ETHNIC NATIONALITIES COUNCIL

'I will be very happy to meet my family," Nilar Thein said over the phone last Friday, just minutes after stepping through the gate of Tharrawaddy Prison. At the time, her family was in fact on the way to greet her, and her husband was in the process of being released from Taunggyi Prison in Shan State.

From the AFPFL government led by U Nu to the SPDC regime led by Than Shwe, successive Burmese governments have cleverly manipulated the ethnic minorities by tricking and lying to them. And it is not going to be any different with Thein Sein’s government. Since 1961, ethnic minorities have demanded the formation of a genuine federal union where everyone will have equal rights and be treated equally, and where the self-determination of every ethnic group is guaranteed.

MAE SOT, Thailand - A ceasefire agreement announced between the rebel Karen National Union (KNU) and Myanmar's government is a first step towards the potential end of the world's longest-running insurgency. While numerous previous ceasefires with insurgent groups have failed to accomplish lasting political solutions, hopes are high President Thein Sein's administration will take a more sincere approach towards solving

Last week's accord with the government brought the feeling that times are really changing in Burma, but bitter experiences of the past are prompting questions of why the KNU left the table without firm guarantees

Recent developments in Burma have generated considerable optimism about the country’s long-impending democratization. But will democracy foster ethnic reconciliation, essential for Burma’s domestic stability? A cross-country comparison with Sri Lanka and an examination of Burma’s demography and geographic distribution of resources indicate that

The cosmetic change in the traditionally military-run country is unmistakable. In recent months, it has become easier for ordinary citizens to access the Internet and local magazines and journals are able to publish articles on topics that would have been unthinkable only a year ago. Pictures of pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, who spent 15 of the past 21 years under house arrest,