Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy on Tuesday urged the military government to create a “fair political climate,” after the regime announced a constitutional referendum for May. (more…)

Local residents in Rangoon, Burma’s former capital, say security has apparently tightened. They report seeing members of Swan Arr Shin, a junta-backed civil organization, patrolling the city. (more…)

An ethnic member of parliament, elected in the 1990 election, today openly accused the Burmese junta of constantly striving to prolong its rule and neglecting the formation of a true federal system. (more…)

The Burmese regime appears to be tightening access to passports for Burmese staff members of international nongovernmental organizations, according to Rangoon sources. (more…)

Burma’s Karen National Progressive Party (KNPP) on Tuesday challenged a UN report claiming its armed wing, the Karenni Army, is recruiting child soldiers. (more…)

More than 30 protesters dressed in the blue uniforms worn by prison inmates staged a protest in Rangoon on Tuesday, demanding the release of political prisoners and respect for UN resolutions on Burma. (more…)

Military rulers in Burma (Myanmar) said this weekend they would hold a national referendum in May to approve a new constitution, followed by democratic elections in 2010, the first since 1990. The country’s military junta was rebuked by the United Nations Security Council last October after violently repressing pro-democracy marches sparked by economic hardship. Since then, leaders have held sporadic talks with detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and hosted a senior UN envoy, while sticking to its own “road map” to restore democratic rule. (more…)

U Pyinya Zawta, a monk from Rangoon’s Maggin monastery and a leader of the All-Burmese Monks Alliance, arrived at the Thai-Burma border recently after more than four months in hiding. (more…)

Burma’s ruling generals should be given the benefit of the doubt if they are serious about moving the country toward democracy, Surin Pitsuwan, chief of Association of Southeast Asian Nations, said on Tuesday. (more…)

As the rest of the world focuses on Pakistan’s President General (retd.) Pervez Musharraf, undertake a new electoral journey at home, India is quietly preparing a new diplomatic offensive with the military junta in the east, in Myanmar. (more…)

The Burmese government’s announcement that it plans to hold a referendum on the new constitution in May and general elections in 2010, paving the way for a transition from a totalitarian to a democratic regime, is even more unimaginable. Burma is a country where democracy has been alienated since 1962. (more…)

The recent message Daw Aung San Suu Kyi delivered through National League for Democracy senior colleagues, “to prepare for the worst,” could be a warning to the people of the government’s decision to push through with their roadmap without the participation of the NLD and ethnic parties. (more…)

‘’This is the declaration of war by the military regime against the people of Burma,” says Nilar Thein in a statement released Monday. They are strong words from a woman on the run and forced into hiding for over five months in the military-ruled country. (more…)

As a political ally and key economic partner of Burma’s military government, China should not only continue to actively engage the Burma junta, but also delicately reach out to opposition groups. In recent years, China’s use of peaceful diplomatic ”soft power” has won it much applause around the world. But one risk is that such applause at times comes from the elites without a grassroots echo. (more…)

Last week, the Asian Human Rights Commission issued three appeals on cases of concern from Burma which illustrate the “un-rule of law” that pervades in the country. (more…)

(A) In 1974, then-dictator General Ne Win and his regime had redrawn the 1947 State Constitution and forced the people to endorse it. Therefore, rule of the one-party dictatorship was stronger and the people of Burma were poorer. Then Burma became the world least developing country (LCD). (more…)

(1) 61 years ago, on 12 February 1947, General Aung San and ethnic national leaders signed on the historic “Pinglon Treaty” and consequently the Union of Burma was established beginning from 4 January 1948. (more…)

Today marks the 61st anniversary of the Panglong Agreement, which was signed without any discrimination between the central government and ethnic frontiers, and with union spirit. However, the essence and meaning of the Union has been deteriorating so far. (more…)