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JOIN THE CAMPAIGN: There are over 2,100 political prisoners languishing in prisons all over Burma. Free Burma’s Political Prisoners Now aims to collect 888,888 signatures before 24 May 2009, the legal date that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi should be released from house arrest. This is a united global campaign working with over a hundred groups from around the globe. The petition calls on UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to make it his personal priority to secure the release of all political prisoners in Burma, as the essential first step towards democracy in the country... HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO! 1. Sign the Petition... 2. Get your friends, families, and colleagues to sign. (Join our pages on Facebook and Youtube as well)... 3. Download the campaign kit (to the left) and get those in your community involved. Tell them about the situation in Burma and the courageous actions of Burma’s political prisoners... 4. Tell the FBPPN Campaign Committee what you are doing so that we can share with others about the global movement for Burma’s political prisoners. Email info@fbppn.net... WHY THIS CAMPAIGN IS SO IMPORTANT: Daw Aung Suu Kyi says, “We are all prisoners in our own country.” Political prisoners are not criminals. They have courageously spoken out on behalf of those who have been silenced. The release of all political prisoners is the essential first step towards freedom and democracy in Burma. There can be no democratic transition without them. They must be allowed to freely participate in any future democratic political process.
Burmariders ist eine Hilfsaktion mit interaktiver Website und dem Ziel, auf die Notsituation der Menschen entlang der thailändisch-burmesischen Grenze aufmerksam zu machen. Die Burmariders Florian Fischer und Florian Niethammer fuhren ab 19.06. 2007 insgesamt 1.200 Kilometer mit Fahrrädern im unwegsamen Gebiet entlang der thai-burmesischen Grenze. Sie besuchten in rund vier Wochen sieben Flüchtlingslager. Das Team sammelte Informationen, Stimmen und Eindrücke unter den Flüchtlingen und berichtete per Webcast: Aktuelle Filmberichte wurden schon Minuten später im Internet veröffentlicht. Ethnische Minderheiten; Karen; Ride along the thai-burmese border; ethnic minorities; humanitarian situation; political situation in Burma; refugees in Thailand; Karen
Arakan Gas Research Team, Thailand
Campaign for Professor Salai Tun Than
"On 29 November 2001 Salai Tun Than, PhD (Wisconsin), appeared in front of Rangoon Town Hall, Burma (Myanmar) in his academic gown. There he began handing out a personal petition calling for multi-party elections within one year under an interim civilian government. His petition urged the military government to kill him if unwilling to meet his demands as "it is better to die than live under the military regime". Within minutes he was taken away by members of the security forces. He has since been held in Insein Prison. This site provides links to information and suggestions for action regarding his case."
Source/publisher:
Asian Human Rights Commission
Alternate URLs:
http://campaigns.ahrchk.net/tunthan/
Date of entry/update:
04 July 2010
Change for Burma
Description/subject:
This is your chance to help bring long-lasting change to Burma! Burma is one of the poorest countries in the world. It is ruled by one of the world’s most brutal regimes, guilty of every possible human rights violation. It has one of the worst records of religious persecution in the world. Let us paint you a picture of the desperate situation ... * Over 2,000 political prisoners are in jail subjected to terrible torture. * Over 70,000 child soldiers have been forcibly conscripted into the army. * Over 3,200 villages in Burma in Eastern Burma have been destroyed since 1996. * Over 2.5 million people are suffering as a result of the cyclone and the regime’s obstruction of aid. * Over 1 million people are displaced in the jungle. You have the chance to help us paint a different future for Burma. Change for Burma! is an exciting new joint campaign by Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) and Partners Relief and Development UK. Our aim is to bring long-lasting change to Burma and to see the international community take action on behalf of those suffering in Burma. We want to see freedom and justice restored to the people of Burma. Joining us and taking action today will help us raise awareness of the issues and lobby the UK government, United Nations and international community to take concrete action to bring change to Burma. You can be part of the change today – here’s how to get involved ...
Source/publisher:
Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Partners Relief and Development
Format/size:
Date of entry/update:
17 February 2009
Crisis in Arakan State (Campaign)
Description/subject:
Please print and send this letter to William Hague MP, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs....."Following communal violence in June, largely directed against the ethnic Rohingya, there is a growing humanitarian and human rights crisis which is not receiving sufficient international attention, and it is highly likely that many lives are being lost as a result. Burmese police, security forces and soldiers are raping, looting, torturing and arbitrarily killing Rohingya people. There have been mass arrests with Rohingya people kept in detention camps without trial, without food or medical services. Around 100,000 internally displaced people are in various locations, the vast majority without receiving any assistance because they are ethnic Rohingya. Aid is mostly being blocked by the government, or where allowed, Rohingya people have been excluded. The President of Burma has proposed a policy that amounts to ethnic cleansing, asking the United Nations to arrange for Rohingya people to be placed in camps, removed from Burma and sent to third countries. This is an incredibly serious situation and it continues to deteriorate at a very fast rate. Action needs to be taken now to ensure aid can be delivered, arrests and human rights abuses stop, and people are allowed to return safely to their homes."
