A protest is planned in the Chin State capital Hakha on Wednesday over the state government’s threat to evict people who have built on land slated for a major development project. Organizers say they have already received permission from the authorities to hold the protest, which will take place in Hakha between 10am and 4pm on July 31. More than 500 people are expected to join. Pi Za Tlem, a former MP for Thangtlang Township and one of the leaders of the protest, told Khonumthung News that the people facing eviction feel they have no choice but to resist the…
Author: Editor
Khonumthung News speaks to the field director of the Chin Human Rights Organization about the current situation in Chin State. Clashes between the Burma Army and the insurgent Arakan Army (AA) have been taking place in southern Chin State’s Paletwa Township for more than four years now. Thousands of civilians have been forced to flee their homes, and numerous human rights abuses have been reported in the conflict-affected area. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) lack sufficient humanitarian assistance, in large part because of the Burma Army’s restrictions on the transport of rice into the township. To learn more about these and…
Traditional methods cause environmental damage and yield poor profits for farmers, says the chairman of the Chin State parliament. Farmers in Chin State should abandon their traditional practice of crop rotation in favor of a permanent farming system in order to increase their earnings and protect the environment, according to the chairman of the state’s parliament. “Chin farmers have used the rotating farming system for so many years. This is how they grow corn. But they can’t make more than 1-200,000 kyat (US$65-130) in profits this way,” said Zo Bawi, the chairman of the Chin State parliament. According to Zo…
By LALNUNA – Chin university students and youths who recently visited camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in southern Chin State’s Paletwa Township say that villagers forced to flee fighting between the Burma Army and the insurgent Arakan Army (AA) still lack sufficient aid. At a press conference held in Yangon on Tuesday, the students and youths discussed what they learned about the current needs of the IDPs when they went to the camps to deliver relief supplies earlier this month. “What they need most at the moment is food assistance. They also need education and healthcare support for their…
By Lalnuna – Ethnic Chin people living in Chin State and Sagaing Region’s Kalay Township have come to the aid of internally displaced persons (IDPs) forced to flee from clashes between Burmese government forces and the Arakan Army (AA) in southern Chin State’s Paletwa Township. Earlier this month, Chin civil society organizations and student groups began collecting donations to support Chin IDPs living in the villages of Meezar and Thae Chaungwa, raising a total of 40 million kyat (US$???) in the towns of Mindat, Tedim, Falam, Hakha and Kalay. According to the Chin Students’ Union (Kalay), the money was distributed between July…
By Lanuna – The government of Chin State has vowed to take action against people who have moved into an area slated for development in the state capital Hakha, saying the project can’t go ahead as long as unauthorized construction continues there. “We can’t start this project with them living there. We can take action against these people using municipal law, general administration law, and the VFV [Vacant, Fallow and Virgin Lands Management] law,” said Soe Htet, the state’s minister of municipal affairs, electricity and industry. According to Soe Htet, there were only eight houses in the area when the…
As the desire for peace among the citizens in Thailand has been rising due to the bombing terrorism happened on May 29th in Pattani that occurred 25 casualties of innocent civilians, about 2,000 students and citizens gathered to call for the establishment of international law for peace. The event consisting of a peace walk and peace song contest was held at the Islamic College Thailand in Bangkok on July 15th in attendance with students, faculties, and journalists. To spread a culture of peace, the peace walk took place from the Tonburi Youth Center to the Islamic College Thailand and the…
A French company has resumed a ground survey for a stalled 622-megawatt (MW) hydropower project on the Laymyo River in southern Chin State’s Paletwa Township, according to senior state government officials. “The company was supposed to do a survey and report its findings within two years, but that two-year period passed and it delayed sending its report, so the project was put on hold,” said Soe Htet, the state’s minister of municipal affairs, electricity and industry, noting that the project was originally expected to go into construction in 2016-17. “The company is now doing a survey to measure water levels.…
In Laos, which boasts beautiful scenery and is selected as a tourist destination by many tourists, there are still people suffering from war and its remnants. Laotian authorities and international organizations are also working to eliminate the unexploded bombs and to provide aid, while not repeating the history of such pain. To raise the awareness of the importance of peace and to encourage the citizens to participate in peace activities, libraries, museums, and universities in Laos have set the book called “True Story” in their respective places. The book, which is provided by an international peace NGO, contains the history…
On July 6th, the 2nd peace media forum in France was held at Cocoon Nation-Auguste in Paris with the theme of ‘What is the peace journalism?’. In attendance with 20 participants including journalists and citizens, the forum had a discussion to seek the practical action plans to realize “Peace Journalism”. The 2nd Peace Media Forum was made up with the time to discuss the ways for journalists to practice peace journalism in disseminating peace-related news articles. Makaila N’guebla, journalist and blogger, from Maison des Journalistes said, “We can come closer to peace on the globe if the journalists in the…