Officials of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) claim 28 government troops were killed during skirmishes in southern Myitkyina over the weekend—the most Burmese Army casualties since the current Kachin State conflict began on June 9. (more…)

Failing to bombard the Shan State Army (SSA) North fighters from the air, the Burma Army had recently resorted to pounding rebel bases with heavy weapons brought in by two artillery commands and thereby forcing Shan fighters to leave their mountain bastions to employ hit-and-run tactics, according to SSA sources. (more…)

New Delhi – Burma’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi will deliver a speech at NLD headquarters on Tuesday to mark Martyrs’ Day in Rangoon. (more…)

New Delhi– About 200 Burmese illegal workers have been arrested per day in Mae Sot, Thailand, after authorities launched a crackdown this weekend, according to the Joint Action Committee for Burmese Affairs (JACBA). (more…)

An internal report in 2009 by the China Power Investment Corporation, the company behind the hugely controversial Myitsone dam in northern Burma, that called for the lucrative venture to be scrapped appears to have been ignored, with work speeding ahead on a project set to displace thousands of people and cause far-reaching environmental problems. (more…)

Chiang Mai– 5,000 kyat denomination counterfeit notes were found early in July in Myanmar Citizens Bank (MCB) in Kyautada Township in Rangoon Region, Rangoon media has reported. (more…)

Yangon, Myanmar — Myanmar’s state-sponsored gems auction has reaped another $1.5 billion in foreign exchange despite U.S. sanctions against the industry.
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Kalargyigone, Rangoon— What Ko Zaw knows about the dangers of pesticides is that he would die if he drinks them. Like other farmers in the surrounding area, the 28-year-old doesn’t take any preventative measures such as using a mask, gloves or boots while spraying pesticide on his crops (more…)

Exports to Burma are expected to grow significantly this year, thanks to Rangoon lifting a decade-old import ban on 15 products from Thailand, the Trade Negotiations Department reported. (more…)

A Burmese refugee living in Australia has confessed to committing 24 executions while working undercover for the Burmese military regime and says he was involved in at least another 100 murders.
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The Australian government said Monday it would refer claims from a Myanmar refugee that he had committed war crimes in his former homeland, including carrying out 24 executions, to the federal police. (more…)

The new military-backed namesake civilian government of Burma faces no-win situation to acquire ASEAN’s backing for the 2014 chairmanship. If ASEAN acknowledged Burma as chairman of the group, it would definitely dishonor the name of the regional association. Burma under the former military junta missed a chance its turn as chair of ASEAN in 2006 because of strong international objections led by Western countries.
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Burma’s horrific military tactics drag on thanks to Asean’s silence, inaction

In 1989, following the collapse of the Communist Party of Burma (CPB), a number of armed ethnic armies entered into a series of ceasefire agreements with Rangoon. The fighting stopped, to a degree, but deep down nobody believed it would last. It was just a matter of time before the various groups resumed fighting. (more…)

London — Even as a senior Burmese diplomat in Washington has defected, Burmese prodemocracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has suggested that some people, both at home and abroad, have deceived themselves into thinking a new government has brought change to her country. (more…)