Source/publisher:
Burma Campaign UK
Format/size:
Alternate URLs:
http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/index.php/campaigns/more-info/crisis-in-arakan-state
Date of entry/update:
02 November 2012
ERI's Campaign page
Description/subject:
Under "Other/Past Programs this page has some documents on the Yadana pipeline and other Burma issues.
Source/publisher:
EarthRights International
Format/size:
Alternate URLs:
http://www.earthrights.org
Date of entry/update:
03 June 2003
Nobel Peace Laureate Campaign for Aung San Suu Kyi
Description/subject:
"Welcome to the Official Web Site of the Nobel Peace Laureate Campaign for Aung San Suu Kyi and the People of Burma! Archbishop Desmond Tutu invites you to join him and Nobel Peace Laureates from throughout the world in an international campaign to salute and support Nobel Peace Laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the people of Burma and their nonviolent struggle for human rights and democracy. Join us in demonstrating international support for Aung San Suu Kyi - who remains in detention for her non-violent struggle for human rights and democracy in Burma. Participate in a live interactive event that will link Nobel Peace Laureates with supporters throughout the world.
Format/size:
Leaad-up to events on 8 DEcember 2001
Alternate URLs:
http://www.burmapeacecampaign.org/
Date of entry/update:
03 June 2003
The Shwe Gas Movement
Description/subject:
"The SHWE Gas Movement is concerned with a natural gas pipeline project presently unfolding in Western Burma... In cooperation with Burma's military junta, a consortium of Indian and Korean corporations are currently exploring gas fields off the coast of Arakan State in Western Burma. Discovered in December 2003, these fields--labeled A-1, or "Shwe" (the Burmese word for gold)--are expected to hold one of the largest gas yields in Southeast Asia. These Shwe fields could well become the Burmese military government's largest single source of foreign income... However, for the people of Burma this project will likely bring more suffering than benefits. It is the opinion of the SHWE Gas Movement that the following issues are very likely outcomes if the pipeline project goes ahead unchecked:... Exploitation of the Voiceless: In order to transport the gas to India, a pipeline corridor is already being cleared in the minority Burmese states of Arakan and Chin. Moreover, the area is becoming increasingly militarised and forced labour is occurring in the context of infrastructure development... Large-scale Human Rights Abuses and Militarisation: As experience with two previous international Burmese gas pipeline projects -- the Yadana and the Yetagun -- suggest, forced relocation of villagers, forced labour, torture, rape and extrajudicial killings will result from the Shwe project... Environmental and Cultural Destruction: Because proper social and environmental impact assessments have not been carried out, the extent of the project's impact on the local population and environment can hardly be determined, but the Burmese military has a long history of environmental and cultural degradation... The Entrenchment of the Burmese Military Regime: Just as the Yadana and Yetagun projects provided a context for the Burmese military regime to extend its reach into minority and opposition areas, so too is the Shwe project providing an excuse to further militarize and exploit the frontier areas of Arakan and Chin state. Meanwhile, when the money from this project begins flowing into the junta's coffers, this will only increase the military's grip over the rest of Burma. Burma's current state of affairs is well known. The regime's poor human rights record has led most governments and many international organisations and institutions to condemn Burma's state terror and pass sanctions and investment bans against the country. This approach, also supported by the majority of Burma's opposition movement and Nobel Peace Laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, is meant to apply economic and political pressure on the regime and kick-start a process of democratisation. At the same time, several countries, such as the regional neighbours Thailand, India, China and Malaysia, promote constructive engagement with the regime as opposed to international isolation. According to their arguments, constructive engagement will promote economic development, integrate the country into the international community, and eventually instigate a full transfer to democracy. To date, however, progress in democratisation and human rights is yet to show, which seriously questions the viability of constructive engagement. Indeed, most foreign investment and development projects have caused more suffering than good because of the direct involvement of Burma's military. Thus, as argued by the Nobel Laureate and winner of the 1990 elections in Burma, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, "until we have a system that guarantees rules of law and basic democratic institutions, no amount of aid or investment will benefit our people." We, the SHWE Gas Movement, ask the governments and corporations involved to halt the project until there is assurance that the people of the whole of Burma and Western Burma in particular can participate in the decision-making process and benefit from this project and not suffer the same fate as the people affected by the Yadana and the Yetagun pipelines. We ask you for your support in achieving this goal."
