Articles and papers

This page includes KHRG's general articles, usually prepared as submissions to international fora or briefing notes for advocacy purposes. Since 2005 it also includes KHRG Working Papers, which provide a venue to discuss the implications of our work for theory and praxis in human rights, relief, development, politics and related fields, and aim to stimulate debate on topics directly relevant to human rights in Burma and to a broader audience. The views expressed and argued in these papers are those of the authors and not of KHRG as an organisation; these papers should therefore be cited as the author's work and not that of KHRG. Authors outside KHRG are welcome to submit papers for consideration by KHRG. The authors retain full rights to these papers, but they may be freely reproduced, distributed, and cited provided that the source is appropriately acknowledged.

Summaries and briefing notes do not specify an author and are attributable to KHRG, whereas clicking on the title of a Working Paper will take you to the full abstract and author's name, with an option to download the paper in PDF format. If you wish to search for a particular Article or paper, please use our search page page.

All Articles and papers

ARTICLE OR PAPER TITLE	DATE
Supporting IDP resistance strategies	Apr 23rd, 2008
Whether in hiding or living under military control, displaced villagers of Karen State and other areas of rural Burma have shown themselves to be innovative and courageous in responding to and resisting military abuse. They urgently need increased assistance but it is they who should determine the direction of any such intervention. This article, co-authored by two KHRG staff members, appears in issue number 30 of the journal Forced Migration Review (FMR), issued in April 2008 and is available on both the KHRG and FMR websites.
"We have hands the same as them": Struggles for local sovereignty and livelihoods by internally displaced Karen villagers in Burma	May 29th, 2006
This paper challenges the common view that Karen displacement is ‘conflict-induced’, that villagers are helpless bystanders who flee their homes to escape a context of armed conflict. It examines the nature and dynamics of Karen internal displacement through perspectives expressed by villagers themselves, and finds it to be an ongoing and fluid process of villagers evading state control while attempting to retain access to their land and livelihoods, rather than a spatial displacement from zones of armed conflict. The primary cause of displacement is not armed conflict, but state efforts to consolidate territorial sovereignty over civilians who are used to local-level sovereignty and ‘non-state’ identities. Villagers respond with survival strategies which in themselves constitute resistance to state control of their land, livelihoods, and lives – causing the state to view and treat them as the enemy. The paper argues that this is why the recent ceasefire did not bring an end to Karen displacement, and that it also cannot be resolved through the ‘return’, ‘reintegration’ and state-directed aid espoused by the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement and by some international actors, which would only represent victory for the state in this conflict. Instead, it advocates recognising and supporting villagers’ efforts to resist state control and retain local sovereignty over their lands and livelihoods. (This paper was presented at the “Land, Poverty, Social Justice and Development” conference in The Hague, The Netherlands in January 2006. It updates and refines the ideas presented in the earlier KHRG working paper “Sovereignty, Survival and Resistance: Contending Perspectives on Karen internal displacement in Burma”)
Sovereignty, Survival and Resistance: Contending Perspectives on Karen Internal Displacement in Burma	Mar 1st, 2005
This paper examines the nature and dynamics of Karen internal displacement in Burma through perspectives expressed by villagers themselves, and then contrasts their view of the situation with that projected by international labels and definitions. Initially, it contrasts the prevalent way of viewing internal displacement, which it argues is built upon state sovereignty, and a ‘popular sovereignty’ perspective which attempts to understand displacement by beginning from the viewpoint of local people rather than internationally-accepted definitions. It then looks at Karen internal displacement using the latter perspective and finds it to be an ongoing and sociocultural process rather than a spatial displacement from ‘home’.
A Village on Fire: The destruction of rural life in southeastern Burma	Oct 31st, 2000
This article by Kevin Heppner of KHRG appeared in issue 24.3 of the journal Cultural Survival Quarterly, issued on October 31st 2000. Looking at SPDC policies and strategies of destroying villages and livelihoods as a means of undermining resistance, it discusses how this is destroying the viability of the rural agricultural village as a social, cultural and economic entity. Agricultural villages are Burma's core and lifeblood but they are too vulnerable to military demands, and by destroying their viability the SPDC is destroying the very fabric and future of Burma.
Human Rights Trends in Rural Eastern Burma	Jun 29th, 1999
These briefing notes were prepared as a short summary of some of the main human rights issues affecting people in rural eastern Burma. They are included here in case they may be useful to those requiring a quick synopsis of some of the ongoing human rights trends.
Human Rights in Rural Burma	Apr 30th, 1998
In November 1997 the State Law & Order Restoration Council (SLORC) military junta ruling Burma changed its name to the State Peace & Development Council (SPDC). However, there was no change in the four key leaders of the junta, and judging by the testimonies of villagers throughout Burma and the continuation of all of the regime’s military operations, there has been no change in policy; in fact, the forced relocations and related abuses occurring in many rural parts of the country have only intensified, making it appear that the SPDC regime is even more ruthless and repressive than the SLORC ever was.
Forced Labour Briefing Notes	Feb 10th, 1998
These notes list some of the main types of forced labour currently experienced by villagers in most of the main rural Karen areas of Burma, including Karen State, Tenasserim Division, parts of Mon State and Pegu Division, and the Irrawaddy Delta. This list does not include all the types of forced labour, it only tries to give an idea of the main types.
Summary of Forced Labour in Burma	Aug 7th, 1997
