human rights

The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in a recent released report to the UN Security Council said that there is, ‘a high level of impunity for conflict-related sexual violence perpetrated by State actors’. In his report the UN’s Security Council, the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on the government of Burma “…to ensure that security personnel accused of such crimes are prosecuted.”…

The Burma government continued its crackdown on political activists with the February arrest of two union leaders who demanded a $1 pay rise for garment workers. The Burma Campaign UK, on the eve of May Day, called for the “immediate and unconditional release of two union leaders, Naing Htay Lwin and Myo Min Min.” The Rangoon based union leaders were…

Human Rights advocates, Fortify Rights urged the US State Department to “assign Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, and Bangladesh a tier-three ranking in its forthcoming Trafficking in Persons (TIP). Fortify Rights in a statement to the media said the tier-three ranking would “encourage more robust and effective action to combat human trafficking,” by the three Southeast Asian countries. Fortify Rights executive director…

Karen villagers from Nyaung Chaung claim the justice system has let down five men from the village sentenced to death and one to a life sentence by the Thaton Disctrict Court in Mon State on 16 January 2015. More than 30 villagers including the victim families and village leaders gathered to discuss the case – villagers are angry. Villagers alleged…

Free Burma Rangers, a frontline provider of medical aid to displaced civilians in Burma, said that government forces killed a Kachin family of three on the 23 of March. The Kachin conflict erupted in June 2011 when the Burma Army attacked Kachin Independence Army positions, shattering a 17-year-long ceasefire. FBR said that Burma Army soldiers from the 10th Infantry Battalion…

Laws which allow inspections of private properties without warrants and require the registration and government approval of household guests are draconian and open to abuse by the authorities, a report by Fortify Rights said today. “ In the past two weeks, Myanmar authorities have reportedly searched private residences under the pretence of checking for unregistered overnight guests in order to…

The Karen River Watch, a coalition of Karen environmental community based groups raise concerns over the proposed hydropower dam projects on the Salween River and repeated their call for a halt to all development projects. Together with local villagers, KRW held a protest near Hat Gyi Dam, one of the proposed dam sites in Hlaingbwe Township, Karen State on March…

Opposition to the Burmese government’s use of force against students protesting over the introduction of an education bill is growing. Dr Cynthia Maung, founder of the Mae tao Clinic on the Thai Burma border said that the use of force undermines democratic reform. Speaking to Karen News Dr Cynthia said. “The students are exercising their right to freedom of speech,…

The advocacy group, Burma Campaign UK released a statement that “welcomed a new report by the British government,” that acknowledged ‘Burma’s reforms process was ‘of significant concern. The Burma Campaign UK said that the British government’s “admission came in the annual human rights report by the British Foreign Office, following a months’ long campaign by Burma Campaign UK to persuade…

The Shan Human Rights Foundation have documented a series of shootings, murders, tortures that they said have happened in Shan State during the recent armed conflict between the Burma Army and the Kokang militia. The Shan Human Rights Foundation withheld the names of the people for security reasons. “February 13, 2015 around 4 pm two women, one aged 76 and…