In Brief: New report highlights abuses in eastern Myanmar

There are more than 300,000 people displaced in Karen State

BANGKOK, 28 August 2012 (IRIN) - Human rights violations by the Burmese army in Myanmar’s eastern Karen State are continuing, says a new report by Physicians for Human Rights (PHR).

“This survey demonstrates that even with political reforms and discussions of a ceasefire, human rights violations by the Burmese army remain a constant threat for many families of Karen State,” Bill Davis, PHR Burma project director, told IRIN on 28 August at the report’s release in Bangkok.

“The international community must be made aware of this,” said Khu Khu Ju of the Karen Human Rights Group.

According to the report, 30 percent of 665 ethnic families surveyed reported experiencing human rights violations, including being forcibly evicted from their homes, forced to work for the army, and physically attacked - sometimes even tortured or raped. Karen State, also known as Kayin State, has been hit by a decades-long ethnic insurgency which has left more than 300,000 internally displaced, say aid groups.