Upper Myanmar Upper Myanmar Upper Burma (, also called Real Myanmar) refers to a geographic region of Burma (Myanmar), traditionally encompassing Mandalay and its periphery (modern Mandalay, Sagaing, Magway Regions), or more broadly speaking, Kachin and Shan States. In the Burmese language, people originating from Upper Burma are typically called "a-nya tha" (), whereas those from Lower Burma are called "auk tha" (). The term was first used by the British to refer to the central and northern area of what is now the country of Myanmar (Burma). After the Second Anglo-Burmese War of 1852, Lower Burma was annexed by the British
Freedom of religion in Myanmar member of the Phawkkan Evangelical Church. Yeh Zaw had earlier written a letter to the regime leader urging him to end the persecution of his church that Rangoon authorities closed earlier in 2006, banning members from worshipping there. Police charged him with travelling without an identity card. In 2005 local authorities in the Chin State capital of Hakha notified Baptist leaders that they would be forced to relocate an active, historic cemetery from church property to a remote location outside of town. Religious leaders reported that authorities continued to forcefully relocate cemeteries in many parts of the country. In the