Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups.
Individual Documents
Description:
"Myanmar junta troops burned donations of rice, other food and tarpaulins intended for more than 2,000 internally displaced people from Kin Ma village in Magwe Region, which was burned down by regime forces, and have planted landmines in the area.
In mid-June, almost the entire 240-house village in southern Pauk Township was burned down by junta troops after they suffered heavy casualties during a firefight with civilian resistance fighters near the village.
On Tuesday morning, more than 130 junta soldiers used artillery and raided Kin Ma. More than 2,000 villagers fled to forests.
Before leaving the village monastery on Wednesday morning, junta troops burned the monastery’s possessions and 34 rice bags, other food and tarpaulins donated for the homeless villagers, according to residents.
The troops also destroyed two bags of rice with battery acid.
Kin Ma villagers said an unidentified, charred body was found under a burned motorbike near the monastery.
Villagers said the body is believed to be one of two residents who was seized by troops while heading to Kin Ma.
Two landmines, allegedly laid by regime soldiers, were found in the village. Villagers fear returning because they suspect more explosives will be hidden, a young Kin Ma villager told The Irrawaddy on Thursday.
“The junta’s atrocities are unacceptable. We will be pleased when the whole dictatorship disappears,” a villager said.
On Thursday morning, around 60 junta troops deployed at Wun Chone village’s monastery near Kin Ma on Tuesday burned fleeing villagers’ possessions, according to residents.
Last week, hundreds of junta troops in two detachments raided around 30 villages and scoured forests for civilian resistance fighters in southern Pauk Township while heading to Wun Chone and Kin Ma.
More than 30,000 villagers fled into forests to avoid the raids. Around 11 junta troops were killed by resistance landmines on August 27 and 29, according to the People’s Defense Forces in Pauk..."
Source/publisher:
"The Irrawaddy" (Thailand)
Date of publication:
2021-09-02
Date of entry/update:
2021-09-02
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
2021 Burma/Myanmar coup d'état, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Right to food: reports of violations in Burma
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Description:
"This regular update, covering humanitarian developments from 28 July to 23 August, is produced by OCHA Myanmar in collaboration with the Inter-Cluster Coordination Group, UNHCR and WHO. The next update will be issued towards the end of September 2021.
HIGHLIGHTS
• At least 125,000 people have been affected by monsoon floods since 21 July across various regions and states, according to local partners.
• Thousands of people have been displaced following armed clashes between the “People’s Defense Forces” (“PDF”) and Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) in Sagaing Region, according to local partners.
• In Chin State, clashes between the MAF and “PDF” continue in and around Mindat Township.
As of 17 August, close to 16,700 people remain displaced in several townships in the area.
• In the south-eastern parts of the country, an estimated 141,200 people remain displaced, mostly in Kayah and Kayin states, due to clashes and insecurity since 1 February.
• Food insecurity is becoming an evolving concern, with reports of food shortage in displacement sites and communities in northern Shan and Rakhine states.
• In Shan State, population movement remains fluid, with new displacements and returns reported on a regular basis. More than 26,300 people have been displaced across the state since the beginning of 2021; about 6,400 of them remain displaced to date.
• Regular humanitarian programmes and COVID-19 related response continue across various parts of the country, despite access challenges and insecurity.
• As of 27 August, 45 per cent of the US$276.5 million requested under the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP), and over 10 per cent of the US$109 million requested under the Interim Emergency Response Plan have been funded, according to the FTS.
SITUATION OVERVIEW
OVER 125,000 PEOPLE AFFECTED BY MONSOON FLOODS: Monsoon floods have been reported across the country since 21 July in a number of states and regions as torrential rains resulted in river overflows. As of midAugust, an estimated 125,000 people have been affected by flooding, mainly in Kachin, Kayin, Mon, Rakhine and eastern areas of Shan states as well as in Mandalay and Tanintharyi regions, according to local partners. There have also been reports of civilian deaths and injury, as well as damage and destruction to houses and other civilian property.
In Kachin State, flash floods and a landslide on 12 August reportedly destroyed at least 15 shelters in Maga Yang camp in Waingmaw Township, which hosts about 1,600 internally displaced people (IDP); one civilian was reportedly killed during the floods. Similarly, several townships in eastern areas of Shan State experienced flash floods and landslides between 11 and 18 August. A local community, three temporary displacement sites and a relocation site in Muse Township, which hosts around 350 displaced families have been affected. Similar incidents took place in Mogoke Township of Mandalay Region in the second week of August, with floods and landslides reportedly killing four persons, including a child, and washing away a number of houses. In Rakhine State, at least 10 villages in Toungup Township have been flooded due to heavy rains on 6 August, affecting some 1,300 houses, a hospital and paddy fields, according to local partners.
Heavy rains and floods have further aggravated an already extremely challenging situation in the south-eastern parts of the country. In Kayin State, at least five townships have been affected.
Another nine townships were affected by floods in Mon State, while in Tanintharyi Region, at least three townships have been affected.
Local humanitarian actors, volunteers and communities responded to the needs of affected families, including with organizing temporary shelter for those who had to be evacuated to safer areas. The floods have also damaged crops, and according to initial assessments, at least 2,000 acres of paddy fields in Kyainseikgyi Township in Kayin State have been impacted, with farmers facing difficulties with seeds and expenses to cover replanting of the paddy.
An additional 40,000 cultivated land has been affected across different states and regions, according to partners.
NEW DISPLACEMENT IN SAGAING REGION: An unconfirmed number of people, reported to be in thousands, have been displaced across at least six townships in Sagaing Region due to clashes between the MAF and the “PDF” and insecurity in recent weeks, according to various sources. The exact number of people displaced, and their current host locations is still difficult to verify due to access challenges, fluidity and the complex nature of the situation. According to initial information, many IDPs are hiding in nearby forests. There had been limited presence of humanitarian personnel in Sagaing Region prior to this worsening situation in the area. Humanitarian partners are making efforts to scale up coordination to assess needs and provide the necessary support to the newly displaced.
VOLATILE SITUATION IN THE SOUTH-EAST: The security situation in south-eastern Myanmar remains volatile, particularly across Kayah and Kayin as well as southern areas of neighbouring Shan State. Sporadic clashes between the MAF and the “Karenni Nationalities Defense Force” (“KNDF”), “PDFs” and “Karen National Liberation Army” (“KNLA”) continue to be reported. In Kayah State, hostilities between the MAF and the “KNDF” have increased up since 3 August in Bawlake, Demoso, Hpasawng, Hpruso and Loikaw townships. In the southern areas of Shan State, clashes between the alliance of “KNDF” with local “PDFs” and the combined forces of the MAF with the “Pa-O National Army” have also been reported in Pekon and Pinlaung townships. In Kayin State, armed clashes, including artillery fire, have been reported between the “KNLA” and the alliance of the MAF with the Border Guard Force (BGF) in Hpapun Township since 1 August. Sporadic small-scale clashes between the MAF and the “KNLA” and “PDFs” have also been reported in Mon State, eastern Bago and Tanintharyi regions.
As of 23 August, UNHCR estimates that 141,200 people remained internally displaced across south-eastern Myanmar as a result of armed clashes and insecurity; this includes 75,300 in Kayah, 17,700 in southern Shan State (South- Pekon and Hsihseng townships), 47,100 in Kayin and 1,100 in Mon states. Population movement in affected areas remains fluid; initial reports indicated at least 4,000 people were newly displaced in Kayah State during the reporting period. Despite intermittent fighting, returns have been observed in Kayah State and Shan State (South) in recent weeks as IDPs did not have access to healthcare in the displacement areas and some of them needed to tend to farming in their areas of origin. Many IDPs were previously sheltered by host families and living in difficult, crowded and make-shift conditions with limited resources. Renewed or recurrent displacements from areas of return can be expected should the security situation deteriorate.
The majority of displaced populations and those otherwise affected by hostilities remain in need food, health care, shelter, WASH and protection services, despite the efforts of operational partners and local communities. UNHCR and partners, for example, have been able to distribute non-food items to around 10,000 individuals in Kayin State and Bago Region since 1 February. Mounting a comprehensive response, however, has been a challenge since the escalation of clashes due to access restrictions, caused by active conflicts, poor road conditions (including as a result of monsoon floods), COVID-19-related travel restrictions and bureaucratic impediments.
CONTINUED VIOLENCE IN AND AROUND MINDAT: The security situation in Chin State remains volatile with renewed and intense fighting reported between the MAF and “PDF” in Falam, Hakha, Matupi, Mindat and Thantlang townships. In Mindat Township, indiscriminate artillery shelling has been reported, which forced an unconfirmed number of people from Shet and Muitui villages as well as surrounding areas to flee to safer locations. The exact locations of people newly displaced and their humanitarian needs could not be identified due to access and communications challenges. As of 17 August, close to 16,700 people remained displaced in several townships in and around Chin State. Despite the volatile security situation, there have also been reports of small-scale returns among the displaced population, with some 2,170 people having returned to Thantlang during the reporting period.
Humanitarian assistance to people who remain displaced and those otherwise affected remains hindered. Food and non-food assistance have been distributed to the IDPs in urban Mindat in recent weeks; however, significant needs still remain, especially in the rural areas of Mindat and other townships in Chin State. This displacement is in addition to some 9,850 people who remain displaced across 27 sites in Paletwa Township in Chin State due to the earlier conflict between the MAF and the “Arakan Army” (“AA”).
FOOD SHORTAGE IN SHAN AND RAKHINE: Food insecurity is becoming an evolving humanitarian concern, with reports of food shortage in displacement sites and communities in northern Shan and Rakhine states. In Kutkai Township in northern Shan, urgent food needs have been reported in five relocation/resettlement sites in Mine Yu Lay Village, which hosts more than 1,000 IDPs since 2013. Similar food needs have been reported in other relocation sites across northern Shan, including Hseni and Kutkai and among local communities in Manton townships, since early August.
In Rakhine State, 900 IDPs in Kan Htaung Gyi displacement site in Myebon Township have been facing food shortage since June. Humanitarian partners reported being unable to deliver food assistance to the site due to access challenges and difficulties withdrawing cash. Food distributions in other displacement sites have also been delayed since July. Shortage of food has also been reported among some 200 IDPs in Bodawmaw Monastery displacement site in Sittwe Township, as well as at the Nyaung Chaung displacement site in Kyauktaw Township.
Despite these challenges, 1.2 million vulnerable people across various parts of Myanmar received food, cash and nutrition assistance since the beginning of 2021.
FLUID POPULATION MOVEMENT IN SHAN STATE: An estimated 4,000 people have reportedly been newly displaced in four townships in the southern and northern areas of Shan State during the reporting period due to armed clashes between the MAF and Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) and among EAOs. In Kyaukme Township in northern areas of Shan State, close to 2,000 people from eight village tracts had fled from their home due to clashes between the “Restoration Council of Shan State” and the alliance of the “Shan State Progress Party” with the “Ta’ang National Liberation Army”; a further 170 people in Man Yang Village Tract in Muse Township were displaced due to clashes between the MAF and the “Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army”. There have also been displacements in Kyethi and Mongkaing townships in southern areas of Shan State.
Meanwhile, IDP returns in areas where the security situation improved continue to be reported. For example, in Kyethi Township, close to 4,200 IDPs were able to return to their villages of origin during the reporting period. There were small-scale returns in other townships during the reporting period. Since the beginning of 2021, about 20,000 people have managed to return out of more than 26,300 persons who have been internally displaced across 15 townships in Shan State..."
Source/publisher:
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (New York) via "Reliefweb" (New York)
Date of publication:
2021-08-27
Date of entry/update:
2021-08-28
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Food Security and nutrition in Burma/Myanmar, Public Health
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"KEY DISPLACEMENT FIGURES
22,000 Estimated refugee movements to neighbouring countries since 1 February 2021
980,000 Refugees and asylum-seekers from Myanmar in neighbouring countries as of 31 December 2020
189,000 Estimated total internal displacement within Myanmar since 1 February 2021
370,000 Estimated internally displaced persons (IDPs) within Myanmar as of 31 December 2020
HIGHLIGHTS
• Some 189,000 people remain internally displaced (IDPs) in Myanmar as of 16 August, due to armed conflict and unrest since 1 February 2021. This includes some 156,500 IDPs in Southeast Myanmar and Shan State (South).
• In Southeast Myanmar, the security situation remains tense with increasing armed clashes across the Southeast. In the reporting period, armed clashes continued in Kachin/Shan (North) states.
• In Chin State, the situation in Mindat and surrounding areas deteriorated, as fighting between the Chin Defence Forces (CDF) and Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) resumed in recent weeks.
• The situation of internally displaced people within Myanmar has been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, with close to 4,000 new cases and 400 official deaths reportedly registered each day. This makes the per capita death rate in Myanmar the highest in Southeast Asia.
• IDP camps in Kachin State have registered a surge of COVID-19 cases and more people have tested positive in Kayah and Kayin states. Hundreds of positive cases are reported across Kachin State and Shan State (North) among the IDP population, where access to health services remains very limited. Disruptions of food supplies have led to food shortages in some IDP sites in Rakhine and Kayin states.
• Seasonal floods continue to affect particularly the Southeast and thousands of people in Rakhine State. Heavy rains and flooding, combined with COVID-19 restrictions, continue to pose significant challenges for IDPs in the Southeast to access basic needs and health services.
• In Thailand, no movements have been reported towards the Myanmar-Thai border in recent weeks, in part due to closed borders and movement restrictions related to measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19..."
Source/publisher:
UN High Commissioner for Refugees (Geneva) via Reliefweb (New York)
Date of publication:
2021-08-20
Date of entry/update:
2021-08-20
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNHCR (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., COVID-19 (Coronavirus), Human Rights and international relations
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Sub-title:
YANGON – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today warned that its lifesaving operations in Myanmar are being held back by a major funding shortfall, with over 70 percent of its funding needs over the coming six months still unmet.
Description:
"A massive wave of COVID-19 infections currently surging throughout the country is compounding hunger, as families struggle amid job losses, rising food and fuel prices, political unrest, violence and displacement.
In April, WFP estimated that the number of people facing hunger could more than double to 6.2 million in the next six months, up from 2.8 million prior to February. Subsequent monitoring surveys carried out by WFP have shown that since February, more and more families are being pushed to the edge, struggling to put even the most basic food on the table.
“We have seen hunger spreading further and deeper in Myanmar. Nearly 90 percent of households living in slum-like settlements around Yangon say they have to borrow money to buy food; incomes have been badly affected for many,” said WFP Myanmar Country Director Stephen Anderson.
Starting in May, WFP launched a new urban food response, targeting 2 million people in Yangon and Mandalay, Myanmar’s two biggest cities. The majority of people to receive assistance are mothers, children, people with disabilities and the elderly. To date, 650,000 people have been assisted in urban areas.
More than 220,000 people have fled violence since February, and are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. WFP has reached 17,500 newly-displaced people and is working to assist more in August. In total, 1.25 million people in Myanmar have received WFP food, cash and nutrition assistance in 2021 across urban and rural areas.
However, with US$86 million more required over the next six months, it is uncertain how far these operations can go.
“The people of Myanmar are facing their most difficult moment in living memory. It is critically important for us to be able to access to all those in need and receive the funding to provide them with humanitarian assistance,” Anderson explained.
“Now more than ever, the people of Myanmar need our support. We are deeply grateful for the backing of the international community – the people of Myanmar will never forget your generosity and solidarity.,” said Anderson..."
Source/publisher:
World Food Programme (Rome)
Date of publication:
2021-08-06
Date of entry/update:
2021-08-06
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
WFP (World Food Programme), Humanitarian assistance - emergencies, Human Rights and international relations, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Armed conflict in Burma - attacks on civilians
Language:
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Description:
"KEY DISPLACEMENT FIGURES
22,000 Estimated refugee movements to neighbouring countries since 1 February 2021
980,000 Refugees and asylum-seekers from Myanmar in neighbouring countries as of 31 December 2020
206,000 Estimated total internal displacement within Myanmar since 1 February 2021
370,000 Estimated internally displaced persons (IDPs) within Myanmar as of 31 December 2020
HIGHLIGHTS
The security situation across the country continues to be volatile and fluid, including in south-east Myanmar, Kachin/Shan (North), and Chin States. Some 206,000 people have been displaced internally in Myanmar as of end July, due to armed conflict and unrest since 1 February 2021. This includes some 170,000 IDPs in Southeast Myanmar and Shan (South). This total number of IDPs has remained steady since the last update.
The situation of internally displaced people within Myanmar has been compounded by the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic. Myanmar has reported record numbers of cases and deaths and is experiencing its most severe wave of infections so far. As a result, access restrictions have been introduced in many areas with, in some cases, IDPs and other communities going into self-imposed lockdowns.
The humanitarian situation in Myanmar has been further exacerbated by heavy floods, particularly in the south-east of the country, at the end of July.
There have been no significant movements of refugees in the reporting period, including into India and Thailand. Some 7,000 refugees crossed into Thailand in March and April, almost all of whom subsequently returned but remain displaced in Myanmar.
There have been reports of groups continuing to gather in border areas on the Myanmar side close to Thailand, including opposite Thailand’s Mae Sariang, Khun Yuam and Mueng districts. The groups have not yet demonstrated an intention to cross.
There are also continued reports of arrests, which have though decreased in July compared to June, of Myanmar nationals attempting to enter Thailand irregularly in the Kanchanaburi/Ratchaburi area. Thai authorities consider them “illegal migrant workers” for whom there is no systematic identification of people in need of international protection..."
Source/publisher:
UN High Commissioner for Refugees (Geneva) via Reliefweb (New York)
Date of publication:
2021-08-04
Date of entry/update:
2021-08-05
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNHCR (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., The discussion on humanitarian assistance to Burma
Language:
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Size:
7.47 MB
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Description:
"In the sixth month since its forcible and unconstitutional power grab, the junta’s oppressive acts to secure political, territorial, or economic control have escalated conflict and the deadliness of a third wave of COVID-19. COVID-19 ripped ferociously through Burma, where a weakened health system and junta restrictions on treatment measures contributed to untold deaths. As the junta brought testing closer to pre-coup levels, it saw COVID-19 positivity rates up to 40%.
During July alone, security forces killed at least 56 civilians. There were 348 violent attacks that either targeted or failed to protect civilians during 1–23 Jul, and a total 3,446 incidents 1 Feb–23 Jul..."
Source/publisher:
Altsean Burma, Burma Human Rights Network, Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK, Initiatives for International Dialogue, International Federation for Human Rights, Progressive Voice, US Campaign for Burma, and Women Peace Network
Date of publication:
2021-08-02
Date of entry/update:
2021-08-03
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
COVID-19 (Coronavirus), Public Health, Right to Health: reports of violations in Burma, Human Rights and international relations, National Unity Government (NUG), Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH), Flooding in Burma/Myanmar, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., 2021 Burma/Myanmar coup d'état
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Sub-title:
Soldiers burned down two houses and destroyed several others with the help of thugs from the military-backed Pyu Saw Htee group
Description:
"Over 1,000 people have fled a village in Magway Region’s Pauk Township after junta forces burnt down two homes there and raided or destroyed several others on Saturday when the administrator of a neighbouring village was killed, anti-regime guerilla fighters have said.
Members of the military-controlled Pyu Saw Htee group helped soldiers torch the houses in Wun Chone during a rampage through the village, a spokesperson for the guerilla group told Myanmar Now.
“They rampaged through the village and destroyed many shops as well as motorbikes,” he said, referring to testimony from five witnesses. “Many villagers have already fled, fearing they might come back.” Some fled to nearby woodlands while others sought refuge in surrounding villages.
There is a group of soldiers stationed at Pin Taung village, which sits two miles northeast of Wun Chone. The military arrived in Wun Chone immediately after the administrator of Pin Taung was assassinated at around 7am.
The soldiers clashed with guerilla fighters near Wun Chone before beginning their rampage. The guerillas’ spokesperson said none of the group’s fighters were killed in the clash and could not confirm if any of the junta’s forces were killed.
He added that the group’s fighters shot and killed Hti Myo, the 30-year-old administrator, because he supported the junta, and had ordered villagers in Pin Taung not to offer assistance to residents of Kinma village when it was burnt down by the junta’s forces in June.
Myanmar Now was unable to corroborate the allegations about the administrator.
A Wun Chone resident said soldiers also destroyed furniture during their rampage: “I went back to check last night. The fires burned the affected houses’ upper floors and sides. The lower floors were intact since they’re made of brick. I took what I needed and came back because there was a risk of running into Pyu Saw Htee there.”
Junta representatives could not be reached for comment.
Last week soldiers raided Thar Aye village in neighbouring Sagaing Region, displacing around 3,000 villagers, after an alleged military informant was shot and killed on July 28.
Around 10,000 civilians have been displaced by military attacks in the Sagaing townships of Kani, Yinmabin and Depayin since early July, according to local estimates..."
Source/publisher:
"Myanmar Now" (Myanmar)
Date of publication:
2021-08-02
Date of entry/update:
2021-08-02
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Armed conflict in Burma - attacks on civilians, 2021 Burma/Myanmar coup d'état
Language:
more
Description:
"This regular update, covering humanitarian developments from 24 June to 27 July, is produced by OCHA Myanmar in collaboration with the Inter-Cluster Coordination Group and UNHCR and WHO. The next update will be issued towards the end of August 2021.
HIGHLIGHTS
• An estimated 170,200 people remain displaced in south-eastern parts of Myanmar due to violence, armed clashes and insecurity since 1 February. This includes around 121,400 people displaced in Kayah State and neighboring townships of southern areas of Shan State following an escalation of clashes since 21 May.
• In Chin State, clashes continued in and around Mindat Township over the course of July and more than 18,100 persons remain internally displaced in over 100 sites in Chin State and in neighboring Magway and Sagaing regions.
• In Shan State, population movement remains fluid, with new displacements and small-scale returns recorded during the reporting period. A total of 22,000 people have been displaced across north and southern parts of Shan State since the beginning of 2021; about 7,000 of them remain displaced across 33 temporary sites.
• Continuous rains resulted in floods affecting several townships across Rakhine State and parts of south-eastern Myanmar. A number of fatalities have been reported and several thousand people were affected or displaced, according to initial reports.
• An Interim Emergency Response Plan has been developed and seeks US$109 million to reach an additional 2 million people with prioritized emergency humanitarian response activities beyond the scope of the 2021.
• More funds have been secured for humanitarian response in Myanmar and as of 29 July, 42 per cent of the US$276.5 million requested under the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) has been funded, according to the FTS. However, strengthened donor support is necessary to address the over 50 per cent funding gap.
SITUATION OVERVIEW
3 MILLION PEOPLE NEED HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE IN MYANMAR: About 3 million people need humanitarian assistance and protection services across various parts of Myanmar. This includes about 1 million people living in conflict-affected areas in Chin, Kachin, Kayin, Mon, northern Shan and Rakhine identified at the start of 2021 in the HRP. An additional 2 million people are targeted for humanitarian assistance and protection services, as part of the recently developed Interim Emergency Response Plan. The Plan mainly focuses on people in urban and peri-urban areas in Yangon and Mandalay, as well as those displaced or otherwise affected in Chin and Kayin states since 1 February.
The Plan will ensure a coordinated approach to respond to people’s food and nutrition needs, water, sanitation and hygiene, education, shelter, health and a wide range of protection services, such as Child Protection and prevention and response to Gender-Based Violence (GBV). The Plan will integrate COVID-19 related prevention and response in its programming.
The Interim Emergency Response Plan aims to complement the existing HRP and ensures an operational planning framework for humanitarian partners to coordinate response. The Plan identifies an additional US$109 million in emergency humanitarian programming to be implemented until the end of 2021. These requirements are in addition to the $276.5 million requested through the 2021 HRP. As of 30 July, US$7.8 million has been received against the total requirements under the Interim Plan, which represents 7 per cent of funding.
FLUID POPULATION MOVEMENT IN THE SOUTHEAST: The security situation in south-eastern Myanmar remains tense, with sporadic clashes between the Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) and Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) or the “People’s Defense Forces” (“PDFs”) reported in Kayah, Kayin and Mon states and eastern Bago and Tanintharyi regions. In Kayah State, about 5,000 people from 11 villages in Loilen Lay Town in eastern part of Loikaw Township have been displaced on 12 July, following clashes between the MAF and the “Karenni Nationalities Defense Force”, a coalition of the “Karenni Army” and the “PDFs”.
UNHCR estimates that about 170,200 persons have been internally displaced since 1 February in south-eastern Myanmar. This includes some 121,400 displaced in Kayah and southern areas of Shan states (Hsihseng and Pekon townships), about 47,700 in Kayin State, including 7,000 people who had returned after having fled to Thailand between April and May but who remain internally displaced, and a further 1,100 in Mon State. According to public sources, 69 civilians have been killed, about 160 houses and 8 churches destroyed in Kayah and southern areas of Shan states due to the hostilities that have erupted in May. Details of these incidents could not be verified due to access challenges and security concerns.
The humanitarian situation in the area remains dire, as the majority of displaced populations, who are unable to return due to ongoing hostilities, continue to experience significant challenges in accessing basic needs due to various constraints, including limited humanitarian access.
Humanitarian partners continue to make efforts to provide food, non-food-items, medical assistance and shelter materials as well as protection services to the newly displaced and otherwise vulnerable populations. In tandem with increasing needs, humanitarian organizations, are mobilizing funds and finalizing a contingency plan to respond to the emerging situation in the area. Critical needs for food, medicines and shelter have been reported, while a wide range of protection services and other humanitarian needs of affected communities – especially children, women and elderly persons – remain to be fully addressed.
OVER 18,000 PEOPLE REMAIN DISPLACED IN CHIN STATE: The security situation in Chin State and neighbouring two regions remains unpredictable, as hostilities between the MAF and the “PDFs” picked up again in several townships. Intermittent clashes have been reported in Mindat in Chin State as well as in Saw in Magway and Kale and Tamu townships in Sagaing regions throughout July. Increased deployment of troops and continued road blockages and checkpoints have been reported in and around Mindat Township with the temporary ceasefire between the “Chinland Defense Force-Mindat” and the MAF not extended beyond 14 July. In Magway Region, several rounds of artillery were reported in Saw Township on 15 July. In Sagaing Region, clashes in several villages in Kale and Tamu townships in mid-July resulted in a reported number of civilian casualties.
As of 19 July, more than 18,100 persons remain internally displaced in over 100 displacement sites in Chin, Magway and Sagaing. Most of the displaced persons are in four townships in Chin State, where they have been displaced since mid-May. This displacement is in addition to some 9,850 people who remain displaced across 27 sites in Paletwa Township in Chin State due to the earlier conflict between the MAF and the “Arakan Army”.
Access to affected areas remains substantially constrained, although two partners were able to deliver essential assistance to the people in need in certain locations in Mindat Township, including food items for two weeks, medicines, surgical masks and hand sanitizers targeting about 2,000 people. A UN agency also distributed non-food items, including tarpaulins, mosquito nets, mats, blankets, kitchen sets, solar lamps and protective medical equipment in Mindat.
RECURRENT POPULATION MOVEMENT IN NORTH AND SOUTHERN SHAN: Armed clashes between the MAF and EAOs and among EAOs in north and southern areas of Shan State continued between late June and mid-July. On 30 June, some 860 persons from 11 villages in Kyaukme Township in northern Shan were displaced following a series of clashes between the “Restoration Council of Shan State” (RCSS) and the allied forces of the “Shan State Progress Party” (SSPP) and the “Ta’ang National Liberation Army”. In Muse Township, more than 400 people in Man Yang Village Tract fled their home on 6 July due to armed clashes between the MAF and the “Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army”; the displaced families were able to return only on 17 July. In Hsipaw Township, about 300 persons from two villages fled their home on 16 July due to clashes between the RCSS and the SSPP. In southern areas of Shan State, partners confirmed the displacement of over 2,900 persons in Kyethi and Mongkaing in mid-July.
As of 22 July, some 7,000, out of the 22,479 persons who have been displaced across 14 townships in Shan State, remain displaced across 33 temporary sites in Kyethi and Mongkaing townships in the south and in Hsipaw,
Kyaukme and Kunlong townships in northern parts of Shan State.
Humanitarian partners and local communities are complementing locally led responses to the newly displaced persons through the provision of food and non-food; however, displaced people remain in need of food, mosquito nets, blankets and COVID-19 prevention related support.
FLOODS AFFECT TOWNSHIPS IN RAKHINE STATE AND PARTS OF SOUTH-EAST: Continuous monsoon rains caused flooding in lowland areas in Rakhine State and certain parts of south-eastern Myanmar, including Kayin and Mon states and Tanintharyi Region.
Initial reports indicated that some 3,000 people have reportedly been affected, with 100 households evacuated from their homes in Hlaingbwe Township in Kayin State. In addition, more than 1,400 people in several wards in Myawaddy Town in Kayin State were evacuated to 10 relief camps on 26 July and received rice assistance from local communities and structures. Additional people, whose exact number could not be ascertained, have also been affected in several townships in Mon State, including in Mawlamyine and Ye.
In Rakhine, initial reports indicated that Kalar Chaung Monastery displacement site, hosting about 1,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) in Mrauk-U Township has been flooded on 25 July. This has affected approximately 24 out of 142 shelters within the displacement site. In Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Rathedaung townships, over 600 households in several villages have been affected, while roads connecting communities have been blocked and power supply disrupted in Thandwe Township since 26 July; water levels on the roads have reached up to nine feet. Some 200 households in the township’s affected areas have been evacuated to safer locations by local volunteers; they are expected to return to their places of origin soon. In Kyaukpyu Township, Kyauk Ta Lone IDP camp, at least 27 families have had their temporary shelter damaged, and dozens of sanitation facilities damaged or destroyed due to the floods. The affected people are taking refuge in the higher sections of the camp, hosted by relatives.
Operational partners are currently collaborating with local aid groups and volunteers to better understand the situation and collect information on people’s needs. According to multiple sources, many people in affected locations and other areas where precipitation had been forecasted need support with evacuation. Those who have been evacuated or otherwise affected by floods require assistance in food, emergency shelter, health care and medical supplies, according to initial reports. Local volunteers have managed to evacuate the affected people and have provided initial assistance in terms of food and WASH as well as some COVID-19 awareness raising activities. The response, however, is likely to be impacted by access limitations, including those related to the current COVID-19 prevention measures.
COVID-19: Available figures suggest that COVID-19 testing is taking place in States and Regions from both the public and private sectors, with the variants Alpha, Delta, and Kappa identified across the country, according to a report from 15 June, but not the extent to which any single variant dominates infections.
Current figures show that the Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) cases have rapidly accelerated, as has the demand for hospitalization. Because the data is limited, it is not possible to confirm how these figures reflect the real situation, but it indicates a rapidly increasing number of infections in the country. From 1-28 July, a total of 126,822 cases were reported from 382,125 tests with a test positive ratio of 33.18 per cent; daily test positive ratio is reaching 40 per cent. A total of 4,876 deaths attributed to COVID-19 were reported during the same period, with Bago, Yangon and Sagaing regions heavily affected.
A stay-at-home order have been imposed in over 80 townships across the country, and public holidays in July have been extended in an attempt to reduce the movement of people. This situation is unfolding in a context where access to health facilities is extremely limited. Partners are working to re-operationalize testing and surveillance activities, while COVID-19 treatment centres are being established with available resources and capacities. The full operationalizing of clinical management of cases is planned as soon as possible..."
Source/publisher:
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (New York) via "Reliefweb" (New York)
Date of publication:
2021-07-30
Date of entry/update:
2021-07-30
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Humanitarian assistance - emergencies, Right to Life: reports of violations in Burma, Education in Burma/Myanmar - general, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Food Security and nutrition in Burma/Myanmar
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Sub-title:
UNHCR is partnering with local communities and faith groups to help an estimated 200,000 people driven from their homes by fresh violence since February’s military takeover.
Description:
"Armed conflict is sadly nothing new for 27-year-old Nway Nway Htay. An ethnic Rakhine woman originally from Myanmar’s western Rakhine State, she became familiar with the sounds of artillery and gunfire as the Myanmar Armed Forces, locally known as the Tatmadaw, battled ethnic armed groups in her native state. Security was something she constantly worried about.
“I may be used to the sound of gunshots, but the fear is always there,” she said. “Last year, I came back to Rakhine to give birth when fighting erupted near the hospital. The explosions made the process even more stressful.”
Following the birth of her son, Nway Nway Htay returned to Kachin State, a mountainous region wedged between India and China, where she had been living with her ethnic Kachin husband for two years. There, the couple worked the land along with a small group of villagers, growing oranges as cash crops in Injangyang Township to support themselves.
Nway Nway Htay’s move to a rural corner of Myanmar’s northernmost state in 2019 was made in the hopes of living a more peaceful life. While also embroiled in its own ethnic armed conflict, prospects for peace in Kachin State had been improving. Negotiations between the Tatmadaw and Kachin Independence Army (KIA) were making headway. Major hostilities ceased in late 2018, while smaller-scale skirmishes had largely subsided by the end of 2020.
“I may be used to the sound of gunshots, but the fear is always there.”
That all changed in 2021. Following a military takeover on 1 February, Myanmar was plunged into a crisis that saw the spread and intensification of fighting in many areas. Violence resurfaced once again in Kachin State, including frequent heavy clashes and airstrikes.
Nway Nway Htay is one of an estimated 200,000 people across the country forced to flee their homes by the upsurge of armed conflict. One sunny day in mid-March, she was at home with her son when the sound of gunshots echoed between the hills. Having experienced similar incidents before in Rakhine State, Nway Nway Htay’s first instinct was to stay inside the safety of her home. Moments later, her husband burst through the door saying they had to leave. The fighting was getting closer.
By the time Nway Nway Htay stepped outside, the village had emptied and they were the last to leave. Her anxiety grew as they fled. “The Tatmadaw and KIA were constantly firing at each other and a soldier we encountered warned us of landmines in the area. Each step we took filled me with dread,” she recalled.
The family eventually reached the banks of the Malikha River where a boat transported them to a nearby safe zone. There, they hid with other villagers for five days before making their way by motorbike to the Kachin State capital, Myitkyina. With little more than what they could carry on their backs, the family called on a relative who took them in.
Seeking the assistance of relatives is often the preferred choice for internally displaced people (IDPs) in Myanmar, a country with a strong tradition of extended family support and community solidarity. Religious affiliation often also determines how assistance is sought. Buddhists prefer to approach Buddhist charities and shelter at monasteries while Christians often receive assistance from Christian organizations and seek refuge at church compounds.
Host families and communities therefore act as crucial first responders, offering material assistance such as shelter and food as well as psychological support in the form of emotional and spiritual security.
In Nway Nway Htay’s case, her husband’s religious affiliation as a Baptist led to the family seeking assistance from the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC). The ethnic Kachin are predominantly Christian and faith-based organizations like KBC play a prominent role in supporting IDPs within Kachin State. Many facilitate the day to day running of IDP camps and mobilize resources to support new arrivals.
