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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

Creating the conditions for successful peace talks

The Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) welcomes the peace talks offered by Burma’s new government, headed by President U Thein Sein, and the positive responses from all armed ethnic groups under the umbrella of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC).

Both the majority Burmans and the various ethnic groups in the country are hungrily demanding peace, and they welcome the prospect of the government opening peace talks.  But, for the peace talks between the new government and the UNFC to work, it is necessary to have a countrywide ceasefire first, so that all sides will fully commit to a peaceful resolution.

Burma’s civil war has raged for over six decades, leading to many problems.  If the new government and the armed ethnic groups are to hold peace talks, they must commit to peace. And finally, they must settle all problems related to politics, society, economics, and human rights, peacefully. There must not be a return to war.

If the peace talks are held, both sides must be sincere and consider the interests of the people.  They should strive for the betterment of all ethnic peoples in the Union, especially those living in conflict areas and who have suffered six decades of war. The following points are crucial if the peace talks are to be successful:

• The countrywide ceasefire must be announced by the government, and all armed ethnic groups must agree to it, Each ethnic group then must form a delegation to participate in the peace talks.  During the preparation phase, all internally displaced persons (IDPs) must be allowed to return to their communities safely.

• The armed groups belonging to both the government and the ethnic political groups must stop committing human rights violations against the local civilians in conflict areas, such as killing, forced recruitment for soldiers or frontline porters, inhumane treatment, and other abuses.

• All sides must cease confiscation of land and property from civilians.  Soldiers must stop extorting and illegally taxing the people.  And all troops must cease committing sexual violence against women.

In bringing peace, all sides must consider their past mistakes and agree to building a better future.  Human rights, including the rights of minorities, must be respected.  Wrongs of the past, such as cases of arbitrary killings and inhumane treatment, sexual violations, unlawful confiscation of lands, and other serious cases of human rights violations must be considered, and justice must come about.

 

Peace-building and Solving of Human Rights Problems

The civil war in Burma has been protracted for many decades especially in all ethnic regions. Because of war and fighting between the central governments and different ethnic armed groups, not only the ethnic people in border areas suffered by war, conflict, fighting and human rights violations, but the majority Burman people in central part are suffered socially and economically. Read more

Release of Political Prisoners Can Move Forward ‘National Reconciliation’

There are about 2100 political prisoners including ethnic leaders imprisoned for long-term imprisonment.  They were put trial not because of their political activities, but the regime accused them because of ‘threatening the national security’, ‘motivating for instability’, ‘illegal printing and false information distribution’, etc.  The former military regime, SPDC and the current military proxy regime, USDP, has constantly denied there is no ‘political prisoners’ in Burma. Read more

The New Government Must Respect Freedom

On the 31st of March, when the new government leader and former military commander, Lt. Gen. Thein Sein, took office in Naypyidaw, the capital of Burma, he promised a clean and good governance. This was his promise, but in practice, if he and his government do not allow various freedoms inherent in a democracy, the people will never believe that the government will bring them toward democracy. Read more

Minority Rights in Ethnic States of Burma

According to the new constitution, Burma is divided into 7 Burman dominated Divisions and another 7 ethnic States for Kachin, Karen, Chin, Shan, Karenni, Mon, and Arakanese areas with some special ethnic regions for the Wa and others.  Although the recent military regime pretended to form an ethnic Union of Burma, a real union would provide equal rights to all ethnic nationalities in the country. Read more

HURFOM Welcomes the UN Commission of Inquiry on War Crimes in Burma

In the past, over 10 years ago, when the International Labor Organization (ILO) set up a ‘Commission of Inquiry’ to investigate the use of slave labor and forced labor, HURFOM was newly formed. HURFOM offered a lot of support by bringing the victims to the ILO Commission of Inquiry to provide facts and testimony during the investigation. The ILO got many detailed accounts, information, and strong evidence on the use of forced labor during the construction of the Ye to Tavoy railway and road, and later on the ILO was able to intervene to stop the use of forced labor in Burma. Read more

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