Burma's regime is stepping up efforts to oppress the country's ethnic minorities through torture, rape and arbitrary killing, a new report by NCA's partner TBBC shows.

As the world's attention in recent months has been directed towards the demonstrations for democracy in the streets of Rangoon, the military offensive in eastern Burma is proving to be bloodier than ever. A new report, published by Norwegian Church Aid's partner organisation Thailand Burma Border Consortium (TBBC), documents the eradication of 167 Burmese villages and the forced internal displacement of around 76,000 people from January to September 2007 alone. In total it is estimated that around half a million people are currently displaced in what is considered to be the toughest dictator state of our time.

The report, entitled Internal Displacement in Eastern Burma - 2007 Survey Internal Displacement in Eastern Burma – 2007 Survey is based on research conducted in 38 districts of Burma, and can document the fact that the country's military dictatorship, under the title State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), is carrying out systematic human rights violations through targeted attacks on the civilian population. Worst affected are the residents of Karen State, where so far at least 38 people have been murdered in Thanduang province alone this year.

"This report confirms once more that Burma's military junta is prepared to use all means necessary in its large-scale and bloody war against Burma's minorities. It reinforces yet again the image we have of Burma's regime as the most violent and oppressive in the world today," said Atle Sommerfeldt, General Secretary of Norwegian Church Aid, at a seminar to launch the report in Oslo Monday.

For more information:

• Visit TBBCs website here
• Download the report Internal Displacement in Eastern Burma - 2007 Survey here
• Read more about NCA's work in South East Asia here