“We have to find them so that no one is left behind.”
“These organizations spearhead humanitarian responses and our role is to reinforce their capacity, introduce best practices and complement their interventions,” explained Cliff Alvarico, UNHCR’s Head of Office in Myitkyina. Since 2012, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has been helping KBC and other faith-based organizations optimize resources to assist displaced populations and ensure a swift response.
“We also ensure that those who stay outside of IDP camps remain on our radar and receive the same level of assistance as those inside,” he added. “Wherever they are, we have to find them so that no one is left behind.”
The focus on assisting IDPs outside of camps is particularly pertinent in Kachin State. Many existing camps in urban centres face space constraints as they already host thousands of IDPs displaced up to a decade before the recent resurgence of armed conflict. New arrivals have therefore on occasion been asked to seek temporary accommodation elsewhere.
“Restarting will not be easy.”
Though hosted by a relative, Nway Nway Htay and her family are entitled to the same level of assistance as those living in camps. UNHCR ensures this by having them registered as members of a nearby IDP camp. A coalition of humanitarian agencies provide food and other support to the population on a regular basis. For its part, UNHCR distributes domestic items such as blankets, sleeping mats and mosquito nets to new arrivals as well as the rest of the registered population.
While relieved that her immediate material needs have been taken care of, Nway Nway Htay is worried about what lies ahead. Four months after their arrival in Myitkyina, the family has been unable to return to their village due to continued insecurity. Finances remain tight as they seek alternative means to make ends meet.
“My husband has left to work at a mine. It’s not a stable job and when fighting occurs nearby, he has to stop work and flee,” she said. “Restarting will not be easy. We’ve already lost one harvest and have to wait until the rainy season ends.”
Nway Nway Htay’s focus in the meantime remains on caring for her child. “My priority is my son. I want him to be strong and healthy before we return in case we ever have to run again.”..."
Source/publisher:
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (Geneva)
Date of publication:
2021-07-23
Date of entry/update:
2021-07-23
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNHCR (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), UN System humanitarian assistance, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Armed conflict in Burma - attacks on civilians
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Description:
"The MIMU 3W gathers inputs from participating humanitarian and development agencies on Who is doing What, Where, across Myanmar. It is normally conducted every 6 months and provides information on agencies’ activities at various levels (village/village tract/township, and IDPs camps). Given the changing situation, there has been a 9 month gap since the last 3W round documenting agencies activities as of August 28th 2020.
In total, 159 agencies participated in the May 2021 3W, providing information on their humanitarian and development activities across 22 sectors and 157 sub-sectors as defined by technical/sector working groups. 3W reporting is quite comprehensive for projects of INGO, UN and Red Cross agencies, but there is under-reporting of activities for local NGOs and CBOs, since not all are participating. This indicates 54 less agencies reporting than in the last MIMU 3W in August 2020, possibly due to the pressures of the COVID pandemic and/or uncertainty re the situation for agencies’ activities countrywide. Note that Agencies must report to a sufficiently detailed level (village or camp level) for their work to be reflected fully in the MIMU 3W products.
This Overview describes projects under implementation in Kachin as of May 31, 2021. Further information on planned and recently completed projects is available from the 3W dataset, which can be requested by 3W Partners. Projects under implementation can also be viewed on our interactive dashboards - 3W Township Dashboard and 3W Village Tract Dashboard..."
Source/publisher:
Myanmar Information Management Unit
Date of publication:
2021-07-22
Date of entry/update:
2021-07-23
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Agriculture in Burma/Myanmar: general and research, COVID-19 (Coronavirus), Food Security and nutrition in Burma/Myanmar, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups.
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"HUMANITARIAN NEEDS COUNTRYWIDE: A total of 3 million people are targeted for humanitarian assistance and protection services across various parts of the country. This includes 1 million people in need in conflict-affected areas previously identified and a further 2 million people identified since 1 February.
The additional caseload of 2 million people includes families in urban and peri-urban townships in Yangon and Mandalay, which have seen dramatic increase in humanitarian needs, as well as people newly displaced in conflict-affected areas since 1 February.
An additional US$109 million is requested to address the new needs and complement the existing Humanitarian Response Plan, which seeks $276.5 million in funding.....DISPLACEMENT IN THE SOUTH-EAST: The security situation in southeastern Myanmar remains volatile, with sporadic clashes reported between the MAF and “People’s Defense Forces (PDF)” in Kayah and Mon states, marking an increase in hostilities in recent weeks.
UNHCR estimates around 170,100 people have been internally displaced in southeastern Myanmar due to violence, insecurity and clashes between the MAF, EAOs and “PDF” since 1 February.
This includes 121,400 people displaced in Kayah and neighboring townships in southern Shan since late May, a further 47,600 people displaced in Kayin with another 1,100 displaced in Mon states since 1 February.....DISPLACEMENT IN KACHIN AND SHAN: The security situation in Kachin and Shan states remains volatile, with clashes reported between the Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) or among the EAOs on a regular basis.
In Kachin, around 11,510 people have been internally displaced since the resurgence of hostilities between the MAF and the “Kachin Independence Army” in mid-March 2021. Over 7,800 of them remain displaced in eight townships.
Around 6,900 people were newly displaced due to various clashes in north and southern areas of Shan State over the course of June. In total, 22,156 people have been internally displaced across Shan State since the start of 2021; about 7,500 people remain displaced in six townships....DISPLACEMENT IN CHIN, CASUALTIES IN RAKHINE: The security situation remains volatile in Chin State with intermittent clashes between the MAF and “PDF” reported in several townships in Chin State, as well as in neighboring Pauk and Saw townships in Magway Region.
About 16,300 people are currently hosted in over 100 displacement sites in five townships in Chin State since May and in Saw Township in Magway and Kale Township in Sagaing regions since June. Meanwhile, almost 9,850 people, displaced by the MAF-Arakan Army conflict, remain in Paletwa Township, Chin State.
In Rakhine, two civilians in Ann Township sustained injuries from a landmine explosion on 10 July. According to UNICEF, 38 civilians have been killed or injured by landmines in Rakhine State in the first five months of 2021, which represents 37 per cent of the total casualties countrywide during this period..."
Source/publisher:
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (New York) via "Reliefweb" (New York)
Date of publication:
2021-07-16
Date of entry/update:
2021-07-16
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Armed conflict in Burma - attacks on civilians, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., 2021 Burma/Myanmar coup d'état
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Sub-title:
2020 IN REVIEW MYANMAR HUMANITARIAN FUND AT A GLANCE
Description:
"2020 IN REVIEW
MYANMAR HUMANITARIAN FUND AT A GLANCE
HUMANITARIAN CONTEXT
Humanitarian situation in 2020
The humanitarian situation in Myanmar remained complex over the reporting period. By the end of 2020, the active conflict in Rakhine and parts of Chin states resulted in a cumulative displacement of over 97,000 people in 194 sites. Despite an absence of largescale clashes in Kachin State since mid-2018, close to 96,000 people remained in displacement sites set up after fighting broke out in 2011, of whom roughly 40,000 were in areas controlled by non-state armed actors. The volatile security situation in northern Shan also continued to drive small-scale short-term displacement, with over 8,700 people temporarily displaced over the course of the year. In parts of Kayin State and Bago Region in the southeast, military operations generated additional internal displacement from December, with latest reports indicating up to 5,300 people displaced due the clashes. According to the 2021 Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO), by the end of 2020, more than one million people in Myanmar were in need of some form of humanitarian aid, due to armed conflict, vulnerability to natural hazards, inter-communal tensions or other factors.
COVID-19 pandemic
The outbreak of COVID-19 and subsequent control measures established by the Government created additional challenges in humanitarian settings across the country, and increased the humanitarian caseload, due to urgent humanitarian needs of returning migrants. The rapid increase in locally transmitted COVID-19 cases across the country from mid-August 2020 has further complicated an already challenging humanitarian situation, with Rakhine State emerging as a key epicenter, in addition to Yangon Region, which has seen the largest number of cases. The Government has also put in place strict measures on international and domestic travel and cumbersome processes to obtain visas and entry permits.
People in need
Some 336,000 displaced people (of whom 29 per cent are women, 20 per cent are girls and 21 per cent are boys) remain in camps or displacement sites in Kachin, northern Shan, Rakhine, southern Chin, eastern Bago and Kayin. In addition, an estimated 470,000 non-displaced stateless persons in Rakhine remain in need of various forms of humanitarian support due to significantly reduced access to livelihoods and critical services including education and healthcare caused by movement restrictions, inter-communal tensions and other factors. Other vulnerable persons are the members of host communities, other conflict-affected populations, and persons in the process of pursuing durable solutions to internal displacement.
Severity of needs
While the drivers and underlying factors triggering humanitarian needs have had an impact on all crisis-affected people to varying degrees in Kachin, northern Shan, Rakhine, southern Chin, Kayin and eastern Bago states, specific population groups and locations have been more severely affected than others and this has been factored into the needs analysis process and consequent humanitarian response.
Among the four population groups, internally displaced and stateless persons (in Rakhine) are in general experiencing the highest levels of inter-sectoral needs, with women, girls and other at-risk population groups being disproportionately affected within these categories. There is also a strong correlation between severity of need and levels of armed conflict.
Security and access constraints
The humanitarian crisis was further compounded by the insecure operating environment. A combination of access related constraints continued to impede the ability of humanitarian partners to reach people in need in a timely manner. Following global trends for the containment of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government established strict measures resulting in an extended disruption of humanitarian assistance in Rakhine State in particular. This is in addition to the pre-existing humanitarian access challenges, which remained largely in place, including due to security risks, bureaucratic impediments, blanket bans on eight townships in Rakhine over the course of the year, in addition to continued challenges with access to mobile Internet data in eight townships in Rakhine and Paletwa of Chin states..."
Source/publisher:
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (New York) via "Reliefweb" (New York)
Date of publication:
2021-07-06
Date of entry/update:
2021-07-11
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., The discussion on humanitarian assistance to Burma, Armed conflict in Burma - attacks on civilians
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3 MB (Reduce version) - 62 pages
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Sub-title:
The role of transnational activism in promoting political reform
Description:
"Introduction: On a remote stretch of the Salween River, between the proposed Dar Gwin and
Wei Gyi hydropower dam sites and where it forms the border between Thailand
and Myanmar (Burma), 1 sits the Ei Tu Hta camp for ethnic Karen internally displaced peoples (IDPs) in Karen National Union (KNU) controlled Myanmar.
The family of Hsiplopo, the leader of this camp, live three hours walk away but
he is unable to visit them because the tatmadaw, the Myanmar military with
which the KNU has been engaged in the world's longest running civil war, have
camps that are only two hours walk away. The camp is also built on steep hillsides, denuding the forest cover in the limited area available, and is unable to
grow its own rice, relying instead on regular donations from the UN and other
NGOs shipped upriver by longtail boat. 2 This type of human and environmental
insecurity colours the daily existence of both the Karen people in this camp and
many other ethnic minorities in Myanmar. Nevertheless, despite these conditions, Hsiplopo's commitment to a campaign against the proposed nearby
dams is resolute: 'We don't want dams ... the military cannot build the dams
because the KNU will not let them while the people do not want them.' 3
This stance reflects the opposition to the dams of many environmental activists and groups who inhabit the nebulous and dangerous borderlands regions of
eastern Myanmar. It also represents a form of activated citizenship although the
concept of citizenship for ethnic minorities in Myanmar is itself problematic as
their relationship to the Myanmar state is often little more than one of oppression
and conflict. Despite the civil conflict in these areas, and perhaps because of it,
these activists often operate beyond the remit of the tatmadaw undertaking perilous work with the KNU to promote human and environmental security for ethnic
minorities. As an activist from the Karen Environmental and Social Action
Network (KESAN) explains: 'KESAN's programs are in the KNU area [in
Myanmar] so we have a close relationship with the KNU leaders. '
4 It can be
difficult for environmental activists in the North, for whom this precarious existence is entirely foreign, to fully comprehend the existential struggle that
dictates much environmental activism in the South, particularly under authoritarian regimes such as that of Myanmar, which has been dominated by the military since 1962. As a result, many Northern environment movements, and the
American environment movement in particular, have been historically apolitical
with the issues of 'human health, shelter, and food security' traditionally absent
from their agendas (Doyle 2005, 26).
This lack of political analysis on the issues of central importance to survival
in the South and the movements they spawn is also reflected within many academic writings on environmental politics. Despite an increased focus on the
environment in the last two decades, most approaches to environmental politics
still examine predominantly ecological issues or regulatory regimes and focus
particularly on the affluent states of the North (Howes 2005; Kutting 2000;
Paehlke and Torgerson 2005). Although there has been increased attention on
environmental movements in recent years, much of the material also focuses primarily on movements within the North (Carter 2007; Doherty 2002; Doyle 2000;
Dryzek et al. 2003; Gottlieb 2005; Hutton and Connors 1999; Rootes 2007;
Sandler and Pezzullo 2007; Shabecoff 1993). There has been some analysis of
environn1ent movements in the South (Doherty 2006; Doherty and Doyle 2006;
Doyle 2005; Duffy 2006; Dwivedi 1997, 2001 ), and various studies of transnational activism more generally ( della P01ta et al. 2006; Eschle and Maiguashca
2005; Keck and Sikkink 1998; Reitan 2007; Routledge et al. 2006; Rupert 2000),
but only limited studies on how authoritarianism in the South specifically
impacts on enviromnental activism (Doyle and Simpson 2006) or policy (Fredriksson and Wollscheid 2007). There are numerous studies that examine civil
society under authoritarianism more broadly but these tend to focus on more traditional and formalised civil society organisations (Jamal 2007; Liverani 2008;
Sater 2007). This chapter adds to this literature by delving more deeply into
enviromnental politics under the military in Myanmar and examines the transnational campaigns against several proposed hydroelectric dams on the Salween
River in eastern Myanmar. As transnational projects these dams are being undertaken by governments and transnational corporations (TNCs) but, as with most
large energy projects in Myamnar, they are designed to export most of their electricity to either Thailand or China.
Despite national elections in November 2010 that returned Myanmar to nominally civilian rule the 2008 constitution, on which the elections were based, provides for a continuing central role for the military in the country's governance
(Holliday 2008). Although the election process was flawed, fraudulent and
tightly controlled, with many generals from the former military regime, the State
Peace and Development Council (SPDC),
5 merely stepping out of their uniforms
to take up senior positions in the new government, there is little doubt that incremental change towards civilian rule is occurring and the potential for political
discourse in Myamnar may well in1prove over time. While many exiled or
human rights groups rightly point out that civil conflict and human rights abuses,
particularly in the eastern border regions, continue,6 some analysts, such as the former International Labour Organization (ILO) Liaison Officer in Myanmar,
Richard Horsey, are more optimistic about the 'new level of scrutiny' (Horsey
2011, 4) that has accompanied the new parliament. The current Liaison Officer,
Steve Marshall, who is possibly more intimately involved with the new government than any other W estemer likewise argues that 'there is no doubt that the
political landscape has changed' .
7
This top down political change has accompanied a less visible but nonetheless significant increase in domestic civil society activism in recent years and
particularly since Cyclone Nargis in 2008 (Sabandar 2010; South 2004). The
main beneficiaries of this opening have been humanitarian NGOs that have
focused on emergency relief to natural disasters such as Nargis and Cyclone Giri
in 2010,
8 but there has also been increased activity by environmental groups and
NGOs. These groups, as with all those actors who wish to avoid sanction or
imprisonment in Myanmar, engage in a certain amount of self-censorship to
avoid overtly political critiques of the government but there is increasing space
available for pursuing third sector environmental governance. This increased
domestic activism has improved the prospects of collaboration between domestic
and exiled groups with prominent domestic environmentalists running trainings
on the border or in Thailand for exiled groups such as KESAN. 9 Regardless of
recent changes, however, after five decades of authoritarian rule the local environmental movement remains embtyonic with significant limitations in experience and expertise. It has, therefore, been the transnational environment
movement occupying Myanmar's borderlands that has provided the most fertile
and important outlet for environmental activism and governance of large-scale
hydropower projects in Myanmar. 10
This case study therefore suggests that, whereas hybrid regimes offer
domestic spaces for political competition and therefore foster domestic civil
society (Diamond 2002; Jayasuriya and Rodan 2007; Levitsky and Way 2002),
traditional authoritarian regimes such as that which has afflicted Myanmar are
more likely to create an activist diaspora, a dynamic transnational community of
expatriates who engage in environmental activism in borderland regions or
neighbouring countries. As this case study demonstrates, an activist diaspora
tends to transcend ethnic divisions and therefore provides a multi-ethnic cohesion which is often absent from the broader exile community. As 'divide and
conquer' has been one of the tatmadaw's main strategies in neutralising opposition by ethnic minorities, Myanmar's activist diaspora may contribute to more
potent domestic social movements that promote democracy, human rights and
environmental security in Myanmar..."
Source/publisher:
Adam Simpson
Date of publication:
2013-00-00
Date of entry/update:
2021-07-05
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Assessment of hydropower projects in Burma/Myanmar, Dams and other projects on rivers in Burma/Myanmar (countrywide), Several Groups, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Politics, Government and Governance - Burma/Myanmar - general studies
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Description:
"22,000 Estimated refugee movements to neighbouring countries since 1 February 2021
980,000 Refugees and asylum-seekers from Myanmar in neighbouring countries as of 31 December 2020
211,000 Estimated total internal displacement within Myanmar since 1 February 2021
370,000 Estimated internally displaced persons (IDPs) within Myanmar as of 31 December 2020
HIGHLIGHTS
Approximately 211,000 people have now been displaced internally in Myanmar since 1 February 2021, a more than 20% increase since one month ago. This includes 176,900 IDPs in Southeast Myanmar and Shan (South). Although recent weeks have seen a decrease in violence in some parts of the country, such as Kachin State and Chin State, the security situation remains volatile, with continued armed clashes, rocket fire, shelling, raids and new military deployments, particularly in southeast Myanmar.
Ceasefires between the Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) and local defence groups in Kayah State and Chin State have allowed some IDPs to return to their homes, but many remain hiding in forest areas and are in dire need of shelter, sleeping mats and medical supplies. Heavy monsoon rains in June have heightened these needs, while the recent increase in COVID-19 transmission—and resulting travel restrictions—has further hampered already limited humanitarian access. Despite the continuing violence in Myanmar, no significant movements of refugees have been reported to neighbouring countries in the last two weeks..."
Source/publisher:
UN High Commissioner for Refugees (Geneva) via Reliefweb (New York)
Date of publication:
2021-07-01
Date of entry/update:
2021-07-04
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNHCR (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Human Rights and international relations, Public Health
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7.42 MB
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"CONTENTS: 2 Trials for NLD leaders
2 NUG and CRPH
5 COVID-19 surge
5 Conflict and displacement
6 Ceasefires
6 Displacement
7 Fighting by region
9 Protests and violent crackdowns
12 Resistance bites
12 Women continue to lead, and to
suffer disproportionately
13 International reactions, sanctions
15 ASEAN engagement
15 ASEAN-China meeting
17 UN General Assembly
17 G7 Summit
17 Effects on foreign business
18 Foreign links identified
18 Economy continues to sink
19 Junta continues to enrich itself.....Junta seeks to bolster coup narrative: Since April, the junta has published at least three
propaganda books that omitted its killing of over 800
pro-democracy protesters. The books focused on the
myth that the military had to take over due to
widespread electoral fraud by the NLD in the 2020
elections. According to the books’ prefaces: “Although
Myanmar’s democracy foundation shaped by the
Tatmadaw since 1988 is making certain progress, the
democratic journey is delayed by voter-list errors and
poor transparency in the 2020 election and the failure
to handle the Tatmadaw’s statements on the election.”
On 10 June, the Ministry of Information reported that
the junta’s Union Election Commission had found
evidence of electoral fraud by the NLD after examining
the voter lists and voting conditions in 49 townships in
Shan State. It declared that NLD candidates violated
the Hluttaw Election Law, as well as COVID-19
prevention and control guidelines during the campaign
and on polling day. The Commission added that the
NLD had “arranged to seize power in advance”, and
concluded that the election was not free and fair. This
was one in a months-long series of examinations by
location since February.
During the ASEAN-Russian Federation Summit on
Security on 28 June, junta representative Lt-Gen Yar
Pyae said that electoral fraud by the NLD had led to a
loss of trust in democracy and the election system. He
claimed that the Tatmadaw had no choice but to take
power to maintain stability. Yar Pyae also accused the
NLD of banning “the rights of democracy, including
media freedom” during its first term in office, and
blamed the kyat’s drop in value and increased
commodity prices on their “wrong” economic policies.
Irrawaddy (24 Jun 2021) Myanmar Junta Propaganda Books
Hope to Rewrite History; SAC (10 Jun 2021) Announcement
of Union Election Commission; SAC (29 Jun 2021) Union
Minister Lt-Gen Yar Pyae joins virtual ASEAN-Russian
Federation Summit on Security Affairs.....Junta’s “perfect information”: In light of widespread condemnation by independent
media, the NUG, and foreign governments, the junta
sought to dispute the facts about its military actions.
On 7 June, it denied that its troops initiated a 5 June
shootout with villagers armed with homemade guns
in Kyonpyaw Township (Ayeyarwady Region). This
contradicted news reports that the Tatmadaw fired
first. The junta also alleged that three villagers were
killed, compared to 20 in other sources.
On 19 June, it criticized CNN and Reuters for their
“wrong news without media ethics” after they
reported, on 17 June, that junta forces had burned
down 80% of homes in Kinma Village, Pauk
Township (Magway Region). It alleged that a local
PDF and insurgents from Chin State set fire to the
house of a USDP member during a clash with
security forces on June 15, leading to more fires.
Also on 19 June, it published a press release on the
incident, accusing the CRPH, NUG, PDF, extremist
NLD members and followers of spreading rumours
on social networks to cause instability. On 20 June,
it alleged that the PDF had deliberately set fire to
Kinma to raise funds through Facebook donations,
tarnish the image of the government, and draw
international condemnation.
On 21 June, the (reconstituted) Myanmar Press
Council released a statement that unlicensed local
media outlets, international news agencies, and
foreign embassies had spread fake news regarding
the events in Kinma to help international
organizations interfere with the country’s internal
affairs. It said it would not be responsible for further
disputes that occur if media workers contact and
provide information to news outlets whose licenses
were revoked by the junta. The next day, the junta
said official news media had already provided “the
perfect information” and urged news agencies to
follow international media ethics.
SAC (7 Jun 2021) Exaggeration of media on attack in
Ayeyawady Region; Myanmar Now (5 Jun 2021) Junta
troops kill three civilians in shootout over arrest of local
villager; Guardian (6 Jun 2021) Myanmar junta forces
reportedly kill 20 civilians in fresh clashes; SAC (19 Jun
2021) CNN, Reuters news agencies presenting news
without media ethics need to post correct news; SAC (19
Jun 2021) Public information released not to believe fake
and false news on social networks; SAC (20 Jun 2021)
Statement strongly condemns media outlets and
organizations spreading false information on Kinma fire
case; SAC (22 Jun 2021) Media council releases
statement urging to follow journalism ethics; SAC (26 Jun
2021) Myanmar Press Council – Announcement 5/2021.....Latest information control measure: whitelists: In June, internet providers in Burma confirmed that
the junta plans to allow access only to approved
(“whitelisted”) websites/platforms, whereas before
the internet was open except for blacklisted sites.
From February, the junta instructed internet
providers to ban platforms like Facebook and
Twitter, and continued to add other websites, often
via twice-weekly directives. A senior official at
Burma telecommunications company MPT said the
junta gave the company hundreds of thousands of
IP addresses to blacklist, including news websites.
For nearly 50 days, there were only around 500,000
internet connections in a country of 54
million. Website/platform bans and internet
blackouts disrupted even the most basic functions of
the banking, education, transportation, and
healthcare sectors.
The junta restored access to the internet over mobile
data in May. Popular websites and platforms like
Facebook and Twitter remain inaccessible without a
VPN, but some mobile banking applications became
usable again. An IT professional said that while the
junta could not ban some Cloudflare VPNs, most
VPNs could be shut down as whitelisting begins.
All internet users in Burma will likely eventually be
affected by whitelisting, but so far the whitelist only
seems to be affecting mobile internet. The ministry
has sent its lists of over 1,000 websites and
applications to be whitelisted, and mandated that
mobile operators and internet service providers
follow the whitelist plan.
MPT was also recently required to begin monitoring
calls and the most frequently visited websites.
Senior official said they could not view emails and
chats, but were monitoring the highest traffic
websites from local IP addresses.
Frontier Myanmar (30 Jun 2021) Whitelisted internet
takes Myanmar back to a ‘dark age’..."
Source/publisher:
Altsean Burma, Burma Human Rights Network, Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK, Initiatives for International Dialogue, International Federation for Human Rights, Progressive Voice, US Campaign for Burma, and Women Peace Network
Date of publication:
2021-07-01
Date of entry/update:
2021-07-03
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Various rights: reports of violations against several ethnic groups, Human Rights and international relations, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., ASEAN-Burma relations, 2021 Burma/Myanmar coup d'état, National Unity Government (NUG), Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH)
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A new brand of militant is throwing bombs, torching targets and killing junta officials in the name of restoring democracy
Description:
"Five months after the military coup in Myanmar, resistance to the anti-democratic takeover is evolving and intensifying.
In the old capital Yangon, groups of mostly young people appear for brief moments in the streets, shouting slogans and flashing the three-finger salute, the symbol of the pro-democratic struggle. They then disperse as quickly as they had appeared to avoid arrest.
Upcountry, people are also showing their anger at Senior General Min Aung Hlaing’s power grab, with most protests taking place in Mandalay, Sagaing and Tanintharyi Regions. Demonstrators from across the country have expressed solidarity with each other.
When clashes occurred between protesters and security forces in urban areas in Mandalay in early June, people in Yangon staged a demonstration chanting “Stay strong Mandalay, we, Yangon will be with you.”
More militant elements have taken to throwing low-grade bombs and grenades at government buildings on a near-daily basis, while police, suspected military informants and leading members of the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party are being targeted for assassination.
Moreover, a loose alliance of local resistance forces known as the People’s Defense Force (PDF) was formed in May in response to the coup. Officially, it is the armed wing of the National Unity Government (NUG), which is made up of MPs who were deposed in the February 1 coup and other anti-junta activists.
The evident aim is to topple Min Aung Hlaing’s government by military means.
Judging from what happened in February, when millions of people in virtually every city, town and major village across the country marched against the coup, it is plausible to assume the NUG and PDF may have widespread popular support and getting recruits would not be a major problem.
But more than that will be needed in order to wage a successful armed struggle. The first would be access to weapons, then fall-back areas and, preferable, safe havens across the borders of a neighboring nation from where supplies could be sent to forces inside the country. It will also need money to sustain its activities.
On the surface, the PDF doesn’t appear to have any of the above.
According to a May 23 Myanmar-language NUG announcement, the PDF is made up of five divisions, each having at least three brigades. Each brigade consists of five battalions which, in turn, are divided into four companies, the announcement said.
That sounds like a formidable military force but, in reality, it’s so far only on paper. Groups of urban dissidents have taken refuge in areas controlled by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the Karen National Union (KNU) ethnic armed organizations.
Reports from inside sources indicate that the urban guerrilla warfare that Myanmar is now experiencing is an outcome of that alliance. Indeed, the well-planned attacks have been daring and dramatic.
On June 18, for instance, an army truck with regime soldiers on board was blown up in Yangon’s Tamwe township. The Irrawaddy cited witnesses who said they saw soldiers on board the truck, which was parked outside an office of the USDP. The blast also occurred within walking distance of the township’s police station, the Irrawaddy reported.
Both the KIA and elements of the KNU, which disagree with their leaders’ signing of an earlier, ineffectual Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), have since the coup also carried out widespread attacks in their areas of operation. The KIA in particular has hit Tatmadaw targets all over Kachin state.
But elsewhere in Myanmar, armed resistance appears to have been launched by local groups which may or may not have any links to the NUG and the PDF. That is especially true in now restive Chin and Kayah states, parts of the country that have not seen any large-scale insurgency for decades.
The PDF’s prospects look initially bleak. Decades of experience show that neither side in Myanmar’s many, mainly ethnicity-based civil wars can win solely by military means.
The Myanmar military, known as the Tatmadaw, has been unable to defeat the rebels and none of the ethnic armed groups has had enough strength to force any central government to agree to their demands for self-rule or autonomy.
The International Crisis Group sums it up as such in a June 28 report on Myanmar’s new emerging armed struggle:
“The resistance has taken on an increasingly revolutionary character, with most dissidents no longer aiming for restoration of the status quo ante, but for the Tatmadaw’s disbandment and its replacement by a new armed force that is not dominated by the Burman ethnic majority.”
That, the ICG concludes, would require the “Tatmadaw’s defeat or capitulation” – a remote possibility in today’s Myanmar.
The most recent attempt at finding an alternative, political solution to the civil wars was made by Thein Sein, a former Tatmadaw general, shortly after his appointment as president in 2011.
Talks between his government, the Tatmadaw and a variety of ethnic armed groups were held and resulted in eight of them signing the NCA in October 2015.
The problem, however, was that only two of those groups — the KNU and the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) — had any armed forces to be reckoned with. The rest were tiny, largely irrelevant groups whose signatures were required to solidity the credibility of the NCA.
None of the major groups, among them the KIA, the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, the Arakan Army or the United Wa State Army (UWSA) which, along with their respective allies, represent more than 80% of all armed rebels in the country.
The PDF will add to the Tatmadaw’s troubles. Unable to identify the new rebels, who unlike other ethnic insurgents are not dressed in uniforms with insignia showing the name of their army and their ranks, the Tatmadaw has resorted to firing indiscriminately into villages, causing widespread destruction of civilian homes and properties.
As a result, an estimated 230,000 people have been displaced in Myanmar because of violence, fights and insecurity, according to a June 24 statement by Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.
Myanmar’s “new rebels”, with or without collaboration with older, ethnic armies, may be able to inflict heavy casualties on the Tatmadaw. But even the older armies are facing similar problems as the new ones.
In the past, Thailand’s grey weapons market was a treasure trove for any group looking for weapons, but, as relations between the Thai military and Tatmadaw have improved, that is no longer the case.
Informed sources say they are struggling to keep even their own soldiers with guns and sufficient ammunition. And Myanmar’s largest and best-equipped ethnic armed group, the UWSA, has shown no interest in arming or even sheltering urban dissidents and other pro-democracy activists.
That could be explained in the context of the UWSA’s close relationship with China’s security services on the other side of the border. While democratic countries all over the world have condemned the coup, China, along with Russia, have come out in support of Min Aung Hlaing’s junta.
The future for Myanmar thus looks bleak, with only a split within the Tatmadaw likely able to bring about fundamental change. But there are no signs yet of that happening as Myanmar’s resistance shifts from peaceful protests to more violent means.
The most the “new rebels”, alone or together with ethnic allies, may be able to achieve would be to disrupt its efforts to consolidate its grip on the country. In other words, Myanmar is back to square one in the history of its decades-long civil wars where neither side can win.
That can only mean more suffering for the people with villages being torched and civilians killed — and refugees gathering in the jungles and mountains or trying to escape to neighboring countries. Myanmar will remain a source of instability in an otherwise relatively prosperous part of the world..."
Source/publisher:
"Asia Times" (Hong Kong)
Date of publication:
2021-06-28
Date of entry/update:
2021-06-28
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Politics, Government and Governance - Burma/Myanmar - general studies, National Unity Government (NUG), Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Armed conflict and peace-building in Burma - theoretical, strategic and general, 2021 Burma/Myanmar coup d'état
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Description:
"The protests continued for the 10th week that protesters have used different methods to express their resistance towards the military coup such as “bleeding dye strike”, “marching shoes strike”, “flash strike” while the internet shutdown also continued at night time and all the wireless and broadband services were shut down since last week throughout the country.
In Bago region, more than 80 protesters have been killed by the junta with use of heavy weapons on 9 April and the residents in Bago also fled their homes following the attacks. On the other hand, 19 people have been sentenced to death at courts under the martial law declared by the junta.
There are a high number of Myanmar people displaced from their villages to ethnic army areas and Thai-Myanmar border. Currently, there are shortages of basic necessities, food, shelter, medicine in the displaced persons communities.
UN’s special envoy for Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener has arrived in Thailand to start a tour in Asian countries to step up diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis in Myanmar. However, it was reported that Myanmar's military has turned down her request to visit Myanmar.
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners 706 people have been killed by the junta as of 11 April and 3059 people are currently under detention, 64 are sentenced and 657 arrest warrants have been issued targeting pro-democracy activists, political party leaders, government officials, celebrities and social media influencers..."
Source/publisher:
Asian Network for Free Elections (Bangkok)
Date of publication:
2021-04-12
Date of entry/update:
2021-06-27
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Anti-coup protesters, Political prisoners and other violations in Burma - reports, Human Rights and international relations, Right to Life: reports of violations in Burma, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., The discussion on humanitarian assistance to Burma, 2021 Burma/Myanmar coup d'état
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"One hundred days after the coup, the junta has pushed the region’s fastest-growing economy into an economic and humanitarian disaster. The World Bank forecast shows that Myanmar's economy is expected to contract by 10% in 2021, a sharp difference from the previous prediction of 5.9% growth in October 2020. There is a possible banking crisis which leads to cash shortages, limited access to social welfare payments and international remittances. Last week, Myanmar Kyat hit one of its lowest compared to the USD.
The World Food Program also estimates that up to 3.4 million more people, particularly those in urban areas, will face hunger during the next six months. Price rises, hurting the poor and causing shortages of some essentials, including the costs of fuel and medicine.
The junta called to reopen colleges, universities and schools soon but many students and educators are boycotting. As a result, around 13,000 staff had been suspended by May 8. The junta also announced job vacancies for educational positions to replace striking staff.
Across Myanmar, the ordinary citizens have taken up any weapons available from air guns to traditional firearms and homemade bombs and arms have spread in Chin state, Sagaing, Magwe and Mandalay regions. Mindat township in Chin State reported more intensified fights between the civil resistance groups and the Myanmar military while clashes were reported in Myingyan township, Mandalay region and Tamu township, Sagaing region.
According to our information, at least 43 bomb blasts happened across Myanmar in the past week and many of them were in Yangon’s townships. It was reported that two people died and at least 21 people were injured.
Media reported the junta continued to conduct air strikes across the villages in Kachin, Kayin, and Shan states, leading to thousands of people fleeing their villages. The Ethnic Health Organizations (EHOs) called on the international community to provide direct support to the ethnic areas as international aid sent through central Myanmar was unable to reach EHOs. The media also reported that the IDPs in Momauk township, Kachin State are in desperate need for emergency support.
