Swedish activist Greta Thunberg speaks out on Myanmar
Greta Thunberg, a Swedish activist and 2019 Right Livelihood laureate, delivered the acceptance speech for whistleblower group Justice for Myanmar at the 2025 Right Livelihood Award Ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden, on Tuesday. This year’s laureates include activists from the Pacific Islands, Taiwan and Sudan. This is the first time an organization working in Burma has received the prize in its 45-year history.
“We accept this award in honour of the courageous people of Myanmar, who, for nearly five years since the military’s brutal coup attempt, have stood against the junta with unyielding strength, dignity, and immense sacrifice,” Thunberg said on behalf of Justice for Myanmar, a covert group of human rights activists founded in 2019, prior to the 2021 military coup.
Justice for Myanmar spokesperson Yadanar Maung said upon receiving news of the award that it honours “those who continue to resist the military junta with extraordinary courage, dignity, and strength.” The Right Livelihood Award was created in 1980. It has awarded 203 laureates from 81 countries, including human rights defenders in Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the U.S. Read more
At least 20 migrant workers killed in Thailand
At least 20 Myanmar migrant workers were among the 170 people killed during severe flooding in eight of Thailand’s southern provinces in late November, migrant worker groups from Myanmar in Thailand told DVB. Twelve undocumented Myanmar workers were among the 20 found dead inside a locked house in Hat Yai, a field coordinator with the Thailand-based Labour Protection Network told DVB.
“Those 12 Myanmar people had just arrived in Thailand through illegal channels and were kept and locked in one house by a broker. So they couldn’t get out during flooding and everyone inside died,” said Ba Yi, the field coordinator at the Labour Protection Network in Hat Yai District, Songkhla Province of Thailand.
Thai officials stated that Hat Yai was among the hardest hit areas of southern Thailand after experiencing a “once-in-300-years” flood caused by intense rainfall and a rare cyclonic storm. Thailand’s Public Health Ministry reported on Dec. 1 that the death toll in Songkhla Province was 140 out of the total 170 killed across eight southern provinces. Read more
DVB Peacock Film Festival returns to Chiang Mai
The DVB Peacock Film Festival 2025 will return to Chiang Mai University (CMU) Communication Innovation Center Dec. 8-10. Since 2023, DVB documentaries have been screened at CMU to share the story of Burma since the 2021 military coup with the world. The films focus on human rights, transitional justice, the lives of refugees, and the resilience of conflict-affected communities.
“We aim to reach the international community so that the world pays more attention to Burma and supports its democracy movement,” said Aye Chan Naing, DVB Chief Editor. This is the fourth year the DVB Multimedia Group has organized documentary film screenings in Chiang Mai and the second annual DVB Peacock Film Festival, which began in 2024.
This year’s DVB Peacock Film Festival theme is “Giving Voice to the Voiceless.” Chan Thiri Soe, the festival organizer, said that everyone is invited and all events are free of charge. “This is more than just a film festival; it’s about empathizing with the feelings, hopes, and lives of people [in Burma].” The three-day festival will also feature panel discussions, workshops, and special programs related to filmmaking.
News by Region
CHINLAND—The Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO) and Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue an arrest warrant for Min Aung Hlaing, warning that the delay since the application was filed only strengthens his regime.
“This inaction sends a dangerous message of impunity just as the junta accelerates its campaign of violence and attempts to impose a fraudulent election,” said Mervyn Thomas, the CSW founder president. Salai Za Uk Ling, CHRO director, said a warrant is needed to prevent atrocities.
MAGWAY—Wai Lin Htet, 37, a Shan and Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP) candidate, was detained at his family home in Pakokku Township by an unidentified armed group on Saturday. This is the first reported detention of a candidate in the regime elections set to begin on Dec. 28.
Sai Ai Pao, the SNDP (White Tiger Party) chairperson, refused to comment on Wai Lin Htet’s detention due to concerns about his candidate’s safety. The People’s Defense Force (PDF) in Pakokku has not responded to accusations from the regime of detaining the candidate. Read more
MANDALAY—Residents of Taungtha Township told DVB that over 70 homes were destroyed in Paekhinkyaw village during an arson attack on Tuesday. Fighting between regime and resistance forces took place in Taungtha, which is located 90 miles (145 km) southwest of Mandalay.
“Villagers fled their homes when around 200 troops raided the village,” a resident told DVB on the condition of anonymity. Residents added that one third of all homes in the village were destroyed by arson and that they are now displaced from their homes. They request food, shelter and medicine.
TANINTHARYI—Dawei Watch reported that 104 migrants from Burma held at Thailand’s Ranong Immigration Detention Center were deported to Kawthaung Township on Wednesday. The 104 had been serving sentences for immigration-related offenses. Last month, 137 others had been deported from Thailand.
A total of 2,001 migrants have been deported so far this year by Thai authorities on 15 separate occasions, an anonymous source in Thailand told Dawei Watch. There have been reports that males aged 18 to 35 are being taken away by regime authorities upon return for military conscription.
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