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Weekly update on Human Rights situation in Karen, Mon States & Tanintharyi Region since the attempted coup [First week of March 2022]

No one feels safe and secure in #Burma amid the lingering of junta backed forces, such as plain clothed police officers and informers. The people want peace.

Full Analysis:

In HURFOM areas, civilians are unquestionably continuing to reel from the aftermath of the failed coup. Economically, the country has been crippled by inflation, including rice, a staple in the local cuisine. No one feels safe and secure amid the lingering of junta backed forces, such as plain clothed police officers and informers.

On 1 March, HURFOM released our monthly findings from February 2022 which found that even a year after the failed coup, the amount of destruction caused by the junta have amounted to the most serious of human rights violations. The junta has shown no signs of easing their attacks against the people and has instead continued to spearhead their campaign of terror and illegal, inhumane acts including arbitrary arrests, indiscriminate firing and shelling, enforced disappearances, murder and many others.

In February 2022 alone, HURFOM recorded at least 65 arrests, 25 injuries and 10 deaths. Women and girls in particular were targeted with nearly 30 being arrested, sentenced and charged by the junta. Alongside the terror continues to be undisputed bravery. Protests and calls for action, including urgently dismantling the junta by cutting off their access to funds, weapons and more, are all the more active in Burma.

Junta troops are cracking down on the travelers near Hindra junction, located at Taungthone Lone Village, Metta Sub-Township, Dawei District. Stop and frisk operations were carried out on 2 March where nearly 60 military vehicles from the Metta Battalion arrived and began a rigorous operation. Approximately 30 motorcycles, six cars and the owners were arrested and confiscated. It is still unclear why the junta soldiers arrested and confiscated these vehicles. It seems like they will demand the ransom to give back to the drivers and owners.

In Karen State, on 28 February, a group of junta soldiers and officials arrived at Thang Yee Shop Road in Nyaung Wine Ward No. 5, Hpa-an, Karen and conducted guest registration and household inspections, and abducted three young men, according to the residents. The illegal activities and corruption is fuelled by a lack of accountability.

Statement: HURFOM Reflects On One Year Since the Attempted Coup

HURFOM: It has been 365 days since the Burmese junta unlawfully and unconstitutionally attempted to seize power through a failed coup. One year ago, the Burma Generals made it clear that their desire to rule with violence and authoritarianism was more important than preserving civilian safety and upholding rule of law. The Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) has witnessed extreme violence being waged against innocent people across the country, including in our target areas of Mon State, Karen State and Tanintharyi region. In marking this solemn anniversary, HURFOM condemns the ongoing brutality and emphasizes our calls for justice and accountability in Burma. 

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Deep economic impacts for workers and business due to Covid-19

HURFOM: The first Covid-19 patient in Myanmar was discovered on March 23, 2020.

Because of public health measures, such as ‘Stay at home orders’, a ban on public/social gatherings and physical distance rules, all intended to contain the spread of the virus, many businesses and factories have shut down. The economic impacts are significant.

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HURFOM’s World Press Freedom Day 2019 Statement

Today, the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) is celebrating World Press Freedom Day. HURFOM believes that a free and independent press is the foundation of a functioning democracy, and that any action taken to intimidate or silence journalists, and thus obscure and conceal the truth, is an attack on the principles of freedom, justice, equality, and representation upon which democracy rests. Press freedom holds the powerful to account, ensures that institutions remain fair and impartial, and provides people with the information they need to make informed decisions and exercise their political agency.

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Don’t let your mind be destroyed: a commentary on the sharp increase of drug use in Mon areas

A generation lost to drug use

The New Mon State Party has put up signs in front of and around villages in Mon state, urging residents to come together to prevent drug use. However, stronger action than this is needed to curb sharply increasing drug use in Mon areas. Read more

Investment law and people’s rights in Burma

Burma, also known as Myanmar, is opening to democracy. A key factor in achieving a smooth democratization process is economic growth, but growth that relates exclusively to increased foreign investment and freer markets will not adequately alter the country’s socioeconomic landscape. Burma requires investment that reaches across a wide range of sectors and benefits the millions of people who continue to live in poverty. Read more

Tracking the dangerous drug trade

The New Mon State Party (NMSP)’s new anti-drug awareness campaign recently reported confiscating 393 tablets of methamphetamine, locally known as Yaba, or “madness drug” in Thai.

The group intercepted alleged drug trafficker Mehm Ah Pout (called Mg Yaung Naing in Burmese), a 23-year-old from Waekharou Village, with 17 tablets of methamphetamine near the military cemetery in Thanbyuzayat Township on December 18. Mehm Ah Pout’s testimony resulted in an arrest the following day of another young man from Waekharou, 28-year-old Mehm Ah Beat (Mg Aung Myit in Burmese), who was also charged with drug trafficking after being found with 376 Yaba tablets. Read more

Equity and accountability in Burma entails more than FDI alone

HURFOM: Last Friday, the highly anticipated Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) law was adopted by the Union Parliament in Burma, also known as Myanmar. The law’s drafting process drew spectators from around the world, with economists, policymakers, lobbyists, academics, and political commentators weighing in almost daily to deliberate on Burma’s investment possibilities and pitfalls. Now, with the law only needing President Thein Sein’s signature to pass, many eagerly await the final outcome and its significance for the country’s people and economy. Read more

“Rehabilitation and Reintegration” for Victims, but Justice Remains Elusive

In the past, before U Thein Sein was in power and the government and armed ethnic groups reached ceasefire agreements, thousands of innocent ethnic people in several border regions suffered severely from gross human right violations.  Relatives were lost to violent conflict, women were plagued by sexual assaults, and villagers saw their lands and properties seized due to widespread land confiscation.   Read more

Myanmar Human Rights Commission and the Release of Political Prisoners is Welcomed, but More Progress is Demanded

Since taking power as head of Burma’s new civilian government, President U Thein Sein has endeavored to show positive change in his country to the international community and especially to Western governments.  Read more

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