American Pacific International Kindergarten in Chiang Mai, Thailand, recently invited The Best Friend to speak with young students about the lives of migrants from Burma living and working in Thailand as part of the students’ unit exploring journeys, wants, and needs. [more]

During Ashin Gambira’s latest arrest he was questioned extensively about his recent visit to Kachin State. He and Ashin Khesara had just returned from a seven-day trip in the Kachin conflict areas and China. [more]

On Tuesday at around 10:30 pm, Ashin Gambira was taken by police for interrogation. After being questioned intensively about his resend trip to Kachin state, he has been released today. [more]

Last week we reported that Ashin Sopaka is no longer being watched by the authorities, but this has turned out to be not completely true. Ashin Sopaka has clarified that while he can walk freely around his village now, he is still required to ask permission to leave the village, and when he does, the policemen, who have been with him since the Mandalay protest last year, follow him. [more]

BEST FRIEND EDITORIAL | The pace of change in Burma since the government of President Thein Sein took power early last year has been enough to give those following the developments whiplash. Long-accepted notions about the government’s commitment to reform have proven to be faulty. Previous assumptions about what we could expect and hope for from the nominally civilian-led administration have been shown to be incomplete. [more]