CSOs based in Thai-Myanmar border called authorities to consider measures for refugees on humanitarian principles and make an effort to monitor, assess the situation closely while consistently upholding both national security and humanitarian principles. They also urge Thai authorities to assess the situation comprehensively based on correct information and reliable sources.
A DVB reporter, Min Nyo was sentenced by a military court to three years in prison for his reporting. Three reporters from Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) and two activists from Myanmar have been arrested in Thailand for illegal entry and face possible deportation. CSOs and foreign correspondents in Thailand urged the Thai authorities not to deport them back to Myanmar.
Thai prime minister and Foreign Minister met with the UN special envoy on Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener to discuss the situation in Myanmar. The PM said he will not force those fleeing violence back to Myanmar. The National Unity Government also called for foreign countries to introduce and expand sanctions against the overseas relatives of Myanmar’s military council members.
As of May 16, a total of 3,998 people are currently under detention and among 92 are sentenced. 1,679 have been issued arrest warrants. Twenty were sentenced to death and 14 to three years imprisonment.
UEC member U Khin Maung Oo informed that there will be a coordination meeting with all the 91 political parties on 21 May and the main topic to discuss is about the use of the PR system. After the coup, the junta appointed UEC requested political parties to send the proposals on the PR system and some of the major parties such as NLD and SNLD rejected the proposal.
World religious leaders are giving special attention to Myanmar, Pope Francis offered a special mass for the people of Myanmar on Sunday, 16 May 2021..."
Source/publisher:
Asian Network for Free Elections (Bangkok)
Date of publication:
2021-05-18
Date of entry/update:
2021-06-27
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Burma/Myanmar's relationship with the Global Economy, WFP (World Food Programme), Human Rights and international relations, National Unity Government (NUG), Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Humanitarian assistance - emergencies, 2021 Burma/Myanmar coup d'état
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"The protests continued for the 12th week across the country despite the brutal crackdown. After a weeks-long absence, protesters returned to the streets in downtown Yangon ahead of the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting. The media also reported that more than 110 people, many of them student activists and youth protesters, were abducted by the junta. Some of the protest leaders’ houses were raided while some of them fled to avoid the arrests.
The ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting was held on 24 April in Jakarta, Indonesia and was represented by junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing despite strong objection from the people of Myanmar and both local and international CSOs. The calls to invite the National Unity Government (NUG) to the meeting in order to address the issue of Myanmar were not fulfilled. The meeting ended with the issue of a “Five Points of Consensus”, which was criticised for not including the call for the release of political detainees in Myanmar. Deadly crackdowns on the protesters and the attacks on ethnic communities by the junta continued even during the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting.
The World Bank forecast the Myanmar economy will decline by 10 percent this year due to the impact of the military coup. Around 200,000 workers in the garment industry have lost their jobs and nearly a third of the garment industry jobs have been wiped out with many other industries. The World Food Program (WFP) analysis also shows up to 3.4 million or more people will struggle to afford food in coming months with urban areas worst affected as job losses mount in manufacturing, construction and services and food prices are in rise.
As air raids and the continuing fights between the Myanmar military led thousands of people to cross the border to Thailand and India. The humanitarian organizations also stressed the importance of unfettered access to everyone fleeing Myanmar to provide lifesaving aid and other services, including healthcare, food and water.
There are nearly 250,000 displaced persons inside Myanmar or neighbouring countries like Thailand, India. However, there is no proper humanitarian assistance for these victims and it was discussed in many CSOs forums for immediate actions, specially from the Thai government, UN and other international relief groups.
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners figures show that as of 25 April, 751 people are confirmed killed by this junta. 3,431 are currently under detention while 79 are sentenced. 1,159 arrest warrants have been issued. 20 were sentenced to death and 14 to three years imprisonment..."
Source/publisher:
Asian Network for Free Elections (Bangkok)
Date of publication:
2021-06-26
Date of entry/update:
2021-06-27
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
ASEAN-Burma relations, Human Rights and international relations, Freedom of Movement, violations of in Burma/Myanmar, Right to Life: reports of violations in Burma, The discussion on humanitarian assistance to Burma, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., National Unity Government (NUG), 2021 Burma/Myanmar coup d'état
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"An estimated 230,000 people have been displaced by fighting in Myanmar and need assistance, the United Nations said on Thursday, as a major armed ethnic group expressed concern about military force, civilian deaths and a widening of the conflict.
Myanmar has been in crisis since a Feb. 1 coup ousted an elected government, prompting nationwide anger that has led to protests, killings and bombings, and battles on several fronts between troops and newly formed civilian armies.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said relief operations were ongoing but were being hindered by armed clashes, violence and insecurity in the country.
It said 177,000 people were displaced in Karen state bordering Thailand, 103,000 in the past month, while more than 20,000 people were sheltering at 100 displacement areas after fighting between People's Defence Forces and the army in Chin State bordering India.
Several thousand people had fled fighting in northern Kachin and Shan States, regions with established ethnic minority armies with a long history of hostilities with the military.
The Karen National Union (KNU), one of Myanmar's oldest ethnic minority groups, said it was worried about the military's excessive use of force and the loss of innocent civilian lives as fighting intensifies all over the country.
"The KNU will continue to fight against military dictatorship and provide as much protection as possible to people and unarmed civilians," it said in a statement.
The military says it seized power to protect democracy because its complaints of fraud in a November election won by Aung San Suu Kyi's ruling party were ignored.....PROTESTS: Anti-junta protests took place in Kachin State, Dawei, Sagaing Region and the commercial capital Yangon on Thursday, with demonstrators carrying banners and making three-finger gestures of defiance.
Some showed support for those resisting military rule in Mandalay, the second-biggest city, where a firefight took place between the army and a newly formed guerrilla group on Tuesday, the first sign of armed clashes in a major urban centre since the coup.
The military-owned Myawaddy Television said four members of the militia were arrested on Thursday, describing them as "terrorists".
At least 877 people have been killed by security forces and more than 6,000 arrested since the coup, according to the Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), an advocacy group which the junta has declared an illegal organisation.
A diplomatic effort by Southeast Asian countries to halt the violence and initiate dialogue between all sides has stalled and the generals say they will stick to their plan of restoring order and holding elections in two years.
In its nightly news bulletin, state-run MRTV reported on the visit of junta leader Min Aung Hlaing to Russia, where a military university named him an honorary professor.
Unlike most global powers, Russia has embraced the junta and the country has long been a key source of Myanmar's weaponry. His visit comes amid international pressure on countries not to sell arms to the military or do business with its vast network of companies.
State media on Thursday carried excerpts from a speech in Russia by Min Aung Hlaing in which he said it was necessary for countries to avoid encroaching on another country's sovereignty.
"Myanmar is striving for restoring political peace and stability," it quoted him saying. "The current government is focusing on the reappearance of honesty over democracy."..."
Source/publisher:
"Reuters" (UK)
Date of publication:
2021-06-24
Date of entry/update:
2021-06-25
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Armed conflict in Burma - attacks on civilians, Human Rights and international relations, 2021 Burma/Myanmar coup d'état
Language:
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Description:
"• An estimated 177,500 people have been displaced in southeastern parts of Myanmar due to violence, armed clashes and insecurity since 1 February. This includes around 103,500 people displaced in Kayah State following an escalation of clashes since 21 May.
• In Chin State, clashes between the Chinland Defence Forces (CDF) and Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) continued across a number of townships until early June and more than 20,000 people are currently hosted in over 100 displacement sites in five townships in Chin State, one in Magway and another in Sagaing regions.
• In Kachin State, the displacement of 2,000 people has been verified in two townships. A total of 11,650 people have been internally displaced across Kachin since mid-March 2021; more than 10,200 of them remain displaced to date.
• Armed clashes were reported for the first time in Kyethi and Mongkaing townships in southern areas of Shan State in 2021, leading to the displacement of an estimated 1,660 people in June. Since the start of 2021, around 17,730 people have been internally displaced across 14 townships in north and southern parts of Shan State.
• The security situation across Rakhine remains relatively calm and despite a lull in hostilities since November 2020, thousands of displaced people who remain in camps and sites are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance and protection services.
• The Myanmar Humanitarian Fund (MHF) First Standard Allocation will disburse US$12.1 million ($1.8 million increase from the initial strategy) to enable partners to strengthen the response in line with the 2021 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP). The allocation will also target additional life-saving activities to address the emerging humanitarian needs in other areas. The HRP, which seeks US$276.5 million remains only 21 per cent funded..."
Source/publisher:
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (New York) via "Reliefweb" (New York)
Date of publication:
2021-06-24
Date of entry/update:
2021-06-24
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Education in Burma/Myanmar - general, Public Health, Food Security and nutrition in Burma/Myanmar, The discussion on humanitarian assistance to Burma, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups.
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"Myanmar’s ousted State Councilor, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi faced her second in-person court hearing on 7 June in Naypyitaw that court announced the charges filed against her will finish within 180 days. Media also reported on Thursday the junta charged her under the anti-corruption law, bringing to seven the number of legal cases brought against her since the military coup on 1 February, 2021.
UNDP estimates that the poverty level is increasing rapidly which is 48.2% at present, and assumes reasons were COVID19 pandemic and the military takeover. This was not seen since 2005. Almost a quarter of all factories in the Japan-backed Thilawa Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Yangon have suspended operations amid post-coup turmoil.
The protests continued in different parts of Myanmar despite the brutal crackdown by the military junta and the unsettled situation continued even in the fifth month after the coup. The clashes between military and the civilian resistance forces and ethnic armed organizations also emerged in several places in Myanmar, such as in Kachin, Kayah, Karen, Chin, Bago, Magway, Shan, Mandalay, Sagaing and Yangon States/Regions.
Three Indian states including Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland are currently sheltering around 16,000 people from Myanmar, civil society groups and government officials estimate, with the number expected to rise in coming months as the situation in Chin state has not improved over the last couple of months.
Five DVB journalists who were charged and convicted for illegal entry to Thailand were reported to have arrived in a “third country” to seek asylum.
There were intense fighting reported in Demoso, Loikaw and Hpruso townships during this week. The Junta has carried out airstrikes on civilian resistance fighters and used artillery on civilian areas. It has also brought hundreds of reinforcements into Kayah State. The Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), which is over 60 years old, is backing the civilian resistance of the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF) and People’s Defense Force (PDF). According to Progressive Karenni People Force (PKPF), 50 civilians were killed from March 19 to June 11 in Kayah State following the coup
According to the aid groups, more than a quarter of a million civilians in seven regions of Myanmar have been displaced by clashes between the military and militias or fighting between ethnic armies. IDPs in Kayah and Chin States are in shortage of food supplies and medicines as the junta blocked all the routes to Kayah and Mindat of Chin State, destroying supplies of rice and medicine intended for IDPs.
The United Nations calls on the security forces in Myanmar to allow safe passage of humanitarian supplies and personnel and to facilitate the direct provision of relief assistance by the UN and its partners to all those in need in Kayah, as well as other states and regions across the country where there are urgent humanitarian needs while the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet stated this week that credible reports indicate that security forces have used civilians as human shields, shelled civilian homes and churches in Loikaw, Phekon and Demoso in Kayah state and blocked humanitarian access.
According to the information compiled by ANFREL, at least 37 bomb blasts happened across Myanmar in the past week. It was reported that at least 9 people were injured.
The most high-profile interaction between the Myanmar military and China took place this week during talks in Chongqing, China between Southeast Asian foreign ministers and China. Junta’s appointed foreign affairs point person Wunna Maung Lwin attended the meeting involving the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and also the meeting with the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation group, the body that China and the five Southeast Asian countries part of co-chaired by China and Myanmar.
Following the G8 Summit last week, the Myanmar community across the world has increased the number of protests in different parts of the world calling from the world leaders for their support to fight against the military junta that staged the coup on 1 February. Around 400 Myanmar people who live in the UK joined a protest against the Myanmar coup in Cornwall where the G7 summit is being held and some more were held in USA, Italy, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Belgium, Australia, Netherland, Canada, Finland, Norway, Ireland and Czech Republic on 12th and 13th of June. The Burma Spring Benefit Film Festival, which features more than 30 films from or about Myanmar, will run until June 20 aiming to draw attention to Myanmar’s political crisis while raising money for groups inside the country striving to restore democracy and alleviate hardship.
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), as of 13 June, 863 people were killed by the junta. 4,863 people are currently under detention and 178 are sentenced. 1,936 warrants have been issued. 31 were sentenced to death, 14 people to three years, 39 people to 20 years, 5 people to 7 years imprisonment. There were at least 21 deaths after bodies were returned to families bearing the marks of torture, although the exact number is unknown. Among them were active members of the National League for Democracy (NLD), election officials, pro-democracy activists and young people..."
Source/publisher:
Asian Network for Free Elections (Bangkok)
Date of publication:
2021-06-14
Date of entry/update:
2021-06-23
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Human Rights and international relations, Political prisoners and other violations in Burma - reports, Right to Life: reports of violations in Burma, UNDP - Burma/Myanmar, Other Special Economic Zones, Armed conflict in Burma - attacks on civilians, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Anti-coup protesters, 2021 Burma/Myanmar coup d'état
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"Nearly five months after the coup, the junta has begun the trial of the leaders of NLD. Ousted State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi appeared in a special court in Naypyitaw on 14 June to hear three cases for possession of illegally imported walkie-talkies, violations of the Telecommunications Law and Natural Disaster Management Law.
Furthermore, the junta has charged Ye Min Oo, a former Naypyitaw Mayor with article 409 of Penal Code (criminal breach of trust by a public servant) and violation of the Anti-Corruption law as he allegedly misused his power to allow the “La Yaung Taw” project of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi under Daw Khin Kyi’s foundation. A detained Mandalay region MP from the National League for Democracy (NLD) also has been sentenced to three years in prison by the junta without a trial according to his family members that media reported this week.
UNHCR reported that more than 680,000 people are currently internally displaced in Myanmar, including more than 200,000 in the last four months. Most of the recent IDPs are from the states of Kayah and Kayin, where ethnic groups and the Myanmar military engaged in fighting. The reports also revealed more than 100,000 people have been displaced by the fighting in Kayah State, with Demoso Township having the highest number of IDPs. It also mentioned that food and medicines run out faster. Dry food, medicine, and water are the major needs. IDPs in southern Shan State also reported due to the heavy fighting between The Shan Nationalities Progressive Party (SSPP/SSA) and the Shan State Reconstruction Council (RCSS/SSA). People are in dire need of emergency medical treatment, according to a relief team.
Strong winds destroyed around 600 houses in refugee camps in Rakhine state making it more difficult for refugees to live, according to the Rakhine Nationalities Association. People face food shortages and international organizations are no longer able to provide assistance due to political instability. More than 100,000 refugees are still reluctant to return to their homes although no fighting in Rakhine for about eight months.
The junta-controlled Ministry of Health and Sports (MOHS) announced that three “highly transmissible and more severe” coronavirus variants have been detected in Myanmar. With more than 600 COVID-19 cases reported in Yangon in the last two weeks, the second highest coronavirus hotspot after Sagaing Region. The junta has been struggling to maintain COVID-19 prevention, control and treatment as thousands of government medical staff and numerous volunteers have refused to work for the junta.
Two elderly civilians were burned to death alive after junta troops set the whole Kin Ma village on fire and burnt it to ashes in Pauk Township of Magway Region. On June 20, the junta condemned the actions of local/foreign media outlets and organizations spreading false information on the Kinma Village fire case that further the state media accused People Defense Forces (PDF) for setting fire to the house of U Kyaw Htay, who did not support the PDF which spread to other houses due to the wind.
The junta’s propaganda newspapers published an article on neighboring Thailand’s proportional representation (PR) system of elections and parliaments crafted by the Thai military after the 2014 coup, an indicator that the Myanmar junta is considering enacting a similar system in future elections.
Frontier Myanmar’s managing editor arrested by the junta at the Yangon International Airport is facing a charge under section 505-A of Penal Code, which carries a potential three-year prison term while a DVB reporter, was sentenced to 3-year imprisonment with 505-A of Penal Code in Minhla, Bago Region. There are four reporters arrested by the junta in the Bago region, and among them two have been sentenced to 3-year imprisonment. Ye Chan Naing, editor-in-chief of the DVB in Burma is selected for the International Press Freedom Award for 2021.
The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution with the support of 119 countries to call for a stop to the flow of arms to Myanmar and urge the junta to respect November election results & release political detainees, including leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Belarus requested the text be put to a vote and was the only country to oppose it, while 36 abstained, including China and Russia with Thailand, Cambodia, Brunei and Laos from the ASEAN regional block.
The junta chief arrived in Moscow on 20 June by a special international Myanmar Airlines flight to attend a security conference, marking his second known trip abroad since he seized power in a coup. Junta appointed Deputy Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade U Than Aung Kyaw, Nay Pyi Taw Council chairman Dr Maung Maung Naing, Directors-General from various government departments and senior military officers joined the trip.
The protests continued in different parts of Myanmar despite the crackdown by the junta. The clashes between the junta forces and the civil resistance fighters or Ethnic Armed Organizations also emerged in several places in Myanmar, such as in Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Chin, Shan, Mandalay, Magway and Yangon States/Regions.
According to the information compiled by ANFREL, at least 56 bomb blasts happened across Myanmar in the past week. It was reported that at least 19 people were injured and at least 4 died.
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), as of 20 June, 872 people were killed by the junta. 5,033 people are currently under detention and 196 are sentenced. 1,950 warrants have been issued. 31 were sentenced to death, 14 people to three years, 39 people to 20 years, 18 people to 7 years imprisonment..."
Source/publisher:
Asian Network for Free Elections (Bangkok)
Date of publication:
2021-06-21
Date of entry/update:
2021-06-23
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Political prisoners and other violations in Burma - reports, Freedom of Movement, violations of in Burma/Myanmar, Right to Life: reports of violations in Burma, 2021 Burma/Myanmar coup d'état, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Politics, Government and Governance - Burma/Myanmar - general studies, Human Rights and international relations
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"The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) released the final comprehensive report of its international election observation mission to the 2020 Myanmar general elections and said “it is its informed opinion that the results of the 2020 general elections were, by and large, representative of the will of the people of Myanmar”. It also said despite the raging COVID-19 pandemic, 27.5 million people voted thanks to the hard work of polling staff and election or health officials, their voices cannot be silenced. ANFREL has identified the election postponement, disenfranchisement of the Rohingya community and the other ethnic minorities, legal framework outlined by the 2008 military drafted constitution as the shortcomings of the election that has to improve in future elections. International and local media reported the findings, and diplomatic missions of Canada, US, UK, New Zealand, Switzerland to Myanmar also quoted ANFREL in their social media accounts with its full report.
The junta-appointed Union Election Commission (UEC) called for a meeting with the political parties on 21 May in Nay Pyi Taw and 59 political parties joined. The popular parties like National League for Democracy (NLD), Shan Nationalities League for Democracy, Arakan National Party, Democratic Party for New Society did not attend the meeting while a representative of the People’s Party, known as a pro-democracy party attended. The party faced mass resignation over the decision that seven out of 20 central executive committee members resigned, including co-founder Ye Naing Aung. At the meeting, the junta-appointed election commission chair Thein Soe said they will dissolve the NLD due to “electoral fraud” and the regime will prosecute NLD leaders as “traitors”.
The protests continued in different parts of Myanmar despite the crackdown by the junta. Tension between the junta forces and the civilian resistance fighters increased during the week that the situation in Mindat, Chin State further escalated after junta forces entered Mindat. The junta has blocked road access to the town and cut off its water supply, making life very difficult for those who stayed behind. Local media also reported the locals fled to the nearest forest due to the attacks on Mindat town and they desperately needed emergency support for food and medicine.
The clashes between the junta forces and the civil resistance fighters also emerged in several places in Kayah state such as Loikaw, Hpasawng, Demoso, and Bawlake townships. Media reported that emergency support on food, shelter and medicine were needed in IDPs camps of Kayah.
Kachin Independent Army (KIA) forces also clashed with the Myanmar military forces over the week in Kachin state, Sagaing region and Shan state. Continued fighting with KNU forces and military has also left many to flee to Thailand. The civil society organizations based in Thailand and Thai-Myanmar border urged the Thai government to delay the repatriation of Myanmar refugees and allow war refugees and displaced persons at the Thailand-Myanmar border by the Salween to have access to humanitarian aid. According to Indian government officials, more than 15,000 had sought refuge since the Feb. 1 coup. A local official of the Union Election Commission (UEC) in Magway Region was also tortured to death by junta troops.
According to the information compiled by ANFREL, at least 57 bomb blasts happened across Myanmar in the past week. It was reported that at least 11 people died including a nine-year-old boy, and at least 40 were injured.
International Crisis Group reported that Myanmar’s junta is seeking to limit access to the internet to an internal network of only “whitelisted” sites to quash opposition. Reports said that military and intelligence agencies are conducting some tracing of SIM cards and interception of calls.
United Nations General Assembly vote on 18 May on a draft resolution calling for “an immediate suspension of the direct and indirect supply, sale or transfer of all weapons and munitions” to Myanmar has been postponed. The US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated 16 individuals and one entity connected to Burma’s military regime including adult children of previously designated senior Burmese military officials and the UK extended its sanctions to Myanmar Gems Enterprise, a distributor of jade and other precious stones.
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), as of 23 May, 818 people were killed by the junta. 4,296 people are currently under detention and 95 are sentenced. 1,822 warrants have been issued. 20 were sentenced to death and 14 to three years imprisonment..."
Source/publisher:
Asian Network for Free Elections (Bangkok)
Date of publication:
2021-05-25
Date of entry/update:
2021-06-23
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
The 2020 General Elections in Burma/Myanmar, Humanitarian assistance - emergencies, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Political prisoners and other violations in Burma - reports, National Unity Government (NUG), 2021 Burma/Myanmar coup d'état
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"The protests continued in different parts of Myanmar despite the crackdown by the junta. The clashes between the junta forces and the civil resistance fighters or Ethnic Armed Organizations also emerged in several places in Myanmar, such as in Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Chin, Shan, Sagaing and Yangon States/Regions.
The Karen Peace Support Network (KPSN) said that airstrikes by the junta in Karen State’s Mutraw district have displaced 90% of the entire rural population in recent months and sparked a “humanitarian crisis”. Around 70,000 residents from around 150 villages in Kayah State’s Demoso and Loikaw and Shan State’s Pekon Township have been displaced in the five days of fighting since Friday.
Karen National Union (KNU) said that 128 junta’s troops died and 180 injured during clashes between junta’s troops and the KNU in May. There were around 193 clashes between them from 5 to 26 May. Several civilian resistance forces have alerted people not to go outside unless they have urgent reasons to do so, as of increased risks to civilians. At least 73 children were killed by regime forces across Myanmar from 15 February to 15 May, according to the Ministry of Human Rights of the National Unity Government (NUG).
Aung San Suu Kyi attended a court hearing on Monday for the first time after arresting her on 1 February. Prior to the hearing, Suu Kyi had only been permitted to speak with lawyers via video conference.
Japan permits the visa extension for another six months for Myanmar nationals due to the current situation, while the US designated Myanmar nationals for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), allowing many in the US to be shielded from deportation and obtain work permits.
The economy is falling down into the depths due to the military coup as well as the COVID-19 crisis. Myanmar people lose their jobs and the banking system is not fully functioning, the Central Bank is not issuing the limited cash to the bank, therefore, many people are waiting infront of ATMs which is common seen in many mornings.
Millions in Myanmar are struggling to buy food as due to price hike and millions of farmers were pushed into destitution and debt as there are more expensive inputs, declining crop prices and a possible dearth of affordable credit. According to estimates by NetBlocks, a nongovernmental organization that tracks internet access, the cost to Burma’s economy exceeds $24 million per day due to the internet shutdown and restrictions. On the other hand, Myanmar’s junta could lose tens of millions of dollars after French oil giant Total announced that it has suspended dividend payments.
Southeast Asian nations lobbied to remove the arms embargo call from the UN on Myanmar Junta but the Phillippine foreign minister denied knowledge of ASEAN blocking calls to the UN.
School enrolling commenced on Monday across the country which was enforced by the junta but more than half of all teachers are on strike and some 90 percent of students have refused to enroll in Myanmar’s education system, according to the members of the Myanmar Teachers’ Federation (MTF).
According to the information compiled by ANFREL, at least 101 bomb blasts happened across Myanmar in the past week. It was reported that at least 7 people died and at least 20 were injured.
UN special envoy on Myanmar Christine Scharner Burgener called for member states to support Myanmar people and talk to NUG as its setup by the elected MPs during her press conference in Japan.
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), as of 30 May, 840 people were killed by the junta. 4,409 people are currently under detention and 108 are sentenced. 1,881 warrants have been issued. 20 were sentenced to death and 14 to three years imprisonment..."
Source/publisher:
Asian Network for Free Elections (Bangkok)
Date of publication:
2021-05-31
Date of entry/update:
2021-06-23
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Human Rights and international relations, Humanitarian assistance - emergencies, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., National Unity Government (NUG), 2021 Burma/Myanmar coup d'état, Anti-coup protesters, Political prisoners and other violations in Burma - reports
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"Myanmar has been embroiled in decades of internal warfare. It is a country, though vast in resources and diversity, has been oppressed by authoritarian leaders who have squandered political dissent in exchange for more power and profit. Victims of human rights violations across Myanmar’s 70-year civil war have not received reparations. Before and after the failed coup, junta soldiers continue to brutally crackdown on peaceful protesters. They are also responsible for arbitrarily arresting and detaining civilians, torturing them, killing them and committing acts of sexual violence against young women and girls. Moreover, shelling in ethnic areas is ongoing, which has resulted in widespread internal displacement. The coup by the military has only exacerbated brewing conflict in the borderlands as the junta’s quest for power and control has blinded them from justice and meaningful reforms. Moreover, the perpetrators must be brought to justice.
Displacement is rampant and widespread in Myanmar as intensified clashes between the Tatmadaw and armed groups force thousands to flee. The establishment of various People’s Defense Forces (PDF) in ethnic areas left civilians with no other choice but to take up arms in self-defense. Junta security forces have been relentless in their offensives, particularly in civilian areas. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has put internal displacement in Myanmar at over 330,000.[1] Yet, the junta continues to block aid and urgently needed supplies to displaced groups.
This short briefing paper will detail the impacts on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in ethnic areas of Chin, Kachin, Karen, Kayah and Shan States from 1 May to 15 June and make strong recommendations to the international community to put an end to decades of entrenched military impunity, which has contributed to prolonged conflict. It is based on accounts from local and international media, and from reports and briefing papers from ND-Burma members.....မြန်မာနိုင်ငံသည် ဆယ်စုနှစ်နှင့်ချီသည့် ပြည်တွင်းစစ်ပြဿနာနှင့် ငြိတွယ်ခဲ့ရသည်။ သယံဇာတ အမျိုး မျိုးထွက်ရှိသော်လည်း နိုင်ငံရေးအရ သဘောထားကွဲသူများအပေါ် ဖိနှိပ်ပြီး အာဏာနှင့် အကျိုးအမြတ် ကိုသာကြည့်သည့် ဖိနှိပ်အုပ်ချုပ်သော အာဏာရှင်ခေါင်းဆောင်များအောက် ကျရောက်ခဲ့ရသည်။ စစ်တပ်မှ အာဏာသိမ်း ထိန်းချုပ်စဥ်အတွင်း မတရားဖမ်းဆီး ထိန်းသိမ်းခံရသူ၊ ပျောက်ဆုံးသွားသူများ၊ ညှဥ်းပန်းနှိပ်စက်ခံရသူများနှင့် အသတ်ခံရသူများအတွက် တရားမျှတမှုနှင့် ပြန်လည်ကုစားပေးလျော်မှု တစုံတရာ မရှိဘဲ ဆက်လက်ကျူးလွန်နေဆဲဖြစ်သည်။ စစ်အာဏာသိမ်းမှုကြောင့် နယ်စပ်ဒေသတွင် တိုက်ပွဲများ ပြန်လည်ဆိုးရွားလာစေပြီး စစ်တပ်က လိုချင်တပ်မက်သည့် အာဏာနှင့် ချုပ်ကိုင်လိုမှုက တရားမျှတမှုနှင့် အဓိပ္ပါယ်ရှိသည့် ပြုပြင်ပြောင်းလဲမှုကို ဖုံးအုပ်သွားစေသည်။
စစ်အာဏာသိမ်းမှုကြောင့် စစ်အုပ်ချုပ်မှုနှင့် ကြီးစိုးလွှမ်းမိုးမှုအောက် ပြန်ရောက်သွားမည်ကို အထူးစိုး ရိမ်ကြသည်။ စစ်တပ်နှင့် လက်နက်ကိုင်တပ်ဖွဲ့များကြား ပြင်းထန်သည့် တိုက်ပွဲများကြောင့် အရပ်သား များ ထောင်နှင့်ချီ၍ ထွက်ပြေးရသည့် ပြောင်းရွှေ့မှုများ ကျယ်ကျယ်ပြန့်ပြန့် ဖြစ်ပွားလာသည်။ ပြည်သူ့ ကာကွယ်ရေးတပ် (PDF) များ ဖွဲ့စည်းလာကြခြင်းက ပြည်သူလူထုသည် စစ်တပ်ကို မဖြစ်မနေ လက် နက်ကိုင်၍ ခုခံကာကွယ်ရန် အခြေအနေသို့ တွန်းပို့ခြင်းခံရ၍ဖြစ်သည်။ အာဏာရှင်တပ်များ၏ စစ်ဆင်မှုများတွင် အထူးသဖြင့် ပြည်သူလူထုနေထိုင်ရာ ရပ်ရွာများတွင် အညှာအတာကင်းမဲ့စွာ တိုက်ခိုက်ကြသည်။ ကုလသမဂ္ဂ လူသားချင်း စာနာထောက်ထားမှုဆိုင်ရာ ညှိနှိုင်းရေးရုံး (OCHA) က မြန်မာနိုင်ငံတွင် နေရပ်စွန့်ခွာထွက်ပြေးနေရသူ ၃၃၀,၀၀၀[1] ကျော်ရှိသည်ဟု ထုတ်ပြန်ထားသည်။ သို့သော် အာဏာသိမ်းစစ်အုပ်စုက ထွက်ပြေးရွှေ့ပြောင်းနေရသူများအား အကူအညီနှင့် အရေးပေါ် လိုအပ်ချက်များ မပေးပို့နိုင်စေရန် ပိတ်ဆို့ထားသည်။
ယခုစာတန်းငယ်တွင် မေလ ၁ ရက်မှ ဇွန်လ ၁၅ ရက်အထိ ချင်း၊ ကချင်၊ ကရင်၊ ကယားနှင့် ရှမ်းပြည် နယ်တို့ရှိ စစ်ပြေးဒုက္ခသည်များ အပေါ် သက်ရောက်သည့် အခြေအနေများအား ဖော်ပြထားပြီး ခိုင်မာစွာ အမြစ်တွယ်နေသည့် စစ်တပ်၏ အပြစ်ပေးအရေးယူခြင်းမှ ကင်းမဲ့နေသည့် ဓလေ့အား အဆုံးသတ်စေရေးအတွက် နိုင်ငံတကာအသိုင်းအဝန်းအား အားကောင်းသည့် အကြံပြုချက်များ ပါဝင်သည်။ အပြစ်ပေးအရေးယူခြင်း ကင်းမဲ့နေမှုကြောင့် ကြာရှည်နေသည့် ပြည်တွင်းစစ်ဖြစ်ပေါ် စေပြီး လူ့အခွင့်အရေးအပေါ်လည်း စိန်ခေါ်တိုက်ခိုက်မှုများ ရှိနေသည်။ ယခုစာတန်းကို ပြည်တွင်း၊ ပြည်ပ သတင်းများနှင့် ND-Burma အဖွဲ့ဝင်များ၏ အစီရင်ခံစာများ စာတန်းငယ်များအပေါ် အခြေခံ ရေးသားထားခြင်းဖြစ်သည်။..."
Source/publisher:
Network for Human Rights Documentation - Burma
Date of publication:
2021-06-21
Date of entry/update:
2021-06-21
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
2021 Burma/Myanmar coup d'état, Right to Life: reports of violations in Burma, Armed conflict in Burma - attacks on civilians, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Racial or ethnic discrimination in Burma: reports of violations against several groups
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"Since the military coup on February 1, universal security in Burma has completely disappeared. Across the country, junta troops and so-called police continually threaten civilians with weapons and unprovoked shooting. Many innocent civilians, including children and the elderly have lost their lives as a result of this brutality. This arbitrary violence occurs even more frequently in remote ethnic areas, where access to transportation and information are restricted.
Records and reports on these senseless crimes reveal that areas such as Kachin, Karen, Karenni, northern Shan State, Tanintharyi and Sagaing Region, are the most affected. Similar violations have been seen in areas of Yangon, Mandalay and other places.
In Karenni State, the junta is using military planes, armed vehicles and heavy artillery to carry out unprovoked shelling upon civilians. Many innocent people have died as a result. According to a Progressive Karenni People Force’s (PKPF) report, out of the 55 civilians killed by junta forces and so-called police on 13 June, 21 were killed as a result of arbitrary and unprovoked shooting. One of these civilians was killed after being tortured in detention.
On 24 May, the junta opened fire on a Catholic church, completely destroying the building and killing four civilians. One civilian was shot dead inside a religious building and a further two were killed in their home by artillery shelling. The junta has also been murdering people in the street. Four civilians were shot dead while they were helping to deliver food to internally displaced persons (IDPs). One of these individuals died on the spot, and another died whilst in detention.
For 5 days, from 20 May, there were constant clashes between local forces and the junta. This led to a high number of casualties on both sides. Junta forces raided homes across the town, occupying the area so that nearly 10,000 local civilians were forced to flee their homes. These people are now hiding in the jungle and in IDPs camps.
The junta has also been carrying out unprovoked attacks on areas in Karen State. Free Burma Rangers (FBR) reported on 5 April, that in the first week of April in northern Karen State was viciously attacked by airstrikes, alongside ground operations. These occurred despite the junta announcing a one month ceasefire on 1 April. The FBR reported that on the very same day, in Karen National Union (KNU) brigade area, Mudaw (5) District, in Doilo Township was attacked by a series of airstrikes. They also reported that Luthaw Township was targeted by the junta’s ground operations, where artillery shells were fired into villages.
The junta’s artillery shelling resulted in the death of a 35 years old woman, and injury to the left shoulder of her husband, Saw Mya Aung, after their house was hit. Large numbers of forces were sent to the area to partake in relentless airstrikes and shootings. Many civilians were killed and thousands were forced to flee from their homes into hiding.
On 3 May, in Bhamouk, in Kachin State, junta forces carried out a series of unprovoked shooting and airstrikes, killing a monk and 3 local civilians, including one child. As a result of these plane and helicopter attacks, many civilians fled their homes.
