Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — A court in Myanmar sentenced an American citizen on Wednesday to five years in prison and hard labor on charges of carrying a forged identity card and two other offenses. (more…)

Yangon, Myanmar — Myanmar’s detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi says that the military-run country’s upcoming elections cannot be credible unless the government allows freedom of information, her party said Wednesday. (more…)

New Delhi – The Burmese military junta authorities are gearing up to relocate about 60 villages from the site of hydropower projects at the confluence of May Kha and May Likha Rivers, an environment group said. (more…)

Bangkok – Civic and refugee activist groups hope talks with the Thai government will ensure the safety of Karen refugees from Burma who face deportation. (more…)

Yangon – Faced with a shortage of small banknotes, people in Myanmar are resorting to bartering cigarettes, shampoo and other items. (more…)

Rangoon factory workers ended their sit-in strike on Wednesday evening after negotiations with their employers. However, tension remains high, according to sources in Rangoon.

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MILITARY contacts with the Rangoon junta including joint naval exercises involving Australian and Burmese warships did not compromise the government’s strong diplomatic stand against Burma’s thuggish military regime, Senate Estimates was told yesterday. (more…)

An Oscar nomination has highlighted the efforts of protesters in Burma, writes Philippa Hawker. (more…)

Loi Tai Leng, Myanmar – Whether the country is ruled by brutal military dictators or democratically elected civilians, rebels who control this jungle enclave have made one thing very clear: they want nothing to do with Myanmar. (more…)

The ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC) is gravely concerned for the well being of unregistered Karen refugees currently residing in displacement sites in Tha Song Yang District, Tak Province. Announcements last month from the Thai government relating to the planned forced repatriation of the refugees beginning in February 2010 have caused renewed concern for their safety. AIPMC welcomes the Thai government’s decision to halt the repatriation of the estimated 3,000 refugees until their safety can be assured. AIPMC furthermore calls on the Thai government to make public and implement a clear policy regarding refugees fleeing from conflict zones across the border in Myanmar.   (more…)

The three families that were forced to return to Karen State, Burma, on the 5th of February 2010, have returned safely to Nong Bou camp, in Thailand. (more…)