human rights

A group of 19 community based organizations has called for an official investigation into the destruction of religious buildings in Burma. The statement was signed on behalf of a range of ethnic and human rights groups both local and international including Burma Campaign UK, Fortify Rights, and the Kachin Women’s Association of Thailand. The statement comes after a spate of…

Burma’s new Government, led by Aung San Suu Kyi’s National league for Democracy party, is in a position to repeal a swathe of colonial-era laws that criminalize cornerstones of a functioning democracy, including freedom of assembly and free speech. Human Rights Watch has called on the new Government to use its parliamentary majority to repeal draconian laws, detailed in a…

The Burma Army is engaging in “systemic torture” of civilians, a report by the Ta’ang Women’s Organisation (TWO) has found. The TWO is a community based human rights advocacy organization representing the ethnic Ta’ang, a minority in Eastern Burma. The report, Trained to Torture, documents more than 100 case studies across 33 villages in the Ta’ang areas. Civilians reported being…

Human Rights Watch has criticized an assembly law proposed by Burma’s National League of Democracy government, saying it needs “significant revisions” to meet international standards. Burma’s Assembly Law currently requires citizens to apply for government approval for any demonstration, and that notice is given at least 48 hours before a planned demonstration. HRW welcomed some elements of the new proposal,…

Local villagers from Maw Kee in Myawaddy District were frightened by gunshot fired Burma army commander near their village. Villagers said the Burma Army was angry in negotiation with villagers when he demanded timber. Burma Army soldiers led by Major Nyunt Win Hlaing from Light Infantry Battalion #62 under Military Operation Command (MOC) #19 and based in Ka Nae Lay,…

A community-based human rights organisation alleges that Burma Army soldiers stationed in Shan State are committing grave human rights violations. The Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF) said in a public statement that Burma Army forces in Shan State have used “torture, extrajudicial killings, and [the] use of civilians as human shields.” SHRF said that Burma Army had launched a new…

Prominent human rights advocacy organization, Human Rights Watch calls for new civilian government to push for human rights reforms. In a statement released today, Human Rights Watch has called on the new National League for Democracy government to make human rights a “top priority.” Mr. Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, praised some of the first acts taken…

A human rights advocacy organisation has led calls to release three prominent religious tolerance activists. The activists, Zaw Zaw Latt, Pwint Phyu Latt and Zaw Win Bo, are Muslim and Hindu members of Thint Myat Lo Thu Myar – Peace Seekers and Multiculturalist Movement – a foundation created to promote tolerance between Burma’s different religious groups. Burma Campaign UK called…

The European Burma Network has called on the newly elected NLD government of Burma to “act swiftly” in addressing the humanitarian crisis confronting the country’s Muslim Rohingya population. “The past five years have seen a dramatic escalation of human rights abuses, repression, discrimination and violence against the Rohingya,” the EBN statement said. The Rohingya have faced mounting repression since violence…

A human rights organization, Fortify Rights, based in South East Asia has called upon the US Department of State to assign Burma a ‘Tier-3’ ranking on its upcoming Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report. Burma is currently ranked as a Tier-2 country on the US Department of State watch list. Fortify Rights said that TIP rankings should be “objective and based…