Due to recent clashes between junta troops and local forces in Mindat, Chin State, military forces have occupied the main areas in the town, setting up camps. On the night of 17 May, the junta’s artillery shelling on houses resulted in a nine year old boy being hit in his home. Continuous junta shooting meant he was unable to receive medical treatment. Thousands of local were fleeing the city and hiding. There are only three IDPs camps in the city, meaning tens of thousands of local civilians have been forced into the jungle. These civilians face huge instability and are forced to move from one area to another. They face health problems and worsening food shortages.
On 27 March, in Dawei, Tanintharyi Division, in front of No 3 High School, the military shot at three young people who were on a motorbike on the opposite side of the road. 17 year old Mg Kyaw Min Latt, was shot and arrested. He later died in the military hospital.
On 23 March, in Aung Pin Lal Ward, Mandalay City, a seven year old girl was killed when her house was raided by junta troops. The 7 year old girl, Ma Khin Myo Chit, died from the gunshot wound as she held her father’s hand.
On 5 June, near Hlay Swe Village, Kyonpyaw Township, in Irrawaddy Division, the junta shot and killed a young man simply for refusing to stop his motorbike. The same day, at around 3am, a group of 50 junta soldiers carried out arbitrary shootings across Ban Bwe Village, Yinmabin Township, in Sagaing Division. Thousands of villages fled into the jungle.
Following a clash between junta troops and local forces in Kinma Village, Pauk Township, in Magway Division, on the evening of June 15, junta forces set fire to the entire village. Some elderly people were unable to escape the village in time, and died in the blaze. Among these were 88-year-old U Mya Maung and his wife, 82-year-old Daw Gyi May. Both suffered pre-existing health conditions and were unable to flee the village in time. The whole village was destroyed, devastating livestock and food supplies.
The above incidents are just some examples of the inhumane, unprovoked armed force which junta troops use against civilians every day. Such unprovoked killings are not only human rights violations, but are clearly also international crimes. The examples above show clear evidence of the junta committing genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, all of which all classified as international crimes.
The junta’s targeted attacks on regional and ethnic groups are clear evidence of their ingrained practices of genocide. Their arbitrary arrests, torture, murders and forced violent movement of large populations are all crimes against humanity. Targeted attacks on civilian and welfare workers, and attacks on religious and cultural buildings are both war crimes. The junta regime targets these groups, and commits these acts with intent.
These severe crimes require an urgent and effective response from the international community. Inaction puts the lives and livelihoods of thousands more innocent civilians in Burma at risk.
In Solidarity,
AAPP..."
Source/publisher:
Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP)
Date of publication:
2021-06-18
Date of entry/update:
2021-06-21
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Political prisoners and other violations in Burma - reports, 2021 Burma/Myanmar coup d'état, Right to Life: reports of violations in Burma, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups.
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"On this World Refugee Day celebrated annually on June 20, the Ministry of Human Rights, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management and the Ministry of Women, Youths
and Children Affairs of the National Unity Government have issued a joint statement to honor the resilience of refugees from around the world including from Myanmar.
This year marks the 20th year since World Refugee Day was first established in 2001 to celebrate and honor refugees from around the world. The theme of World Refugee Day 2021 is “Together
we heal, learn and shine." According to United Nations statistics, some 79.5 million people around the world have been
forced to flee their homes. Among them are nearly 26 million refugees who have crossed international borders and are taking refuge in foreign countries. Myanmar has the highest refugee
population among the world’s countries.
Decades of armed conflicts, violence, and human rights violations have forced many Myanmar people including Rohingyas to flee to other countries including neighbors like Thailand,
Bangladesh and India. And there have been many more new IDPs in Chin, Karenni, Karen, Kachin, Shan, Magwe,
Sagaing, Ayeyarwady and Taninthayi as a result of the junta’s attacks on innocent civilians. According to UNHCR, there are about one million IDPs in Myanmar before the military coup
and the junta’s attacks after the coup forced around 200,000 people flee their homes. On this World Refugee Day, our ministries make the following demands:-
(1 ) The military regime must immediately end armed conflicts, human rights violations, and
(2) The military regime must immediately end disrupting humanitarian aids and arresting
humanitarian aids providers;
violence;
(3) We urge the neighboring countries to help temporarily shelter Myanmar refugees who
have fled from junta’s violence on humanitarian grounds and do not force them back
while dangers remain in Myanmar;
(4) The cross-border humanitarian aid shall be allowed to provide to IDPs in cooperation
with experienced humanitarian agencies and local organizations:
(5) We urge the international governments to coordinate with local CBOs and CSOs to
provide aids to IDPs who are in urgent need of food, shelter, and medicines, need which
are the causes of displacement.
(6) We urge the international community to take action together against the military regime
which is committing international crimes and worsening the refugee crisis.
On this World Refugee Day, we call for a collaborative effort to help refugees from around the
world including from Myanmar “heal, learn and shine together."
Ministry of Human Rights, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management and
Ministry of Women, Youths and Children Affairs
National Unity Government
Dated 20 June 2021..."
Source/publisher:
Ministry of Human Rights, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management and Ministry of Women, Youths and Children Affairs
Date of publication:
2021-06-20
Date of entry/update:
2021-06-20
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Groups working with/for refugees from Burma/Myanmar, The discussion on humanitarian assistance to Burma, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Human Rights and international relations
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"Today, World Refugee Day, KHRG is calling on the international community and relevant stakeholders to stand for the protection and survival of the 71.7 million refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) around the world who have been uprooted from their homes and ancestral lands. Since the military coup on February 1, 2021, there has been a sharp increase of political instability and civil war resulting in the forcible displacement of local ethnic
communities and they are in the emergency need of humanitarian support. However, the State Administration Council (SAC) has been ignoring requests for needed humanitarian support for
the local ethnic communities who are fleeing from armed conflict. In addition, we have seen that the SAC is blocking access to humanitarian support and destroying humanitarian aid meant for
the displaced communities. This is a violation of international humanitarian law.
Due to the increase in political instability and the intensification of hostilities, IDPs and refugees are unable to return to their places of origin in southeast Myanmar. They fear that if they return
to their homes their safety would be threatened by the ongoing hostilities in southeast Myanmar; the Tatmadaw' s indiscriminate shelling and bombings of villages; landmine contamination;
ongoing militarization; political instability; and the risk of abuse by the Tatmadaw, Border Guard Forces (BGFs) and some Ethnic Armed Organizations. Their main concerns are safety, access to
land, and loss of livelihood. In addition to the political instability and civil war in Myanmar, the COVID-19 pandemic has added another layer of insecurity in the already deteriorating human rights and humanitarian crisis. In our recent report Left Behind we found that the country’s COVID-19 response and support infrastructure collapsed after the military coup.
In order to ensure the safe, voluntary and dignified return of refugees and IDPs to their places of origin, KHRG recommends the following:
• The international community, including the UN Security Council, UN General Assembly, and ASEAN must strongly pressure the SAC to stop attacking civilian areas, and unarmed civilians.
• Neighboring countries of Myanmar must protect the people fleeing from Myanmar and provide them with security and humanitarian aid.
• SAC must stop the interruption and blockade of humanitarian aid to IDPs and others affected by the conflict.
• SAC must allow stakeholders supporting communities affected the COVID-19 pandemic to operate freely. SAC must also resume the COVID-19 response and support operations.
• The international community must recognize the actors providing humanitarian aid in ethnic areas and must collaborate with and support them..."
Source/publisher:
Karen Human Rights Group
Date of publication:
2021-06-20
Date of entry/update:
2021-06-20
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG) reports, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Humanitarian assistance - emergencies, Burmese refugees: discussion groups, 2021 Burma/Myanmar coup d'état
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"On World Refugee Day, HURFOM is reminded of Burma’s history, which over the last seven decades has been marred by violence by the Burma Army. Their onslaught led to the establishment of nine refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border where hundreds of thousands traumatized survivors sought safety. Ethnic people have long been targeted by the regime for their culture and traditions as well as their resistance to live under the regime’s occupation. Today is a testament to their ongoing strength and willful determination to live freely and peacefully in their home country. It saddens HURFOM that the current reality is not safe for their return.
Since seizing power in a coup on 1 February, the people of Burma have been forced to suffer deep-rooted consequences. Their livelihoods have been put on hold as the economic state of affairs spirals. In addition to increased militarization, warrantless arrests and property destruction, civilians have been forced to make difficult choices. In Mon State, Karen State and Tanintharyi region, civilians have been forced to flee for various reasons including being targeted by the regime for their anti-coup activities. Thousands have fled to escape violent conditions in their townships as well as to seek greater livelihood opportunities. HURFOM documentation suggests at least 41 have been killed, 1,372 arrested and detained and over 222 injured in our target areas since the coup.
HURFOM is deeply worried for the future of Burma. Innocent civilians should not be forced to carry the burden of war. Therefore, we call on the international community for urgent humanitarian assistance including food, water, and shelter for displaced populations. Further, donors and international agencies focusing on war-affected refugees and IDPs must recognize the work of local community-based service providers, organizations, and civil society groups trusted by the beneficiaries to coordinate an effective and efficient humanitarian response..."
Source/publisher:
Human Rights Foundation of Monland
Date of publication:
2021-06-20
Date of entry/update:
2021-06-20
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Burmese refugees: discussion groups, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Humanitarian assistance - emergencies, Human Rights and international relations, HURFOM and other human rights material about the Mon
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Description:
"HIGHLIGHTS: Tens of thousands of people have been newly displaced within Myanmar in recent weeks, as fighting broke out between the Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) and local defence groups, particularly in Kayah State, Shan State (south), Chin State and Magway Region. There are now an estimated 200,000 people who have been displaced within Myanmar since 1 February, a nearly 15% increase since two weeks ago. In southeast Myanmar, the security situation remains volatile, with intense armed clashes in Kayah State, Kayin State and eastern Bago Region, as the MAF clashed with both the Kayah People’s Defense Forces and Karen National Union. Among over 160,000 people displaced in or from the southeast since 1 February, some 97,000 are in Kayah State and 48,000 in Kayin State. Following an outbreak of conflict in an area of Kayin State, some 400 Myanmar nationals crossed into Thailand’s Tak Province in early June, but have since returned to Myanmar.
In Chin State, new fighting between the MAF and local defence groups has further increased displacement and spread into Magway Region, where an additional 5,000 people have recently been displaced. Violence has also continued in Kachin State, with more armed clashes between the MAF and the Kachin Independence Army, as well as instances of explosions and arson. As a result of the situation in Chin State, Indian state authorities have been reported in the media as estimating that the border states neighbouring Myanmar are currently sheltering around 15,000 new arrivals, although UNHCR is unable to verify precise figures..."
Source/publisher:
UN High Commissioner for Refugees (Geneva) via Reliefweb (New York)
Date of publication:
2021-06-15
Date of entry/update:
2021-06-18
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Food Security and nutrition in Burma/Myanmar, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., UN System humanitarian assistance, Human Rights and international relations
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7.6 MB
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"The security situation in certain parts of Chin State remains tense, with hostilities between the Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) and the Chinland Defence Force (CDF) reported regularly in Hakha, Kanpetlet, Mindat, Matupi and Thantlang townships, as well as in neighboring townships in Magway Region. According to local partners, an estimated 820 people in Thantlang Township fled to nearby jungles on 11 June due to the hostilities and are in need of immediate humanitarian assistance. Over 18,000 people are currently hosted in 74 displacement sites in Mindat, Kanpetlet, Hakha, Matupi and Thantlang townships in Chin state since 12 May and in Saw Township in Magway Region since 6 June. This is in addition to reports of people, believed to be in the thousands, who fled violence to forests and mountainous areas since 12 May. Humanitarian partners are making every effort to respond to the needs of people who fled and those who remain in affected areas; however, access restrictions are complicating these efforts. Chin State is already hosting 9,850 people across 27 displacement sites in Paletwa due to the MAF and the Arakan Army conflict between January 2019 and November 2020..."
Source/publisher:
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (New York) via "Reliefweb" (New York)
Date of publication:
2021-06-15
Date of entry/update:
2021-06-16
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Humanitarian assistance - emergencies, 2021 Burma/Myanmar coup d'état
Language:
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"KACHIN STATE: Armed clashes between the Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) and the Kachin Independence Army continue unabated in Kachin State. Over 600 people were newly displaced in 10 different locations in Bhamo and Momauk townships over the course of May.
A total of 11,654 people have been internally displaced since the resurgence of hostilities in mid-March 2021. About 10,217 of them remain displaced in seven townships, unable to return home due to insecurity.
9 June 2021 marked 10 years since armed conflict resumed following a 17-year ceasefire in Kachin State. Around 95,500 people remain displaced across the state in protracted IDP camps or in host communities since 2011.....SHAN STATE: Armed clashes between the MAF and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) or among the EAOs have been reported for the first time this year in Mongkaing and Kyethi townships in the southern parts of Shan State. Around 1,800 people were displaced due to these clashes, mainly in Kyethi Township.
In northern Shan, over 3,000 people were displaced in May, particularly in Hsipaw Township. Meanwhile, around 3,400 people who were displaced earlier this year in the same township were able to return home once the hostilities in the area subsided.
In total, around 15,271 people have been internally displaced in northern Shan since the start of 2021. Another 1,900 were displaced in southern Shan. More than 5,000 people remain in 21 displacement sites in several townships.....KAYIN, KAYAH, MON STATES AND BAGO REGION: A total of 160,400 people have fled violence, insecurity and clashes in southeastern Myanmar since 1 February, according to UNHCR.
In Kayah State, around 108,800 people were internally displaced following an escalation of hostilities between the MAF and the Karenni People’s Defense Force. Of this figure, around 11,700 have fled to southern parts of neighboring Shan State. Additionally, some 47,600 people remain displaced in Kayin State and 4,000 people are displaced in parts of Mon State and Bago Region.
National and international humanitarian actors are complementing the local response efforts led by communities, which has been immediate, but not sufficient to address all needs. Efforts have been met with access challenges due to insecurity and roadblocks.....CHIN AND RAKHINE STATES: The security situation remains tense in Chin State with clashes between the MAF and Chinland Defence Force reported in Hakha, Kanpetlet, Mindat and Thantlang townships, as well as neighboring Gangaw Township in Magway Region.
Around 19,500 people are currently hosted in over 70 displacement sites in four townships in Chin State since 12 May and in Saw Township in Magway Region since 6 June. Chin State is already hosting almost 9,850 people in Paletwa Township due to the MAF and the Arakan Army (AA) conflict.
In Rakhine, no new displacement has been reported and despite a lull in hostilities between the MAF and the AA since November 2020, casualties due to landmines and explosive hazards continue to be reported. Four people were reportedly killed by a landmine in Ponnagyun Township on 4 June. A total of 31 civilians were killed or injured due to landmines in Rakhine in the first quarter of 2021, according to UNICEF...."
Source/publisher:
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (New York) via "Reliefweb" (New York)
Date of publication:
2021-06-15
Date of entry/update:
2021-06-16
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Human Rights and international relations, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., UN System humanitarian assistance, 2021 Burma/Myanmar coup d'état
Language:
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"Preface
The purpose of publishing this information sheet is to increase the awareness of people over the Crimes Against Humanity committed by the military junta terrorists on a daily basis and to keep record of their brutal acts for future reference and proceedings. Committed crimes are selectively stated in this information sheet due to space limitations.
Arbitrary Detentions and Enforced Disappearances
On 27th May, Soe Linn Htet, a second year student majoring in Civil Engineering at the Technological University Meiktila, was arbitrarily detained at home at Pyawbwe Township in Mandalay Region. A village administrator, involved in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), was also arrested at Nayin Village, Yesagyo Township in Magway Region on 29th May.
On 30th May, a former member of All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU) in Monywa District andwho is currently assisting IDPs was arrested at gunpoint by the junta troops wearing civilian attires. On 31st May, Khin HmwayLwin, a member of Sagaing Region and elected regional parliamentary representative fromMinkin Township constituency and Hein Win Latt, NLD executive member of Bhamo Town in Kachin State, were arrested respectively.
On 2ndJune morning, former village administrator of Pan Lin Village inPyaungKhaung Village Tract of Mogok Township in Mandalay Region, was arrested by the junta troops. A lawyer who is representing pro-bono and arrested people for staging anti-dictatorship protests in Myitkyina, Kachin State was also arrested and on 3rdJune, a leader of Sanay Charity Group, Bhamo Town in Kachin State, was arrested by the junta troops.
Murders
On 27th May, two youths from Demoso Township in Kayah State were shot to death by terrorist junta while they were delivering food toKarenni IDPs. On the same day, a 14 year old boy was shot dead in the head while running away from the junta forces in ThabyayKone, in Loikaw Township, Kayah State. Later on 28thMay, at Pauk Taw Wa in Insein Township, Yangon Region, a youth was brutally killed when a military vehicle intentionally crashed into him for not being stop for checking.
In early morning, 30 May in Baganmyothit in Nyaung-U Township in Mandalay Region, Moe Myint Aung was shot and died when the junta raided the Yonetan Ward and Hman Cho Ward. Later, sources said that Moe Myint Aung waswrongfully shot while capturing others six youths. On 30th May, in Loikaw Township in Kayah State,a man was shot dead by the junta troops while riding a motorbike.
During the night of 4th June, Thaw Zin, who is a LGBT, was shot by the junta troops deployed at Township Education Office in Kyaukpadaung Town in Mandalay Region onhis way back home with a motorcycle with two of his friends. Thaw Zin eventually died from not receiving medical treatment in time. While around 80 villagers in Ayeyarwady Region clashed with soldiers as they tried to prevent the arrest of a man accused of transporting weapons, at least three civilians were killed by the junta force.
The widespread and systematic murdering of the civilian population in Myanmar by the military shows no signs of stopping. In fact, it is evident that attacks against peaceful protesters across Myanmar have progressively intensified.
Intention to destroy the whole ‘Kayan’ tribes
The Kayan are a sub-group of Red Karen (Karenni people), Tibeto-Burman ethnic minority of Myanmar lives around Phekhone, Moebyel, Demoso, and Seebu. The estimated Kayan population is about 2 millions. In the early days of May, some young generations residing in these regions have been resisting against the military’s repression with homemade guns. Since then, the military have beenoperating systematic and targeted attacks on the entire ‘Kayan’ people including civilians who are not directly taking part in the hostilities.
About 1 million of ‘Kayan’ are displaced directed towards Seebuu Township, due to the heavy artillery and Airstrikes of the military. Therefore, about 85% of the ‘Kayan’ people would become displaced persons and nowhere to hide since the geographical position of these regions are not interconnected with international borders, and if the military continues their strikes in Seebuu township.
Since the military have been cutting off humanitarian aids to this particular region, people urgently need foods, water and medicines.The Myanmar military has been violating the fundamental and peremptory norms of international law on a daily basis. In carrying out these atrocities, the military’s conduct confirms that it does not and has no intention of abiding the obligations laid under the international law. In a world governed by the rule of law, the military cannot legitimately represent Myanmar. The international community must act immediately to stop the military’s indiscriminate attacks on civilians.
Violations on Freedom of Speech and Fundamental Human Rights
On 27th May, a reporter of Ayeyarwaddy Times News Agency based in Ayeyarwady Region was arrested and beaten while interrogating. Moreover, on the same day, Myo Thiha Kyaw, a photojournalist for the Myanmar Press Photo Agency, was arrested in Mandalay. Also in Kyaukme Township in Shan State, a photographer was arrested. To silence the widespread opposition against the military’s actions since 1st February 2021, it has targeted, attacked and arbitrarily detained dozens of journalists reporting on the protests. As a result, most editors and reporters inside the country currently refrain from identifying themselves as members of the press. Indeed, the military has also revoked licenses of a number of independent media outlets.
Nevertheless, the National Unity Government planning to hand over documentary evidences of these crimes against humanity being committed by the military against the civilian population of Myanmar to relevant human rights bodies of the United Nations.
Ref : Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP)
: Myanmar Now..."
Source/publisher:
Permanent Mission of Myanmar to the United Nations (New York)
Date of publication:
2021-06-09
Date of entry/update:
2021-06-14
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Human Rights and international relations, Political prisoners and other violations in Burma - reports, Anti-coup protesters, Freedom of Movement, violations of in Burma/Myanmar, Human Rights Defenders, Right to Life: reports of violations in Burma, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups.
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"ကြေညာချက်အမှတ် (၅/၂၀၂၁)
၂၀၂၁ခုနှစ်၊ ဇွန်လ ၁၃ ရက်နေ့
၁။ ၂၀၂၁ ခုနှစ်၊ ဇွန်လ ၁၀ရက်နေ့၊ ညပိုင်းတွင် ရှမ်းပြည်နယ်တောင်ပိုင်းနှင့် ကရင်နီ (ကယား) ပြည်နယ်၊ နယ်စပ်ရှိ မိုးဗြဲမြို့နယ်၊ အနောက်ဘက်ခြမ်း၊ လွယ်ရင်းတောင်ခြေတွင် မြန်မာနိုင်ငံဒေသအနှံ့အပြားမှ စေတနာရှင်များက စစ်ဘေးရှောင်ပြည်သူများအတွက် ပြည်သူမှ ပြည်သူသို့ ပေးပို့လှူဒါန်းထားသော စားနပ်ရိက္ခာ ဆန်အိတ် ၈၀ ခန့်အပါအဝင် ဆေးဝါးပစ္စည်းများနှင့် ကယ်ဆယ်ရေးထောက်ပံ့ရေးဆောင်ရွက်ရာတွင် အသုံးပြုနေသည့် လူနာတင်ကားတစ်စီးကို အကြမ်းဖက်စစ်ကောင်စီတပ်များက မီးရှို့ဖျက်ဆီးခဲ့ကြောင်း ဓါတ်ပုံအထောက် အထားများနှင့်တကွ ကနဦးသတင်းရရှိပါသည်။
၂။ ထို့အတူ ပဋိပက္ခဖြစ်ပွားနေသည့် တိုင်းဒေသကြီးနှင့် ပြည်နယ်အသီးသီးမှ စစ်ဘေး ရှောင်ပြည်သူများနှင့် အတိဒုက္ခရောက်နေကြသည့် ဘေးသင့်ပြည်သူများအား နည်းအမျိုးမျိုးဖြင့် ကူညီထောက်ပံ့ပေးနေသော လူမှုအဖွဲ့အစည်းများနှင့် လူပုဂ္ဂိုလ်များကိုလည်း စစ်ကောင်စီတပ်များက အကြောင်းမဲ့ ဖမ်းဆီးအရေးယူခြင်း၊ အကြမ်းဖက်ခြင်း၊ ကူညီကယ်ဆယ်ရေးပစ္စည်းများကို လုယက်ဖျက်ဆီးခြင်းနှင့် ထောက်ပံ့ရေးလမ်းကြောင်းများကို ပိတ်ဆို့တားဆီးခြင်းတို့ကို အစဉ်တစိုက် ပြုလုပ်လျက်ရှိကြောင်း တွေ့ရှိနေရသည်။
၃။ စစ်ကောင်စီတပ်များ၏ ယင်းကဲ့သို့ ဥပဒေမဲ့လုပ်ရပ်များသည် မြန်မာနိုင်ငံက လက်မှတ် ရေးထိုးထားသော The Fourth Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949 ၏ Article 3 ကို တိုက်ရိုက်ချိုးဖောက်ကျူးလွန်နေခြင်းဖြစ်သည်။ ထို့အပြင် မြန်မာ့ကာကွယ်ရေး အက်ဥပဒေ ၁၉၅၉ ပါ ပြဋ္ဌာန်းချက်များကိုလည်း ချိုးဖောက်ရာရောက်ပါသည်။
၄။ ကမ္ဘာ့ကုလသမဂ္ဂအဖွဲ့ကြီးက ၂၀၂၁ခုနှစ်၊ မေ ၂၁ ရက်နေ့တွင် ထုတ်ပြန်ခဲ့သည့် ကြေညာချက်အရ အရပ်သားများနှင့် အများပြည်သူပိုင် အဆောက်အဦများကို အကာအကွယ်ပေးရန်နှင့် ဘေးကင်းပြီး တားဆီးပိတ်ဆို့မှု မရှိသည့် လူသားချင်းစာနာမှုအကူအညီများကို သွားလာခွင့်ပေးရန်ဆိုသည့် တိုက်တွန်းချက်ကိုလည်း လုံးဝ လျစ်လျူရှု၍ ကျူးလွန်ဖောက်ဖျက်နေခြင်းဖြစ်သည်။ ထို့အပြင် ကုလသမဂ္ဂ လူ့အခွင့်အရေးဆိုင်ရာမဟာမင်းကြီး ကလည်း ကယားပြည်နယ်မှ စစ်ဘေးရှောင်ပြည်သူများ၏ လူသားချင်းစာနာမှု အကူအညီများကို စစ်ကောင်စီ တပ်သားများက တားဆီးပိတ်ဆို့ခြင်းများ ဆောင်ရွက်နေသည့်အပေါ် သတိပြု စိုးရိမ်ကြောင်း ၂၀၂၁ ခုနှစ်၊ ဇွန်လ ၁၂ ရက်နေ့တွင် ထုတ်ပြန်ကြေညာခဲ့ပါသည်။
၅။ သို့ဖြစ်ရာ ပြည်ထောင်စုသမ္မတမြန်မာနိုင်ငံတော်၊ အမျိုးသားညီညွတ်ရေးအစိုးရ အနေဖြင့် စစ်ကောင်စီ၏ လူမဆန်သော အကြမ်းဖက်လုပ်ရပ်များဖြစ်သည့် လူသားချင်းစာနာမှုအကူအညီများကို ပိတ်ဆို့ဖျက်ဆီးခြင်း၊ လူသားချင်းစာနာမှုကိုပြသရန် ရည်ရွယ်ချက်ဖြင့် အကူအညီပေးအပ်ရန် ကြိုးပမ်းဆောင်ရွက်နေသူများကို ဖမ်းဆီးနှောင့်ယှက်ခြင်း အစရှိသည့် ဖောက်ဖျက်ကျုးလွန်မှုများကို ပြင်းထန်စွာရှုတ်ချလိုက်ပြီး၊ ကုလသမဂ္ဂနှင့် နိုင်ငံတကာ အသိုက်အဝန်းအနေဖြင့် စစ်ကောင်စီ၏ အဆိုပါလူမဆန်သည့်လုပ်ရပ်များကို အမြန်ဆုံးရပ်တန့်ရန် အတွက် ဆက်လက်ဖိအားပေးလုပ်ဆောင်ရမည်ဖြစ်ကြောင်း တိုက်တွန်းအပ်ပါသည်။..."
Source/publisher:
National Unity Government of Myanmar
Date of publication:
2021-06-13
Date of entry/update:
2021-06-13
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
National Unity Government (NUG), Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Humanitarian assistance - emergencies, Right to Life: reports of violations in Burma, 2021 Burma/Myanmar coup d'état
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The country’s least developed state is dealing with a refugee crisis as well as a COVID-19 outbreak.
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"Nearly 30 junta troops were killed Thursday in Myanmar’s Chin state as fighting between militia groups and the military escalated in the country’s remote regions, prompting the United Nations rights czar to warn of a “human rights catastrophe.”
Members of the Chinland Defense Force (CDF) in Chin’s Thantlang township said they attacked a column of soldiers traveling around 25 miles outside of the town center, killing as many as 17 in the ensuing firefight and suffering no casualties.
“More than 100 junta soldiers were marching towards the Khuahring Thang mountain range,” said a fighter with the Thantlang CDF, who spoke to RFA’s Myanmar Service on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.
“We’re a little worried about the situation. There are more troops than ever pressing on us. The fighting is expected to become more intense.”
The CDF fighter said his group attacked the column “because the military has been intimidating local residents.”
The clash marked the first in Thantlang township and caused around 600 residents of three villages in the area to flee to the mountains, he said.
“Most people fled because they were scared about the presence of the soldiers,” he said.
“A lot of people in Thantlang had already fled their homes earlier [when troops began to deploy to the area].”
A similar clash broke out in an area between the townships of Hakha and Gangaw, the Hakha CDF announced Thursday, saying it had killed 10 junta soldiers. The group did not report any casualties of its own in the fighting.
In a statement, the CDF said it will “continue to fight fiercely in all parts of Chin state” to protect the people.
RFA was unable to independently verify CDF claims about the number of soldiers killed in Thursday’s clashes and calls to Myanmar’s Deputy Information Minister Zaw Min Tun went unanswered Friday.....‘Human rights catastrophe’: On Friday, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet warned that any escalation in violence in Myanmar must be halted to prevent even greater loss of life and a deepening humanitarian emergency.
“As I had feared, armed conflict and other violence are intensifying in many parts of Myanmar, including Kayah State, Chin State and Kachin State, with the violence particularly intense in areas with significant ethnic and religious minority groups,” Bachelet said in a statement, noting that the military has continued to use heavy weaponry, including airstrikes, against armed groups and against civilians.
“In just over four months, Myanmar has gone from being a fragile democracy to a human rights catastrophe,” she said.
“In addition to the loss of life, people are suffering from severe impacts on the social and economic rights. The military leadership is singularly responsible for this crisis, and must be held to account.”
The junta deposed Myanmar’s democratically elected government on Feb. 1, claiming that the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party had won the country’s November 2020 elections due to widespread voter fraud, despite a lack of evidence. The move prompted widespread protests that the military has responded to with violent crackdowns, killing some 860 people over the past four months.
The CDF is a network of volunteers that formed in April to protect the people of Chin and has enjoyed relative success facing the military—the second largest in Southeast Asia—with slingshots and the same crude flintlock “Tumee” rifles their forefathers used to fight off British colonizers in the 1880s. The CDF said it had killed some 100 junta troops between March and May.
Fighters of the CDF were engaged in daily battles from May 12 until May 15, when the junta occupied Mindat with 1,000 fully armed troops who used civilians as human shields and sprayed gunfire indiscriminately, the CHRO said recently.
The CDF pulled out May 16 to protect civilians from further artillery attacks and fire from helicopter gunships, Chin fighters have said, but fighting resumed on June 3 and both sides have suffered casualties.
The Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO) estimates that some 40,000 civilians have fled their homes throughout Chin state since May.....Outbreak compounds challenges: As more residents flee intensifying fighting in Chin, the region is also facing an outbreak of COVID-19 that medical workers reported had killed 10 people as of Friday. Over the past three weeks, around 320 cases have been reported in the townships of Tunzan and Kyeehar, near Myanmar’s border with India.
Myanmar’s least developed state had already been dealing with a shortage of health workers prior to the coronavirus pandemic, but sources told RFA that following the military coup, many of the medical personnel in the state joined the nationwide Civil Disobedience Movement, leaving few behind to control the spread of the virus and treat those infected with COVID-19, the disease it causes.
“Nobody who is infected wants to go to the hospital because there are no doctors there,” said an official with the COVID-19 Relief Team in Kyeekhar, where medical students are assisting three hospital staffers attend to 195 infected patients.
“They are just being treated at home … We have tried to help them. If their condition becomes serious, they call us for help, and we take them by car to the hospital so that they can be given oxygen.”
The administrator of Kyeekhar township confirmed to RFA that there are no longer any doctors at the local hospital.
“We are treating patients with the help of volunteer doctors and nurses,” he said.
On May 28, the local government issued a Stay At Home order in Kyeekhar and Tunzang townships and similar restrictions have since been implemented in the nearby townships of Tedim, Falam, Hakha and Thantlang.
According to the junta’s Ministry of Health, a total of 144,876 confirmed infections and 3,237 deaths from COVID-19 have been recorded in Myanmar beginning in March 2020.
Earlier this week, the United Nations in Myanmar voiced concern about what it called “the rapidly deteriorating security and humanitarian situation” the country’s remote conflict areas.
The U.N. stressed the urgent need for food, water, shelter, fuel, and access to healthcare for people fleeing the fighting, saying that the aid it has distributed is insufficient—particularly for those in remote locations, where insecurity, travel restrictions, and poor road conditions are delaying the delivery of supplies.
Aid groups estimate that more than a quarter of a million civilians in seven regions of Myanmar have been displaced by clashes between the military and militias or fighting between ethnic armies in the four months since the junta coup.
The 226,000 displaced in 2021 join more than 500,000 refugees from decades of military conflict between the government military and ethnic armies who were already counted as internally displaced persons at the end of 2020, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center, a Norwegian NGO..."
Source/publisher:
"RFA" (USA)
Date of publication:
2021-06-11
Date of entry/update:
2021-06-12
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
2021 Burma/Myanmar coup d'état, Internal displacement/forced migration in Chin State, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Anti-coup protesters, The 2020 General Elections in Burma/Myanmar, Politics and Government - global and regional - general studies, strategies, theory, Human Rights and international relations
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"Dear Prime Minister,
I am making this special appeal to you on behalf of 54 million brave people of Myanmar and the National Unity Government of Myanmar to please put the deepening crisis in Myanmar on the G7 agenda when the head of world leaders meet at the upcoming G7 meeting.
First of all, I would like to reiterate my sincere thanks to the people, Parliament and Government of the United Kingdom for standing in solidarity and being a strong voice for the people of Myanmar. I also want to express my gratitude for the efforts of the UK on coordinating targeted sanctions against key Tatmadaw personnel, Tatmadaw
linked companies and enterprises such as MGE, MEC and MEHL, and for providing generous funding of 28 million UK sterling pound for humanitarian aids to Myanmar and for providing extra funding to the IIMM. I would like to further thank the UK government for taking a strong leadership role in the UN and G7 meetings on behalf
of the people of Myanmar, and for the recognition of CRPH and NUG as important voices of many in this nation. Truly we are the voice of over 54 million brave people who stand in solidarity against the cruel and ruthless junta. Thank you also for lending protection and support to Myanmar Ambassador to UK, H.E Kyaw Zwar Minn since
he was illegally removed from office by the junta.
I previously had the wonderful privilege of meetings with Minister H.E. Nigel Adams and UK Ambassador to Myanmar H.E Dan Chugg. British Parliamentarians reassured me that the People and Government of the UK are strongly committed and supportive of the brave people of Myanmar in our peaceful movement for freedom and democracy
against the junta reign of terror. I am also grateful for the opportunity to appear before the British Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee on the Myanmar military coup crisis hearing.
Since the 1st of February 2021 when military coup leader Min Aung Hlaing and his gunmen instigated this illegal coup d’etat and took our Nation, Myanmar, hostage, nearly 900 civilians have been murdered by the junta including at least 72 children, nearly 6,000 civilians have been arrested by the junta including our State Counsellor
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and our President U Win Myint , and over 1,900 are evading arrest warrants. I have been charged with high treason by these military generals who are in fact the ones committing high treason against the people of Myanmar themselves. The junta leaders continue using the ASEAN engagements as a
propaganda tool while the junta forces continue committing violence and atrocities against the people of Myanmar in villages, towns, and cities across the nation. The torture and cold-blooded murder of innocent civilians under the junta forces continue.
