Visiting war-torn Kachin State, the 88 Generation leader says he wants to hear the sound of bells ringing again in churches and in schools.
Burma’s ethnic armed groups have agreed their own standard plan for peace negotiations to challenge government attempts to push minorities into Parliament.
The Burmese government should immediately free all remaining political prisoners and lift travel and other restrictions on those already released, urges Human Rights Watch.
Burmese democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi to be honored in Washington and presented with Congress’s highest award during tour of the United States.
A prominent activist cancels a trip to US to receive a democracy award, to show solidarity with fellow activists whose applications for passports have been denied.
Fears about environmental degradation have seen protests at the Letpadaung mountain range copper mine grow steadily over the past two months.
A round-up of some of the more thought-provoking comments from readers of The Irrawaddy taken from our top stories over the course of the last week.
Burmese President Thein Sein’s plan to travel this month to the world’s two most powerful countries—the United States and China—makes a deliberate statement.
A girl living in a camp for war refugees was killed when two groups of Burmese troops mistakenly exchanged fire near Hpakant in Kachin State.
Burma’s exiled government, the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma, dissolves after 22 years of opposition due to the country’s current program of reform.
The United States strengthening ties with the Burmese armed forces seems absurd when the democracy movement has spent half-a-century trying to weaken the military leviathan.
Thailand may repatriate thousands of Burmese refugees within the next year, according to the country’s National Security Council.
In western Kachin State, thousands of people displaced by war only adds to the complications of an area racked by human misery.
The United States urges Bangladesh to keep its border open to Rohingya refugees fleeing Burma but advocated their safe repatriation as a long-term solution.
Burmese refugees are made vulnerable to arbitrary and abusive treatment through inconsistent and unpredictable policies by the Thai government, claims Human Rights Watch.
Protesters at Monywa’s Letpadaung mountain range are joined by activists from around Burma and the 88 Generation Students in their bid to halt copper mining.
An adviser to US President Barack Obama says that government policy in Burma has added to tensions between the country’s various religious groups.
The Burmese government’s chief negotiator tells The Irrawaddy that he has proposed bringing Kachin rebel leaders to the capital for peace talks.
The United States should engage with Burma’s armed forces, collaborate with China and further roll back sanctions to enhance reforms, urges a leading think-tank.
The Thailand Burma Border Consortium concludes a trip to Rangoon with plans to begin preparing for the eventual repatriation of refugees living in Thailand.
