During the period 1958-1960, the caretaker government of General Ne Win made Burma’s armed forces – rather than elected representatives – responsible for governing Yangon, Burma’s largest city and the country’s capital until the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC)…
Burma’s rulers have divided the country into three zones: white – those areas under their total control; brown – contested areas; and black – areas over which they have no control. Black areas are designated ‘free-fire’ zones where the Burma…
Two reports researched and written by the Karen Women’s Organisation – ‘Shattering Silences’ in 2004 and ‘State of Terror’ in 2007[1] – document the wide range of human rights abuses against Burmese women and girls. The abuses were perpetrated across…
On United Nations Day, 24 October, 2007, in Yangon, in the immediate aftermath of events that had for a while put the country on the front pages of international media, the Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator of the UN system in Myanmar read…
Claims as to the ravaging long-lasting psychosocial and psychological effects of war on children may be based on the over-generalisation of clinical findings. Clinical workers see only children suffering from psychological disorders - they do not encounter the huge number…
Approaches to environmental problems in refugee emergencies have traditionally focused on two main areas: promotion of tree planting and dissemination of fuel-efficient stoves. This is done with the intention of increasing wood supply and simultaneously reducing the level of demand.…
It is becoming increasingly common for commentators to argue that focusing exclusively on asylum situations ignores the realities of forced migration and represents a restricted view of displacement. While it may be understandable to seek a comprehensive approach to humanitarian…
The issue comes more clearly to the fore when such power holders take over urban areas and therefore have responsibility for the administrative structures of the state within those areas. This article considers how this question has been played out…
Since at least the 1970s Afghans have been coming to Iran, some in search of work, others to seek protection. The political dominance by the Taliban since 1995 has been a significant factor in the acceleration in the flow of…
This second article(1) by Carlos Beristain presents the most significant findings of the REMHI Report, the experiences of the victims and certain issues relating to the process of reconstruction. On 24 April 1998, the Report of the Project for the…