They have abolished free media outlets in the vain attempt to stop the truth from getting out. Harassment and imprisonment of journalists continue under the junta. The violence we are seeing by the junta is both systematic and widespread. It is clear that they are engaging in crimes against humanity by using heavy battlefield weapons
against unarmed civilians. They have been purchasing these weapons from big countries by using the stolen wealth of the people and country of Myanmar. As a result, Myanmar is now quickly becoming a failed state: ten of thousands of people have become displaced by the junta forces, food insecurity is rising sharply, and the UNDP
is predicting that over half of the 54 million population of Myanmar (approximately 27 million people) will be living in poverty within a year. World Food Programme (WFP) estimates 6.4 million people will be without food in Myanmar by October 2021.lt will
be heart breaking to count the number of deaths caused not only by the deepening crisis of violence, but also by the tragedy of poverty and hunger that has begun. We, the sovereign citizens of Myanmar, are doing all that we can to prevent these great tragedies of violence, genocide, criminal atrocities, poverty and hunger by
courageously and peacefully resisting the junta’s efforts to cause us maximum pain, suffering, death and destruction. The citizens of Myanmar have initiated strong domestic sanctions against the junta through this peaceful movement of Civil Disobedient Movement-CDM, strikes and other acts of civil disobedience. We are
boycotting junta produced goods, and a large percentage of civil servants are refusing to support the junta’s work. The sanctions that have been imposed to date by the International Community have been a helpful start to supporting our domestic efforts. While the brutal crackdown by the junta and its forces continue, opposition to the junta
remains strong and unanimous among the people of Myanmar. However, greater help and support from G7 world leaders and countries are vitally important. We have three core requests to present to the G7 world leaders and countries: Engage with the National Unity Government as the sole legitimate representative of the people of Myanmar. We are comprised of leaders elected in Myanmar’s
democratic November elections as well as leaders of ethnic states and regions. The people of Myanmar recognize us as the sole legitimate government and our hope is that you will also work with us as the sole legitimate government of Myanmar as well. Help us to address the growing humanitarian crisis. We need aid. The National Unity
Government knows how to get aid to where it is needed. A humanitarian crisis is growing due to this brutal junta and the spread of COVID-19. Myanmar’s economy is in collapse and millions are already, or at risk of being, without water, food, sanitation,
shelter and medicine. We desperately need aid for 1) FOOD SECURITY, 2) HEALTH 3) SHELTER, 4) EDUCATION:
Help us by putting more financial and diplomatic pressure on the junta. It is critical for the nations of the world who stand with us to band together in a coordinated campaign of further sanctions that would cut the flow of revenue to this murderous regime to ensure that no funds from any entity under the control of G7 countries and its alliances
be allowed to continue to be transferred to the Junta, its business entities, leaders or their families. The largest source of revenue to the junta, the oil and gas sector, remains unscathed by the international community, therefore sanctions must be placed against Myanmar Oil and Gas and all state-owned enterprises, including the transfer of dual use technology; the imposition of an international arms embargo and
a strict no-fly-zone above the territory of Myanmar by whatever means necessary. These measures are critically vital to prevent many bloodbaths and another genocide in Myanmar.
Our National Unity Government of Myanmar is ready, willing and able to help in all of these coordinated efforts. This is the first time in the history of Myanmar that there has been a National Unity Government with the full support of the people. We need the endorsement, recognition, acknowledgement and engagement from the Governments of G7 countries and the free countries and leaders from around the world who believe in freedom, justice and democracy. This is the greatest opportunity of the century for Myanmar. We must then seize upon this window of opportunity and put an end to this
junta reign of terror - and build inclusive federal democratic union for All people of Myanmar by the people and for the people, and where the rights of ALL regardless of race, gender, culture, ethnicity, background, and religion are equally respected, protected and promoted. We, the opposition to the illegal junta, will win in our struggle to liberate Myanmar from the brutal military dictatorships, and at the other end of this fight we will emerge an inclusive Myanmar that is committed to democracy, human rights, and to being a
responsible partner in the global community. With the help of the world leaders and G7 countries, our vision and our dream will become a powerful reality and will bear testimony to our strong friendship and unyielding gratitude for generations to come. Yours sincerely, H.E Dr. Sasa..."
Source/publisher:
Ministry of International Cooperation Myanmar
Date of publication:
2021-06-07
Date of entry/update:
2021-06-10
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
National Unity Government (NUG), Human Rights and international relations, Anti-coup protesters, Humanitarian assistance - emergencies, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Food Security and militarisation in Burma, 2021 Burma/Myanmar coup d'état, UK-Burma relations
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Sub-title:
In Myanmar, international action is needed urgently to prevent “mass deaths” there, after civilians fled attacks by so-called “junta bombs”, a top independent UN rights expert has warned.
Description:
"“Mass deaths from starvation, disease and exposure could occur in Kayah State after many of the 100,000 forced to flee into forests from junta bombs are now cut off from food, water and medicine by the junta. The international community must act”, UN Special Rapporteur for Myanmar, Tom Andrews, tweeted late on Monday.
In his alert, Mr. Andrews noted that the Kayah state attacks were just the latest in a series throughout Myanmar that had caused mass displacement and suffering, from Mutraw in Karen state to Mindat in Chin state and Bago city.
The independent rights expert, who reports to the Human Rights Council, emphasised that that the lives of many thousands of men, women and children were under threat from indiscriminate attacks, on a scale not seen since the 1 February coup, “that likely amount to mass atrocity crimes”.
The development echoes concern by the UN Country Team in Myanmar, which on Monday underscored the rapidly deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in Kayah State and other parts of the country, linked to protests caused by the military takeover.....Basic needs blocked: Citing credible reports, Mr. Andrews said that people were in dire need of food, water, medicine and shelter after reported clashes with volunteer community militias, while the UN country team said that many had also sought safety in host communities and forests across Kayah and southern parts of neighbouring Shan state.
Aid deliveries had been allegedly blocked to those forced to flee their homes to escape bombing raids and artillery fire and the military had also placed landmines on public roads, said the Special Rapporteur.
“Any pressure or leverage UN Member States can put on the junta must now be exerted” to encourage junta leader Min Aung Hlaing to allow lifesaving aid in, and to stop “terrorising the population by ceasing the aerial bombardment, shelling and shooting of civilians”.....Medical teams a target: In its appeal, the UN Country Team reiterated earlier calls for all parties to protect all civilians and civilian infrastructure, “particularly medical units and health workers”.
Despite that fact that UN aid teams and their partners had supplies that were ready to be deployed “insecurity, travel restrictions imposed by security forces, and poor road conditions are delaying the delivery of supplies”, the team said in a statement.
The team called on "the security forces to allow for a safe passage of humanitarian supplies and personnel and to facilitate our ability to directly provide aid to all those who need it."
“Now, more than ever, the international community must cut off access to the resources that the junta needs to continue these brutal attacks on the people of Myanmar,” Mr. Andrews said..."
Source/publisher:
UN News
Date of publication:
2021-06-09
Date of entry/update:
2021-06-10
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
The discussion on humanitarian assistance to Burma, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Human Rights and international relations, Food Security and militarisation in Burma, The UN and Burma - news and commentary, 2021 Burma/Myanmar coup d'état
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Description:
"The United Nations in Myanmar is concerned about the rapidly deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in Kayah State and other areas in southeastern Myanmar.
Recent violence in Kayah State, including indiscriminate attacks by security forces against civilian areas, has led to the internal displacement of an estimated 100,000 men, women and children. Many of them are currently seeking safety in host communities and forests across Kayah and southern parts of neighboring Shan state. This crisis could push people across international borders seeking safety, as already seen in other parts of the country.
The United Nations reiterates its earlier calls for all parties to urgently take the necessary measures and precautions to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, particularly protected objects such as medical units and personnel, and to adhere to the fundamental principles of distinction, necessity, proportionality and protection.
People fleeing and those remaining in locations affected by ongoing hostilities are in urgent need of food, water, shelter, fuel and access to healthcare. The United Nations and its partners have humanitarian supplies, including food, shelter materials and other basic relief items ready to be deployed to complement the local response, which has been immediate, but insufficient to address all needs, particularly for those persons in remote locations. Ongoing insecurity, travel restrictions imposed by security forces, and poor road conditions, however, are delaying the delivery of these supplies. The United Nations calls on the security forces to allow safe passage of humanitarian supplies and personnel and to facilitate the direct provision of relief assistance by the UN and its partners to all those in need in Kayah, as well as other states and regions across the country where there are urgent humanitarian needs.
The United Nations reiterates the Secretary General’s call for a global ceasefire made in March 2020 and to join forces to respond to the growing risk of another outbreak of COVID-19 and other humanitarian and health challenges..."
Source/publisher:
UN Country Team in Myanmar via "Reliefweb" (New York)
Date of publication:
2021-06-08
Date of entry/update:
2021-06-09
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Human Rights and international relations, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., UN System humanitarian assistance, Food Security and displacement in Burma, Food Security and nutrition in Burma/Myanmar
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269.12 KB 294.6 KB
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Description:
"This is the US campaign for Burma’s fourth monthly On-The-Ground in Burma briefer! This month’s briefer will focus on the ongoing situations between armed groups formed in ethnic states and the military, as well as how these conflicts affect the local civilians. It also includes discussions on ASEAN’s response, policies regarding arms embargo, and war crimes, but concentrates more on analyzing the increased number of IDPs and issues in ethnic states.
This month’s briefer includes:
An analysis on what’s in store for ethnic states, policy analysis, and critiques for ASEAN
Six major policy recommendations
A story by a Rohingya refugee
An overview of IDP issues and rights abuses in each ethnic state
As the conflict escalates in Myanmar between the militias, local armed groups, and the military, so has violence and rights deprivations of those in ethnic regions. The Tatmadaw feels comfortable attacking these areas because they are far from the prying eyes of the international media. This briefer intends to bring to attention the plight of these minorities at the hands of the military..."
Source/publisher:
U.S. Campaign for Burma
Date of publication:
2021-06-02
Date of entry/update:
2021-06-07
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
ASEAN-Burma relations, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Rohingya (cultural, political etc.), National Unity Government (NUG), Politics and Government - global and regional - general studies, strategies, theory, 2021 Burma/Myanmar coup d'état
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2.51 MB
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Description:
"HIGHLIGHTS: The civil unrest and conflict in Myanmar following 1 February has resulted in increased displacement and there are now an estimated half a million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the country, including those displaced before 01 February. In the last two weeks, the estimated number of new IDPs has nearly tripled from 61,000 to 175,000, largely due to new armed clashes and a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Myanmar’s Kayah State.
In Kayah State, located in eastern Myanmar, an estimated 100,000 people have now been displaced since 1 February, most of whom have been displaced since 20 May. The security situation also continues to be particularly tense across southeast Myanmar, with explosions and shelling reported in various locations and intensified clashes also observed in Kayin State and eastern Bago Region. Many of the 149,000 total IDPs in southeast Myanmar remain in hiding. In northern Myanmar, internal displacement has increased due to ongoing fighting between the Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) and Kachin Independence Army, expanding across Kachin State, the northernmost state in Myanmar, and into northern Sagaing Region. In northern Shan State, armed conflict among ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) and between EAOs and the MAF continued to displace people across a number of townships.
As a result of recent fighting in Kayah and Shan States, there have not yet been new reported movements from Myanmar toward Thailand. From earlier displacement from Myanmar, Mae Hong Son Province remains the most affected area in Thailand, though humanitarian actors have not yet formally been granted access. The group of over 1,700 arrivals from Myanmar reported on 13 May has now reduced to some 255, who are being accommodated in four temporary safety areas, managed by the Royal Thai Government. The remainder of the group has reportedly returned to Myanmar..."
Source/publisher:
UN High Commissioner for Refugees (Geneva) via Reliefweb (New York)
Date of publication:
2021-06-03
Date of entry/update:
2021-06-04
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNHCR (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Food Security and nutrition in Burma/Myanmar, Food Security and militarisation in Burma, Education in Burma/Myanmar - general, Human Rights and international relations
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Description:
"An estimated 151,000 people in southeastern parts of the country have been internally displaced by insecurity and armed conflict between various parties as of 31 May. In Kayah State, between 85,000 to 100,000 people are estimated to have been displaced by ongoing hostilities between the Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) and the Karenni Army as well as the Karenni People's Defence Force. Fighting in the area continues to escalate with airstrikes and indiscriminate shelling reported. The majority of the displaced people are concentrated in Demoso, Hpruso and Loikaw townships in Kayah State as well as Hsiseng and Pekon townships in southern Shan State, according to UNHCR. The displacement in Kayah State is in addition to 51,200 people who had been displaced in the south-east, over 47,300 people in Kayin State, with a further 3,900 in parts of Mon State and eastern Bago Region, since 1 February due to insecurity and clashes between the MAF and the Karen National Liberation Army. The humanitarian impact of hostilities in the region remains severe, with people displaced and those who remain in areas affected across the south-eastern parts of the country in urgent need of food, shelter, medicine, water as well as sanitation services. Humanitarian access to people in need is constrained by insecurity, road blockages, landmine risks and lengthy or unclear approval processes. As needs grow, the capacities of local partners are increasingly stretched and require additional financial support. Despite the challenges, operational partners are responding to needs where possible. During the reporting period, a small number of families displaced across several townships in Kayah State, Kayin State, and eastern parts of Bago Region received shelter and emergency kits, hygiene assistance, and basic medical supplies. The partners will continue to explore all possible options to respond to the needs of people displaced and everyone affected..."
Source/publisher:
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (New York) via "Reliefweb" (New York)
Date of publication:
2021-06-01
Date of entry/update:
2021-06-03
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Food Security and nutrition in Burma/Myanmar, Public Health, Human Rights and international relations, Armed conflict in Burma - attacks on civilians, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
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Size:
1.9 MB
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Topic:
Myanmar coup | Refugees
Topic:
Myanmar coup | Refugees
Description:
"As the ASEAN Secretary-General and a representative of the ASEAN Chair, Brunei, are expected to visit Myanmar this week, parliamentarians across Southeast Asia urge them to hold the military accountable for its blatant disregard of the five-point consensus, and to meet with all major stakeholders in Myanmar, ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) said today.
“More than one month since the ASEAN leaders’ meeting on Myanmar, the military has merely carried on with its brutal crackdown against the people,” said Charles Santiago, a Malaysian Member of Parliament (MP) and Chair of APHR. “How many more innocent lives must be lost before ASEAN decides to move beyond words and actually put in place binding measures and lay out consequences for the military’s brutality?”
This visit must also be the occasion for ASEAN to meet with State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint, who have been in detention since the military coup on 1 February, APHR said.
“If ASEAN only meets with the military it risks, once again, playing into the junta’s public relations exercise and granting them legitimacy, when all they deserve is admonition,” Santiago added.
To have a genuine and inclusive dialogue with all parties, ASEAN’s delegation must also meet with representatives of the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) and Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs).
“The delegation must make it clear to Min Aung Hlaing that constructive dialogue cannot be possible while political prisoners remain behind bars. It must demand to see them and urge their release. Otherwise, this trip to Myanmar may be completely worthless,” said Kasit Piromya, a former MP of Thailand and APHR Board Member.
The visit comes more than one month after an ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting was held, at which a Five-Point Consensus was agreed to by all who attended, including Myanmar Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.
As the Myanmar army continues its attacks and airstrikes, APHR also urges ASEAN Member States to help address the immediate needs of displaced persons inside the country and protect all persons seeking asylum. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimates that 61,000 persons have been internally displaced and over 12,000 refugees have fled Myanmar since 1 February.
“Not only is the military committing serious human rights violations, but they are causing a humanitarian and refugee crisis. ASEAN must urge the military to grant all humanitarian organizations and agencies inside Myanmar and across borders immediate, unfettered and unimpeded access to to all those in need,” Piromya said..."
Source/publisher:
ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR)
Date of publication:
2021-06-02
Date of entry/update:
2021-06-02
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
2021 Burma/Myanmar coup d'état, ASEAN-Burma relations, Human Rights and international relations, UNHCR (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups.
Language:
more
Description:
"Pro-democracy demonstrators took to the streets in towns around Myanmar on Tuesday to denounce the country's military, marking four months since it ousted an elected government and unleashed a wave of nationwide anger.
Despite a bloody crackdown by security forces, Myanmar's military is still struggling to impose order amid protests and strikes, and fighting on multiple fronts in border regions as civilians take up arms against the junta.
Protests took place in the south in Luang Lone, several areas of the Sagaing division including Kale and Monywa, and the commercial hub Yangon, according to images carried by mainstream and social media.
"This is not over yet. We still have our turn," read a sign carried by one protester.
Schools officially reopened across Myanmar for the first time since the Feb. 1 coup, but turnout was low due to security concerns and a boycott over the junta's suspension of tens of thousands of teachers opposed to its rule.
Some students held demonstrations with blood-splattered white uniforms.
Security forces have killed 840 people since the coup, according to figures from activists cited by the United Nations. The junta says about 300 people have died.
The military, known as the Tatmadaw, says it seized power because of fraud in a November election won by Aung San Suu Kyi's ruling party.
The state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper carried a quote from junta leader Min Aung Hlaing on Tuesday saying the current crisis was caused by "dishonesty of democracy" in the election, under a large headline that said "Tatmadaw values democracy".
The military's use of lethal force against its own people has caused outrage among western countries, and concern among its neighbours. In April, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) announced a five-point consensus towards resolving the crisis, though no timeframe was agreed.
But four diplomatic sources have told Reuters that the chair and secretary-general of ASEAN are planning to visit Myanmar this week, to meet junta leaders, among other stakeholders. read more
It was not clear if they would meet detainees or members of a shadow unity government formed to challenge the junta and undercut its efforts to gain international recognition....HEAVY TOLL: The unrest has taken a heavy toll in the countryside, where clashes between Myanmar's well-equipped military and ethnic minority armies or newly formed People's Defence Forces have displaced tens of thousands of people.
On Tuesday, a local aid group said 8,000 people were in camps having fled the town of Mindat in Chin State, which the army took control of last month after days of clashes with militias armed mostly with hunting rifles.
The people's militias have stepped up ambushes in recent weeks on troops in Kayah state bordering Thailand, where witnesses said fierce fighting and retaliatory shelling and air strikes had taken place late on Monday in the town of Demoso.
A resident shared video and images with Reuters of soldiers he said were killed in Demoso late on Monday. He said he saw six bodies and residents had counted 20.
The Karenni Nationalities Defence Force said on its Facebook page that 80 army soldiers had been killed on Monday, while one of its fighters and a civilian were also casualties.
Reuters could not verify the information and a spokesman for the junta did not answer calls seeking comment.
Myanmar state television made no mention of the Demoso unrest in its nightly news bulletin.
Fighting in Kayah has displaced about 37,000 people in recent weeks, according to the United Nations. Many have fled into jungles and are in need of food and medicine.
The Elders, a group of former national leaders founded by the late Nelson Mandela, on Tuesday called on the international community, including ASEAN, to turn up pressure on the junta.
"Myanmar is currently on a dangerous path towards state failure," its chair, Mary Robinson, said in a statement.
"Allowing the coup to succeed through inaction and disregard would further undermine the international rules-based order upon which global stability depends."..."
Source/publisher:
"Reuters" (UK)
Date of publication:
2021-06-01
Date of entry/update:
2021-06-02
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
2021 Burma/Myanmar coup d'état, Anti-coup protesters, Spring Revolution, Political prisoners and other violations in Burma - reports, Freedom of Movement, violations of in Burma/Myanmar, Freedom of opinion and expression: - the situation in Burma/Myanmar - reports, analyses, recommendations, Human Rights Defenders, Right to Life: reports of violations in Burma, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups.
Language:
more
Description:
"Myanmar pro-democracy supporters took to the streets on Tuesday in several districts, as fighting between the army and anti-junta militias raged in border areas, four months after the military ousted an elected government in a coup.
Despite a ferocious crackdown by security forces, Myanmar's military is still struggling to impose order after arresting Aung San Suu Kyi and senior leaders of her party, sparking nationwide protests and paralysing strikes.
In the far south of Myanmar, anti-military protesters staged a march in Laung Lone, a photograph posted by the Irrawaddy newspaper on social media showed.
Meanwhile, in the commercial hub of Yangon a group of mainly young protesters rallied in the district of Kamayut, photographs posted by the Myanmar Now news portal showed.
"This is not over yet. We still have our turn," read a sign written on a sheet carried by one protester.
Demonstrators in urban areas have had to become more nimble to avoid security forces, often using flash mobs or staging small unnannounced protests, after larger rallies in the first months after the coup were often met with security forces firing live rounds.
Decades-old conflicts between the military and ethnic minority armies in border areas have also reignited since the coup. Ethnic militias allied with a shadow civilian government have stepped up attacks on the army, which has responded with heavy weapons and air strikes, forcing thousands to flee.
Mobile phone footage obtained from a resident in Kayah state bordering Thailand showed what appeared to be artillery being fired from inside the state capital Loikaw into Demoso, about 14.5 km (9 miles) away, where a People's Defence Force said it had attacked troops and was coming under heavy fire.
Residents in Loikaw said that about 50 rounds had been fired on Monday and six on Tuesday morning.
"The sound of artillery is deafening us," a resident told Reuters on Monday, requesting anonymity due to safety concerns.
The Karenni Nationalities Defence Force, a militia active in Kayah state, said in a post on its Facebook page that 80 army soldiers had been killed on Monday, while one of its fighters and a civilian were also casualties.
Reuters could not verify the claim and a spokesman for the junta did not answer calls seeking comment.
Fighting in Kayah has displaced about 37,000 people in recent weeks, according to the United Nations. Many have fled into jungles and are in need of food and medicine.
Civilian forces, often armed with rudimentary rifles and limited training, have been formed in towns and regions across Myanmar to challenge the military, in support of a National Unity Government that the junta says is treasonous. read more
Security forces have killed 840 people since the coup, according to figures provided by an activist group.
Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has said the toll was nearer 300, and has said it is unlikely there will be a civil war in Myanmar..."
Source/publisher:
"Reuters" (UK)
Date of publication:
2021-06-01
Date of entry/update:
2021-06-01
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
2021 Burma/Myanmar coup d'état, Anti-coup protesters, Spring Revolution, Political prisoners and other violations in Burma - reports, Freedom of opinion and expression: - the situation in Burma/Myanmar - reports, analyses, recommendations, Freedom of Movement, violations of in Burma/Myanmar, Human Rights Defenders, Right to Life: reports of violations in Burma, Armed conflict in Burma - attacks on civilians, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups.
Language:
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Title: UNICEF Myanmar Humanitarian Situation Report No. 3: Reporting Period: 28 April to 28 May 2021
Topic:
Contributions, Coordination, Education, Food and Nutrition, Health, Mine Action, Protection and Human Rights, Water Sanitation Hygiene
Topic:
Contributions, Coordination, Education, Food and Nutrition, Health, Mine Action, Protection and Human Rights, Water Sanitation Hygiene
Description:
"Highlights: • The number of people displaced in Kayin, Kachin, Chin and Kayah has increased with the intensification of armed clashes between the Myanmar Armed Forces and ethnic armed organizations. A wave of improvised explosive device explosions has occurred resulting in the death of a 10 year old child and the injury of another child.
• A total of 54 children (47 boys, 7 girls) have been killed by security forces since the military takeover. Around 1,000 children and young people have been detained, although many of these have now been released.
• UNICEF and partners provided education on explosive weapons-related risk to 13,948 people.
• UNICEF conducted a rapid need assessment (RNA) in Mindat township,vChin State, which will provide data for advocacy, coordination, fundraising, and appropriate allocation of response funds.
• The humanitarian community is working on an Interim Emergency Response Plan for Urban Areas, which will constitute an Addendum to the 2021 Myanmar Humanitarian Response Plan..."
Source/publisher:
UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) (New York) via Reliefweb (New York)
Date of publication:
2021-05-28
Date of entry/update:
2021-05-31
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Children, Children's rights: reports of violations in Burma against more than one ethnic group, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Education in Burma/Myanmar - general, Public Health, Food Security and human rights in Burma
Language:
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401.04 KB (8 pages)
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Sub-title:
Dozens of villages have emptied in the past week due to resumed clashes between regime forces and resistance fighters
Description:
"As clashes between local resistance fighters and regime forces resume along the Chindwin River in Sagaing Region’s Kani Township, the number of displaced locals continues to rise.
Shootouts that initially broke out in the region in early April have escalated since Saturday, forcing more than 15,000 locals from 40 villages to flee their homes, according to a leader of the Kani Township Protest Committee.
“Everyone is on the run because they heard the junta’s troops are coming and they’re worried their villages will be raided,” he said, noting that many villages along the eastern bank of the Chindwin River have already been targeted.
“They’re on the run for their safety. Day and night, they have to move once they start hearing something unusual,” he added.
Many residents of the area have taken shelter with relatives in villages outside the conflict zone, while others have had to hide in the forest, according to local sources.
On May 6, a clash took place near Kin, a village on the Chindwin River. An increased military presence in the area since then has forced more than a thousand families to flee.
Displaced people from the village said they have had to repeatedly flee their temporary shelters as fighting has become more frequent along the river.
“We can’t sleep well at night. No one can,” a Kin villager told Myanmar Now by telephone.
Young children and the elderly are among the displaced and in need of food and medical assistance as the rainy season approaches, according to volunteers involved in the relief effort.
In early April, clashes between the military and local resistance fighters broke out along the Monywa-Yar Gyi-Kalaywa road in Kani. The fighting spread to villages along the Chindwin River in early May.
Last Saturday, military trucks passing near Hmyaing, a village on the Kani-Mingin road, were hit by explosives. There were many casualties in the attack, but the exact number could not be confirmed, according to members of a local defence team.
On Tuesday, there was a clash near Letpansu, a village on the east bank of the Chindwin, and the military occupied Htupauk, a neighbouring village in Kani Township.
Later on, the military raided other villages in the area, such as Kyawmakyar, Wayar and Kywetet, and looted valuable items from locals, including motorcycles.
On Thursday morning, regime troops raided the villages of Kyawywar, Zeehpyukone and Shanmyaung in Kani Township, taking food and other property left behind by fleeing residents.
From May 22 to 27, there were three clashes between regime forces and local resistance forces in Kani Township, killing at least nine local members and injuring 20, mainly from shelling, according to a member of the local defence force.
Anti-dictatorship protests were widespread in Kani before the current conflict began. Defence groups armed with hunting rifles and homemade weapons began forming in early April to protect civilians from the military’s violent crackdowns..."
Source/publisher:
"Myanmar Now" (Myanmar)
Date of publication:
2021-05-28
Date of entry/update:
2021-05-29
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Right to Life: reports of violations in Burma, Armed conflict in Burma - attacks on civilians, 2021 Burma/Myanmar coup d'état
Language:
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Description:
"This regular update, covering humanitarian developments in conflict-affected areas from 24 April to 24 May, is produced by OCHA Myanmar in collaboration with the Inter-Cluster Coordination Group and UNHCR. The next update will be issued towards the end of June 2021.....HIGHLIGHTS: Around 46,000 people were displaced in the south-eastern part of Myanmar between April and May due to the conflict and insecurity, about 37,000 of them displaced in late May following the clashes in Kayah State.
In Chin State, thousands have been internally displaced following an escalation of hostilities in the town of Mindat since 12 May.
In northern Shan, clashes between the Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) and Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) and among EAOs continue and around 2,800 people were displaced in May. A total of 8,400 people who have fled since January 2021 remain displaced.
In Kachin State, there has been no new displacement during the reporting period, despite the active armed conflict between the MAF and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA); about 8,500 people who fled insecurity since mid-March remain displaced.
No new population displacement has been reported in Rakhine State. Cases of acute watery diarrhea (AWD) are reported in IDP camps in Mrauk-U, Paukaw and Sittwe townships.
Humanitarian response remains severely constrained in all conflict-affected areas due to insecurity, banking disruptions, road blockages and pre-existing access challenges.
Myanmar Humanitarian Fund First Standard Allocation of US$10 million launched on 13 May has been amended with an additional $0.35 million to scale up response in Chin State.
A total of US$40.2 million has been mobilized under the 2021 Humanitarian Response Plan, which seeks $276.5 million to address the needs of around 1 million people in conflict-affected areas. This represents less than 15 per cent of the funds required.
KEY FIGURES
85.9K people internally displaced in the South-east due to clashes and insecurity in 2021
15K people internally displaced in northern Shan due to armed clashes in 2021
10K people internally displaced in Kachin State due to armed clashes in 2021
10K people hosted in sites in Chin State and Magway Region due to hostilities in Mindat in May
SITUATION OVERVIEW
UPSURGE IN DISPLACEMENT IN THE SOUTH-EAST: Around 46,000 people were displaced in the southeastern part of the country between April and May, according to data obtained by UNHCR from various sources. This includes the displacement of an estimated 37,000 persons across 57 locations in Kayah State where violence had erupted in late May between the MAF and the Karenni Army, the armed wing of the Karenni National Progressive Party, as well as the Karenni People’s Defense Force, an armed group formed by civilian resistance fighters.
There have been additional displacements, mainly in Kayin State due to insecurity and the clashes between the Karen National Liberation Army and the MAF. Around 45,000 people are currently internally displaced in Kayin State. The majority of them are hiding in jungles with some 8,000 sheltering in caves along Salween River at the border with Thailand. A further 3,900 people remain displaced in Mon State and Bago Region since February. This makes 85,900 the total number of people who have been internally displaced in the region due to armed clashes as well as insecurity as of 24 May.
The internal displacement comes in addition to cross-border movement that remains fluid. Around 7,000 people from Kayin State have crossed the border to seek safety in Thailand since late March and some 1,000 remain in temporary areas in Mae Hong Son Province in Thailand as of 23 May, according to UNHCR.
Humanitarian needs include food, shelter and access to hygiene and sanitation facilities. Additionally, there have been reports of cases of water-borne diseases among the displaced population in the jungle as result of extended lack of access to hygiene and sanitation facilities compounded by the early arrival of the rainy season. Local sources warn of a looming food security crisis if people are unable to return to their villages of origin to tend to their crops and livestock.
Humanitarian partners are doing their best to respond to these needs, both within Myanmar and across the border. For example, in Kayah State, partners provided food and basic households items, child protection and health interventions to a small number of IDPs. However, access restrictions due to insecurity, road blockages, remote terrain, landmine contamination and other bureaucratic impediments continue to impede programme delivery across Kayah and elsewhere.
INCREASING HUMANITARIAN NEEDS IN CHIN STATE: Thousands of people have been displaced following an escalation of violence between the MAF and the Chinland Defense Forces (CDF) in and around the town of Mindat in Chin State on 12 May. The MAF deployed heavy artillery, military helicopters and snipers to the area, and despite the reported retreat of the CDF the following day, the MAF reportedly continued its attacks, including against civilian areas and infrastructure in the town of Mindat, which is home to about 25,000 people (2014 data).
Over 9,000 IDPs are currently hosted in 16 sites, mainly in churches and monasteries, in and around Mindat and 7 sites in Saw in Magway Region. Thousands more had reportedly fled to nearby forests and mountains in search of safety and protection. There are also reports of civilian casualties, damage to and occupation of civilian infrastructure, incidents of the MAF using civilians as human shields and alleged cases of sexual assault against women and girls. Clashes also occurred between the MAF and the CDF in Loklung Village near the capital city of Hakkha on 18 May. This has led to the displacement of around 1,000 people to neighboring villages, according to local partners.
The displaced population and those who remain in town are in urgent need of food, water, medicine, shelter and protection services, such as gender-based violence and psychological support. Local communities and religious institutions are making efforts to provide humanitarian assistance; however, this is not reaching everyone in need. Access restrictions, including due to road blockages and insecurity, are complicating the efforts to verify the reports of displacement, casualties and other incidents, as well as assess needs and respond. The Myanmar Humanitarian Fund (MHF) is supporting an operational partner in Chin State to scale up response, by topping up with an additional funding an existing humanitarian programme.
MORE PEOPLE DISPLACED IN NORTHERN SHAN: Population movement remains fluid in northern areas of Shan State with new displacements and small-scale returns reported on a regular basis. In Hsipaw Township, around 2,510 people fled from their homes to safe areas due to hostilities between the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army and the allied forces of the Ta'ang National Liberation Army and the Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army on 18 May. Small-scale population movements were also reported in Nawnghkio and Namtu townships and over the course of May, 2,800 people were internally displaced due to various clashes. A total of 15,151 people have been internally displaced in northern Shan since the start of 2021. While almost half of them returned to their places of origin within weeks, some 8,400 people remain displaced in 34 sites in Hsipaw, Kyaukme, Momeik, Namtu, Namhkan and Nawghkio townships. The IDPs are unable to return due to damage to their property and livelihoods as well as insecurity and risks from landmine contamination.
Humanitarian partners organized three missions to the displacement sites and protracted IDP camps over the course of May to assess people’s needs and strengthen response coordination. Despite some assistance provided by host communities and local partners, the needs of families newly displaced remain largely unmet. The IDPs currently require temporary shelter, food, basic household materials, including mosquito nets, blankets, and mats, as well as access to water and sanitation facilities.
NO NEW DISPLACEMENT IN KACHIN DESPITE INSECURITY: There has been no new population displacement in Kachin during the reporting period. Close to 10,000 people have been displaced across Kachin State following the resumption of clashes in mid-March. While many have returned to their places of origin since then, over 8,500 people remain displaced in Bhamo, Hpakant, Injanyang, Momauk, Myitkyina, Sadung, Shwegu and Waingmaw townships. Local communities and operational partners are responding to the needs of newly displaced people; however, access challenges and insecurity are complicating these efforts.
The security situation remains volatile in Kachin State, with regular armed clashes between the MAF and the KIA in several townships and general insecurity across the state. Hostilities were reported across as many as 13 townships; however, clashes were intense in Momauk Township in particular, where fighting around the Ah Law Bum mountain area, currently controlled by the KIA continues unabated, with reports of aerial strikes by the MAF and artillery shelling by both sides. Since March, over 100 armed engagements were reported across Kachin. According to public sources, 11 civilians were killed and 22 others injured between 11 March and 12 May. The details of these incidents could not be verified at the time of reporting due to access challenges.
ACUTE WATERY DIARRHEA IN CENTRAL RAKHINE: AWD cases were reported in IDP camps in MraukU, Pauktaw and Sittwe townships with majority of cases affecting children under five. Based on available information, the cases were reported to be highest during the week of 3 May, with 1,200 cases, and majority reported from six IDP camps. Over 2,000 cases of AWD have so far been reported as of 25 May. The situation has started to stabilize as the number of cases started to go down since 16 May, following robust response by operational partners who are coordination with relevant entities to scale up awareness raising efforts of good hygiene, testing of water quality, chlorination of the boreholes, and cleaning of solid waste and disinfection of latrines. Disease surveillance is ongoing and operational hours of mobile clinics have been extended in certain camps with larger caseloads. Case investigation and laboratory sample collection were also conducted with relevant entities and findings were directly shared to frontline health partners for appropriate clinical management.
