We are saddened to hear from our Burmese partners about the latest airstrikes and military attacks in Karen State which have forced thousands of Karen to flee their homes. The Thai government has not yet provided any necessary support and sources suggest that the UN and other aid organisations have been blocked from accessing crucial […]
Three civil society leaders have been sentenced to 6 months in prison with a fine of 500,000 Kyat each for ‘defamation’ of the Burma army under Article 500 of the Panel Law. The World Kachin Congress (WKC) has condemned the charges, claiming Ms Nang Pu, Mr Lum Zawng, and Mr Zau Jat committed no crime whilst organising […]
Baroness Cox (crossbench) posed questions to the UK Government about recent arrests during peaceful protests in Yangon, and the escalated conflict in Kachin and Shan States. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Conservative) responded. Question 1: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Burma regarding the recent escalation of military violence […]
The Joint Strategy team monitoring the current situation in Kachin State, Burma have released an update on the humanitarian crisis on the 28th May 2018. The text can be downloaded below. Humanitarian Situation Update in Kachin State – 14th to 28th May 2018 Since series of armed clashes have been intensified again between Government […]
Update from Kachin Women’s Association Thailand (KWAT), documenting Burma Army crimes against IDPs in Kachin State, North Eastern Burma. May 15, 2018 Urgent update by the Kachin Women’s Association Thailand (KWAT) Burma Army commits war crimes against Kachin IDPs: blocking access to refuge, using as human shields and minesweepers, indiscriminate shelling, looting Contrary to […]
Baroness Cox brought to the forefront the plight of the Shan and Kachin people during a Parliamentary debate on ‘Recent developments in Myanmar’. In recent weeks, the fighting in Kachin State has intensified, displacing 6000 people, killing hundreds and trapping 3000 in conflict zones. As fighting also continues in Shan State, hundreds of civilians are […]
Welcome to our new series titled Spotlight, which gives our readers a quick news update focusing on developments that affect the countries where HART works. This week, we’re taking a look at Kachin State, North East Burma, where renewed offensives have displaced thousands more civilians. Thousands of people have been driven from their homes over […]
HART is publishing this statement from our local Burmese partner KWAT to fully express our support in their struggles against the Burma Army’s continued offensives and abuses: “On this occasion of the 17th anniversary of KWAT’s founding on September 9, 1999, we wish to express our grave concern at the escalating conflict in our Kachin […]
Kachin Women’s Association Thailand (KWAT) have a released a statement on the 4th anniversary of the renewal of conflict in Kachin areas following the breaking of a 17-year-old ceasefire by the Burmese Government. As conflict has worsened in 2015, KWAT are calling for support from the international community by releasing this statement: “The international community […]
Three years ago today, the Burma Army broke a 17-year ceasefire with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and unleashed a major new military offensive against the Kachin people. Since 9 June 2011, over 120,000 Kachin people have been displaced, forced to flee their homes. At least 200 villages have been destroyed. A humanitarian emergency unfolded, […]
HART returned this week from visiting the Kachin, Shan and Karen/Karenni peoples of Burma. While the international community, including the British government, celebrates recent reforms in Burma, including the freedom for the pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kii to participate in the nation’s political process and to travel abroad, the Burmese Government is responsible for […]
The 8th February is the international day of prayer and awareness against human trafficking. Our partners in Burma, Thailand and Nigeria work with communities who are afflicted by modern slavery, abductions, kidnappings and human trafficking. In Nigeria’s middle belt, abductions are increasingly common as religiously motivated violence continues to rise astronomically. The profitability of abduction […]
Since 2004, HART has supported the Shan Women’s Action Network (SWAN), a Community Based Organisation dedicated to gender equality and justice. SWAN coordinates a number of programmes relating to health, education and women’s empowerment, as well as emergency assistance and conducting advocacy and research, in dozens of villages inside Burma and amongst refugees in Thailand. […]
This month, HART is focusing on the work done by our partners to bring quality, accessible education to their communities. Unfortunately, over the last year, more than 168 million children have been unable to attend school due to COVID-19 related lockdowns, according to data released by UNICEF. Furthermore, around 214 million children globally – or […]
Intro HART has supported not only SWAN’s Women’s Wellbeing Programme but educational programmes in northern Thailand since 2006. This support has provided the women and children of migrants and refugees fleeing poverty and conflict in Burma with the opportunity to attend schools and receive medical care whilst raising awareness of the plight of these refugees. […]
Read our letter to the Foreign Secretary, which explains how aid cuts will impact HART’s local partners: Dear Dominic, I and colleagues at Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART) share widespread concerns over the cuts to UK spending on foreign aid. In particular, we have urgent concerns that cuts will compound the suffering of our […]
CSW and HART have expressed alarm at the launch of military air strikes in Myanmar/Burmas Kayah State on 31 May and call for an end to the violence. Two military helicopters opened fire in Demoso Township, Kayah State, on 31 May, accompanied by heavy artillery shelling. The air strikes marked a worrying escalation of military […]
Yesterday, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken announced nearly $155 million in new aid for Rohingya Refugees outside Myanmar, and a raft of new sanctions against the military junta of Myanmar. HART welcomes these initiatives and acknowledges the appropriateness of both these responses. However, the crisis in Myanmar is reaching a very dangerous level. At […]
In the early hours of Monday 1st February 2021, Burma/Myanmar’s powerful military took control of the country in a coup and declared a year-long state of emergency. The democratically elected Counsellor of State Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and senior government officials from the recently re-elected NLD Party who were due to take […]
Given recent events in Burma/Myanmar, the complexity of the country’s ethnic make-up, and the fact that our partners in Burma/Myanmar all operate in minority ethnic community areas, HART is pleased to offer a brief introduction to some of the main ethnic groups within the country. Here we continue with the Karen people. The […]
Given recent events in Burma/Myanmar, the complexity of the country’s ethnic make-up, and the fact that our partners in Burma/Myanmar all operate in minority ethnic community areas, HART is pleased to offer a brief introduction to some of the main ethnic groups within the country. Here we continue with the Chin people. HART currently […]
Given recent events in Burma/Myanmar, the complexity of the country’s ethnic make-up, and the fact that our partners in Burma all operate in minority ethnic community areas, HART has decided to offer a brief introduction to some of the main ethnic groups within the country. Here we begin, with the Shan people, the largest […]
Although the name ‘Burma’ comes from the Bamar people who form two-thirds of the country’s population, in official government statistics, Burma is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the region containing over 135 ethnic groups. Throughout its long history, the country’s geographic position has resulted in the country attracting settlers from many […]
In the early hours of Monday 1st February, Burma’s powerful military took control of the country in a coup and declared a year-long state of emergency. The democratically elected Counsellor of State Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and senior government officials from the recently re-elected NLD Party have been detained, removed from […]