shan refugees remain wary of returning home

mizzima.com · clipped by US Campaign for Burma
About 30 Shan people who had fled their homes in March due to fighting near Tangyan Township returned to their villages on Thursday, rescue committee members said. However, some 400 displaced Shan villagers remain at a makeshift camp outside the town and are monitoring the situation before committing themselves to returning home.
The refugees returned during a lull in hostilities between Myanmar government forces and the Shan State Army - North (SSPP/SSA) in northern Shan State.

“The battles have ceased,” said Ko Sai Lu, a committee member at the camp and a spokesperson for the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party. “The government forces have told us they will guarantee security and requested us to go home.”

Ko Sai Lu said the displaced persons were from the villages of Loilem and Loisay in Tangyan Township.

However, he said, although the hostilities have ended, the Myanmar army remains active in the area, and many villagers are afraid of the troops and of landmines, and are very wary about returning.

Another camp committee member suggested to Mizzima that many villagers were afraid they would be forcefully recruited by the government forces if they returned.

The Tangyan township administrative office has arranged for cars to take any refugees back to their home towns. Camp officials said on Thursday that although the displaced persons had received help from Buddhist monks, the Tangyan youth league and members of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy from nearby Lashio, they only have rice and food rations to last another seven days.
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Shan army told to make way for Salween Dam

Govt troops still abuse villagers, says Shan NGO
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Two villagers hurt in army assault on Shan state | Democratic Voice of Burma

dvb.no · clipped by US Campaign for Burma

� �}ks�6��g�j��i�sMQ��_��v:7��rA$$�M�A�V2]��j�j~��%{��tw��Z%m�$pppp��x��7�l�\v��sV7L��s��`��k�n��]�=�D��q�4/��Y}E��i>>>6��~80��O��O#��l��]��9`��6��fA��W��`@e��nc��8��5v�'�s��w�@��N��x�L�a��RD'q�7��L�x|M��B�#��qw�t��H��}��7wg��|�GKx3��0`�1��w,>Ug��^�~>��2O?��'�}s�w��?"�N��GK��G�� 0b��x8�0.%��r��G��]��o��%��ggq8��YD]x �a��,7��m7��m��x,�I��=h��"|��J��z��:��e[�V� C�/��=�5=��a�l��jl�pk9XD��@�Q�S��Z��`��*4V3Tw-��5t�B64"�� t\��jo7��,zeb��X � �)q{5��_�W f{5�a�QO�tk5�-�]��"��^[�_ fk5�[D�0m��zb�yPb�cwR�~��(p��U@p�)/��XQ��&��`V��j��R^h5)/��ZM�� V��r �Ky9xU��*R^bE)/��YQ�[��*Ky9��R^ j5)/��XA��,/��U��r�Hy9��jR^f5)G^�uXU�K�$�%aV��rP+IyI��$��R^`i)/ ��XA�KB�&�%�V��0+J��j��jR^fU)/��YA�� r��Hy9�U��R^h5)/��_Y��&��`V��RP�Iy9�� R^`y)/��XE��A�(��*��-L��0��]Y�B�hu�10�� HH`��~��^��(��?�� =1��C��`=1pLFWHf]�~jkkk��~��"�� ,��w��Q�8"��P��h�B1��xe1��`��P ��..\�d/B�k�wX��s4 J��V��}#n p��nh��7��,u��"��|k �l��.�Ant�� c��"(FC�z��O�qt-��*��+�7��Nso5z��>�1WwL�V 2��j��=�� j��1��JZk7��/��*�L1hZ�M��9Y��*��|��n}�F,��P�$c%��v��c��|?�}WB�P��vs��G��U��g�t�X��p�$ �qw��C��-t1M�zp�A�3��K��~|w5��S�5e2L��z�*��{N_�h^K��%^K��JM�dvY^�;�-�r��5G��1a~��b�5a�,�u��R��:� ��AP n P#jD�Qj��M��b�b��]�A��|�Z�m�� x��P��v��6��g��?��k��&�U�� ql�fv��D�J��I!�\�1�=�'��:�Jr1R�i�� @H(d��! C�A��T$�yyj ��^.F��edQ��7aok��G�V��_:�'�c��s ��u}��r�)im�� k�=�P��q(l��9�1 @��A�0��p)Y/�� A6�A�xhS�G��CD��[��S��L��u "8z�er(-��;��'}P*��L}�M�� oZY��_�j>�iW��\ �C,��b��)�O��z�f��|8�8�;�P��?V��X�}�@�_~h�4{>��}`'2��xT��~��g��igv�Sd�>��O`��:Q�K� �>��r��F�Bg��D�^��W3�_&uIh�H��n4��DG��b��V��%D�c��?�"X��]W��P'.��T�_�5��?(��1��A�.Ic��c��N[��;��7�.�O��3@�O��I��Z"��,�� c?&��j�@�I�B�l>;iS��S��J�y@�)��hm8�GLw*�M�P��&x��,��|��HP��_:S�/�@��ntj|�EM�� 7��f��=��e��5~� ��#�=�s�� *S[[��Y�`��l��67axA.]�W� �lt�X{�T��S�!��Q@g n��J*�Q��Awi!�s��.h�R� v�r��`��0G+@Ke��#��HwE�M��-��SZ�t�lo�� V� �P��o2��Qq��%��K��:[*��G �}��(q��>��%��%Q��P{�j�Y�o>�v��$�=��Z�y�s%PI��JW8�ad�p�`��DX� [��1d$'��t6��u��caU�Q�&:��d}�B��A-��&�T�TZ�|9I�p�,��~�?��}��&�f��T��:�t�&��9��{�=gF�-��@*>��,�-��z�� v1GB��3�� j��:�NP�l,��@�wKz~��=o~��p�N�cT�\1�.�K�w�M5��j�$ �jrc��n�$�E��>f7cf�m_8��8�Q�B��mq��O��0�� $��m��{7U��;3M��%��E�b0N}O�[��n0��nb�3��m��]\��!MMA��y� Y��d?J��r��XT4h_��.0az��=�5�F�1��C_D�f �zR 4��7��g K(��]QJ�f��g6�.��N��v�P��/��H�� P_�0��c�\p��x6m�|]�(� �!@��T��L��AW��U%�b�JE��A��;W��n�M>�I:C��x,:��Q{{/x�0%�p�WVJ?

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Burma army, Shan rebels renew clashes during Myanmar New Year

english.panglong.org · clipped by US Campaign for Burma

On 15 and 16 April, during the Myanmar New Year celebrations, a fierce battle broke out between Burma army and Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA) at Loi Zay, Tangyan Township, northern Shan State, said local news sources. "It has been 2 days, yesterday and today that they [Burma army] have reinforced its troops that resulted in a fierce fight.

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Waiting for Solace | The Irrawaddy Magazine

irrawaddy.org · clipped by US Campaign for Burma

MEIKHTILA - Two weeks after a wave of anti-Muslim violence engulfed Meikhtila, Mandalay Division-leaving at least 40 dead and 61 injured-more than 12,000 mostly Muslim residents of the city shelter in camps for the displaced. Most of the camps are improvised in schools under the control of the Burmese government.

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