NO NEW DIPLACEMENT IN RAKHINE: There has not been any new clashes between the MAF and the AA since November 2020 and no new displacement has been reported. Some small-scale returns among IDPs continue to take place in a number of townships. Close to 82,000 people remain displaced at 147 sites and 27 host communities in 10 townships across Rakhine State. This is in addition to 126,000 IDPs hosted in protracted camps established in 2012..."
Source/publisher:
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (New York) via "Reliefweb" (New York)
Date of publication:
2021-05-27
Date of entry/update:
2021-05-28
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Internal displacement/forced migration of Shan. Palaung and Wa villagers, Internal displacement/forced migration of Kachin, Internal displacement/forced migration of Karen villagers, Humanitarian assistance - emergencies, Various groups, Food Security and nutrition in Burma/Myanmar, Education in Burma/Myanmar - general, Public Health, Human Rights and international relations, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
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"Children and the elderly make up a large proportion of the people taking refuge in camps in northwest Myanmar to escape fighting between the army and insurgents, residents said on Thursday, as France called for an urgent delivery of humanitarian aid.
In the past week, Chin State bordering India has seen some of the most serious fighting since Myanmar's military seized power in a coup on Feb. 1 and removed the elected government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
India said this week that more than 15,000 people had crossed the border to seek refuge, but residents in Chin State said many of the most vulnerable were sheltering in camps around the town of Mindat after it was overrun by the army.
"Children and the elderly make up a big proportion of the groups. Some didn't have sandals. They trekked through the forest barefoot for days," said a 34-year-old resident helping look after the displaced but asked not to be identified.
He said that villages around Mindat were caring for about 2,000 displaced people in camps and churches, while access to the town once home to more than 40,000 people had been blocked.
"We will face food shortage after a week," said the resident, adding that petrol supplies were about to run out.
At least 10 people have been killed in Chin State in the past week, according to figures from the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners activist group.
It puts the countrywide death toll since the coup at 807, a figure disputed by the army.
Pleading for international aid, another Mindat resident said the camp he was at had 13 bags of rice and would see shortages soon, with the 140 people there now expected to swell to 300.
Those fleeing say thousands of people left Mindat after the army attacked to root out fighters of the newly formed Chinland Defence Force, who are aligned with a National Unity Government (NUG) formed by the junta's opponents.....'IMMEDIATE NECESSITY': The French Embassy in Myanmar blamed a "disproportionate use of force and war weapons against civilians by the military" for causing a loss of human life and the displacement of thousands in Chin State.
"The restoration of access to water and electricity as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid for population in need are an immediate necessity," the embassy said in a statement on its Facebook page.
Fighting in the area is continuing, and a citizens' administrative group said in a post on social media that Chin militia had killed three soldiers on a road out of Mindat on Wednesday.
The United Nations said nearly 10,000 people had been displaced in Kachin State in the north by renewed fighting since mid-March. Thousands have also been displaced by clashes in the east and northeast.
A spokesman for the military council did not answer calls for comment.
The junta has struggled to impose its authority in the face of daily protests, paralysing strikes and an upsurge of fighting against old and new groups of ethnic minority fighters.
Attacks on junta-appointed local administrators have increased in recent weeks, with state media on Thursday reporting "terrorists" and "insurgents" had killed or wounded officials with knives, guns and home-made bombs.
It also reported arson attacks on state-owned property in several cities. Witnesses and local media reported explosions on Thursday in Mandalay and the biggest city, Yangon.
Anti-coup marches took place in different parts of the country by day, with candle-lit strikes and protests by night on Thursday, all calling for the overthrow of the military, many with signs backing the unity government.
The NUG on Thursday announced the formation of a commission to draft a new federal constitution, hoping to follow through with a pledge by Suu Kyi's party to replace the current military-drafted charter.
Myanmar's constitution had long been a source of friction between the army and Suu Kyi's government, which was intent on amending it to reduce the military's political powers, which included parliamentary seats and control of defence and interior ministries.
The junta has been hit by Western sanctions and widely condemned over the coup and its violent suppression of protests, but has found a diplomatic friend in Russia, a key source of its defence hardware.
News outlets in both countries on Thursday reported a Myanmar military delegation was visiting Moscow to attend an exhibition showcasing Russian helicopters..."
Source/publisher:
"Reuters" (UK)
Date of publication:
2021-05-20
Date of entry/update:
2021-05-21
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Chin State, Humanitarian assistance - emergencies, The discussion on humanitarian assistance to Burma, Internal displacement/forced migration in Chin State, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Political prisoners and other violations in Burma - reports, Right to Life: reports of violations in Burma, 2021 Burma/Myanmar coup d'état, National Unity Government (NUG)
Language:
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Topic:
Food and Nutrition, Health, Protection and Human Rights, Shelter and Non-Food Items, Water Sanitation Hygiene
Topic:
Food and Nutrition, Health, Protection and Human Rights, Shelter and Non-Food Items, Water Sanitation Hygiene
Description:
"In the first half of May, heavy fighting between the Myanmar Armed Forces and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs), particularly in Kayin, Kachin and Chin states, killed dozens of combatants and internally displaced thousands of civilians. Approximately 61,000 people have now been displaced internally in Myanmar since the military takeover on 1 February 2021, of whom some 56,000 remain displaced, representing a 10 percent increase since the beginning of May. This number includes an estimated 42,000 in south-eastern Myanmar and 14,000 in Kachin and northern Shan states. Thousands of people are also additionally believed to be internally displaced in Chin State and Sagaing Region.
Since late March, some 6,900 Myanmar nationals have also sought safety from armed clashes in Thailand’s Mae Hong Son province, with 1,800 refugees currently being accommodated in temporary safety areas along the Thai-Myanmar border. In India, refugees from Myanmar continue crossing into Mizoram and Manipur to seek refuge, including as the COVID-19 outbreak in the border areas becomes worse..."
Source/publisher:
UN High Commissioner for Refugees (Geneva)
Date of publication:
2021-05-20
Date of entry/update:
2021-05-21
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNHCR (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), Food Security and human rights in Burma, Food Security and nutrition in Burma/Myanmar, Food Security and displacement in Burma, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Public Health, Human Rights and international relations
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"Burma Campaign UK is calling on the British government to reverse cuts in international aid, and to protect the aid budget for Burma in light of the military coup and growing humanitarian crisis in the country.
No announcement has yet been made on expected cuts in the Burma aid budget. The 2020-2021 aid budget for Burma was £88 million.
The humanitarian situation in Burma was already dire, with hundreds of thousands of people homeless because of attacks and human rights violations by the military, and millions living in poverty.
Since the military coup in February the situation has got much worse. More than half the population is living in poverty and another 60,000 people have fled their homes because of bombing attacks by the military. It is highly likely that conflict will escalate and the humanitarian crisis will get worse.
“Aid to Burma needs to be increased, but instead it’s going to be cut at a time when the need has never been greater,” said Karin Valtersson, Campaigns Officer at Burma Campaign UK. “The aid budget for Burma must be protected. Aid should be given to local civil society organisations who know best how to help their own communities.”
Following the coup, the British government was right to stop development aid in cooperation with the government, as the military controls the machinery of government. However, stopping these projects should not be seen as an easy way to cut money from the aid budget. Instead the money should be redirected to the most vulnerable in the country.
As a result of successful campaigns by Burma Campaign UK, there were already strict rules in place to prevent aid reaching the military.
In particular Burma Campaign UK is asking for aid to be prioritised for:
Internally displaced people (IDPs), and refugees from Burma. The support for these groups was already underfunded before the coup.
Increasing cross-border aid, which is often the only way to reach the most vulnerable people in ethnic states.
To channel support to and through local, grassroots organisations, which have real knowledge about the needs on the ground. These groups have always been underfunded and are playing a crucial role right now in supporting activists fleeing central Burma to hide from the military in the jungle, as well as providing food and shelter for the increasing numbers of IDPs.
To support local grassroots organisations documenting human rights abuses.
“Dominic Raab’s aid cuts coming on top of the military coup, and the human rights violations and economic damage which has followed, would be a cruel blow to the people of Burma and a betrayal by the British government,” said Karin Valtersson..."
Source/publisher:
"Burma Campaign UK" (London)
Date of publication:
2021-05-19
Date of entry/update:
2021-05-19
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
2021 Burma/Myanmar coup d'état, Human Rights and international relations, The discussion on humanitarian assistance to Burma, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups.
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Description:
"The brave people of Myanmar and the National Unity Government of Myanmar greatly appreciate the People, Parliament and Government of the United Kingdom for standing with us at this critical moment in our history. While the fate of our country is in the hands of our people, strong and continued support from the UK Government
and the international community is absolutely crucial to our success. Now, more than ever, the people of Myanmar need your continued friendship and support. First of all, I would like to reiterate my sincere thanks to the People, Parliament and Government of the United Kingdom for standing in solidarity and being a strong voice
for the people of Myanmar. I also want to express my gratitude for the efforts of the UK on coordinating targeted sanctions against key tatmadaw personnel, tatmadaw linked companies and enterprises such as MEC and MEHL, and for providing extra funding to the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar. Additionally, I
would like to further thank the UK government for taking a strong leadership role in the UN and G7 summits on behalf of the people of Myanmar, and for the recognition of CRPH and NUG as important voices of many in this nation. Truly we are the voice
of over 54 million brave people who stand in solidarity against the cruel and ruthless junta. Thank you also for lending protection and support to Ambassador Kyaw Zraw Minn since he was illegally removed from office by the junta.
I previously had the wonderful privilege of meeting with Minister H.E. Nigel Adams and other British Parliamentarians who reassured me that the People and Government of the UK are strongly committed and supportive of the brave people of Myanmar in our peaceful movement for freedom and democracy against the junta reign of terror. I am also looking forward very much to appearing before the British
Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee on the Myanmar military coup hearing. I am proud to serve as the Minister of International Cooperation and Spokesperson for the National Unity Government. It is my job to provide you with the information and assistance that you need to support the people of Myanmar. I am always at your
service. The duty of a nation’s military is to defend and protect its people. However, under the command of Min Aung Hlaing, the supposed guardians of our nation are doing precisely the opposite of their duty and continue arbitrarily murdering and detaining
without cause the brave and innocent civilians of Myanmar on a daily and hourly basis. The people of Myanmar unanimously consider Min Aung Hlaing and those who report to him as terrorists. It has been 104 days since Min Aung Hlaing and his gunmen instigated this illegal coup d’etat and took the nation hostage.
Since that day:
• Nearly 800 civilians have been murdered, including at least 52 children;
• Approximately 5,000 civilians have been detained with roughly 4,000 still
remaining in detention;
• Over 1,500 are being hunted by junta forces, evading arrest warrants.
• Continually bombing villages in ethnic States;
• The junta continues using the ASEAN Summit as a propaganda tool;
• I myself am personally wanted for high treason, as are my colleagues;
• Daily raids on private homes continue unabated. In a raid last week of the
home of an opposition leader, for example, authorities abducted his wife
and 20 day old infant when they could not find him.
• There is significant evidence of the torture of those captured, including the poet Khat Thi who was detained last week and murdered within 24 hours.
• They continue to try and stop the truth from getting out:
o They have shutdown Internet access for weeks now,
o Abolished all free media outlets,
o illegitimately made free association illegal, and
o they have harassed and imprisoned journalists. More than 40
journalists remain in detention in Myanmar including an international
Journalist from Japan.
• The violence we are seeing by the junta is both systematic and widespread. It is clear that they are engaging in crimes against humanity against the people of Myanmar.
• Myanmar is quickly becoming a failed state:
o Nearly a quarter million people have become displaced.
o Food insecurity is rising sharply..."
Source/publisher:
Ministry of International Cooperation Myanmar
Date of publication:
2021-05-15
Date of entry/update:
2021-05-17
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Anti-coup protesters, Spring Revolution, Human Rights and international relations, UK-Burma relations, Freedom of opinion and expression: - the situation in Burma/Myanmar - reports, analyses, recommendations, Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association, violations of, Human Rights Defenders, Freedom of Movement, violations of in Burma/Myanmar, Right to Life: reports of violations in Burma, Food Security and displacement in Burma, Public Health, Education in Burma/Myanmar - general, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., 2021 Burma/Myanmar coup d'état, National Unity Government (NUG)
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Topic:
Education, Food and Nutrition, Health, Protection and Human Rights, Shelter and Non-Food Items, Water Sanitation Hygiene
Topic:
Education, Food and Nutrition, Health, Protection and Human Rights, Shelter and Non-Food Items, Water Sanitation Hygiene
Description:
"Since the military takeover on 1 February, insecurity and clashes continue to be reported across much of the country with arrest, detention and use of excessive force against protestors by police and security forces. Disruptions to banking services, healthcare, communications, and supply chains ensue, while tensions and confrontations in the north and southeast intensify between Tatmadaw and ethnic armed organizations.
UNHCR and partners continue providing critical life-saving humanitarian assistance, while following the development of the situation closely to better understand the full potential impact on people of concern, including IDPs and stateless populations. Early warning systems, initiated by UNHCR and partners, continue to be employed to detect changes on the ground which could impact on operations and people of concern with the view to inform timely mitigating measures and responses.
At the same time, in this rapidly evolving context, the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis continues to pose additional potential challenges to already strained or disrupted health services. While integrating COVID-19 prevention and response into regular programming, UNHCR will continue to monitor the impact on populations of concern given the heightened risks they may face with critical protection service and assistance increasingly restricted.....NUMBERS AT A GLANCE: 600,000 Estimated stateless Rohingya in Rakhine State, of which some 144,000 are living in 21 displacement camps as well as among the host community since 2012
285,000 Internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in Rakhine, Chin,
Kachin, northern Shan, Kayin states, and Bago (east) region, including some 93,100* in 201 sites displaced due to the AAMAF conflict, and at least 58,600 due to the resumption and intensification of clashes between the Tatmadaw and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) in the north-and south-east Townships across Rakhine, Chin, Kachin and northern Shan states, and the south-east where UNHCR has consulted with communities through the Early Warning Systems
46,746 Displaced and affected people in Myanmar supported with basic non-food items and shelter material by UNHCR and partners in 2021
Financial requirements in 2021 (as of 04 May 2021) Financial requirements in 2020 (as of 05 January 2021)
USD 52.7 million (14% funded).....KEY HIGHLIGHTS | March - April 2021: Kachin & northern Shan
The resumption and intensification of armed clashes in the Kachin and northern Shan states between the Tatmadaw and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) since March have resulted in the displacement of over 18,000** individuals by 10 May, 14,300 of whom remain in displacement.
In March and April, UNHCR and partners continued to provide support to persons with specific needs (PSNs), including persons with disabilities, elderly, single/female headed households, and those with serious medical conditions, through provision of emergency cash assistance benefitting 207 PSNs and their families. The support is aimed at addressing their most pressing needs such as medical expenses while reducing the risk of resorting to negative coping mechanisms such as borrowing money or taking on debt, or reducing expenditure on key items including water, food, education and healthcare.
UNHCR continues to provide targeted non-food items (NFI) to meet the needs of displaced persons. In March and April, UNHCR distributed NFI items including blankets, mosquito nets, plastic mats, kitchen sets, tarpaulins, solar lights, soap, and jerry cans to 1,034 families (4,354 individuals) in Kachin and northern Shan states.
In March, UNHCR and partners, completed a community-based project in Mogaung Township, Kachin State. A communal hall was completed with the involvement of the community and will benefit 450 individuals. Since the beginning of the year, UNHCR and partners have completed several projects benefitting over 4,000 individuals. Examples of projects, which are aimed at improving conditions in communities and strengthening social cohesion, include the construction and renovation of schools, road construction, and the construction of gravity flow water systems.....Rakhine & southern Chin: As of April 2021, there are over 93,100 persons displaced across 201 sites and in host communities in Rakhine and southern Chin states in connection with the AAMAF conflict.
Support to displacement sites and IDP camps continue despite limitations imposed by the current political and COVID-19 context. In March and April, UNHCR contributed 10,560 CGI sheets and 811kg of nails for shelter reconstruction through combined efforts of Shelter Cluster partners and UNHCR direct implementation in central Rakhine, and 1,351 families (6,755 individuals) in 31 displacement sites received shelter material to prevent damage during the rainy season in April. In addition, 48 families (240 individuals) received tarpaulins and rope as well as portable solar lamps.
Based on assessments carried out in northern Rakhine townships to identify persons with specific needs in both villages and displacement sites, including persons with disabilities, elderly, and single/female headed households,1,218 households (6,090 individuals) received NFI support, items included kitchen sets, mosquito nets, sleeping mats, jerry cans, blankets, tarpaulins.
Field activities within the framework of creating conditions for sustainable solutions for displaced persons from Rakhine State remain ongoing. During the reporting period, a number of community-based projects have been progressing; two community water pond rehabilitation projects are near completion, as is the drilling of a borehole, while another borehole is in the early stages of work. The installation of 59 solar streetlights has been completed in three villages, and a road project and water pond project have been initiated in two village tracts. In another location, a project to improve village paths and access roads in two villages is more than halfway complete.....South-east: Sustained armed clashes in the southeast region of Myanmar between the Tatmadaw and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs), including the use of airstrikes, have led to the displacement of an estimated 44,300 people, 5,000 of whom have crossed the border into Thailand and have subsequently returned to Myanmar and remain displaced internally.
The current political situation continues to result in the suspension of many activities in the southeast, both of UNHCR’s and partners’, aside from a few including those carried out by UNHCR through direct implementation.
On 27 April, UNHCR distributed non-food items (NFIs) to new IDPs who fled from airstrikes in Hpa-Pun Township, benefitting 46 families (191 individuals).
In coordination with the Myanmar Red Cross Society (MRCS), UNHCR facilitated two first aid and trauma trainings targeting 35 members of the community and civil society organizations (CSOs) in Loikaw Township, Kayah State. Given the positive feedback received, two more similar trainings will be organized for May targeting 60 individuals.
In March and April, the implementation of community-based projects in Kayin State progressed with an aim of improving infrastructure and supporting peaceful coexistence among communities. Several projects are in various stages of completion, including solar streetlight installation and the construction of a primary school, which are nearing completion, and the construction of a health centre including staff housing and the construction of a study hall are nearly half complete..."
Source/publisher:
UN High Commissioner for Refugees (Geneva) via Reliefweb (New York)
Date of publication:
2021-04-30
Date of entry/update:
2021-05-15
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNHCR (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Armed conflict in Burma - Impact on village life, including health and education, Armed conflict in Kachin State - displacement and the humanitarian situation, Armed conflict in Shan State - displacement, mass exoduses and the humanitarian situation, Armed conflict in Rakhine (Arakan) State, Armed conflict in Burma - attacks on civilians, Food Security and nutrition in Burma/Myanmar, Public Health
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Topic:
Agriculture, Health, Protection and Human Rights
Topic:
Agriculture, Health, Protection and Human Rights
Description:
"In northern Shan, armed clashes between the Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) and various ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) or amongst EAOs continue across a number of townships, resulting in population displacement and civilian casualties. In Kutkai Township, four civilians were injured on 4 May due to clashes between the MAF and the allied forces of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), according to local reports. Hostilities in the area reportedly damaged a number of houses and livestock, leaving those affected in need of shelter and livelihoods support. In Hsipaw Township, armed confrontations between the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army and the TNLA displaced around 310 people between 2-3 May. Since January 2021, a total of 12,280 people have been internally displaced in at least nine townships across northern Shan. Almost half of them already returned to their places of origin; the other half is hosted in more than 30 sites, mainly in Hsipaw, Kyaukme and Namtu townships. Humanitarian actors are making all efforts to address the immediate needs of displaced families - which include shelter, basic household items, access to healthcare, water and sanitation and food - but access and insecurity continue to hinder these operations.³..."
Source/publisher:
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (New York) via "Reliefweb" (New York)
Date of publication:
2021-05-11
Date of entry/update:
2021-05-12
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UN System humanitarian assistance, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Food Security and displacement in Burma, Food Security and human rights in Burma, Food Security in Shan State
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Size:
1.89 MB
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Description:
"Today marks the 100th day our country comes under a military coup. The military council continues to commit human rights violations daily ignoring 100 days of demands from the people of Myanmar to return
to democracy and ignoring international condemnation against the coup. Giving no respect to the people of Myanmar and disregarding the election results, taking the country's power by coup means an insult to human rights wherein "the people have the rights to the government of their choosing". Since the coup, the military shows nothing but disrespect to people's basic human rights by continuing to oppress violently, murdering innocent protesters and civilians, torturing the whole public, and use various forms of threats to quash the people's voices. The innocent civilians and peaceful protesters are not only met with extreme force but also are targeted and
shot at even in their own homes by the military which uses arms and weapons with an intent to slain them.Worse is that some families are
asked to pick up their loved ones who were arrested the previous day but they are picking up their loved ones' lifeless bodies and these dead bodies told the story of inhumane treatment and brute force that they endured during their detention. Moreover, there is verifiable news of women, girls, and persons of LGBTIQA+ being sexually assaulted and raped while under the military's detention. At the same time, the military continues to commit human rights abuses and violations against ethnic nationalities in ethnic areas. In addition to the enduring wreck of nearly a century-old civil wars, ethnic nationalities again become internally displaced people (IDPs) due to airstrikes carried out by the military. In several ethnic nationality areas, humanitarian aid is urgently needed now for children, women, and elderly people. All these violation and atrocity certainly are the crime against humanity by the international humanitarian and human rights standards.
I would like to say I am very proud to see people's unwavering protests against the coup amid terrible oppressions and heroes of the Civil Disobedient Movement (CDM) and I am deeply humbled by all of these. I would like to express my gratitude to those supporters of our Spring Revolution from the international communities and those who voice their unity and solidarity to our movement even though they are in refugee and IDP camps after fleeing the military's brutal crackdown and offensive attacks. The military council is not only violating the basic human rights described in international human rights
principles and standards but also committing crimes against humanity. The Ministry of Human Rights (MOHR) is determined to work our utmost best in bringing accountability to those who perpetrate these
violations and atrocities by employing different ways and methods through diplomatic channels and the international legal system. Only by doing so, we will be able to transform our country and eliminate the longexisted culture of impunity and dictators who think they are above the law. However, we must warn that NOW is a time to stop abuses and violations of human rights, to stop terrorising the public, and to stop giving excuses that they are just following the order. All of us need to understand that no matter which role and capacity you are in, if you perpetrate human rights abuses and violations, you will be brought to justice and you will be held accountable for your actions and inactions, it is crucial time to answer the questions of would you be on the peoples' side or are prepared to appear before
the international criminal court systems by continuing human rights abuses and violations. Our invitation is extended to the Army, Navy, Air Force personnel including those from Myanmar Police
Force, that it is still a good time to side with justice and the people if you do not want to be charged and punished in the criminal justice system and if you do not want to be recorded in history as criminals..."
Source/publisher:
National Unity Government of Myanmar
Date of publication:
2021-05-12
Date of entry/update:
2021-05-12
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
National Unity Government (NUG), Human Rights and international relations, International Criminal Court, Racial or ethnic discrimination in Burma: reports of violations against several groups, Anti-coup protesters, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Humanitarian assistance, international standards and principles, 2021 Burma/Myanmar coup d'état
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Topic:
Peace and Security
Sub-title:
The United Nations independent human rights expert on Myanmar on Friday called on countries that have not yet done so, to impose arms embargo on the country urgently, to stop the “massacre” of citizens across the country.
Topic:
Peace and Security
Description:
"Tom Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the southeast Asian nation, underscored in a statement, the need to stop the flow of weapons and so called dual-use weapons technology into the hands of forces under the command of the military junta, describing it as “literally a matter of life and death.”
“There is no time to lose … I urge governments who support cutting the flow of weapons to a brutal military junta to consider immediately establishing their own arms embargo against Myanmar while simultaneously encouraging UN Security Council action.”
‘Dual-use’ technology
Mr. Andrews also said that bilateral arms embargoes should encompass both weapons and dual-use technology, including surveillance equipment.
“Together, they will represent an important step forward to literally taking guns out of the hands of those killing innocent men, women and children.”
The Special Rapporteur also applauded a call by over 200 civil society organizations to bring the arms embargo issue to the attention of the 15-member Security Council.
He is currently updating a list of States that have established arms embargoes against Myanmar, Mr. Andrews added, noting that he intended to publish an updated list next month. The independent expert’s report to the Human Rights Council in March identified that nations that had already established arms embargoes.
Month four
Into its fourth month, the political turmoil – marked by near daily pro-democracy protests and a brutal crackdown by security forces – has reportedly claimed at least 750 lives and wounded countless more.
There are also serious concerns over the continuing impact of the crisis, with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) warning of an economic collapse, and the UN human rights chief cautioning that Myanmar could spiral into a “full-blown conflict” similar to the implosion of Syria over the past decade, if the bloodshed does not stop.....Preparing supplies for refugees, in Thailand: Meanwhile, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has said that it is pre-positioning key relief items and personal protective equipment (PPE) in Thailand, which could potentially be provided to those fleeing violence in Myanmar.
According to a bulletin issued earlier this week, about 2,300 people crossed from Myanmar into Thailand on 27 April due to increased fighting and they are currently hosted in safe zones, managed by the Thai Army.
“UNHCR has advocated for access to the population and offered support to the Thai Government’s efforts to respond to further displacement from Myanmar and address refugees’ protection needs”, it said.
As of 31 December 2020, there are about 92,000 Myanmar refugees in Thailand, who fled previous waves of displacement, in nine temporary shelters, according to UNHCR.....Refugee arrivals in India: Similarly, the agency estimates that between 4,000 to 6,000 refugees from Myanmar have entered into the Indian states of Mizoram and Manipur since March, where local charities and individuals have provided life-saving assistance those arriving.
“Some 190 have moved onward to New Delhi, where UNHCR is assessing their needs and has begun registering and providing them with basic assistance”, the agency added, noting that it has offered its support to the Indian Government in protection, and humanitarian coordination and response to new arrivals from Myanmar..."
Source/publisher:
UN News
Date of publication:
2021-05-07
Date of entry/update:
2021-05-09
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UN human rights documents on Myanmar, UN Security Council, The UN and Burma - news and commentary, UN System humanitarian assistance, Women's rights, Children, Children's rights: reports of violations in Burma against more than one ethnic group, Discrimination/violence against women: reports of violations in Burma, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Karen and other refugees from Burma in Thailand - general reports and articles, Burmese refugees in India
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Topic:
Health, Logistics and Telecommunications, Protection and Human Rights, Shelter and Non-Food Items
Topic:
Health, Logistics and Telecommunications, Protection and Human Rights, Shelter and Non-Food Items
Description:
"KEY DISPLACEMENT FIGURES: 10,000 Estimated refugee movements to neighbouring countries since 1 February 2021
980,000 Refugees and asylum-seekers from Myanmar in neighbouring countries as of 31 December 2020
50,000 Estimated internal displacement within Myanmar since 1 February 2021
370,000 Estimated internally displaced persons (IDPs) within Myanmar as of 31 December 2020.....HIGHLIGHTS:Since the military takeover in Myanmar on 1 February 2021, widespread violence against civilians across the country and the resumption and intensification of clashes between the Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) in border areas has forcibly displaced thousands of people within Myanmar and to neighbouring countries. Approximately 50,000 people have been displaced internally, these include an estimated 40,000 in southeastern Myanmar and 9,000 in Kachin and northern Shan states. Some 5,000 refugees crossed into Thailand in March and April, most of whom subsequently returned to Myanmar, and an estimated 4,000 to 6,000 refugees have sought safety in India.
As those displaced since 1 February are fleeing persecution or generalized violence and events seriously disturbing public order, UNHCR calls on countries across the region to offer refuge and protection to all individuals from Myanmar seeking safety. Humanitarian actors should be granted access to them to assess and respond to their needs.....RESPONSE: In Myanmar, the deteriorating security environment has exacerbated the precarious humanitarian situation that prevailed even before the military takeover. It has impeded the ability of affected populations to seek safety and access urgent life-saving assistance, including the stateless or internally displaced persons (IDPs) who were already in need of protection and assistance prior to 1 February. Although UNHCR has been able to continue field activities in Rakhine, Kachin and northern Shan States—such as needs assessments, quick impact projects and distribution of core relief items (CRIs)—humanitarian actors face increasing security, logistics and supply chain challenges. In southeast Myanmar, for example, UNHCR activities have been curtailed by security constraints, though UNHCR and partners have maintained communication channels with IDPs through community-based mechanisms and have distributed CRIs to IDPs in Kayin State.
In India, UNHCR estimates that 4,000-6,000 refugees from Myanmar have entered the border states of Mizoram and Manipur since early March. UNHCR does not have access to the border areas, but local charity organizations and individuals have come forward to provide life-saving assistance to new arrivals. Some 190 have moved onward to New Delhi, where UNHCR is assessing their needs and has begun registering and providing basic assistance to them. UNHCR has offered its support to the Government of India in protection and humanitarian coordination and response to new arrivals from Myanmar.
In Thailand, following the arrival in late March of some 2,800 refugees in Mae Hong Son province and their subsequent return to Myanmar, some 2,300 people crossed again on 27 April due to an outbreak of fighting and are currently hosted in safety areas managed by the Royal Thai Army. UNHCR has advocated for access to the population and offered support to the Royal Thai Government’s efforts to respond to further displacement from Myanmar and address refugees’ protection needs. The Government is preparing “holding areas” for receiving new arrivals in provinces along the Thai-Myanmar border. UNHCR has not had access to new arrivals, but has undertaken preparedness actions, including the prepositioning of CRIs for up to 5,000 households, to help ensure that any Government-led response in those areas will be complemented in a timely and coordinated manner. The humanitarian community already present in the nine temporary shelters for some 92,000 Myanmar refugees who fled previous waves of displacement—UNHCR, IOM and a consortium of NGOs—has established a multi-sector coordination mechanism to respond to humanitarian needs for new arrivals..."
Source/publisher:
UN High Commissioner for Refugees (Geneva) via Reliefweb (New York)
Date of publication:
2021-05-06
Date of entry/update:
2021-05-07
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNHCR (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Various groups, Armed conflict in Burma - attacks on civilians, India-Burma relations, Thailand-Burma relations, Human Rights and international relations
Language:
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3.63 MB
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Topic:
Education, Food and Nutrition, Health, Logistics and Telecommunications, Protection and Human Rights, Shelter and Non-Food Items, Water Sanitation Hygiene
Topic:
Education, Food and Nutrition, Health, Logistics and Telecommunications, Protection and Human Rights, Shelter and Non-Food Items, Water Sanitation Hygiene
Description:
"This regular humanitarian update, covering the period from 20 January to 24 February, is produced by OCHA Myanmar in collaboration with the Inter-Cluster Coordination Group and UNHCR. The next update will be issued towards the end of March 2021.....HIGHLIGHTS: The UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Myanmar reaffirms the commitment of the UN and its partners to stay and deliver humanitarian assistance and protection services and calls for donor support for the 2021 Humanitarian Response Plan, which seeks US$276.5 million to respond to the needs of 945,000 people.
Humanitarian response efforts are affected by operational challenges resulting from the recent developments, such as cash shortages and concerns for staff safety and security.
In northern Shan, around 2,300 people were newly displaced in Kyaukme,
Namtu and Hsipaw townships in February due to armed clashes between the Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) or between EAOs. Another 1,000 people remain displaced in Kyaukme in northern Shan since January.
In Lashio and Laukkaing townships in northern Shan, nine people were reportedly killed and eight others, including an unidentified number of children, injured due to armed clashes on 5 February.
Over 5,300 people remain displaced in Kayin State and Bago Region since late December; sporadic clashes continued to be reported between the MAF and the Karen National Union (KNU) throughout February..."
Source/publisher:
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (New York) via "Reliefweb" (New York)
Date of publication:
2021-02-25
Date of entry/update:
2021-05-04
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Food Security and nutrition in Burma/Myanmar, Public Health, Education in Burma/Myanmar - general, The discussion on humanitarian assistance to Burma, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Water resources of Burma/Myanmar
Language:
Format :
pdf
Size:
200.29 KB
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Topic:
Camp Coordination and Camp Management, Education, Food and Nutrition, Health, Logistics and Telecommunications, Mine Action, Protection and Human Rights, Shelter and Non-Food Items, Water Sanitation Hygiene
Topic:
Camp Coordination and Camp Management, Education, Food and Nutrition, Health, Logistics and Telecommunications, Mine Action, Protection and Human Rights, Shelter and Non-Food Items, Water Sanitation Hygiene
Description:
"This regular update, covering humanitarian developments in conflict-affected areas from 26 March to 23 April, is produced by OCHA Myanmar in collaboration with the Inter-Cluster Coordination Group and UNHCR. The next update will be issued towards the end of May 2021.....HIGHLIGHTS: In south-eastern Myanmar, an estimated 40,000 people have been displaced due to insecurity, armed clashes between the Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) and the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), and indiscriminate attacks by the MAF on civilian areas.
In Kachin State, around 5,800 people have been displaced since armed confrontation between the MAF and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) resurged in early March; about 5,000 remain displaced.
In northern Shan, the volatile security situation and clashes, mostly involving Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs), have caused the displacement of about 11,000 people since January.
In Rakhine and Chin states, casualties due to landmines and Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) are on the rise, with 11 civilians, including 9 children killed or injured in April.
Humanitarian assistance and protection services in conflict-affected areas continue despite the impact of the political crisis on operations and pre-existing access challenges. The escalation of violence in parts of Myanmar increases threats to the safety of humanitarian operations and compounds existing access challenges.
The 2021 Humanitarian Response Plan, which seeks US$276.5 million to assist around 1 million people in conflict-affected areas, remains severely underfunded, with only 12 per cent of requirements covered so far – FTS.....KEY FIGURES: 40K people displaced in the South-east since December 2020
11K people displaced in northern Shan since January 2021
5.8K people displaced in Kachin State since mid-March 2021
11 civilian casualties due to explosive hazards in Rakhine and Chin states in April.....SITUATION OVERVIEW
SURGE IN DISPLACEMENT IN THE SOUTH-EAST: Armed conflict in the south-eastern parts of Myanmar continues to intensify between the MAF and the KNLA, an armed wing of the Karen National Union, resulting in further internal displacement and civilian casualties, mostly in Kayin State and Bago Region. The clashes, which erupted in early December 2020, had internally displaced around 7,100 people by mid-March, mostly in Hpapun Township in Kayin State, where the displaced families were hiding in the jungles with limited access to services and humanitarian assistance.