Source/publisher:
The Shwe Gas Movement
Format/size:
Date of entry/update:
04 March 2005
Individual Documents
SAVE THE NAMTU RIVER - Impacts of the Upper Yeywa and other planned dams on the Namtu in Shan State
Date of publication:
Description/subject:
In January 2016, Burma’s state media reported that Naypyidaw was proceeding with four new hydropower dams on the Namtu (Myitnge or Dokhtawaddy) River, three of which are in conflict areas of Shan State. These new dams, together with the existing Yeywa dam, will form a cascade blocking half the entire length of the river. The most advanced of the new dams is the Upper Yeywa Dam in Nawngkhio township, started by Burma’s military regime in 2008, and slated for completion in 2018. The planned reservoir will stretch for over 60 kilometers, entirely submerging a large Shan village of nearly 500 residents, called Ta Long, and possibly submerging part of Hsipaw town. Ta Long (meaning “large harbor”) is a prosperous community, renowned in northern Shan State for its organic oranges and pomelos, grown along the riverbank. Ancient stupas in the village are hundreds of years old. Ta Long villagers were neither informed nor consulted before the dam began. An Environment and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) was carried out for the dam only in 2014, six years after the dam had begun. During the ESIA, the villagers stated clearly that they were not willing to move. Despite this, dam-building has continued, with funding from China, and with the involvement of Chinese, Japanese, German and Swiss companies. A diversion tunnel has been completed, and construction of the main dam wall was beginning in early 2016. The other planned dams on the Namtu in Shan State -- the Middle Yeywa Dam being developed by Norway’s state-owned SN Power in Nawng Khio township, and the Namtu Dam in Hsipaw township -- are also proceeding without transparency, and without the informed consent of impacted villagers. This cascade of dams will have serious impacts on the ecology of the river. Disruption of fish spawning and migration patterns are likely to negatively impact the rich fish stocks upon which thousands of Hsipaw villagers rely. Toxins from mining upstream are also likely to build up in the reservoirs, endangering aquatic life and the health of those relying on the river. Methane emitted from rotting vegetation in the reservoirs will also contribute to global warming. Another serious concern for villagers living below the planned Namtu Dam in Hsipaw will be the unpredictable fluctuations in water level due to the operation of the dam, and risk of sudden surges causing accidents along the river bank. If there is heavy rainfall, large amounts of water may have to be released, causing flooding downstream. Even more worrying is the possibility of dam breakage, due to pressure from abnormally heavy rainfall, landslides or earthquakes. The Middle Yeywa dam is being planned over the Kyaukkyan fault line, the centre of the biggest earthquake in Burma’s history in 1912, measuring about 8 on the Richter scale. This is of great concern, as the weight of dam reservoirs near fault lines is known to trigger earthquakes. Dam breakage would release a deadly tsunami, destroying any lower dams and also threatening countless communities in the lower plains. Finally, it is highly unwise for Naypyidaw to be pushing through these risky, untransparent dam projects in active conflict