Kachin refugee camp burned down by Burma Army

A CELL PHONE PHOTO CAPTURED THIS IMAGE OF SMOKE RISING FROM A REFUGEE CAMP AT PANGSAI WHICH LOCAL RESIDENTS SAY WAS BURNED TO THE GROUND BY THE BURMA ARMY.

MUSE, BURMA --- Troops from Burma's military operating in northern Shan state set an internally displaced person's (IDP) camp on fire on Wednesday. The camp located near Pangsai was almost completely destroyed according to eyewitnesses who described the perpetrators as being from the army's Infantry Battalion No. 240.

Burma army artillery expert dies in Hpakant accident

105MM MORTAR AND BURMESE SOLDIER.

HPAKANT, BURMA — Four Burma army personnel, including an artillery expert, died last week following a munitions accident at a military base in Kachin state's jade rich Hpakant (also Hpakan, Phakant) district, the Kachin News Group has learned.

UN assembly concerned about Kachin conflict and Rohingya

UN ASSEMBLY CONCERNED ABOUT KACHIN CONFLICT AND ROHINGYA

A resolution passed on Monday by the 193 member third committee of the United Nations General Assembly reiterated the International community's growing concern about human rights abuses in Kachin and Arakan (Rakhine) state.

Kachin warlord turned Burma MP arms BGF troops at ceremony

ZAHKUNG TING YING (SATED WITH HAT), UPPER HOUSE MP AND FORMER NDA-K CHIEF AT TENDING AN AUGUST 16 CEREMONY WHERE GUNS WERE DISTRIBUTED TO TROOPS FROM THE BORDER GUARD FORCE.

 ZAHKUNG TING YING (SATED WITH HAT), UPPER HOUSE MP AND FORMER NDA-K CHIEF AT TENDING AN AUGUST 16 CEREMONY WHERE GUNS WERE DISTRIBUTED TO TROOPS FROM THE BORDER GUARD FORCE.

ZAHKUNG TING YING (SATED WITH HAT), UPPER HOUSE MP AND FORMER NDA-K CHIEF AT TENDING AN AUGUST 16 CEREMONY WHERE GUNS WERE DISTRIBUTED TO TROOPS FROM THE BORDER GUARD FORCE.

Photos have surfaced that appear to show Zahkung Ting Ying (also Za Khun Ting Ring) , longtime leader of the now defunct New Democratic Army-Kachin (NDA-K), actively participating in an August 16 ceremony where weapons were distributed to his former NDA-K subordinates now serving in the government's Border Guard Force (BGF).

Kachin chief minister's critics arrested

PDP'S OFFICE WAS OPENED IN KACHIN STATE'S CAPITAL MYITKYINA IN AUGUST. PHOTO: kACHIN NEWS GROUP

Five senior members of the People Democracy Party (PDP), a small opposition group, were arrested last month after the party publicly accused Kachin state chief minister Lajawn Ngan Seng (also spelled La John Ngan Hsai) of corruption. The arrested party leaders were reportedly charged with incitement and defamation after party literature was printed accusing Ngan Hsai and his deputies of soliciting bribes from Myitkyina area motorbike salesman and organizers of the annual Manau festival.

US Congressman: Army atrocities in Kachin state could be war crimes

ARIZONA CONGRESSMAN TRENT FRANKS.

“The atrocities committed against the Kachin by the Burma Army may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity” says Arizona congressman Trent Franks, co-chairman of the International Religious Freedom Caucus. The conservative Republican lawmaker's comments appeared in an op-ed published by the Washington Times newspaper on Monday.

Activists urge Obama to end funding for sham Kachin tiger reserve

YUZANA COMPANY'S FACTORY ZONE IN TIGER RESERVE.

A group of Kachin environmental activists and displaced Kachin farmers sent US President Barack Obama an open letter this week urging his government to cut all financial support for Kachin state's Hukaung (also Hugawng) valley tiger reserve, according to a press release issued by the Kachin Development Networking Group (KDNG).