The humanitarian situation in the area has worsened since late March, with thousands of people having reportedly fled from their homes in Kayin State after the MAF launched airstrikes, including in civilian areas. The continued hostilities, shelling of civilian areas by the MAF, and increased insecurity reportedly led to the displacement of an estimated 40,000 people throughout south-eastern Myanmar by 20 April, according to data gathered from various sources by UNHCR. Prior to developments on 1 February 2021, Kayin State and Bago Region had hosted about 12,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) in four locations, both in camp-like and out-of-camp settlements, since 2006.
The hostilities in Kayin and Bago between 27 March and 8 April have killed at least 20 civilians and injured more than 25, according to public sources. There have also been reports of a local school destroyed in Dwe Lo Township in Hpapun District of Kayin State, in addition to damage to other civilian property. The details of civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure could not be verified at the time of reporting. Humanitarian interventions remain constrained due to severe and longstanding access challenges, compounded by growing insecurity in the area. Nevertheless, operational partners are doing their best to deliver assistance to the newly displaced and those otherwise affected by hostilities. Humanitarian partners are planning to roll out a displacement tracking system and carrying out a stocktaking exercise to assess the capacities of partners in Kayin State. This is to facilitate the efficient prepositioning of emergency supplies among partners to ensure a coordinated response.
NEW DISPLACEMENT IN KACHIN DUE TO RESURGENCE OF CONFLICT: The security situation in Kachin State, which began to deteriorate following the eruption of clashes between the MAF and the KIA in early March, remains volatile. Armed confrontations between the MAF and the KIA were reported in at least 12 townships, including Bhamo, Hpakant, Injayang, Kamaing, Mogaung, Momauk, Myitkyina, Putao, Shwegu, Sumprabum, Tanai and Waingmaw, ranging from local skirmishes, to attacks on convoys, airstrikes, artillery and mortar shelling. Hardly any clashes had not been reported in Kachin State since September 2018.
The conflict led to the displacement of over 5,800 people since early March 2021. Around 800 people returned to their places of origin within a few days, while about 5,000 remain displaced across several townships. Some 4,800 people are currently hosted in churches, monasteries and displacement sites in Injanyang, Momauk and Shwegu townships. The remaining IDPs are dispersed in small numbers across Dawthponeyan and Hpakant townships. Attempts are being made to reach the affected communities with assistance; however, insecurity and other access constraints make it difficult for partners to scale up the efforts to address needs, which include emergency shelter, food, basic household items and healthcare. The new displacement comes on top of protracted internal displacement in Kachin State, where about 95,000 people have been living in IDP camps established in 2011.
In addition to increased humanitarian needs and population movement, the ongoing insecurity is raising serious protection concerns, with reports of increased conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) perpetrated against women and girls. Reported incidents included brutal and systematic CRSV committed by multiple perpetrators and most of these violations were perpetrated against women and girls of ethnic minority groups.
POPULATION MOVEMENT IN NORTHERN SHAN: Clashes between the MAF and EAOs or between EAOs in northern Shan continued unabated in the first quarter of 2021 and escalated in March. The Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) and the allied forces of the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA) engaged in armed confrontations in Hsipaw, Kyaukme, Monghsu and Namtu townships. There were also clashes, albeit with less intensity and frequency between the MAF and the KIA in Lashio, Kutkai and Muse townships, between the MAF and the TNLA in Kutkai and Namhkan townships, and between the MAF and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army in Hseni and Kutkai townships.
Clashes between January and April displaced close to 11,000 people in Hsipaw, Kyaukme, Lashio, Namtu, Namhkan, Monghsu and Muse townships. Displacement generally remains temporary; over 6,000 people returned to their places of origin within a few days. The remaining 4,770 people are currently hosted in churches, monasteries and displacement sites, with Kyaukme and Namtu townships hosting around 1,650 and 1,340 IDPs respectively. Local humanitarian partners and host communities are providing life-saving assistance and protection services, although as with other states and regions, operational challenges, including due to pre-existing access constraints and insecurity, continue to hinder their abilities to scale up.
The conflict dynamics and their humanitarian impact in northern Shan so far in 2021 demonstrate an upward trend compared to the same period in 2020, when there were only a few brief armed skirmishes between the EAOs that temporary displaced some 720 people. In addition to the most recent displacements, about 9,800 IDPs continue to reside in protracted displacement camps in northern Shan established since 2011.
EXPLOSIVE HAZARDS A THREAT IN RAKHINE AND CHIN: Despite the absence of hostilities in Rakhine and southern areas of Chin states since November 2020, the physical wellbeing of civilians remains threatened by the presence of landmines and ERWs. In April, a total of 11 civilians were killed or injured by landmines and ERWs, mostly in Rakhine. In Kyauktaw Township in Rakhine State on 4 April, the explosion of an ERW killed a mother and her two children and injured another child. Another explosion reportedly injured six children under 16 years old near Taung Ywar Village in Buthidaung Township on 8 April. A landmine incident was also reported in Paletwa Township in Chin State on 15 April, in which one civilian sustained injuries.
Meanwhile, there are reports that the MAF is demining villages and roads across several townships in Rakhine, tied with efforts to encourage people displaced by the MAF-Arakan Army (AA) conflict to return to their places of origin. However, many IDPs remain unwilling to return due to the continued presence of armed personnel around their villages, concerns about landmines, and the lack of livelihood opportunities. As of 21 April, more than 78,000 people displaced by the MAF-AA conflict were hosted in 146 sites and 5,038 people in 28 host communities in Rakhine State. Another 9,841 IDPs remained in 27 sites in Chin State, as of 21 January. This is in addition to around 126,000 IDPs, mostly stateless persons, who are hosted in protracted camps established in 2012..."
Source/publisher:
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (New York) via "Reliefweb" (New York)
Date of publication:
2021-04-30
Date of entry/update:
2021-04-30
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UN human rights documents on Myanmar, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Education in Burma/Myanmar - general, Food Security and nutrition in Burma/Myanmar, Freedom of opinion and expression: - the situation in Burma/Myanmar - reports, analyses, recommendations, Humanitarian assistance - emergencies
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Sub-title:
Fresh clashes between Myanmar security forces and regional armed groups have displaced thousands across the country, the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Tuesday.
Description:
"According to the Office, almost 50 clashes between the military and the Kachin Independence Army were reported in several places in Kachin state, including use of airstrikes by security forces as well as mortar shelling by both sides, displacing nearly 5,000 people and damaging several homes.
“Around 800 people returned to their villages of origin within a few days and an estimated 4,000 people remain displaced in various sites, including in churches and monasteries”, OCHA said in a humanitarian bulletin.
This was the first reported displacement in the country’s northernmost state since September 2018. Kachin had been hosting about 95,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in long-term camps since 2011.
“Humanitarians and local host communities are doing their best to provide emergency assistance to the newly displaced people, despite the operational challenges and insecurity”, OCHA added.
In neighboring Northern Shan state, escalating clashes since January forced about 10,900 people to flee their homes, of whom nearly 4,000 remain displaced, the Office added, noting that hostilities had also increased since February in Kayin and Bago states, displacing almost 40,000 people.
About 3,000 people, mostly from Kayin, reportedly crossed the border into Thailand. The majority are said to have since returned.
Funds needed for assistance
Apart from the ongoing political strife in the aftermath of the military takeover on 1 February, nearly a million people across Myanmar, over two-thirds of them women and children, identified at the start of 2021, are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection.
UN and humanitarian partners launched a $276 million response plan to assist nearly 950,000 people through 2021. However, into the last week of April, only 12 per cent or $32 million of the amount needed has been received.
Rising hunger and desperation
There are also fears of a sharp rise in hunger and desperation across Myanmar due to the triple impact of pre-existing poverty, the coronavirus pandemic and the ongoing political crisis.
Estimates by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) indicate that up to 3.4 million people – particularly those in urban centres – would be hit by high levels of food insecurity over the next six months.
Already, there are signs of families in and around Yangon being pushed to the edge, skipping meals, eating less nutritious food and going into debt, just to survive, the agency said last week, as it mounted a new food assistance programme to help the most vulnerable.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), meanwhile, warned that even before the COVID-19 pandemic, almost a third of the country’s children were living in poor households.
“In the current crisis, the situation has worsened. UNICEF is working to support the most vulnerable children and families across Myanmar, ensuring their access to lifesaving services”, the agency said on Monday..."
Source/publisher:
UN News
Date of publication:
2021-04-28
Date of entry/update:
2021-04-29
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Internal displacement/forced migration of Kachin, Humanitarian assistance - emergencies, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Internal displacement/forced migration of Karen villagers, Internal displacement/forced migration of Shan. Palaung and Wa villagers, Armed conflict in Kachin State - general articles, Armed conflict in Karen State - general articles and reports, Armed conflict in Shan State - general articles, WFP (World Food Programme), UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Children
Language:
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293.47 KB
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Description:
"The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is to mount a new food assistance operation, targeting up to 2 million vulnerable people in the poor townships in Myanmar’s main cities and other areas where population displacement has recently taken place.
With the triple impact of pre-existing poverty, COVID-19 and the current political crisis, hunger and desperation are rising sharply across Myanmar. WFP estimates that within the next six months, up to 3.4 million more people will be hungry, particularly those in urban centres.
“More and more poor people have lost their jobs and are unable to afford food,” said WFP Myanmar Country Director Stephen Anderson. “A concerted response is required now to alleviate immediate suffering, and to prevent an alarming deterioration in food security.”
Already, there are signs of families in and around Yangon being pushed to the edge, skipping meals, eating less nutritious food and going into debt, just to survive. WFP’s response in Yangon will target 10 of the poorest townships, many of which are home to large informal settlements. WFP is also monitoring the situation in other parts of the country, and is ready to provide assistance to affected communities, including those newly displaced by armed conflict, if required.
The latest WFP market monitoring shows that in Yangon and across the country, the average rice price has increased by 5% since January, and the average cooking oil price has increased by 18% since February. In Yangon, an up to 25% increase in cooking oil price was also recorded. The increases are particularly high in some border states including Rakhine, Kachin and Chin. In Kachin state, for example, rice prices have risen by up to 43% in some townships, and cooking oil by 32%. The price of fuel has increased by roughly 30% nationwide.
Despite the volatile situation, WFP has maintained its humanitarian assistance to internally displaced people and other vulnerable populations affected by long-running conflict. In March, WFP assistance reached 374,000 people in conflict affected areas of southern Chin, Kachin, Rakhine and northern Shan states.
In the coming months, the number of people WFP assists will nearly triple – from 1.3 million to 3.3 million. To do this, US$106 million is required urgently.
“To prevent a large-scale humanitarian crisis unfolding in front of our eyes, we must step up. We count on the international community to continue standing with the people of Myanmar,” said Anderson..."
Source/publisher:
World Food Programme(Rome)
Date of publication:
2021-04-22
Date of entry/update:
2021-04-24
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNOPS (United Nations Office for Project Services), Food Security and displacement in Burma, Food Security and the economy in Burma, Food Security in Chin State, Food Security in Kachin State, Food Security in Arakan (Rakhine) State, Food Security in Shan State, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups.
Language:
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Description:
"Myanmar faces a number of significant stabilisation challenges including frequent natural disasters,
environmental challenges and organised crime, in addition to the challenges associated with a nascent
democratisation process. This report, however, focuses exclusively on violent conflict and displacement.
Myanmar has been afflicted by armed conflict since independence. During the 1960s-1980s, a number of
armed groups were able to establish ‘effectively independent micro-states’ (EC, 2016, p. 3). These had
their own ‘rudimentary’ governments, service provision, and foreign policies (EC, 2016, p. 3). This
situation persists in some parts of Myanmar (EC, 2016, p. 3). The communities currently most at risk of,
and affected by, conflict and violence are those living in the Kokang Self-Administered Zone and in other
parts of northern Shan State. Other affected communities include those living in Kachin, Rakhine, Chin
and Kayin States. The community most affected by the threat of forced displacement is the Rohingya, a
Muslim ethnic group, in Rakhine State. The nature of conflict in these areas ranges from occasional to
frequent clashes between armed groups and government forces. In addition to armed conflict, Rakhine
State suffers from tensions between the Muslim and Buddhist communities.
There were more than 700,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) in Myanmar in 2016 (McConnachie,
2016, p. 4). Moreover, more than 128,000 refugees from Myanmar were living in Thailand in 2014
(UNICEF, 2014, p. 3). According to UNICEF, displacement can constitute a driver of conflict, depending on
whether it is forced or not, and on the extent to which host communities are prepared for IDPs. Women
and children are reportedly disproportionately affected by migration and displacement, and make up the
majority of those who are IDPs and refugees (ibid).
The literature identifies a number of sources of resilience in Myanmar, which include:
Institutionalisation of peace-making: Both the previous and current governments declared their
commitment to ending conflict in Myanmar. A number of peace initiatives and inter-faith
dialogues have taken place in order to mitigate tensions and conflict in the country.
Economy: Myanmar’s economy has considerable potential. A number of economic reforms have
been undertaken and economic growth is strong, although it has been slowing recently.
Strengthened civil society: The previous government’s decision to allow issue-driven CSOs to
operate in Myanmar has led to a proliferation of such organisations.
Education: The previous government undertook steps to reform the education system in
Myanmar in a bid to end discrimination against ethnic minorities.
Release of political prisoners: A significant number of political prisoners have been released
since the new National League for Democracy (NLD) led government came to power.
Increased press freedom: Extensive media reform has resulted in a proliferation of ‘alternative’
information and has rendered the government subject to increased scrutiny.
The literature identifies a number of policy options for mitigating tensions in Myanmar. International
actors could potentially provide support and assistance in a number of areas. These include technical
support for the conclusion, implementation and monitoring of ceasefire agreements, and support for an
inclusive national political dialogue. They also include various forms of assistance for recovery and
development, as well as support for educational reform.
There is a sizeable body of literature on Myanmar’s stabilisation challenges. This consists of a mixture of
peer-reviewed journal articles, policy briefs, and reports by NGOs and international organisations. While
gender is not addressed in all of the papers reviewed for the purposes of this report, a number of papers
do look at gender, specifically in the context of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), and in the
context of peace-making and peacebuilding..."
Source/publisher:
Governance and Social Development Resource Centre
Date of publication:
2017-05-02
Date of entry/update:
2021-04-21
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Arakan (Rakhine) State - reports etc. by date (latest first), Racial or ethnic discrimination in Burma: reports of violations against several groups, Discrimination against the Rohingya, Various groups, Non-Ceasefire Groups, Peace processes, ceasefires and ceasefire talks (websites, documents, reports and studies), Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Internal displacement/forced migration of Rohingyas, Several Groups, Rohingya (cultural, political etc.), Politics and Government - global and regional - general studies, strategies, theory
Language:
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Size:
334.77 KB
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Topic:
Agriculture, Camp Coordination and Camp Management, Coordination, Education, Food and Nutrition, Health, Logistics and Telecommunications, Protection and Human Rights, Shelter and Non-Food Items, Water Sanitation Hygiene
Topic:
Agriculture, Camp Coordination and Camp Management, Coordination, Education, Food and Nutrition, Health, Logistics and Telecommunications, Protection and Human Rights, Shelter and Non-Food Items, Water Sanitation Hygiene
Description:
"The present Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) seeks to mobilize assistance for close to 945,000 people in 2021, in support of the efforts of the Government of Myanmar to aid those affected by humanitarian crises and challenges in different parts of the country. As has been the case for previous years, the HRP places protection at the centre of an inclusive response tailored to the particular needs of the most vulnerable women and men, girls and boys.
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 further demonstrated the critical importance of localization in Myanmar. In 2021, the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) will build on the partnerships with national NGOs and local civil society actors that were strengthened as we adjusted to new operational realities in 2020. We will redouble our efforts to put in place robust channels for systematic two-way dialogue and engagement with affected people, and to capitalize on innovations around cash and voucher assistance to further extend our reach.
Humanitarian partners remain committed to contributing to the achievement of durable solutions for displaced people. The National Strategy on Resettlement of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) and Closure of IDP Camps provides a key entry point in this regard. Progress on implementation of the Strategy in 2020 was slowed down by COVID-19 but new opportunities are emerging. Our efforts in this regard in 2021 will seek to create new links across the humanitarian-development nexus, while remaining firmly anchored in the perspectives and concerns of displaced people themselves. In Rakhine, the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State will continue to be an important reference point for engagement between humanitarian organizations and the Government of Myanmar.
Our dialogue with the authorities will continue to emphasize the importance of humanitarian access, so that needs can be fully assessed and analyzed, humanitarian activities can be prioritized on the basis of those needs, and the impact of our efforts can be effectively monitored. The Myanmar HCT remains committed to working in accordance with the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence, and without any adverse distinction based on region, ethnicity, religion or citizenship status..."
Source/publisher:
OCHA (New York) via Reliefweb (New York)
Date of publication:
2021-01-27
Date of entry/update:
2021-01-27
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Agriculture in Burma/Myanmar: general and research, Burmese refugees in Bangladesh, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Internal displacement/forced migration of Rohingyas, Human rights and education, Food Security and nutrition in Burma/Myanmar, Racial or ethnic discrimination in Burma: reports of violations against several groups
Language:
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Size:
10.58 MB
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Topic:
Explosive Weapons in Civilian Areas , Landmines , Internally Displaced People
Sub-title:
Statement of Manny Maung, Myanmar Researcher, Human Rights Watch Subcommittee on International Human Rights Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development
Topic:
Explosive Weapons in Civilian Areas , Landmines , Internally Displaced People
Description:
"Study of the Impacts of Covid-19 on Internally Displaced People in Myanmar
Thank you to the Chairperson and Honorable Members of Parliament for inviting me to appear before this Committee to discuss the impacts of Covid-19 on internally displaced people in Myanmar. My name is Manny Maung and I am the Myanmar Researcher for Human Rights Watch.
Decades of conflict have resulted in over 360,000 internally displaced peoples across the country. They are mainly members of ethnic minority communities spread across northern Myanmar, in Kachin and Shan States; in western Rakhine State; and in the southeast near the Myanmar-Thai border. Renewed conflict has created fresh displacements in 2020 in both Rakhine and Shan States. Humanitarian agencies reported that the government did not take measures to ensure that they could deliver emergency aid under the government-imposed travel restrictions to protect against the spread of Covid-19.
In October, Human Rights Watch released a report, “An Open Prison without End,” on Myanmar’s detention of 130,000 Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State since 2012.[1] Human Rights Watch found that the squalid and oppressive conditions imposed on the interned Rohingya and Kaman Muslims amount to the crimes against humanity of persecution, apartheid, and severe deprivation of liberty. Starting in August 2017, a military campaign of killings, sexual violence, arson, and forced eviction of Rohingya in northern Rakhine State forced more than 700,000 to flee to Bangladesh. Human Rights Watch determined the Myanmar security forces committed ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity, and acts of genocide..."
Source/publisher:
"Human Rights Watch" (USA)
Date of publication:
2020-12-10
Date of entry/update:
2021-01-05
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Human Rights Watch Reports on Burma/Myanmar, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Internal displacement/forced migration of Rohingyas, Internal displacement/forced migration of Kachin, Internal displacement/forced migration of Shan. Palaung and Wa villagers, Racial or ethnic discrimination in Burma: reports of violations against several groups, Discrimination against the Rakhine, Discrimination against the Rohingya, Discrimination against the Shan, Discrimination against the Kachin, Arakan (Rakhine) State - reports etc. by date (latest first)
Language:
more
Description:
"Monsoon flooding forced over 25,000 people to leave their homes in Myanmar's regions and states, an official of the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement told Xinhua on Saturday.
"As of Thursday, there are only 78 shelters left, accommodating over 6,400 households including 25,000 persons after some returned home," said Phyu Lei Lei Tun, director of the Disaster Management Department under the ministry.
Regionally, floods hit Sagaing, Magway, Mandalay regions and Kachin state and of them, Mandalay region suffered the most, registering over 4,800 flood victims.
The government has provided humanitarian assistance and other protective essentials including masks to be used in COVID-19 fight to the flood victims, the official said.
During the months of rainy seasons, people are urged to take precautionary measures and to follow guidelines issued by the Meteorology and Hydrology Department as floods are frequent in the regions and states due to heavy rainfalls, overflowing rivers and others..."
Source/publisher:
"Xinhua" (China)
Date of publication:
2020-07-25
Date of entry/update:
2020-07-26
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Natural Disasters - General, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups.
Language:
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Topic:
Crisis and Conflict , Disasters and Displaced Populations , Sexual Violence and Rape , Women and Armed Conflict
Sub-title:
End Assistance to All Military-Controlled Entities
Topic:
Crisis and Conflict , Disasters and Displaced Populations , Sexual Violence and Rape , Women and Armed Conflict
Description:
"The Japanese government should immediately cancel plans to donate money to purchase vehicles and communications equipment for the Myanmar police force, Human Rights Watch said today. The police force, which operates under the auspices of the military, outside the control of the civilian government, has a well-documented record of serious human rights violations.
On July 2, 2020, Japan’s Foreign Ministry announced a grant of 100 million yen (US$930,000) to the Myanmar police for the purpose of purchasing vehicles and wireless equipment for “protecting dignitaries.” The Foreign Ministry claimed the donations would “strengthen the Myanmar police’s ability to carry out public security measures,” create “social stability,” and contribute to Myanmar's “socio-economic development.” “It’s inexplicable that the Japanese government would try to curry favor with Myanmar’s abusive security apparatus by providing financial assistance to the police,” said Brad Adams, Asia director. “Instead of supporting Myanmar’s police, Japan should be helping the victims of rights abuses and ethnic cleansing by working with other donor governments to hold the security forces accountable.” Myanmar’s police acted as a pillar of repression during Myanmar’s 50 years of military rule, arbitrarily arresting dissidents and student activists, engaging in widespread torture, and creating a climate of fear in the country, Human Rights Watch said. The police remain abusive and unconstrained, in large part because the military-drafted constitution maintains military control of the police. The police operate under the authority of the Home Ministry, which is led by a minister who the constitution mandates must be a serving military officer, and operates under the de facto control of the military..."
Source/publisher:
"Human Rights Watch" (USA)
Date of publication:
2020-07-23
Date of entry/update:
2020-07-24
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Armed conflict and peace-building in Burma - theoretical, strategic and general, Women's rights, Discrimination/violence against women: reports of violations in Burma
Language:
more
Description:
"As Myanmar’s Kachin conflict reaches nine year milestone, these powerful photos show daily life for the 120,000 people living in internal displacement camps who are now facing COVID-19
It was nine years ago today that the Kachin conflict in northern Myanmar re-ignited. A 17-year ceasefire agreement between the Myanmar military and the Kachin Independence Army collapsed. As a result of the armed conflict, more than 120,000 civilians have been displaced.
The Kachin conflict is not well known and gets little media coverage. The armed conflict on Myanmar’s north began over six decades ago, and continues to this day, creating huge humanitarian needs. For the last nine years, displaced people have lived in over 170 displacement camps across Kachin State and northern Shan State in Myanmar.
On top of the everyday challenges and hardships of living in the crowded camps, the COVID-19 virus has now arrived in Myanmar. Restrictions in travel and movement have caused serious food shortages and decreased opportunities for people in camps to earn an income. Access to camps has been restricted meaning that it is also difficult to get essential humanitarian support in. Daily life has become even more difficult to endure. Ziun camp in the town of Myitkyina has been locked shut since 8th April 2020. This action has been taken in order to prevent the spread of the pandemic and people are not allowed to exit or enter the camp.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, all regular children’s activities, such as summer school, Sunday school, church meetings and awareness sessions have all been stopped in the camps..."
Source/publisher:
"Trócaire" via "Reliefweb" (New York)
Date of publication:
2020-06-09
Date of entry/update:
2020-06-10
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
Language:
more
Sub-title:
Lift Restrictions on Movement, Health Care, Internet, Aid
Description:
" The Myanmar government should take urgent steps to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission among the estimated 350,000 people displaced by conflict and violence across the country, Human Rights Watch said today. Overcrowding, a mobile internet shutdown, blocks on humanitarian aid, and movement restrictions have left displaced communities in Rakhine, Kachin, Shan, Chin, and Karen States especially vulnerable to a virus outbreak. While concerns have been raised about Myanmar’s capacity to manage the coronavirus given its poor healthcare infrastructure, the country’s displaced populations face even greater risks. Most are trapped in dangerously overcrowded camps with severely substandard health care and inadequate access to clean water, sanitation, and other essential services. Many displaced people have underlying medical conditions and chronic diseases, putting them at high risk of suffering serious effects from the virus.
State media announced the government was drafting a COVID-19 response plan for internally displaced persons (IDPs), but humanitarian workers told Human Rights Watch they had not been consulted on the draft or given guidance about responding to a potential spread. “Years of conflict, neglect, and abusive policies by Myanmar’s government and military have left hundreds of thousands of displaced people sitting in the path of a public health catastrophe,” said Brad Adams, Asia director. “The authorities need to ensure these groups have access to information, humanitarian aid, and health services, including prompt testing and isolation for those who show symptoms.”..."
Source/publisher:
"Human Rights Watch" (USA)
Date of publication:
2020-03-30
Date of entry/update:
2020-06-07
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Human Rights Watch Reports on Burma/Myanmar, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
Language:
more
Title: From ‘vulnerable’ to ‘valuable’: Burmese Diaspora and Forced Migrants as Distant Peaceworkers
Description:
"...Instead of the usual top-down approach of the hegemonic peace-building paradigm, this research paper employs the bottom-up approach. This is done in order to analyze the role of the forced migrants in peacebuilding process. The internal conflict in Burma during the past decades has created a wave of displaced people, many of who became forced migrants into neighboring countries. Thailand, in particular, is home to a large portion of these forced migrants, in both camps and urban settings. Such migrants, moreover, are oftentimes vilified and/or victimized. As the forced migrant population lives in exile, the hegemonic peacebuilding schemes often fail to acknowledge their role in the peace processes in their home country. With limited financial and civic resources, these migrants often face the hardship of daily living. This struggle then becomes their foremost priority. Consequently, their transnational participation in peace processes is often neglected. However, peace processes, at their root, aim to create a societal expectation for peaceful conflict resolution and a stabilization of society by reintegrating the affected parties into civilian life. With this in mind, this qualitative research examines the capacity of the Burmese forced migrants in Thailand. Emphasis is placed on the transnational role and the influence of the migrants’ collective agency in peacebuilding processes. The paper examines two more points: what kinds of opportunities are currently available to support migrants’ peace-building initiatives at home; and, what kinds of challenges are present to deter their possible contribution to peace-building in their home country...."
Date of publication:
2013-00-00
Date of entry/update:
2020-05-17
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Armed conflict and peace-building in Burma - theoretical, strategic and general
Language:
Format :
PDF
Size:
1.17 MB
Local URL:
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Description:
"THE Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement is cooperating with relevant departments and organizations to implement protection, containment and response towards COVID-19 in IDP camps across the nation. Yesterday, 2,823 soap bars and 5,646 masks were distributed to 1,000 households of Thetkepyin IDP camp in Sittway, Rakhine State, and to 1,823 households of Saytamargyi IDP centre with an infrared thermometer given to each centre...."
Source/publisher:
The Global New Light of Myanmar, 2020
Date of publication:
2020-04-17
Date of entry/update:
2020-05-03
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
Language:
Format :
PDF
Size:
332.2 KB
Local URL:
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Description:
"MINISTRY of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement donated soap bars and face masks for IDPs in Sittway, Rakhine State on Friday and Saturday as part of their prevention, control and response actions for COVID-19. On Friday, the ministry's officials provided a total of 524 soap bar and 1,048 face masks for 524 households of IDPs in seven monasteries – Amyotha Monastery..."
Source/publisher:
The Global New Light of Myanmar, 2020
Date of publication:
2020-04-19
Date of entry/update:
2020-05-03
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
Language:
Format :
PDF
Size:
453.43 KB
Local URL:
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Description:
"On motley assortments of inevitable ground reasons, the IDP (Internally Displaced Person) camps cropped up in Kachin State, Kayin State, Chin State, Rakhine State, and Shan State in the Union of Myanmar, where necessary protection and assistance are provided that bring smiles and satisfactions to the vulnerable and the marginalized persons....."
Source/publisher:
The Global New Light of Myanmar, 2020
Date of publication:
2020-04-16
Date of entry/update:
2020-05-03
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
Language:
Format :
PDF
Size:
294.09 KB
Local URL:
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Description:
"UNION Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Dr Win Myat Aye held the coordination meeting to continue implementing processes concerning COVID-19 in IDP camps yesterday. The Union Minister said the Ministry of Office of Union Government, Ministry of Health and Sports, Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement and state/regional governments are working together for protection, containment and treatment concerning COVID-19 in IDP camps across Kachin, Rakhine, Shan, Kayin and Chin states...."
Source/publisher:
The Global New Light of Myanmar, 2020
Date of publication:
2020-04-16
Date of entry/update:
2020-05-03
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
Language:
Format :
PDF
Size:
223.1 KB
Local URL:
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Description:
"UNION MINISTER for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Dr Win Myat Aye held a video conference yesterday to coordinate the protection, containment and response to COVID-19 concerning IDP camps across the nation. The Union Minister said they have prepared COVID-19 response plans for IDP camps in Kachin State, Shan State, Rakhine State and Kayin State and they have approval from the National Central Committee on Protection, Containment and Treatment of COVID-19..."
Source/publisher:
The Global New Light of Myanmar, 2020
Date of publication:
2020-04-11
Date of entry/update:
2020-05-03
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
Language:
Format :
PDF
Size:
351.95 KB
Local URL:
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Description:
"2,500 migrant per day to be allowed to return through the Myawaddy-Mae Sot border gate
16,324 migrants registered online in preparation to return through the Myawaddy-Mae Sot border gate
3,125 international migrants returned to Kachin State mainly from the People’s Republic of China
SITUATION OVERVIEW
The border with Thailand was expected to re-open on 1 May to allow a second large influx of migrants (estimated 20,000 to 50,000 returns). The Myanmar Government requested to the Thai Government to only allow 2,500 returnees per day through the Myawaddy border gate; however, due to the extension of the Emergency Decree in Thailand until 31 May, returns are delayed for a few more days to allow for the necessary arrangements to be put in place by Thai authorities.
Government Ministries and Departments, the State Government, UN agencies and other actors supporting the COVID-19 response are closely observing the situation in order to quickly respond to potential large scale returns in the coming days. It is expected that approximately 2,000 returning migrants will be quarantined in Myawaddy, while the remainder will be transported from the border to their home communities for community-based quarantine.
On 25 April, the Office of the Labour Attaché at the Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok, announced it would organise relief flights for Myanmar migrants stranded in Thailand (Myanmar embassies around the world also announced relief flights); and on 26 April, it also announced that migrants wishing to enter Myanmar through the Myawaddy-Mae Sot border gate following the reopening of the border, would have to register online in advance. 16,324 migrants have registered through this form so far, with the largest numbers indicating they would return to Bago and Magway regions, and Mon and Kayin states..."
Source/publisher:
"International Organization for Migration (IOM)" (Switzerland) via reliefweb (New York)
Date of publication:
2020-05-02
Date of entry/update:
2020-05-02
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
COVID-19 (Coronavirus), Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups.
Language:
Format :
pdf
Size:
906.23 KB (3 pages)
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Description:
"...THE Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief, and Resettlement, in cooperation with relevant ministries and civil society organizations, has commenced a preventive measure to provide health education and handwashing soaps to the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Kachin, Shan, Rakhine, and Kayin states as part of the prevention, containment, and treatment of the Covid-19 pandemic..."
Source/publisher:
The Global New Light of Myanmar, 2020
Date of publication:
2020-03-29
Date of entry/update:
2020-04-26
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Arakan (Rakhine) State - reports etc. by date (latest first), Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
Language:
Format :
PDF
Size:
451.87 KB
Local URL:
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Sub-title:
Government forces are fighting the Arakan Army in the state.
Description:
"Government soldiers are in Rakhine state again, more than two-and-a-half years after a military offensive killed thousands of Rohingya and drove out more than 700,000 others.
This time, they are fighting the Arakan Army, an armed group founded in 2009 that says it is fighting for the rights of the ethnic, mainly Buddhist, Rakhine minority.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that conditions on the ground and an internet shutdown has made reaching people or gathering information increasingly difficult..."
Source/publisher:
"Al Jazeera" (Qatar)
Date of publication:
2020-03-05
Date of entry/update:
2020-03-05
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Arakan (Rakhine) State - reports etc. by date (latest first), Armed conflict in Rakhine (Arakan) State, Discrimination against the Rakhine, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups.
Language:
more
Description:
"More than 1,100 residents from 20 villages in Myanmar’s war-torn northern Rakhine state have fled a surge in fighting between government troops and the rebel Arakan Army, a local administrator and a lawmaker said Monday.
The new wave of internally displaced persons (IDPs) comes amid the daily shelling of communities and the restoration of an internet service ban in five townships where the armed conflict has intensified during the past year and the population of displaced has swelled past 100,000 people.
“So far, we’ve got over 1,100 IDPs,” said Nyi, administrator of Buthidaung’s Thaykan Kwasone village, adding that the fleeing villagers arrived on Feb. 5-9, a day after the Myanmar Army, Navy, and Air Force launched clearance operations in the area.
“The Social Welfare Ministry is providing assistance for 600 IDPs, though we have requested more,” he said. “The [displaced] have been divided up between the monastery and in a village. We’re building temporary camps for those who exceed the capacity of the monastery.”
The IDPs are from Konedan, Kularchaung, Zeyarmyaing, Oophauk, Thameehla Ywathit, Thameehla Ywa Haung, and Ohnchaung villages in Rathedaung township and from Kyaukpyin Seik and Seikkhu villages in Buthidaung township..."
Source/publisher:
"RFA" (USA)
Date of publication:
2020-02-10
Date of entry/update:
2020-02-11
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Arakan (Rakhine) State - reports etc. by date (latest first), Armed conflict in Rakhine (Arakan) State, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups.
Language:
more
Description:
"Ongoing hostilities between Myanmar forces and the rebel Arakan Army in Rakhine state forced about 1,700 civilians to flee villages in three townships this week, amid fears that they would be detained and possible tortured by national soldiers conducting “clearance operations” in their communities, locals said.
Troops have already detained five area villagers to interrogate to determine if they have ties to the Arakan Army (AA), while others who were freed said Myanmar soldiers tortured them during questioning, leaving them with physical injuries.
More than 1,000 residents of Ywatharya village have fled their homes in the past few days after Myanmar soldiers entered the community to search for anyone with ties to the AA, villagers said.
“Clearance operations” is a term used by the military that strikes fear in local residents after numerous incidents in which soldiers have shot at or abused civilians in Rakhine state..."
Source/publisher:
"Radio Free Asia (RFA)" (USA)
Date of publication:
2019-11-16
Date of entry/update:
2019-11-16
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Arakan (Rakhine) State - reports etc. by date (latest first), Armed conflict in Rakhine (Arakan) State, Non-Ceasefire Groups, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups.
