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Blacklist of Border-based Pro-democracy and Rights Activists Must be Removed to Ensure Greater Civil Society Space
40 civil society organizations (CSOs) operating along Burma’s borders submitted an open letter directed to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi this past week. The letter, released on 25 July, 2016, made a request for the greater inclusion of border-based CSOs during the transition process […]
“What do We Still Have Left to Offer?” – Questions of “Give” and “Take” in Build-up to Panglong Conference
On 17 July, 2016, the State Counselor, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi met with the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) to discuss a framework for the upcoming 21st Century Panglong Conference. Comprising of nine ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) that did not sign the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA), the UNFC promoted inclusivity as central to achieving the goal of a truly federal state […]
Burma’s Ma Ba Tha Receives Long Overdue Admonishment
The ultranationalist Buddhist organization, the Ma Ba Tha also known as the Association of the Protection of Race and Religion, has received considerable pressure during the past two weeks […]
Burma Government Under UN Scrutiny on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
The Burma Government submitted its first periodic report under National League for Democracy (NLD) leadership to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women on 6 July […]
UN Special Rapporteur’s Visit Highlight ongoing Human Rights Issues in Burma
Last week, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burma, Ms. Yanghee Lee, completed a 12-day tour of Burma – the first visit of its kind under the new NLD-led Government […]
World Refugee Day Calls for Greater Awareness of Burma’s Refugees
20 June, 2016 marked World Refugee Day, a global recognition of the nearly 65 million people who are displaced worldwide. In Burma, the Day served as a tragic reminder of the displacement resulting from decades of civil war, state-sponsored persecution and forced relocation. According to a report released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Burma is the second highest contributor of both refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs) in the Asia-Pacific region. By the end of 2015, there were 450,000 IDPs and 451,800 refugees, including the over 100,000 refugees that have been displaced in nine camps along the Thailand-Burma border.
Film Censorship in Burma Underlines Existing Limits on Freedom of Expression
This past week, the film Twilight Over Burma: My Life as a Shan Princess was prevented from screening at the Human Rights Human Dignity International Film Festival by Burma’s film censorship board […]
Five Years Since Fighting Renewed in Kachin State and Still No Relief in Sight
On 9 June, 2016, 130 global solidarity groups banded together to draw attention to the fifth anniversary of renewed armed conflict in Kachin State and the end of a 17-year ceasefire between the Burma Army and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA).
Hope for a “Second Panglong” Shrinks as Conflict in Shan State Worsens
On 1 June, 2016, representatives from various political parties and civil society organizations in Shan State gathered in attempt to build consensus among the region’s diverse ethnic groups before the launch of the “second Panglong” conference tentatively planned for July of this year […]
Political Prisoners Need Not Be Forgotten
On 25 May, 2016, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) and the Former Political Prisoners Society (FPPS) released a joint-report entitled “‘After release I had to restart my life from the beginning’: The experiences of ex-political prisoners in Burma and challenges to reintegration.” Based on information provided by 1,621 former political prisoners, the report exposes the mistreatment and abuse – including the use of torture – that has proliferated Burma’s prison system […]
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