Submission to the United Nations Universal Periodic Review on Refugees and Displaced Persons Burma/Myanmar

By Burma Link Burma Partnership Human Rights Foundation of Mon Land-Burma Karen Human Rights Group Burma Medical Association Karen Community Based Organizations Karen Environmental and Social Action Network and Karenni Refugee Committee • October 26, 2015

1. This submission focuses on Burma’s compliance with international human rights obligations in relation to Burma’s refugees and displaced persons safe, dignified and voluntary return. It draws on interviews conducted with a mixture of semi-structured individual interviews and focus groups with refugees from Mae La, Umpiem Mai, Ban Nai Soi, and Mae Ra Ma Luang refugee camps including women, youth and religious minority groups, Mon, Karenni, and Karen civil society groups, ethnic armed groups (EAGs), refugee committees, and international non-governmental organizations. Sections below offer sets of recommendations to the Burma Government pertaining to the sustainable return of Burma’s refugees.

2. In spite of the Burma Government’s change to a nominally civilian government in 2011, Burma has not observed the rhetoric of democracy and transition as promised by President Thein Sein’s government. Since 2012, there have been rumors and counter rumors regarding the repatriation of 110,092 refugees living in nine refugee camps along the Thailand-Burma border. These concerns heightened as individual preliminary ceasefire agreements were signed. In particular, fears of repatriation grew as the Karen National Union (KNU) signed the initial ceasefire in 2012. Despite committing to building a federal union by signing the Deed of Commitment to Peace and National Reconciliation, the Burma Government continues to wage war against their own people in ethnic minority areas.

Download this full submission report in English here.

Tags: ASEAN, Burma Link, Burma Medical Association, Burma's refugees, Human Rights, Human Rights Foundation of Monland, IDPs, Karen Community Based Organizations, Karen Environmental and Social Action Network, Karen Human Rights Group, Karen National Union, Karenni Refugee Committee, Refugee Repatriation, Refugee Rights

This post is in: ASEAN, Children and Youth, Crimes Against Humanity, Displacement, Ethnic Nationalities, Health, International Relations, Law, Military Regime, Women

Submission to the United Nations Universal Periodic Review on Refugees and Displaced Persons Burma/Myanmar

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