Language:
more
Description:
"Fearful for their safety, many of the 241,000 people forced from their homes by conflict in Myanmar are reluctant to go back. Now campaigners are mobilising to resist organised returns Bawk Nu Awng hasn’t been home since 2011. All three of the villages where she spent her childhood have been destroyed. “War hit wherever my family lived,” she said. “I feel like it is my responsibility to engage in all matters related to peace.”
Now aged 21, Bawk Nu Awng, from Kachin in Myanmar, has emerged as a spokesperson among youth displaced by conflict. When Aung San Suu Kyi took power in 2016, her party, the National League for Democracy, pledged to prioritise ending conflict in Myanmar. Yet the country’s various ethnic groups continue to fight for increased federal autonomy.
In Rakhine state, conflict is escalating between Myanmar’s military, known as the Tatmadaw, and the rebel Arakan Army. Nationwide, an estimated 241,000 people like Bawk Nu Awng remain in camps, including more than 97,000 in Kachin state.
Camps for internally displaced people are the most visible evidence of Myanmar’s ongoing strife. With elections coming up next year, political momentum to send displaced people home has accelerated.
Kachin, which shares a border with China’s Yunnan province, is a strategic area for China’s belt and road initiative, a global development strategy that includes a multi-billion pound China-Myanmar economic corridor. In March, Yunnan officials met with the influential Kachin Baptist Convention; support for returns and a peace agreement was encouraged, with the Chinese contingent suggesting stability could bring investment and development..."
Source/publisher:
"The Guardian" (UK)
Date of publication:
2019-08-01
Date of entry/update:
2019-11-10
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Internal displacement/forced migration of Kachin, Armed conflict in Kachin State - general articles, China-Burma relations
Language:
more
Description:
"The Myanmar military is continuing to wage fresh atrocities against ethnic minorities in the conflict-riven north of the country, according to a new report by human rights group Amnesty International.
The report details harrowing accounts of ethnic Kachin, Lisu, Shan and Ta’ang civilians being arbitrarily arrested, detained and tortured by the armed forces.
It also sheds a light on abusive tactics used by ethnic armed groups as they confront the military and fight among themselves to exert control over Shan State, a region rich in mineral resources and also part of the Golden Triangle where much of the world’s opium and heroin is illegally produced.
“The Myanmar military is as relentless and ruthless as ever, committing war crimes against civilians in northern Shan State with absolute impunity,” alleged Nicholas Bequelin, Amnesty International’s Director for East and Southeast Asia..."
Source/publisher:
"The Telegraph" (UK)
Date of publication:
2019-10-24
Date of entry/update:
2019-10-24
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Racial or ethnic discrimination in Burma: reports of violations against several groups, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Armed conflict in Burma - attacks on civilians
Language:
more
Sub-title:
Recent overtures suggest the government may be serious about ending years of conflict in its northern state.
Description:
"The Jan Mai Kawng Baptist Church camp for internally displaced people is located on the outskirts of Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin state. Home to more than 1,000 people uprooted by conflict across Myanmar's most northern state, Jan Mai Kawng is a bustling place, where camp residents have established businesses, including restaurants, shops and even a makeshift hairdresser.
Among the entrepreneurial tenants is Kai Ra, 52, who has established a small operation selling secondhand clothes in the camp. If business goes well, she can make about $7 a day, but acknowledged that on some days there is no income.
"In my home village, I worked on the land and could live off it, but I have no land here," she says, standing outside her home in the camp. "I miss my home, and I miss my livestock: my chickens, my cows and my goats. I miss everything, but I can't go back home at the moment. It's not safe."..."
Source/publisher:
US News (USA)
Date of publication:
2019-10-02
Date of entry/update:
2019-10-23
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Peace processes, ceasefires and ceasefire talks (websites, documents, reports and studies), Armed conflict in Shan State - general articles, Non-Ceasefire Groups, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups.
Language:
more
Description:
"More than 2,000 people have been forced to flee from their homes, and 19 have been killed, since fighting broke out between government troops and ethnic minority insurgents in northern Myanmar last week, government officials said Wednesday.
The escalation in hostilities in Myanmar’s fractured north is another setback for civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s bid to bring peace amid a stuttering transition from full military rule.
The people displaced in the latest fighting are sheltering in monasteries around Lashio town in the north of Shan State, and are depending on aid groups and the government for their supplies, aid workers said.
"We are providing basic rescue materials as well as cash to displaced people in the camps, the injured people and also to family members of those who got killed," Soe Naing, director of the Department of Disaster Management in Shan State, told Reuters..."
Source/publisher:
US News (USA)
Date of publication:
2019-08-21
Date of entry/update:
2019-10-23
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Kachin State, Shan State, Armed conflict in Kachin State - general articles, Armed conflict in Shan State - general articles, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups.
Language:
more
Description:
"With frequent floods, landslides, cyclones and other natural hazards, Myanmar is extremely vulnerable to the effects of climate change, which lead to massive population displacements and destruction of livelihoods, crops and other food sources. It ranks 3rd out of the most affected countries in the last two decades since 1998, according the 2019 Global Climate Risk Index.
The humanitarian situation in Myanmar remains fragile. In Rakhine State, more than 140,000 people, mainly Rohingya Muslims, remain internally displaced following several waves of inter -communal violence in 2012, with severe restrictions of movement and limited access to livelihoods, health care, education and other basic social services. The Government’s security operations in August 2017 followed by attacks on border guard posts resulted in 700,000 people, mostly Rohingya Muslims, fleeing to neighboring Bangladesh and exacerbated the food security and overall humanitarian situation of the remaining population. An escalation of fighting since 2018 in Rakhine State between the Arakan Army and the Myanmar military, as well as the intensification of ethnic armed conflict in Kachin and Shan states since 2011, has further contributed to instability. An estimated 823,600 people living in conflict-affected areas are vulnerable to food insecurity. More than 240,000 remain internally displaced with limited access to farmland and other livelihood opportunities..."
Source/publisher:
World Food Programme via Reliefweb
Date of publication:
2019-06-22
Date of entry/update:
2019-10-05
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
WFP (World Food Programme), Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Food Security - Specialised organisations and mechanisms, Food Security and nutrition in Burma/Myanmar
Language:
Format :
pdf
Size:
302.51 KB (2 pages)
Local URL:
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Description:
Infographic
Source/publisher:
UN High Commissioner for Refugees via Reliefweb
Date of publication:
2019-07-11
Date of entry/update:
2019-10-03
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
Format :
pdf
Size:
450.07 KB
more
Description:
"As of Sunday 11 August 2019, there were more than 80,000 people sheltering in evacuation sites across Myanmar, as the country has been battered over the last week by torrential monsoon rains that triggered a landslide in Paung Township, Mon State, killing more than 50 people on Friday, with many people still missing. While in some areas, such as in Kachin and Rakhine States, people returned home once floods subsided, the run-off and continuous heavy rainfalls have rivers swelling and overflowing downstream. Mon State is currently the worst-hit, with more than 26,000 people in evacuation sites, but Bago Region also now has more than 20,000 people displaced by the floods. Kayin State and Sagaing Region are also being buffeted by the rains. Over the next few days, the forecast is for more rain, with the risk of further flooding.
According to Myanmar’s Department of Disaster Management, more than 150,000 people have been cumulatively displaced since the floods began in June. The first responders are local communities themselves – private individuals who bring rice or provide help however they can to people affected by the emergency. In addition, the various authorities in Myanmar – the Fire Services, the local administrations and the Military – as well as the Myanmar Red Cross, monasteries, churches and other faith groups, civil society and the private sector have mobilized to respond. The authorities have moved people to evacuation sites, transported the injured to hospital, and provided food, cash, and non-food items such as blankets, sleeping mats and other essentials. The international humanitarian community is responding when and where the national response capacities become overstretched.
On Tuesday 13 August, a UN-led inter-agency monitoring team will travel to Mon to determine specific needs and gaps in current levels of assistance, where the international community is able to support..."
Source/publisher:
"Reliefweb" via UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Date of publication:
2019-08-12
Date of entry/update:
2019-08-13
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Natural Disasters - General, Flooding in Burma/Myanmar, Climate Change - Migration Burma/Myanmar, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups.
Language:
Format :
pdf
Size:
2.09 MB
Local URL:
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Description:
"ဒ် တၢ်က့ၤဆူအလီၢ်အကျဲလၢ နီၢ်ကစၢ်တၢ်ဘၣ်သး (Voluntary Repatriation Center-VRC)အတၢ်ရဲၣ် တၢ်ကျဲၤအသိး ဖဲတလါအံၤ လါဖ့ၤဘြူၤအါရံၤအတီၢ်ပူၤန့ၣ် ကီၢ်ကၠီၣ်တဲၣ်=ကီၢ်ပယီၤကီၢ်ဆၢ ၦၤဘၣ်ကီဘၣ်ခဲ ဒဲက၀ီၤတဖၣ်ပူၤ ၦၤဒဲက၀ီၤဖိ (၅၇၅)ဂၤ ကက့ၤလီၤ၀ဲဆူကီၢ်ပယီၤအပူၤန့ၣ်လီၤႉ
ကီၢ်ကၠီၣ်တဲၣ်၊ ကီၢ်ပယီၤပဒိၣ်ဒီး (UNHCR) ၦၤဘၣ်မူဘၣ်ဒါတဖၣ် မၤသကိးတၢ်အဖီခိၣ် စးထီၣ် ဖဲတလါအံၤလါဖ့ၤဘြူၤအါရံၤ (၂၀) သီအနံၤ၊ မဲၢ်လးဘၣ်ကီဘၣ်ခဲဒဲက၀ီၤအပူၤ ၦၤနီၣ်ဂံၢ်(၁၃၃)ဂၤ၊ ဖဲလါဖ့ၤဘြူၤအါရံၤ (၂၁)သီအနံၤန့ၣ် အူးပၠၣ် ဘၣ်ကီဘၣ်ခဲဒဲက၀ီၤအပူၤ ၦၤနီၣ်ဂံၢ်(၂၀၁)ဂၤ၊ ဒီးဒဲက၀ီၤအဂၤ ဒ်အမ့ၢ်နိၣ်ဖိ(၁၃၇)ဂၤ၊ ဘါဒိၣ်ယါ(၄၅)ဂၤ၊ ဘးမဲၣ်နဲစဲၣ် (ကရ့ၣ်နံၣ်ဘၣ်ကီဘၣ်ခဲဒဲက၀ီၤ) ၅၉ ဂၤခဲလၢာ်(၅၇၅)ဂၤ ကပိာ်ထွဲဒီးက့ၤအခံအဂ့ၢ်န့ၣ် ဒဲက၀ီၤၦၤဘၣ်မူဘၣ်ဒါတဖၣ်စံး၀ဲန့ၣ်လီၤႉ..."
Source/publisher:
KIC (Karen Information Center)
Date of publication:
2019-02-22
Date of entry/update:
2019-02-25
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Karen and other refugees from Burma in Thailand - general reports and articles, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Documents in Pwo-Karen and S'Gaw Karen
Language:
Sgaw Karen
more
Description:
''Over the past decade, Displacement Solutions has undertaken extensive research aimed at
shedding light on the numerous housing, land and property (HLP) rights issues facing the
people of Myanmar. Through these efforts DS aims to build the capacity of the people of
Myanmar to exercise and enforce their HLP rights. To this end, DS provides practical
guidance to citizens and their governments through the development of institutional and
policy frameworks, guiding principles and practical steps which seek to reduce, eliminate
and redress HLP rights abuses.
The following eleven books and reports were published with the intent of informing and
aiding the Myanmar government, key ethnic actors, humanitarian organisations and
citizens on the importance of HLP rights within Myanmar. The documents outlined here
are just a portion of DS' research efforts concerning the country. Many of our other papers
and reports on more sensitive themes have intentionally been kept internal by the
organisations and institutions for whom they were prepared.
These publications cover topics spanning national policy development on land grabbing and
speculation, recommendations for the development of a comprehensive HLP rights
framework within Myanmar, the manner in which HLP rights can be addressed during
peace negotiations as well as land rights in relation to mine action. The most recent report
outlines the need for the government of Myanmar to establish a Myanmar National Climate
Land Bank to pre-emptively address the threats of climate displacement.
Throughout the past ten years, DS has had the privilege of working with an extraordinary
group of legal experts, local groups and donors, and would like to thank them all once again
for their collective efforts to make Myanmar a country where housing, land and property
rights are enjoyed in full by everyone.
Finally, a special thanks to Hannah Crothers and Amy Pattle from Monash Law School for
their assistance in preparing this overview...''
Scott Leckie
Source/publisher:
Displacement Solutions
Date of publication:
2018-06-04
Date of entry/update:
2019-01-08
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Laws, decrees, bills and regulations relating to land, property and planning (commentary), Law and policy on land in Burma/Myanmar, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Land rights, Land rights, Housing, Right to Adequate Housing
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
243.14 KB
more
Description:
''The sun sets over a village in rural Myanmar,
where a group of men and women discuss
a recent announcement they have seen
posted in the distant Township Office.
The notice refers to a company’s claims on
certain parcels of land that the villagers’
families have been cultivating for decades.
According to the notice, such land is now
officially classified as vacant; some of the
land has already been fenced off and used to
cultivate rubber. The deadline for objections
mentioned in the letter had passed long
before any of the affected farmers realised
what was going on. Some of the villagers,
who used to cultivate this land but were
displaced, live elsewhere and are unaware
of the situation. What is to be done?
The need for HLP restitution
Ten years after the enactment of Myanmar’s
new Constitution in 2008 and the start of
the period of government transition, the
quest for peace and for real and effective
remedies for past and present land grabbing
and displacement continues despite some
positive – albeit tentative – steps being taken
by the government. During the civil wars,
entire villages were forcibly displaced,
with people also suffering forced labour
and gender-based violence.1
The legal
framework continues to be a complicated mix
of colonial-era legislation and newer laws,
with the latter clearly designed to favour
private investment and widespread land
acquisition without adequate safeguards
to protect the rights of farmers and their
families.2
Laws governing land acquisition
disproportionately favour the State, the
military and companies which have close
relationships with or are otherwise favoured
by these entities, and pay less attention to the
rights of affected people and communities...''
José Arraiza and Scott Leckie
Source/publisher:
Displacement Solutions
Date of publication:
2018-02-23
Date of entry/update:
2019-01-08
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Laws, decrees, bills and regulations relating to land, property and planning (commentary), Law and policy on land in Burma/Myanmar, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Land rights
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
334.75 KB
more
Description:
''The government of Myanmar has officially committed itself to respecting these rights. The most
well-known international human rights document, the Universal Declaration on Human Rights
(UDHR, 1948), applies to every country and includes the first-ever mention in a global document
of the ‘right to adequate housing’ in its Article 25(1). The Declaration creates obligations for the
government of Myanmar.
Additionally, in October 2017, the Myanmar government committed to the International Covenant
on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) (1966). Article 11(1) of s and commits all
government authorities – at the Union, state and local levels – to comply with its terms.
In 1991, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights adopted ‘General Comment
No. 4 on the Right to Adequate Housing’ which interprets Article 11(1) of the ICESCR. It lists the
following seven components form the core contents of the human right to adequate housing:
(a) legal security of tenure; (b) availability of services, materials, facilities and infrastructure; (c)
location; (d) habitability; (e) affordability; (f) accessibility; and (g) cultural adequacy. If you do not
have any of these guarantees in place, your right to adequate housing is not yet in place.
Everyone in the country, therefore, can legally demand that their HLP rights guaranteed by the
UDHR, the ICESCR and other treaties that create additional rights, are fully complied with by
all public officials in Myanmar, and that new national laws recognising these are put in place
as promised...''
Source/publisher:
Displacement Solutions
Date of publication:
2018-11-15
Date of entry/update:
2019-01-07
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Law and policy on land in Burma/Myanmar, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Climate Change - Burma/Myanmar: general
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.25 MB
more
Description:
"Chin State in western Burma borders India and Bangladesh and, though receiving little attention from international media or rights groups, continues, like much of the rest of Burma, to suffer the effects of poor governance and on-going conflict. Chin Free Burma Ranger teams have reported incidents of civilian landmine victims and displacement from fighting in just the last two months.
On 20 September Mrs. Daw Phit Leik (28) of Nga Tein Village, Paletwah Township, and five friends went into the jungle to pick vegetables. Whilst doing so, she stepped on a mine and was killed. An 18-year old woman, Miss Tein Tin, was also injured by the blast, according to Chin Rangers.
On 29 Oct, at 11:00 a.m., Mr. U Hwe Htan, aged 35 and the father of six from Rat Chaung Village, Paletwah Township, stepped on a mine and was severely hurt. He was taken to Paletwah Hospital, but the extent of his injuries means that he will need to transfer to the main hospital in Sittwe..."
Source/publisher:
Free Burma Rangers
Date of publication:
2018-11-09
Date of entry/update:
2018-12-13
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Anti-Personnel Landmines - Specialist organisations and commentary, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Discrimination against the Chin (Zo) -- websites and reports, Chin State
Language:
English
more
Description:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
"Globally three times as many people are now displaced annually because of extreme weather
events and climate change than those displaced due to conflict, with the vast majority of those
displaced living in developing countries, 81% of whom reside in Asia.
The movement and planned
relocation of people and communities from their homes and lands necessitated by the effects
of extreme weather events and climate change is rapidly becoming one of the greatest threats
to the enjoyment of human rights and to broader concerns of peace and security in Myanmar.
Climate displacement from both extreme weather events and climate change are set to pose
a particularly dramatic challenge for the people and government of Myanmar. According to
one survey, the country is currently ranked second out of 187 countries in the Global Climate
Risk Index for vulnerability to climatic natural disasters. Still reeling from the effects of Cyclone
Nargis in 2008, a decade on the country remains worryingly unprepared for dealing with
natural disasters and this will be only further compounded when considering the large-scale
displacement of populations which may occur as a result of climate change impacts such as
rising sea levels, coastal erosion and temporary or permanent inundation.
A recent report has
predicted that sea level in Myanmar will rise by up to 50cm by 2050.3
Apart from some low-lying
areas being permanently inundated, sea level rise will also affect season coastal flooding and
storm surge intensity during cyclones and tropical storms. Additionally, rising salinity levels, salt
water intrusion and ocean acidification will bring additional pressures to livelihood viability of
local communities living in these effected coastal regions.
Given the scale of the crisis affecting Myanmar, the government needs to develop pro-active,
appropriate preventative policies and capacities to specifically respond to climate displacement
threats from both extreme weather events and future climate change If not, millions of people
may be forced to flee their homes and lands along the country?s 2000km coastline. This
potential displacement catastrophe is only further compounded when populations living along
the country?s many rivers and waterways are impacted as floodplains become increasingly
uninhabitable, adding to the massive displacement that has already taken place due to decades
of conflict and disaster. While it is clear that millions will be affected by climate change in the
decades to come, there has been virtually no vulnerability mapping or planning in Myanmar to
identify at risk communities from climate displacement, nor assessments of potential locations
for resettlement. It is also not clear which, if any, targeted institutions, policies or programmes are
in place to support these communities."
Source/publisher:
Displacement Solutions, Ecodev
Date of publication:
2018-05-23
Date of entry/update:
2018-10-30
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Climate Change - Burma/Myanmar: general, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Sea-level rise, Burma/Myanmar
Language:
Format :
pdf
Size:
2.75 MB
more
Description:
Executive Summary:
"Myanmar has been engaged in a process of political change since 2011. A central goal of these reforms
has been the attempt to resolve political conflicts between ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) and the
Myanmar Government. Talks began under the ?civilian
government? led by Thein Sein and have continued
under the National League of Democracy (NLD)
-
led Government. However, several years of talks have
produced little concrete progress.
This is a complex peace process, which has only the partial inclusion
of Myanmar?s many ethnic armed
organisations and which is being conducted in a climate of continuing conflict and state violence and
continuing tensions between the Burman majority and other ethnic groups. This is evident in large
-
scale
displacement from R
akhine State (where more than 300,000 refugees fled to Bangladesh in September
2017) and in Kachin and northern Shan States (where more than 119,000 people have been displaced since
2011). There is also an urgent emerging problem of large
-
scale development
and land acquisition projects
creating further displacement.
It is important not to be naïve about the scale of the challenges in Myanmar?s peace process, or indeed
about the possibility that the peace process may break down entirely. However, it is a
lso valuable to
consider what would be required to maximise the chances of a successful peace process. There is no
formula to determine why some peace processes work while others fail, but the chances of building a
sustainable peace are substantially enhan
ced when the process genuinely engages with and seeks to
correct the inequalities and injustice that gave rise to conflict. For Myanmar, that must include addressing
the causes and consequences of displacement
.
This working paper sets out the context an
d experience of displacement in and from Myanmar. It identifies
a number of areas that must be addressed,
including:
-
The process of drafting a peace agreement, and displacement
-
specific provisions to include in a
peace agreement;
-
The timing, design and implementation of return and reintegration of displaced populations;
-
Wider issues of legal protection, land governance and restitution.
The working paper also identifies some cross
-
cutting themes, including the need to recognise a
relationship
between displacement and other aspects of peacebuilding (such as political autonomy for ethnic areas and
land governance); the necessity of ensuring that displaced people themselves are central to the process of
policy design, ideally through
institutionalised mechanisms for dialogue, consultation and representation;
and the importance of securing continued funding to support refugees and IDPs with a continuing need of
international protection..."
Kirsten Mcconnachie
Source/publisher:
Political Settlements Research Programme
Date of publication:
2017-09-00
Date of entry/update:
2017-12-08
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Armed conflict and peace-building in Burma - theoretical, strategic and general, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups.
Language:
English
more
Description:
"Over the past six months Myanmar has
experienced a surge in new displacement
in four states, while humanitarian
organizations simultaneously faced severe
constraints on access. Border post attacks
on 9 Oct 2016 and subsequent security
operations triggered a new humanitarian
crisis in northern Rakhine. Intensified
conflict resulted in new displacement in
Kachin and northern Shan. Thousands
were also relocated in Kayin State due to
fighting in Sep 2016..."
Source/publisher:
CCCM Cluster, UNHCR, UN & humanitarian org. in Bangladesh, WFP, OCHA
Date of publication:
2017-03-03
Date of entry/update:
2017-05-08
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
more
Description:
Executive Summary: "Recently, much attention surrounding Burma has focused on the democratic reform, 2015 elections and the future of the National League for Democracy (NLD)-led Government, whilst a profound humanitarian crisis and continuing concerns of the ethnic minority communities in the southeast have been largely ignored. The recent story of political and economic reform has insufficiently addressed the ongoing struggles of internally displaced persons (IDPs), as they become an inconvenient truth rendered invisible by the larger reform narrative. Nearly 70 years of ethnic conflict has created a displacement crisis with over 644,000 internally displaced and over 479,000 refugees fleeing the country predominantly from ethnic areas. At present, over 100,000 refugees live in camps along the Thailand-Burma border, and approximately 400,000 IDPs live in protracted displacement in southeast Burma. As the continuing political and social transformation in Burma and the triumph of the NLD in the 2015 elections captivates local citizens and foreign observers around the world, optimism and the infectious idea that those displaced will soon begin to move back to Burma has led to further decline in donor funding along the Thailand-Burma border. This has deeply impacted the refugees and IDPs living along the border whose lives depend on international aid as well as essential services and programs offered by local ethnic service providers, which were traditionally funded by the international donor community. Many refugees are now feeling squeezed out of the camps, bearing a resemblance to the experience of Mon refugees who were pushed back across the border to Burma and became IDPs over 20 years ago. As expressed by many Mon IDPs interviewed for this report, they have yet to find durable livelihood solutions in IDP sites and continue to suffer from chronic poverty, debt and lack of medical care. Inside Burma, stagnation in amending repressive laws, military dominance in politics, the absence of an inclusive ceasefire and political dialogue, the presence of landmines and land confiscation that has become endemic throughout the country continue to render the definition of a safe and dignified voluntary return of refugees meaningless. As plans to repatriate over 100,000 refugees along the border continue to be discussed, there is an increasing need to reflect on the past and draw lessons that could prevent a future protracted IDP situation in the country. This report aims to shed light on lessons that can be learned from the past for all stakeholders involved in all stages of planning for the return of refugees and IDPs. While the IDPs interviewed for this report expressed their desire to stay in their current locations as opposed to relocation or return to their original location, they often cited two major obstacles to their possible return: not having land to return to and continuing considerations about safety including lack of sustainable peace in their place of origin. The plight of villagers and farmers in Ye and Yebyu Township in their struggle to preserve and protect their land from the Burma Army, the State and private investors indicate that refugees and IDPs are likely to face increasing housing, land and property (HLP) rights violations upon their return. These HLP rights violations must be resolved not only to ensure the durable return of IDPs and refugees, but also to end further displacement that is adding to the already vast number of displaced people inside and out of the country. Steps must also be taken to ensure that a genuine and inclusive peace process remains a priority, as it is only through an inclusive ceasefire and sustainable peace that a durable solution can be found for the disenfranchised and displaced communities in Burma. Community-based organizations (CBOs), ethnic service providers, and grassroots movements with decades of experience and knowledge that have worked side-by-side with their communities through difficult and challenging times are tackling these very issues and concerns that the IDPs, refugees and villagers are facing. As the new NLD-led Government has begun to take the reins of the political and economic reforms set in motion by the previous government, all parties must ensure that the efforts of those who have consistently worked alongside ethnic communities are supported and advocated, and not sidelined. HLP rights of refugees and IDPs must be restored, laws that are legacies of the past must be amended, landmines must be cleared from the land and an inclusive ceasefire followed by a political solution is needed to protect them from further abuse and possible secondary displacement before a durable livelihood solution can be achieved. National reconciliation is possible only when victims begin receiving the support they need to ensure that they can rebuild their lives in safety and dignity."
Source/publisher:
HURFOM, Burma Partnership, Burma Link
Date of publication:
2016-08-12
Date of entry/update:
2016-08-12
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Internal displacement/forced migration of Mon villagers
Language:
Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Format :
pdf
Size:
904.4 KB
Local URL:
more
Description:
Executive Summary:
"Recently, much attention surrounding Burma has focused on the democratic reform, 2015
elections and the future of the National League for Democracy (NLD)-led Government, whilst
a profound humanitarian crisis and continuing concerns of the ethnic minority communities in
the southeast have been largely ignored. The recent story of political and economic reform
has insufficiently addressed the ongoing struggles of internally displaced persons (IDPs), as
they become an inconvenient truth rendered invisible by the larger reform narrative.
Nearly 70 years of ethnic conflict has created a displacement crisis with over 644,000
internally displaced and over 479,000 refugees fleeing the country predominantly from ethnic
areas. At present, over 100,000 refugees live in camps along the Thailand-Burma border,
and approximately 400,000 IDPs live in protracted displacement in southeast Burma. As the
continuing political and social transformation in Burma and the triumph of the NLD in the 2015
elections captivates local citizens and foreign observers around the world, optimism and the
infectious idea that those displaced will soon begin to move back to Burma has led to further
decline in donor funding along the Thailand-Burma border.
This has deeply impacted the refugees and IDPs living along the border whose lives depend
on international aid as well as essential services and programs offered by local ethnic
service providers, which were traditionally funded by the international donor community. Many
refugees are now feeling squeezed out of the camps, bearing a resemblance to the experience
of Mon refugees who were pushed back across the border to Burma and became IDPs
over 20 years ago. As expressed by many Mon IDPs interviewed for this report, they have yet
to find durable livelihood solutions in IDP sites and continue to suffer from chronic poverty,
debt and lack of medical care. Inside Burma, stagnation in amending repressive laws, military
dominance in politics, the absence of an inclusive ceasefire and political dialogue, the presence
of landmines and land confiscation that has become endemic throughout the country
continue to render the definition of a safe and dignified voluntary return of refugees meaningless.
As plans to repatriate over 100,000 refugees along the border continue to be discussed,
there is an increasing need to reflect on the past and draw lessons that could prevent a future
protracted IDP situation in the country. This report aims to shed light on lessons that can be
learned from the past for all stakeholders involved in all stages of planning for the return of
refugees and IDPs.
While the IDPs interviewed for this report expressed their desire to stay in their current
locations as opposed to relocation or return to their original location, they often cited two major
obstacles to their possible return: not having land to return to and continuing considerations
about safety including lack of sustainable peace in their place of origin.
The plight of villagers and farmers in Ye and Yebyu Township in their struggle to preserve
and protect their land from the Burma Army, the State and private investors indicate that refugees
and IDPs are likely to face increasing housing, land and property (HLP) rights violations
upon their return. These HLP rights violations must be resolved not only to ensure the durable
return of IDPs and refugees, but also to end further displacement that is adding to the already
vast number of displaced people inside and out of the country. Steps must also be taken to
ensure that a genuine and inclusive peace process remains a priority, as it is only through an
inclusive ceasefire and sustainable peace that a durable solution can be found for the disenfranchised
and displaced communities in Burma.
Community-based organizations (CBOs), ethnic service providers, and grassroots movements
with decades of experience and knowledge that have worked side-by-side with their
communities through difficult and challenging times are tackling these very issues and concerns
that the IDPs, refugees and villagers are facing. As the new NLD-led Government has
begun to take the reins of the political and economic reforms set in motion by the previous
government, all parties must ensure that the efforts of those who have consistently worked
alongside ethnic communities are supported and advocated, and not sidelined.
HLP rights of refugees and IDPs must be restored, laws that are legacies of the past must
be amended, landmines must be cleared from the land and an inclusive ceasefire followed
by a political solution is needed to protect them from further abuse and possible secondary
displacement before a durable livelihood solution can be achieved. National reconciliation
is possible only when victims begin receiving the support they need to ensure that they can
rebuild their lives in safety and dignity."
Source/publisher:
HURFOM, Burma Partnership, Burma Link
Date of publication:
2016-08-12
Date of entry/update:
2016-08-12
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Dialogue/reform/transition after the NLD election victory
Language:
English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Format :
pdf pdf
Size:
1.03 MB 904.4 KB
more
Description:
"?We have to work with the voice of the people,” Nai Aue Mon tells me in Sangkhlaburi, Thailand, as we discuss the recent rise of land confiscation and land disputes in the Mon State. Aue Mon has been with the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) since 1999, when he started witnessing the abuse and violations of the rights of civilians in the Mon State. He first began working as a journalist for the Mon publication Guiding Star, before beginning his work as documenting and defending human rights. In this in-depth interview, Nai Aue Mon explains about the historical and current human rights situation in the Mon areas, as well as the ongoing and emerging struggles and challenges faced by the tens of thousands of IDPs (internally displaced persons) in his native Mon State. Nai Aue Mon has great hopes for the future of the country, particularly in the context of the new NLD government taking office. But amidst these hopes, however, on the ground situation indicates a turn from physical violations to increasing land conflicts driven ?under the name of development.” Nai Aue Mon is now the Program Director of HURFOM, and hopes to realise their long term goal of bringing transitional justice and memorialization activities to the victims of this decades-long abuse."
Source/publisher:
Burma Link
Date of publication:
2016-02-29
Date of entry/update:
2016-03-16
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Mon (cultural, political), Dialogue/reform/transition in Burma/Myanmar - analyses and statements, Mon State, Internal displacement/forced migration of Mon villagers, Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Land confiscation for military, commercial and other purposes
Language:
English
more
Description:
Introduction: "1.1 This ?Comprehensive Plan Addressing the Needs
of Displaced Persons on the Thailand/Myanmar
(Burma) Border in 2007/8? has been prepared by t
he Committee for the Coordination of Services to
Displaced Persons in Thailand (CCSDPT) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR) Regional Office in Bangkok...
1.2 The first CCSDPT/ UNHCR Comprehensive Plan was for 2006 and was drawn up through a participatory
process during 2005. It was presented to the Royal Thai
Government (RTG) at a workshop in December that
year. The 2006 plan was then expanded for 2006/ 7 and presented to Donors at a Donor Forum in May 2006
also attended by the National Security Counc
il (NSC) and the Ministry of Interior (MOI)...
1.3 The Comprehensive Plan for 2007/8 draws on the earlier
processes but this time also incorporates inputs
from UNHCR?s Strengthening Protection Capacity Projec
t-Thailand (SPCP-Thailand). This was initiated in
August 2006 and is another gap ident
ification exercise aimed at impr
oving the protection capacity of
Thailand to receive and protect refugees, enhance t
heir means of self-reliance and expand opportunities for
durable solutions...
1.4 The result is a more complete document whic
h summarises current protection and humanitarian
assistance services in 2007, anticipat
ed services in 2008 and gaps identif
ied in each sector. For many of the
most important gaps, specific project propo
sals with budget estimates are appended...
1.5 Implementation of the Comprehensive Plan will
require ongoing cooperation between all stakeholders
Specific challenges requiring action to move the pl
an forward are set out for CCSDPT/ UNHCR, the Donors
and the RTG..."
Source/publisher:
CCSDPT and UNHCR
Date of publication:
2008-00-00
Date of entry/update:
2015-10-23
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Burma: Internal displacement/forced migration of several ethnic groups., Karen and other refugees from Burma in Thailand - general reports and articles
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.32 MB
more
Description:
Photo essay.....
"The country?s political reforms have not shielded remote communities from being devastated by ongoing conflicts...Myanmar has undergone political reform over the past few years, led by President Thein Sein, a former military commander who has adopted a more moderate stance concerning the country?s political system.
Despite the reforms, however, conflicts involving minority groups have escalated, and Myanmar?s Muslim communities, especially the Rohingya in the northwest, have become victims of violence.
According with UNHCR?s latest statistics, there are more than 300,000 internal displaced people (IDP) and almost half a million refugees originating from conflict areas in Myanmar.
Adding to the numbers, fresh displacements are still being witnessed in northern Kachin State where clashes between Myanmar?s army and Kachin Independent Army continue.
In Shan State, many people escaped months ago from clashes between the rebel Talang National Liberation Army and government soldiers.
More than 120,000 people from the Karen minority are still living in temporary shelters along the Thai-Myanmar border waiting for the results of the never-ending peace agreement between the Karen rebel groups and the central government..."
In 2012, violence in Rakhine State forced almost 140,000 people to flee their homes. The majority live in government-designated IDP camps near the state capital, Sittwe, and in surrounding townships.
Vincenzo Floramo
Source/publisher:
Al Jazeera
Date of publication:
2015-06-19
Date of entry/update:
2015-06-25
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
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Description:
Repairing IDP shelters in Rakhine and Kachin...Citizenship verification exercise in Myebon...Displaced people in Meiktila need assistance
for the winter...School children at risk of food ration cuts
Source/publisher:
UNOCHA
Date of publication:
2014-10-31
Date of entry/update:
2014-12-02
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
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