Aye Mya Phyu feared for her children as she ran from Burmese soldiers and into the jungle.

She moved from various safe zones along the Myanmar and Thailand border and eventually made her way to the United States. Now a St. Paul resident, she has been helping other immigrants escape the violence of their homeland and adjust to life here.

“It was like finding my freedom,” Phyu recalled thinking when she first arrived to St. Paul. “Now we have no more fear.”

The steady trickle of Karen, an ethnic minority from southern Myanmar, has been immigrating since 2000. More than 7,500 now live in Minnesota, according to the Karen Organization of Minnesota. It is now home to more Karen (pronounced “kuh-REHN”) than any other state, with large populations in St. Paul, Roseville and Maplewood.

By Dr. Habib Siddiqui

Popular myths circulated and believed amongst many Buddhists about the decline of Buddhism in South Asia or the Indian subcontinent are so bizarre that they are more often than not diametrically opposed to the historical facts. Those myths, unfortunately, define and justify the current genocidal campaigns against non-Buddhists in Buddhist-majority countries. This series of articles aims at an objective study on the causes of such decline.

Against popular Buddhist narrative of history, before Islam came to South Asia Buddhism has already been marginalized by powerful Hindus. Even in Bengal, which is only a short distance from where Siddhartha Gautama Buddha was born, Hindu Brahmins/leaders/rulers were able to reclaim their control over the people.

By Kanbawza Win

American scholars and policy makers, construe the Union of Burma, as a monolithic whole. without delving deep into its authentic contemporary history. In its obsession to counter the Chinese influence, it has somehow or other draw the conclusion that this country is endeavouring to change from military dictatorship to that of liberal democracy and as such should help them in any aspect to complete the transaction.

But this approach is slowly and surely sowing the seeds of discord that can lead to regional destabilization and that of the world at large.. Hence, instead of encouraging democracy and the prevalence of human rights or national self determination, it is indirectly encouraging the ethnic cleansing policy, resurrecting the Tatmadaw (army) together with its crony capitalism in exploiting the near 60 million people that has suffered for more than half a century.

by Kachin News Group

Bawk Ja (also spelt Bauk Gyar and Bauk Ja), a well-known Kachin land rights activist was arrested Thursday night, in southern Kachin state according to a family friend.

Representatives from the Kachin Legal Aid group confirmed Bawk Ja’s arrest but do not know what she has been charged with.

[B]“At the moment, we can confirm she was arrested in Mohnyin.  We are still trying to find out about her,” a lawyer from the organization told the Kachin News Group.[/B]

Her arrest may have to do with politics, says Daw Hkawn Ja, general secretary of Kachin Peace Network whose group is very concerned about Bawk Ja’s fate.

Reuters

PARIS (Reuters) – Myanmar President Thein Sein is not preparing himself at the moment to contest the 2015 presidential election and has “no objections” to Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi running, he said in an interview aired on Friday.

Thein Sein was speaking to France 24 television after the former military leader had completed a visit to London and Paris as part of a tour aimed at securing Western aid to help his country, the former Burma, emerge from decades of dictatorship.

“As of now, I have not prepared myself to run for the 2015 presidential election,” he said, through an interpreter.

British Prime Minister David Cameron, who visited the former military dictatorship last year, has pressed Thein Sein to ensure the constitution is changed to allow opposition leader Suu Kyi to contest the election.