Thein Sein Government

President U Thein Sein decision to sign the Declaration of Commitment to End Sexual Violence a week before the global summit in London on sexual violence in conflict has been labeled a “PR Exercise” by a British based human rights advocacy organisation. Burma Campaign UK called on the Burma government to “immediately publish concrete actions it will take,” having signed…

Alarm is mounting over a suit of newly proposed laws regarding marriage and religion, proposed by a group allegedly connected to the extremist Buddhist nationalist ‘969’ movement, with international rights watchdogs and community groups alike warning that they discriminate against minorities and could further inflame inter-communal violence. Burma’s government is currently considering four laws related to marriage, religion, polygamy and…

In an exclusive Karen News interview a senior commander in the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) has added his voice to the growing calls for Burma’s military-backed government to amend the country’s undemocratic constitution before the 2015 national elections, as it ensures effective military veto in parliament and blocks prominent pro-democracy politician Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from the Presidency.…

Despite the much-lauded government reforms by the international community and President U Thein Sein’s 2013 promise to release all political prisoners, Burma’s military backed government is still clamping down on voices critical of the government, including political activists and journalists. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners in Burma stated that dozens of political prisoners were currently detained in Burma, with…

Burma Campaign UK, a human rights advocacy organisation, has called for Burma’s President to release the country’s remaining political prisoners and repeal Article 18 of the controversial Peaceful Procession and Peaceful Assembly Law, claiming that the law is being used to repress political dissent. In its media statement, Burma Campaign UK cited the cases of Nay Myo Zin and Win…

Reports of rape and the murder of two civilians have emerged following a Burma Army offensive in parts of Kachin State and Shan State, that has also led to more than three thousand civilians displaced in the attacks. The frontline humanitarian organisation, Free Burma Rangers, allege that on April 10, Burma Army soldiers from Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) raped a…

Human rights organisations and ethnic political groups have called for an international investigation into systematic sexual abuses committed by the Burma Army, noting that reports of rape continue to emerge three years after reformist President Thein Sein’s administration took power. The Kachin National Oganisation, a political party from Kachin State, called for an international investigation and alleged it had documented…

Burma’s census discriminates against ethnic Rohingya Muslims by refusing to recognise their existence, according to international rights groups, with even the UN agency tasked with carrying out the census expressing deep concerns. A man picks at a bruised piece of fruit, takes a bite and sets it down on a bench in a small shop on the Thai Burma border.…

International rights group condemns marriage law proposal in Burma’s parliament as violating the rights of women and religious minorities. In an interview with Karen News a human rights advocate warns that the proposed law is a “bluntly racist answer to a paranoid racist agenda.” Human Rights Watch has said that marriage legislation currently being considered by Burma’s government would “strip…

An international organisation representing journalists worldwide said it welcomed the passing of Burma’s first press laws, but raised concerns over elements of the legislation as being “unnecessarily controlling.” The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), called on President Thein Sein’s government to “continue its dialogue with journalists” in order to “develop a free and robust media” in Burma. The statement comes…