Nov. 19 UNA Open Letter to President Obama

KACHIN INDEPENDENCE ARMY, THE LAST NON-CEASEFIRE GROUP IN BURMA. PHOTO: KACHIN NEWS GROUP

United Nationalities Alliance

Statement

November 19, 2012                                        Yangon, Myanmar

•We, the United Nationalities Alliance, observe Burma's transition to democracy is not up to the standard yet. We believe that it is still early to lift all the sanctions imposed while in a transition
period as hundreds of political prisoners still remain in jail.

Obama's Burma visit overshadows army's continued war crimes in Kachin state

BURMESE DEMOCRACY LEADER SUU KYI AND U.S PRESIDENT OBAMA.

President Barack Obama's visit to Burma on Monday, the first ever trip by a sitting US president, has been hailed by numerous western commentators as further proof that the country long ruled by military dictatorship has undergone real democratic change.

Nov. 15 Kachin letter to President Obama

November 15th, 2012
Barack Obama
President of the United States of America
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW; Washington, DC 20500

Ex-NLD MP urges Obama to skip Burma visit citing Kachin conflict

DUWA MARAN ZAU AWNG, FORMER NLD MEMBER. PHOTO: KACHIN NEWS GROUP

Exiled Kachin politician Duwa Maran Zau Awng recently sent US president Barack Obama an open letter urging that he not visit Burma next week because of the military's ongoing offensive in Kachin state. According to human rights groups the military’s campaign against the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) has seen the army commit numerous atrocities against Kachin civilians.

7 Burma army soldiers die in two separate clashes with KIA

BURMA ARMY'S MILITARY GAME.

Seven soldiers from Burma's military are believed to have died on Monday following clashes with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in two separate places in northern Kachin state, according KIA sources.

Burma Army solider accused of raping Kachin woman

A BURMESE SOLDER TAKES POSITION AT KACHIN CULTURAL MANAU FESTIVAL IN MYITKYINA LAST YEAR. PHOTO: KACHIN NEWS GROUP

KAMAING, BURMA — A soldier from Burma's military is alleged to have raped an ethnic Kachin woman on October 30 at Hka San village in Kamaing (or Kamai) sub-township, according to a friend of the victim.

Burma army sends scores of reinforcements to Kachin State

A BURNESE MILITARY HELICOPTER TRANSPORTED TROOPS AND WEAPONS TO HPAKANT JADE MINE IN AUGUST. PHOTO: KACHIN GROUP

MYITKYINA, BURMA – This week saw Burma's military send hundreds of reinforcements to Kachin state, in preparation for an apparent renewed offensive against positions held by the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO).  A total of three train loads of reinforcements arrived in Myitkyina on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to eyewitness at the Kachin state capital.

Burma army major, 7 soldiers die in battle with KIA in Shan State

WEAPONS AND  UNIFORMS OF BURMA ARMY WHICH WERE RECENTLY CAPTURED IN KACHIN STATE BY KIA.

A major from Burma's military and seven soldiers under his command died on Monday following clashes with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) at Dung Waw in Northern Shan State, according to a Kachin resistance commander on the frontline.

Kachin youth hold peace conference

ON NOV.3,KACHIN YOUTH HELD THE PEACE CONFERENCE IN WAINGMAW TOWNSHIP IN KACHIN STATE, NORTHERN BURMA.

MYITKYINA, BURMA — Kachin youth who aspire for peace in their war-torn state held a conference near Myitkyina over the weekend. According to organizers the conference was the first of its kind to be held in Kachin state since fighting between Burma's military and the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) erupted last year.

Burma govt still refuses KIO request for Panglong related dialogue

KIO CHAIRMAN LANYAW ZAWNG HRA (LEFT) AND BURMESE PRESIDENT THEN SEIN

Last week's round of talks between Burma's government and the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) failed to achieve much of an agreement on anything, according to KIO sources.

Burma army shelling injures 3 boys in Kachin state

TWO KIA SOLDIERS ON SENG JA BUM IN HPAKANT JADE MINE, WESTERN KACHIN STATE . PHOTO: KACHIN NEWS GROUP

Three young civilians were injured on Friday after shells fired by the Burma army hit Nbala Hka village in the Hpakant jade district of Kachin state, according to local residents.