Burma (Myanmar) is governed by a military regime and has been in a state of civil war for 50 years. Ethnic minorities are routinely brutalized and natural resources are exploited for the benefit of the ruling generals. Countries such as China conduct significant business with Burma (particularly in the energy sector), ignoring the atrocities perpetrated by the government.
Very little of what happens in Burma hits mainstream news in the West. There is no real free press operating.
Like many countries suffering from internal conflict it is often humble poor families that suffer the most.
The Regime’s army extends their control over the ethnic minorities by building roads and camps in ethnic homelands, forcing people to relocate or flee into the jungle. There is documented forced labor and the use of rape as a weapon. The Regime’s army lays landmines to keep villagers from returning home and supporting the resistance. They aim to dominate the population, assimilate them and exploit them. They do this directly through military attacks, selective cease-fire agreements, and the use of proxy ethnic forces allied with the Regime.
Here are some organizations that are assisting and aiding Internally Displaced People and refugees.
I have met some of the staff of Partners and am happy to support their work.
See also: Free Burma Rangers, Christians Concerned for Burma, Burma Issues.
One of the most authoritative documents about human rights abuse in Burma can be found at the Harvard Law School’s International Human Rights Clinic (14o page report here)