zones. Since early 2016, fighting has intensified in Shan townships where these dams are planned. With Naypyidaw’s monopoly over natural resources being a key driver of the ethnic conflict, forging ahead with damaging hydropower projects over the heads of local ethnic communities will only fuel resentment and exacerbate the conflict. We therefore urge the new NLD-led government to immediately halt all plans to build new dams on the Namtu River, including the Upper Yeywa dam. Only when there is a negotiated federal settlement to the ethnic conflict, bringing genuine nationwide peace and decentralized natural resource management, should options for future hydropower development along the Namtu river be considered. Any future plans for hydropower development on the Namtu River must involve a transparent strategic impact assessment along the entire river, and there must be Free Prior and Informed Consent of affected indigenous communities.
Source/publisher:
Shan Human Rights Foundation, Shan State Farmers’ Network, Shan Sapawa Environmental Organization
Format/size:
pdf (2.9MB)
Date of entry/update:
03 April 2016
SAVE THE NAMTU RIVER - Impacts of the Upper Yeywa and other planned dams on the Namtu in Shan State (Burmese - ျမန္မာဘာသာ)
Date of publication:
Description/subject:
၂၀၁၆ ခုႏွစ္ဇန္န၀ါရီလတြင္ ျမန္မာႏုိင္ငံ သတင္းဌာနမွသတင္းထဲတြင္ ေနျပည္ေတာ္သည္ ေရကာတာ ေရအားလွ်ပ္စစ္စီမံကိန္း ၄ ခု ကုိ နမၼတူ( ျမစ္ငယ္ (သုိ႔) ဒု႒ဝတီ )ျမစ္ေပၚတြင္ တည္ေဆာက္ရန္စီစဥ္လွ်က္ရွိေၾကာင္း၊ ၎အနက္ ေရကာတာ (၃)ခုသည္ ယခု ရွမ္းျပည္နယ္ ပဋိပကၡ ျဖစ္ရာေနရာအတြင္းတြင္ျဖစ္ေနသည္။ ၎ေရကာတာသစ္မ်ား ႏွင္႔ ရဲရြာေရကာတာတုိ႔သည္ ျမစ္ေၾကာင္းတခုလံုး၏ထက္ဝက္ကုိပိတ္ဆုိ႔လုိက္ရမည္ျဖစ္သည္။ ေဆာက္လုပ္ဆဲအထက္ရဲရြာေရကာတာသည္ေနာင္ခ်ဳိျမိဳ႔နယ္တြင္ရွိၿပီးဗမာစစ္အစိုး ရက၂၀၀၈ခုႏွစ္မွစ၍တည္ေဆာက္ခဲ့သည္၊၂၀၁၈ခုႏွစ္တြင္ျပီးရန္ခန္႔မွန္းထားသည္။ တည္ေဆာက္မည့္ေရေလွာင္ကန္သည္ အက်ယ္အ၀န္း (၆၀) ကီလုိမီတာ ရွိသည္။လူဦးေရ (၅၀၀)ခန္႔ေနထိုင္သည့္ ရွမ္းရြာႀကီး ျဖစ္ေသာ တာလုံရြာသည္ ေရေအာက္လုံးဝျမဳပ္သြားၿပီးသီေပါျမိဳ႔ ၏တစ္စိတ္တပုိင္းတို႔မွာ လည္း ေရေအာက္ျမႇပ္သြားႏိုင္သည္။ တာလုံ ၏အဓိပၸါယ္မွာ (ဆိပ္ကမ္းၾကီး)ဟုဆိုသည္၊စည္ကားသာယာသည္။ ရွမ္းျပည္နယ္- ေျမာက္ပုိင္းတြက္ ေအာ္ဂင္းနစ္ သဘာဝလိေမၼာ္သီး၊ ကြ်ဲေကာသီးတုိ႔မွာ နမၼတူျမစ္ကမ္း တစ္ေလွ်က္တြင္ စုိက္ပ်ဳိးၾက၍ လူသိမ်ားသည္။ ႏွစ္ေပါင္းတစ္ရာေက်ာ္ ေရွးပေဝသဏီ ကတည္းက တည္ထားကိုးကြယ္ေသာ ေစတီပုထိုးမ်ားလည္းရွိသည္။ ေရကာတာ မတည္ ေဆာက္မွီကတည္းက တာလုံရြာသားတုိ႔အား အေၾကာင္းၾကားျခင္း မရွိသည္႔ျပင္ ညိႇႏႈိင္း တုိင္ပင္မႈမ်ားမရွိခဲ႔ေပ။ သဘာ၀ႏွင့္ လူမႈ၀န္းက်င္ထိခိုက္မႈ အကဲခတ္အဖြဲ႕ (ESIA) Environment and Social Impact Assessment တုိ႔က၂၀၁၄ ခုႏွစ္မွသာ စလုပ္ေဆာင္လာသျဖင့္ ေရကာတာစေဆာက္ၿပီး(၆) ႏွစ္မွ ေရာက္လာခဲ့ျခင္းျဖစ္သည္။(ESIA)လုပ္ေနစဥ္တြင္လည္း တာလုံရြာမွ ေဒသခံျပည္သူလူထုတုိ႔မွာ ေျပာင္းေရႊ႔မႈကုိ မလုိိလားၾကေၾကာင္း ရွင္းရွင္းေဖၚျပၾကသည္။ သုိ႔ေသာ္လည္း ဒီေရကာတာတည္ေဆာက္မႈကိုိ တရုတ္အရင္းအႏွီး ႏွင္႔ဆက္လက္ လုပ္ေဆာင္ေနၿပီး တရုတ္၊ဂ်ပန္၊ဂ်ာမန္ ႏွင္႔ ဆြစ္ကုမၼဏီ တုိ႔လည္းပါ၀င္ပတ္သက္ေနသည္ ေရလႊဲေပါက္ဥမင္လုိဏ္ေခါင္း မွ ျပီးစီးေနျပီျဖစ္ျပီး ေရကာတာ၏ အဓိကနံရံကုိ၂၀၁၆ ခုႏွစ္ အေစာပုိင္းတြင္တည္ ေဆာက္သြားမည္ျဖစ္သည္။ ရွမ္းျပည္နယ္ နမၼတူ ျမစ္ေပၚတြင္တည္ေဆာက္မည္႔ အျခားေသာ ေရကာတာ စီမံကိန္းမ်ားမွာ ေနာင္ခ်ဳိျမိဳ႔နယ္ တည္ေဆာက္ေနေသာ အလယ္ရဲရြာ ေရကာတာစီမံကိန္းသည္ ေနာ္ေဝႏိုင္ငံပိုင္ အက္စ္ အင္န္ပါ၀ါ ( SN Power) တာဝန္ယူတည္ေဆာက္သည္။ သီေပါျမိဳ႔နယ္ရွိ နမၼတူျမစ္ ေပၚတည္ေဆာက္ေနသည္႔ ေရကာတာလည္း ပြင့္လင္းျမင္သာမႈမရွိသလို ထိခိုက္နစ္နာမည့္လူထူကို ေဆြးေႏြးအေၾကာင္းၾကားျခင္းမရွိေပ။ ၎ေရကာတာ မ်ား၏ အဆင့္မ်ားေၾကာင္႔ ျမစ္ေခ်ာင္းေပၚရွိ သဘာ၀ေဂဟ စံနစ္ကို ျပင္းထန္စြာ ထိခိုက္ႏုိင္သည္။ငါးမ်ားသြားလာက်က္စားရာကို အေနွာက္အယွက္ျဖစ္ေစသျဖင့္ သီေပါျမိဳ႔မွ ေထာင္ေပါင္းေသာ ရပ္သူ၊ရြာသားအမ်ား မီွခုိစားေသာက္ရေသာ ငါးမ်ား ထိခိုက္နစ္နာႏိုင္သည္။ အထက္တြင္ရွိ သတၱဳတူးေဖၚသည့္ လုပ္ငန္းမ်ားေၾကာင့္ ေရေလွာင္ကန္မ်ား အဆိပ္သင့္ရကာ ငါးေတြႏွင့္ အမွီျပဳသည္သူမ်ား၏က်န္းမာလည္း ထိခိုက္ႏိုင္သည္။ သဘာဝေပါက္ပင္မ်ား ေရေဠယင္ကန္တြင္ ပုပ္သုိးျပီးမီသိန္းဓါတ္မ်ားထုတ္လႊတ္သျဖင့္ကမာၻၾကီးကုိပုိမုိပူေႏြးလာမႈ ကုိ ပိုျဖစ္ေစသည္။ အျခားေသာစုိးရိမ္ပူပန္မႈမွာ သီေပါျမိဳ႔နယ္ နမၼတူေရကာတာ စီမံကိန္းေအာက္ပုိင္းတြင္ ေနေသာသူမ်ားသည္ေရကာတာလုပ္ငန္း၏ ေရအတက္အက်ကုိမခန္႔မွန္းနိုင္ရကာျမစ္ကမ္း တစ္ေလွ်ာက္တြင္ ရုတ္တရက္တစ္ရွိန္ထုိးေရႀကီးလာႏုိင္ေသာ အႏၱရာယ္မ်ား ႀကံဳႏိုင္သည္။အကယ္၍ မုိးသည္းထန္စြာရြာသြန္းပါက ၾကီးမားေသာေရထုထည္ကိုေရဂါတာ က လႊတ္ခ်မည္ျဖစ္သျဖင့္ ျမစ္ေအာက္ပုိင္းတြင္္ေရဖုံးလႊမ္းႏုိင္ပါသည္။ ထုိထက္ပုိ၍ စုိးရိမ္ပူပန္စရာေကာင္းသည္မွာ ေရကာတာက်ဳိးပ်က္ႏိုင္ျခင္းျဖစ္သည္။မုိးသည္ ထူးကဲစြာသဲထန္ရြာျခင္း၊ေျမၿပိဳျခင္း၊ငလွ်င္လႈပ္ျခင္းမ်ားေၾကာင္႔လည္းျဖစ္ႏိုင္သည္။ အလယ္ရဲရြာ ေရကာတာ စီမံကိန္းသည္ ေက်ာက္ၾကံ႔ ငလွ်င္လႈိင္းေပၚတြင္ တည္ရွိသည္၊၎ ေက်ာက္ႀကံငလွ်င္လႈိင္း သည္ ၁၉၁၂ ခုႏွစ္က ရိတ္တာစေကး ၈ ခန္႔ရိွျပီး ျမန္္မာ႔သမုိင္းတြင္ အၾကီးမားဆုံးငလွ်င္လႈပ္ဖူးသည္။ ေရဂာာတာေရေလွာင္ကန္၏ အေလးခ်ိန္ေၾကာင္႔ေျမနိမ့္က်ခါ ငလွ်င္ျဖစ္ေပၚႏုိ္င္ျခင္းေၾကာင္႔ လည္း ၾကီးစြာစုိးရိမ္ပူပန္ရပါသည္။ေရကာတာက်ဳိးပဲ႔ပ်က္စီးပါက ေအာက္ပုိင္းရွိ ေရကာတာ မ်ားလည္းက်ိဳးခါ အနိမ့္ပိုင္းရွိ မေရတြက္ႏိုင္ေသာရပ္ရြာမ်ားကုိပါ ဆူနာမီေဘးဆိုး ကဲ့သို႔ က် ေရာက္ခံစားရႏုိင္သည္။ ေနာက္ဆုံးတြင္ ေနျပည္ေတာ္သည္တုိက္ပြဲျဖစ္ရာ ဇုန္တြင္ သိသာျမင္သာမႈမရွိသည္႔ ေရကာတာ စီမံကိန္းကုိ္အတင္း ဆက္လက္ ဖိလုပ္ေနျခင္းသည္ အေမွ်ာ္အျမင္နည္းရာ က်သည္။ ရွမ္းျပည္နယ္ အတြင္းေရကာတာစီမံကိန္းေဆာက္မည့္ေနရာတြင္ ၂၀၁၆ ခုႏွစ္ အေစာပုိင္းကတည္းကပင္ တုိက္ခုိက္မႈ သည္ ပုိမိုမ်ားျပားလာသည္။ ေနျပည္ေတာ္က သဘာဝသံယံဇာတကုိ လက္ဝါးၾကီးအုပ္ေနမႈသည္ ေဒသခံတိုင္းရင္းသား တို႔ႏွင့္ ပဋိပကၡ ျဖစ္ရျခင္း အေၾကာင္းရင္းျဖစ္ရာ စိတ္ထိခိုက္ျခင္းႏွင့္ ပဋိပကၡမ်ားသာ တိုးပြါးလာစရာသာ ရွိေပသည္။ ထို႔ေၾကာင္႔ ကြ်န္ေတာ္တုိ႔မွ အစုိးရသစ္ျဖစ္ေသာ NLD (အန္အဲယ္ဒီ) အား အထက္ရဲရြာ ေရကာတာ အပါအဝင္ နမၼတူ ေရကာတာသစ္တည္ေဆာက္မႈစီမံကိန္းအေကာင္ထည္ေဖာ္ မႈ အားလုံးခ်က္ခ်င္း ရပ္တန္႔ေပးပါရန္တုိ္က္တြန္းေတာင္းဆုိပါသည္။ ပဋိပကၡျဖစ္ေနေသာ တုိင္းရင္းသားနယ္ေျမမ်ားတြင္ ဖက္ဒရယ္အတြက္ သေဘာတူညႇ္ိႏႈိင္းမႈ တည္ေဆာက္မ၊ႈ၊ စစ္မွန္ေသာ တစ္ႏုိင္ငံလုံးျငိမ္ခ်မ္းေရးႏွင္႔ သဘာဝသံယံဇာတ စီမံခန္႔ခြဲမႈတုိ႔ကို ခြဲေ၀မႈ တို႔ျဖင့္သာ နမၼတူျမစ္ေခ်ာင္းတစ္ေလွ်ာက္အနာဂတ္ ေရအားလွ်ပ္စစ္ဖြံၿဖိဳးေရးကို စဥ္းစား ႏိုင္မည္။ နမၼတူျမစ္ေပၚတည္ေဆာက္မည္ဆိုပါက ေရအားလွ်ပ္စစ္စီမံကိန္းကုိမဆုိ ျမစ္ေၾကာင္း တစ္ေလွ်ာက္ သက္ေရာက္မည့္ ေကာင္းက်ိဳးဆိုးျပစ္ကိုထင္ရွားသိသာမႈရွိျခင္း၊သက္ဆိုင္ရာ တုိင္းရင္းသားဌာေန လူမ်ဳိးမ်ားအားႀကိဳတင္ညိွႏိႈင္း သေဘာတူညီမႈရယူရမည္။
Burmese (ျမန္မာဘာသာ)
Source/publisher:
Shan Human Rights Foundation, Shan State Farmers’ Network, Shan Sapawa Environmental Organization
Format/size:
pdf (1.4MB)
Date of entry/update:
03 April 2016
SAVE THE NAMTU RIVER - Impacts of the Upper Yeywa and other planned dams on the Namtu in Shan State (Shan)
Date of publication:
Description/subject:
In January 2016, Burma’s state media reported that Naypyidaw was proceeding with four new hydropower dams on the Namtu (Myitnge or Dokhtawaddy) River, three of which are in conflict areas of Shan State. These new dams, together with the existing Yeywa dam, will form a cascade blocking half the entire length of the river. The most advanced of the new dams is the Upper Yeywa Dam in Nawngkhio township, started by Burma’s military regime in 2008, and slated for completion in 2018. The planned reservoir will stretch for over 60 kilometers, entirely submerging a large Shan village of nearly 500 residents, called Ta Long, and possibly submerging part of Hsipaw town. Ta Long (meaning “large