Free Republic

Footage from a volunteer on a FBR medical team that also did Good Life Club programs for refugee children (basically a warzone version of a VBS). Some very graphic footage. Rather more intense than what even most war correspondents come up with, this provides a good look into the fighting in Karenni state in eastern Burma (Myanmar). They Were Kids

I was driving with the Free Burma Rangers (FBR), a faith-based frontline aid organization, down one of the few remaining paved roads that had survived years of war. One of the Rangers in the back of the pickup truck began banging on the cab’s ceiling—a signal to pull over. The driver swerved aggressively, quickly steering the vehicle into the jungle. Once under the cover of trees, everyone jumped out and took shelter in a drainage ditch, eyes fixed on the sky. Above us, the faint sound of jets echoed as they crisscrossed over our position. “Before they attack, you’ll hear...

Thai authorities have cut off internet, power and fuel along the Thailand and Myanmar border in a bid to thwart the operation of scam centres there. The move on February 5, 2025, came amid growing pressure for Thailand to do more to help clamp down on the illegal compounds that have ensnared vast numbers of people from many jurisdictions. The Thai Provincial Electricity Authority disconnected power supplies at five points along the northern border, including Myawaddy in Myanmar’s Shan state. The high-profile rescue of a Chinese actor from a scam operation near the Thai border in January has put the...

In the city of Naypyitaw on Saturday, Myanmar’s military junta celebrated Armed Forces Day, a holiday marking the beginning of Myanmar’s revolt against Japanese occupation during World War II. The weekend celebration came with a parade, a speech by coup leader Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, and a lavish dinner party. Meanwhile, across the country, soldiers and police shot largely defenseless anti-coup protesters and bystanders—including children—killing 100 people in the country’s deadliest day since the military’s Feb. 1 takeover. The day also marked a major escalation of violence in another conflict in Myanmar: the military’s ongoing fighting with local ethnic groups....

[They’ve emphasized the sensitivity of their reports so I’ve redacted this pretty significantly. But I think it’s important for people to understand what is going on. I’m getting a steady flow of reports like these from different locations describing relief work among defecting police/soldiers/government officials, refugees on the run, fighting in many areas, torture and human rights abuses by the military junta, involvement by the Chinese government and so on. Note the testimony below describing Chinese/military exploitation of tribal areas. This is done without concern or recompense to the local people, who are often enslaved or have their homes destroyed...

20,000 in Hiding in Karen State as Burma Army Airstrikes and Ground Attacks Continue to Kill Civilians Karen State, Burma The Burma military continued its airstrikes in spite of an announced ceasefire, and ground attacks have stepped up in northern Karen State, displacing now over 20,000 people in the three northern districts of Karen State alone. The Burma Army declared a ceasefire on 1 April 2021, yet conducted multiple airstrikes in Dwelo Township, Papun District, northern Karen State in the morning and afternoon of that same day, 1 April 2021. At the same time, it launched ground attacks in Luthaw...