Development and assistance for ethnic minorities and indigenous people
Ethnic minorities and indigenous people associations
Karen leader: ‘If they keep attacking us, there will be no peace’
This week, representatives of a number of Myanmar’s ethnic armed groups convened in Wa Special Region for a political strategy summit among those that abstained from a recent ceasefire accord with the government. Attendees met for three days with the aim of establishing a path forward between ...
No vote, no candidates: Myanmar's Muslims barred from their own election
The upcoming poll on 8 November has been been touted as the freest and fairest in decades but, with religion an increasingly sensitive issue in Myanmar, many Muslims – from ordinary voters to experienced politicians – are coming up against barriers to participation. Dozens of Muslims ...
As ceasefire signed, president confident more groups will join nationwide pact
More armed ethnic groups will join the nationwide ceasefire if it is implemented successfully with the first eight signatories, President U Thein Sein said at a signing ceremony in Naypyidaw on 15 October. Eight ethnic armed groups, including the Karen National Union and Restoration Council of Shan ...
Little hope for change as IDPs mull elections
International commentators are fond of saying that Myanmar’s 8 November election could bring sweeping changes to the country. But many of the displaced people living in camps in Kachin State do not see it that way. Any hope that an end of conflict might improve matters ...
Rebels reject peace talks in Thailand's deep South
The dominant insurgent faction in Thailand’s southern separatist conflict emerged last week to reject the Malaysian-led peace talks being held with the Thai government. However, the hard-line National Revolutionary Front or Barisan Revolusi Nasional also signalled its willingness to open substantive negotiations, provided international mediation can ...
Chinese in Shan suddenly popular
Chinese-language posters with instructions on how to vote are causing controversy in Myanmar’s Shan State. Lashio town, in northern Shan State where Myanmar borders China, is home to a large number of ethnic Chinese people. Some have lived there for generations. Like elsewhere in Myanmar, a combination of historic ...
Myanmar official accuses China of meddling in peace talks
A top negotiator in Myanmar’s peace talks with ethnic rebels has accused neighboring China of derailing a nationwide ceasefire deal last week that would have brought Japan and Western nations in as observers to monitor an end to decades of conflict. Beijing has denied the accusation but ...
Ceasefire to be signed by some armed groups in October, others abstain
A long-awaited ceasefire agreement between the government and ethnic armed groups will be signed on 15 October, negotiators said, though the pact will not be the “inclusive” agreement many ethnic groups had hoped for. Seven ethnic armed groups have committed to signing the pact while other ...
Nationwide ceasefire accord collapses
Talks in Chiang Mai among leaders of 18 armed factions saw 10 groups, including the powerful Kachin Independence Army, declaring they would not sign the agreement because of the government’s refusal to extend the accord to include three allied factions fighting in the Kokang border ...
Ethnic armed groups still deadlocked over ceasefire signing
No breakthrough was reported on 28 September as leaders of 18 of Myanmar’s armed ethnic groups failed to resolve differences over how many would sign a nationwide ceasefire agreement with the government next month. Pu Zing Cung, general secretary of the Chin National Front and a member ...
