Amnesty International Oral Statement on Myanmar to the 28th session of the Human Rights Council

By Amnesty International • March 17, 2015

UN Human Rights CouncilTwenty-eighth session, 2-27 March 2015

Item 4: Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in MyanmarMr. President,

Amnesty International has submitted two written statements on Myanmar to this Council’s session , one ofwhich focuses on extractive industries.

Ms. Lee, we welcome your report and share your concerns with regard to the human rights situation in the country, which remains serious.

The following incidents that took place around the Monywa copper mining project, demonstrate the unwillingness of the government of Myanmar to monitor and regulate companies and to provide remedies to people who have experienced severe human rights abuses by companies and officials.

On 22 December 2014, Khin Win was killed by shots fired by Myanmar police while villagers tried to stop Myanmar Wanbao, the mine operator, from bulldozing crops and fencing farm lands for the Letpadaung mine.

Naw Ohn Hla, Sein Htwe, Nay Myo Zin, Tin Htut Paing, San San Win, Mya Nyunt, and Thant Zin, werecharged with a series of offences on 30 December 2014 for protesting against the death of Khin Win. They are currently in detention and face up to nine years’ imprisonmen t.

No one has been held accountable for the police’s use of white phosphorus munitions on29 November 2012 against monks and villagers protesting peacefully against the Letpadaung mine.

People from 29 villages are still at risk of forced eviction while many farmers who were forcibly evicted between 1996 and December 2014 for the Monywa project are still waiting for remedies. Myanmar lacks adequate safeguards to protect people against forced evictions and environmental damage from extractive projects.

Ms . Lee, do you have plans to examine corporate human rights abuses and the government’s failure to adopt safeguards to ensure extractive and other large projects do not infringe on human rights?

Mr. President,

Amnesty International urges the Human Rights Council to:

raise concerns over the abuses at the Monywa copper mining project and call for all victims to have access to effective remedies;
urge the Myanmar government to enact and enforce legislation prohibiting forced evictions and strengthening environmental safeguards, in particular environmental quality standards and a comprehensive environmental impact assessment framework; and
extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. Thank you Mr. President.