harbor”) is a prosperous community, renowned in northern Shan State for its organic oranges and pomelos, grown along the riverbank. Ancient stupas in the village are hundreds of years old. Ta Long villagers were neither informed nor consulted before the dam began. An Environment and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) was carried out for the dam only in 2014, six years after the dam had begun. During the ESIA, the villagers stated clearly that they were not willing to move. Despite this, dam-building has continued, with funding from China, and with the involvement of Chinese, Japanese, German and Swiss companies. A diversion tunnel has been completed, and construction of the main dam wall was beginning in early 2016. The other planned dams on the Namtu in Shan State -- the Middle Yeywa Dam being developed by Norway’s state-owned SN Power in Nawng Khio township, and the Namtu Dam in Hsipaw township -- are also proceeding without transparency, and without the informed consent of impacted villagers. This cascade of dams will have serious impacts on the ecology of the river. Disruption of fish spawning and migration patterns are likely to negatively impact the rich fish stocks upon which thousands of Hsipaw villagers rely. Toxins from mining upstream are also likely to build up in the reservoirs, endangering aquatic life and the health of those relying on the river. Methane emitted from rotting vegetation in the reservoirs will also contribute to global warming. Another serious concern for villagers living below the planned Namtu Dam in Hsipaw will be the unpredictable fluctuations in water level due to the operation of the dam, and risk of sudden surges causing accidents along the river bank. If there is heavy rainfall, large amounts of water may have to be released, causing flooding downstream. Even more worrying is the possibility of dam breakage, due to pressure from abnormally heavy rainfall, landslides or earthquakes. The Middle Yeywa dam is being planned over the Kyaukkyan fault line, the centre of the biggest earthquake in Burma’s history in 1912, measuring about 8 on the Richter scale. This is of great concern, as the weight of dam reservoirs near fault lines is known to trigger earthquakes. Dam breakage would release a deadly tsunami, destroying any lower dams and also threatening countless communities in the lower plains. Finally, it is highly unwise for Naypyidaw to be pushing through these risky, untransparent dam projects in active conflict zones. Since early 2016, fighting has intensified in Shan townships where these dams are planned. With Naypyidaw’s monopoly over natural resources being a key driver of the ethnic conflict, forging ahead with damaging hydropower projects over the heads of local ethnic communities will only fuel resentment and exacerbate the conflict. We therefore urge the new NLD-led government to immediately halt all plans to build new dams on the Namtu River, including the Upper Yeywa dam. Only when there is a negotiated federal settlement to the ethnic conflict, bringing genuine nationwide peace and decentralized natural resource management, should options for future hydropower development along the Namtu river be considered. Any future plans for hydropower development on the Namtu River must involve a transparent strategic impact assessment along the entire river, and there must be Free Prior and Informed Consent of affected indigenous communities.