These notes are intended to provide a brief summary of the systematic use of forced labour by the State Law & Order Restoration Council (SLORC) military junta ruling Burma. For further details and supporting evidence, we suggest that the Commission refer to the other reports already submitted by the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG). These supporting documents include written/typed order documents sent to villages by SLORC military units and administrative bodies demanding that villages provide forced labour under threat of retribution should they fail.
The Situation of Children in Burma	May 1st, 1996
This summary is intended for consideration by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. It has been prepared partly in response to the report filed by the State Law & Order Restoration Council (SLORC), Burma’s ruling military junta. It does not contain a paragraph-by-paragraph analysis of SLORC’s report, but instead attempts to summarize some of the worst problems facing Burma’s children today and point out some of the most glaring fallacies in the SLORC report. All of the observations and quotations included here are taken from our 4 years of living among and interviewing villagers, refugees and the internally displaced.
KHRG Intervention at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights	Apr 14th, 1996
The intervention below was given on behalf of the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) by Kevin Heppner of the Karen Human Rights Group at the April 1996 session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights
Human Rights in Karen Areas of Burma	Apr 8th, 1996
Right now the opposition Karen National Union (KNU) is trying to conduct ceasefire negotiations with the SLORC (State Law & Order Restoration Council) military junta ruling Burma. Though the SLORC claims to be making every effort to bring peace to the country, they are still refusing to even discuss any political or human rights issues, and as a result the talks are making no progress. Many observers feel that the SLORC is not yet interested in a ceasefire, but wants to launch major attacks against the KNU first in order to weaken the KNU so it can be forced to accept what amount to surrender terms.
Notes on Landmine Use: SLORC and KNLA	Mar 3rd, 1996
The most common landmine used is the American M-76, of which the Burmese now manufacture their own copies. Almost all of these found used to be American-made, but now more are the Burmese copies. They are the "classic" landmine design, made of heavy-duty metal, cylindrical, about 2" diameter and 4-5" high, with a screw-in top the diameter of a pencil which extends a couple of inches above the body of the mine - this screw-in top is surmounted by a plunger the size of a pencil eraser which is what sets off the mine.
The Effect of Foreign Investment in Burma	Oct 1st, 1995
Everyone has heard the argument that economic sanctions never work, that the best way to encourage dictators to change their policies is to give them lots of money, then ask them to change, then give them even more money if they refuse. Economic sanctions only hurt the poor, the big investors tell us, while investment dollars "trickle down" from the generals and help everyone. Not only is there no evidence anywhere to support this argument, but in the case of Burma foreign investment directly leads to suffering.
Notes on Burma Tourism	Oct 1st, 1995
Despite the situation in Burma, a growing number of tour groups are planning tours capitalizing on SLORC’s "Visit Myanmar Year 1996". Some tour companies appear to have picked up on the SLORC’s promotions and are fervently promoting these tours.
Country Report on Human Rights: Burma	Oct 1st, 1995
Burma is a country where many nationalities live together. Half of the population is Burman, who live in the central plains and valleys, and the rest are from about 15 main ethnic groups, most of whom live in more hilly regions. Historically, Burma was never a single country until the British annexed it in 1886. After independence in 1948, the Burman leaders started making policies favouring the Burmans and making everyone else into second-class citizens. So one by one the non-Burman peoples went into revolution demanding equal rights. By the 1970s, there were more than 12 ethnic groups fighting against the Burmese government. They had their own governments and controlled alot of the territory outside of central Burma.
The Current Human Rights Situation in Burma	Sep 5th, 1995
The Karen Human Rights Group is an independent human rights monitoring and reporting group based in Karen-held areas of Burma. It gathers and reports testimony and information directly from villagers regarding the human rights situation. Our focus is on the southern and eastern regions of Burma, and most of the villagers we deal with are non-Burman, such as Karen and Mon people. However, we also collect firsthand information from Burman and other ethnic groups whenever possible, and have found that a similar climate of systematic and horrendous human rights abuse exists nationwide. This document summarizes some of the current trends in the human rights situation applying throughout Burma.
The Current Human Rights Situation in Burma: Executive Summary	Sep 5th, 1995
SLORC is using the release of Aung San Suu Kyi to divert attention away from what is really happening in Burma right now: resumed and intensified offensives against ethnic peoples, further expansion of the army, intensified repression and clampdowns against people nationwide, and the further collapse of the economy. The human rights situation is rapidly worsening, with rapid increases in forced labour as military porters and servants, forced labour on development and infrastructure projects, extortion which is driving villagers further into destitution, land confiscation for military-run farms operated with forced labour, and other abuses connected with these activities such as killings, torture, rape, arbitrary detention, and abuse against children, women, and the elderly.
Summary of Types of Forced Portering	Apr 11th, 1995
Forced portering has come to be known as one of the worst forms of human rights abuse by the Tatmadaw, or Burma Army. Many people have heard the constant reports of civilians kidnapped, driven to the frontline like cattle under heavy loads of ammunition, forcibly starved and then killed as soon as they can no longer carry. In our reports, villagers and SLORC written orders often refer to "permanent porters", "operations porters", and various kinds of conditions experienced during portering, and it is useful to have an understanding of what all this means.
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