Over 100 ASEAN Legislators Petition for Tough Action on Myanmar’s Regime

The ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC) has today communicated a message from lawmakers in the ASEAN region to ASEAN leaders attending the 16th ASEAN Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam to urgently take tough action on Myanmar’s military regime should its negotiations and engagement to obtain a clear and tangible commitment for a free and fair elections in the country fails.

105 Members of Parliament from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Cambodia, and Singapore endorsed a petition urging discussion and robust action on the issue of Myanmar.[…]

Activists Chide Asean Human Rights Body Over Failure to Establish Working Guidelines

Human rights activists on Sunday criticized last week’s inaugural meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ human rights body in Jakarta for failing to produce a draft of organizational procedures that would determine its operations — and whether the commission would have any real clout […]

No justice from ASEAN for massacre victims

It looks like the relatives of the Maguindanao massacre victims will not be able to obtain justice just yet from the newly established human rights agency of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), through Dr. Anish Roy of the ASEAN Secretariat, informed human rights advocates that it could not yet handle the complaints filed by the families of the Maguindanao massacre victims, as well as those filed by victims from Indonesia andBurma (Myanmar). […]

Activists in appeal to Hanoi

Southeast Asian human rights advocates have called on Vietnam to allow them to hold activities freely during the 16th Asean Summit, scheduled to be held in Hanoi on April 8 and 9 […]

ASEAN Human Rights Commission Must Address Crimes Against Humanity in Burma

The Task Force on ASEAN and Burma (TFAB) calls on the newly formed ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) to make systematic human rights violations and crimes against humanity in Burma a priority.

On 15 March, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Myanmar, Tomas Ojea Quintana, told the UN Human Rights Council that human rights violations in Burma “are the result of a State policy, originating from decisions by authorities in the executive, military and judiciary at all levels.” […]

Singapore ‘disappointed’ at Myanmar court ruling on Suu Kyi

Singapore said Friday it was disappointed that Myanmar’s Supreme Court had rejected an appeal by democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi against her extended house arrest. “It is of course very disappointing that her appeal did not succeed,” the foreign ministry said in a statement. Singapore said a dialogue between Myanmar authorities, Suu Kyi and […]

56 groups issue open letter demanding justice for workers on strike in Burma

Fifty-six groups issued an open letter to Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, Secretary General of ASEAN, calling on the regional body and its member countries to closely monitor the current situation at the Hlaing Tharyar industrial zone in Rangoon, and ensure that workers’ rights are recognized and respected. The letter also calls on ASEAN and ASEAN member […]

Myanmar cyclone survivors haunted by lack of work and shelter

Almost two years after Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar’s Irrawaddy delta, killing nearly 140,000 and leaving 2.4 million destitute, survivors are still struggling to recover their livelihoods and many are living without adequate shelter, a report released on Tuesday in Yangon said. The region may face a second crisis unless people’s livelihoods improve, warned the Tripartite Core […]

Burma Strengthens Relations with Asean Chair Vietnam

Irrawaddy The Burmese military junta has recently stepped up military, trading and social relations with Vietnam, Asean’s current chair. State-run newspapers ran stories about the relationship over the weekend, highlighting Burmese Prime Minister Gen Thein Sein’s meeting on Jan. 15 with Vietnamese deputy ministers of foreign affairs and defense in Naypyidaw. Few details were given, […]

AICHR: ASEAN’s journey to human rights

Jakarta Post The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission for Human Rights’ (AICHR)  was established at a time when the human rights situation in Southeast Asia has deteriorated, with the recent attacks on churches in Indonesia and Malaysia, the killing of journalists in the Philippines and the jailing of political activists and bloggers in countries such as Myanmar […]