Source/publisher:
Shan Human Rights Foundation, Shan State Farmers’ Network, Shan Sapawa Environmental Organization
Format/size:
pdf (1.3MB)
Date of entry/update:
03 April 2016
The Findings in the Open Heart Letter Campaign in January 2007
Date of publication:
22 November 2008
Description/subject:
"Profiles of '88 Generation Students: The '88 Generation Students group is comprised of Burma's most prominent human rights activists after Nobel Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi. After Burma's military regime drastically raised the price of fuel in August 2007, the '88 Generation Students organized a non-violent protest walk in which they were joined by hundreds of everyday Burmese people. The '88 students were immediately arrested and have been held ever since. Anger at the arrests and the Burmese regime's treatment of Buddhist monks spiraled into last September's "Saffron Revolution" that saw hundreds of thousands of Buddhist monks marching peacefully for change. In late August 2008, in a blunt rejection of the United Nations Security Council and just days after two UN envoys traveled to Burma seeking democratic change and improvements in human rights, the country's military regime hauled dozens of the '88 Generation Students from prison cells into court in order to begin "sham" trials that will likely result in over 150 years of incarceration. List of '88 Generation Students..." "The Burma Fund published this report on 22 November, 2008 — the 88th Anniversary of the first historic boycott against British colonial rule by Rangoon University students (The day is now designated as the National Day of Burma). This report honors all members of the 88 Generation Students Group who had already served long prison terms but are once again being detained by the Burmese military regime since August 2007. It salutes these modern heroines and heroes for their selfless struggle for democracy and human rights and for their courage in upholding the legacy of those who had staged the historic University Boycott of 1920 as well as the “Spirit of the Fighting Peacock” to bring an end to the unjust military rule in Burma."
Source/publisher:
Burma Fund/88 Generation Students
Format/size:
Date of entry/update:
27 November 2008
Blood Jade - Burmese Gemstones and the Beijing Games
Date of publication:
04 August 2008
Description/subject:
"...Burmese jadeite is a global business predicated on human suffering and the absence of the rule of law, and is controlled with an iron grip by Burma’s military regime. The regime led by Senior General Than Shwe grew in notoriety in September 2007 when it violently suppressed peaceful protests led by Buddhist clergy in Burma. The regime’s status as an international pariah was further cemented when it obstructed humanitarian aid to 2.4 million people affected by Nargis, a class four cyclone that hit the Irrawaddy delta region on May 3, 2008, killing 150,000. Burma’s regime has effectively consolidated military control over the entire gems industry, including jadeite, by eliminating small and independent companies from mining and forcing all sales to go through national auctions held by official government ministries in Rangoon. Gems are now Burma’s third largest export and provide the regime with an important source of foreign currency1. Much of this cash comes from China, which has recently seen a dramatic rise in demand for Burmese jadeite due to its overall economic growth. On March 27, 2007, the Beijing Organizing Committee of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) announced that the design for the medals of the Beijing Games included jade from China’s Qinghai province2. BOCOG has publicly stated that their officially licensed products are being made with Qinghai jade (or nephrite), not jadeite from Burma. However, many if not most of the jade products on the general market are from the abuse-ridden jadeite industry in Burma and profit Burma’s brutal military regime. The showcasing of jade on the world stage will further escalate the growth in demand3. Jadeite production comes at significant costs to the human rights and environmental security of the people living in Kachin state. Land confiscation and forced relocation are commonplace and improper mining practices lead to frequent landslides, floods, and other environmental damage. Conditions in the mines are deplorable, with frequent accidents and base wages less than US$1 per day. An environment of impunity and violence has been created by the military regime and its corporate partners, who inflict beatings on and even kill locals who are caught collecting stones cast off as trash by the mining companies. Mining company bosses and local authorities are complicit in a thriving local trade in drugs, which – when coupled with a substantial sex industry – has led to a generalized HIV/AIDS epidemic that has spilled over the border into China. While Burmese jadeite is only one part of China’s vast economic relationship to Burma’s military rulers, it is an industry on which individuals can have a direct and substantial impact, if they make conscientious decisions not to buy what can justifiably be called “blood” jade... The authors of this report call on individuals – global consumers, visitors to China, Olympic spectators, and Olympic athletes – to boycott the sale of Burma’s blood jade. The Beijing Organizing Committee of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) and the government of the People’s Republic of China should take immediate action to curb the global trade in blood jade, beginning by ending their promotion of jade products from Burma..."
