On 29 November, Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR) from Italy and Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF) from Belgium hosted a seminar on human rights entitled “Intolerance and Discrimination Against New Religious Movements: An International Problem”. This seminar, held in Seoul, South Korea, was devoted to the protection of the rights of religious minorities targeted by the majority groups, particularly in the context of anti-human rights situations such as the forced conversion that occurred in Korea. Forced conversion, also known as “Deprogramming”, is a social issue that causes human rights violations by kidnapping and detaining the members of religious…
Author: Editor
There have been 16 reports of the rape of minors in Kalay Township, Sagaing Region so far this year, according to a local rights group. Women for Justice reported that 12 cases involved children under 14 years old. Four cases concerned the alleged rape of girls 16 or older. Around half of the cases involved ethnic Chin children, who are believed to make up the majority of the residents of Kalay. “We feel that children are not safe,” Thanda Aye, who works with Women for Justice, told Khonumthung News. She added that even school was not necessarily a safe place,…
A 47-year-old man from southern Chin State’s Paletwa Township was killed by a landmine explosion after carrying an injured Burmese soldier to safety. Philipa, of Don Chaungwa village, had spent three to four days in the forest with other villagers cutting bamboo when Burma Army troops approached them and asked them to carry an injured government soldier to another location. It is unclear if the men had a choice, as Khonumthung reported in October that Burma Army soldiers forced locals and internally displaced people to serve as porters in Meezar, some 18 miles from Don Chaungwa. “He didn’t step on…
Two 42-year-old men and a 12-year-old girl were injured after an artillery shell hit their village in southern Chin State’s Paletwa Township this week. The Burma Army and the Arakan Army clashed near Ton Mawa village on November 24 for hours. A shell landed in the community at around 11:00 p.m. It is unknown which army fired it. The child and the two injured adults, Thauk Kyar Aung and Kyaw Thein, were all receiving medical treatment in Paletwa public hospital. Kyaw Thein is reportedly in critical condition. “The shell landed on the house of Kyaw Thein. His neighbor Thauk Kyar…
An unprecedented event of this world – Increase of 100,000 congregation members in one year. Born again as a congregation at level of knowledge of a pastor through the 6 months bible study. “Geometric increase, not the power of men but God“ “100,000 people were evangelised and studied the bible study course and this all happened within 10 months. This is not the power of men but God. This is only possible because God is together” Shincheonji, Church of Jesus, The temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (Chairman Man-Hee Lee, Shincheonji, Church of Jesus as below) hosted the successful…
A 27-year-old primary school teacher was shot and killed in a Tonzang Township village in Chin State on Sunday evening. Dim Lun Mang was shot in the 14-household Tuivialzang village in Hai Kyin village-tract, allegedly by a fellow resident of the community at around 9:30 p.m. according to village headman Kam Za Inn. “The teacher had lived in the village for a long time. I heard they had quarrel about a social issue. Actually, I don’t know the real root cause of this murder,” Kam Za Inn said. Two students were with their teacher when she was shot. The…
Churches in southern Chin State’s Paletwa Township are being forced to meet their communities in the mornings, after local authorities imposed an evening curfew on the area. “Our church can only hold religious events on Sunday mornings. We cannot hold services at night because of the curfew… The curfew does not allow people to go out after 6:00 p.m.,” Pastor Mosset from a downtown Paletwa church told Khonumthung News. Paletwa Township General Administration Department (GAD) officer Koe Aung announced the curfew for the township on November 9, citing security concerns after the Arakan Army took parliamentarian Huay Ting into custody.…
The government imposed a curfew in war-stricken Paletwa township in Burma’s southern Chin State after the Arakan Army (AA) kidnapped an MP and foreign nationals. The curfew that was enacted by Paletwa Township General Administrator Koe Aung on November 9, requires civilians to be in their homes from 6 pm to 6 am and will last for two-months. Gatherings of five or more has been outlawed. Koe Aung defends the measures, claiming AA plants landmines, targets civilians, launches ambushes on the Burma Army (aka Tatmadaw) then blends into the civilian population. The Tatmadaw has been accused of many of the…
The budget for Chin State for the 2019-2020 fiscal year is more than 260 billion kyat (US$170.75 million), according to government officials. It marks an increase from the 2018-2019 budget of 220 billion kyat ($144.45 million), with half provided by the Union and half from the state. This next year, the Union government has allocated more than 136 billion kyat ($89.3 million) for regional development and the state will kick in nearly 127.23 billion kyat ($83.55 million). Wi Kaw, the planning and finance minister for Chin State, told Chin media outlets in a meeting on October 31 that not all…
If a mega dam is built on the Laymyo River—also known as the Lemro River—in southern Chin State’s Paletwa Township, some 20,000 people from more than 50 villages stand to be displaced, according to environmental advocates. Chin Rivers Watch reported on the negative impacts of the proposed hydro-power project on Monday during a press conference in Yangon. The organization said that the government has carried out a feasibility study concerning the construction of two dams on the Laymyo River—one in Chin State and one in Rakhine State. The first project would be near Ko Phe She village in Paletwa, and…