... This piece of community initiated action research reveals a number of lessons we can learn. The authors try to reflect the challenges of and opportunities for community based natural resources management in a seemingly forgotten Karen controlled area of southern Myanmar. The paper examines a number of case studies including the construction of a local water supply system, the establishment of fish conservation zones and community-driven forest conservation.

This report is a preliminary exploration of forced migration/internal displacement in Burma/Myanmar in two main areas. The first is the status in terms of international standards, specifically those embodied in the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, of the people who leave home not because of conflict or relocation orders, but as a result of a range of coercive measures which drive down incomes to the point that the household economy collapses and people have no choice but to leave home.

The Government of the Union of Myanmar -
The Central Committee for the Management of Culturable Land, Fallow Land and waste Land -
Notification No. 1/91 -
6th waxing Day of Nadaw, 1353 M.E -
(12th December, 1991)

The Draft land law

The State Law and Order Restoration Council Law No. 8/92 -
The 9th Waning Day of Tazaungmon, 1354 M.E. -
3 November 1992

The State Law and Order Restoration Council Law No. 5/95 -
The 6th Waxing of Kason, 1357 ME. -
4 May 1995

Mission Statement: "The Back Pack Health Worker Team (BPHWT) is an independent, nonprofit, multi-ethnic organization dedicated to providing primary health care to ethnic groups and vulnerable populations in armed conflict and rural areas of Burma, where access to healthcare is otherwise unavailable. Furthermore, by equipping communities with the skills and knowledge necessary to manage their own health issues, the Back Pack Health Worker Team is dedicated to the long-term, sustainable development of a healthy society in Burma.

Burma is situated in Southeastern Asia, bordering Bangladesh, India, China, Laos and Thailand. The
majority of its population lives in rural areas and depends on land as a primary means of livelihood.
Because all land in Burma ultimately belongs to the state, citizens and organizations depend upon use
-
rights, but do not own land.
Burma’s laws grant women equal rights i
n some respects and also recognize certain customary laws that
provide women equal rights in relation to land. In practice, however, the rights of many women are

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was
established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok by the five
original Member Countries, namely, Indonesia, Malaysia,
Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Brunei Darussalam joined on
8 January 1984; Vietnam, on 28 July 1995; Lao PDR and
Myanmar, on 23 July 1997; and Cambodia, on 30 April 1999.
In principle, ASEAN supports poverty reduction, food security,
sustainable development, and greater equity in the ASEAN
region. However, a closer look at the pronouncements contained

The new wave of land deals is not the new investment in
agriculture that millions had been waiting for. The poorest people
are being hardest hit as competition for land intensifies. Oxfam’s
research has revealed that residents regularly lose out to local
elites and domestic or foreign investors because they lack the
power to claim their rights effectively and to defend and advance
their interests. Companies and governments must take urgent
steps to improve land rights outcomes for people living in poverty.

It is estimated that the overall number of Burmese migrants in Thailand is somewhere in between 800,000 and one million.
Cross-border migration into Thailand has steadily increased in recent years. Since the 1960s, hundreds of thousands of Thais
have gone to work abroad. Refugees from Burma, Laos and Cambodia have since filled this labour shortage in Thailand.
However, many of them are undocumented, illegal workers and thus constitute the most vulnerable section of the work force.

Testimony of Marco Simons to the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission:
"This submission describes the emerging landscape as U.S. businesses reengage in Burma and
identifies specific human rights concerns associated with current and prospective corporate
activities in Burma (Myanmar). A number of companies, including General Electric, have
already invested in Burma, and U.S. oil supermajors are considering participation in upcoming
auctions for oil blocks. Increased foreign investment has already been linked to large-scale