Source/publisher:
8808 For Burma & All Kachin Students and Youth Union
Format/size:
pdf (1.2MB - OBL version; 1.5MB - original)
Alternate URLs:
http://www.kdng.org/images/stories/publication/BloodJade.pdf
Date of entry/update:
04 July 2010
TOTAL Oil: fuelling the oppression in Burma
Date of publication:
February 2005
Description/subject:
" Burma is ruled by a military dictatorship renowned for both oppressing and impoverishing its people, while enriching itself and the foreign businesses that work with it. TOTAL Oil, the fourth largest oil company in the world, is in business with Burma’s dictatorship. It has been in Burma since 1992 against the wishes of Burma’s elected leaders, many of whom are being detained by the Junta. Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma’s pro-democracy leader, has said that “Total has become the main supporter of the Burmese military regime.” . She told the French weekly Le Nouvel Observateur that "TOTAL knew what it was doing when it invested massively in Burma while others withdrew from the market for ethical reasons”. She added, “the company must accept the consequences. The country will not always be governed by dictators.” The National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Aung San Suu Kyi, won 82 percent of the seats in Burma’s 1990 election. It has called on foreign companies not to invest in Burma because of the role investment plays in perpetuating dictatorship in that country. All the major ethnic leaderships from Burma have whole-heartedly supported this position too. Therefore, the mandate from which companies are asked not to invest in Burma comes from within the country. This report gathers together much of the available evidence relating to TOTAL’s role in fuelling the oppressive dictatorship in Burma. Broadly, it covers human rights abuses associated with TOTAL’s gas pipeline, TOTAL’s financing of Burma’s dictatorship and TOTAL’s influence on French foreign policy and therefore on European Burma policy as a whole. TOTAL’s presence in Burma has consequences far beyond its 63-kilometre pipeline across Burmese territory. Its destructive influence goes to the heart of international policy towards one of the world’s most brutal regimes. For that reason it is essential for all those who want change in Burma to deal with the problem of TOTAL Oil. As long as TOTAL remains in Burma, the dictatorship will be satisfied that the chances of real pressure against it are unlikely. This report has been produced to coincide with the launch of a new international campaign calling for TOTAL’s withdrawal from Burma. The campaign comprises 43 organisations across 18 countries..."
Source/publisher:
The Burma Campaign, UK
Format/size:
Alternate URLs:
http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/PDFs/total%20report.pdf
http://www.birmaniademocratica.org/ViewDocument.aspx?docid=90228f917e4a42a09445256a9e2459d9
Date of entry/update:
04 July 2010
Burma-Boykott: Kampagne gegen AUA-LAUDA AIR
Date of publication:
23 January 2003
Description/subject:
Camapign against AUA-Lauda Air. Mit Ausnahme der AUA - Lauda Air fliegt derzeit keine einzige europ�ische Fluggesellschaft von Europa nach Burma. Diese bedient seit 5. Nov. 2002 die Strecke Wien - Rangoon/Yangon und bereits etwas l�nger Italien (Milano) - Yangon. Deshalb wird ab nun die Boykottkampagne gegen die burmesische Milit�rdiktatur auf die AUA - Lauda Air ausgedehnt, da die Erl�se aus dem Tourismus direkt dem Erhalt der Milit�rdiktatur dienen. Ziel der Kampagne ist die Beendigung aller Fl�ge der AUA - Lauda Air nach Burma.
Author/creator:
Burma Campaign Austria
Deutsch, German
Source/publisher:
Format/size:
Date of entry/update:
03 June 2003
BURMA: A judge admits to having no authority over his own court
Description/subject:
The Asian Human Rights Commission has closely followed the case of Phyo Wai Aung, who is the sole person detained and accused in connection with blasts on 15 April 2010 in Rangoon that killed 10 people and injured 168. Phyo Wai Aung has steadfastly maintained his innocence and has complained that he was brutally tortured for nine days to extract a confession. The AHRC has already issued appeals on his case and its sister organization, the Asian Legal Resource Centre, has submitted a special dossier on the case to United Nations human rights experts (ALRC-PL-009-2010).
English, Burmese
Source/publisher:
Asian Human Rights Commission