Karenni Civil Society Warns Myanmar Government to Stop Undermining Peace Process

A briefing paper by the Karenni Civil Society Network (KCSN) issued today warns how the Myanmar government’s failure to adhere to ceasefire agreements with the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) is undermining the peace process.

The government has failed to keep various agreements signed with KNPP on March 7 and June 9 of this year, including informing KNPP of its troop movements through Karenni territory, which led to an outbreak of fighting in June […]

Burma: AHRC Urges Bail for Japanese National, Reinvestigation of Partner’s Death in Custody

The Asian Human Rights Commission on Wednesday called for the release on bail of the partner of a young woman who died in custody in Burma during March, and urged that a new investigation be opened into the officials responsible for her death.

“According to news reports, Namase Motohiko has repeatedly applied for bail because he is suffering from clinical depression and diabetes, but has repeatedly had his requests denied,” Bijo Francis, acting executive director of the Hong Kong-based regional rights group said […]

Renewed Arakan State Violence Underscores Government’s Failure to Protect Minorities and to Prevent Ethnic Cleansing

Renewed communal violence in Arakan State has exposed the Burmese government’s failure to stop ethnic cleansing, protect minority groups, especially Muslim Rohingya, and implement reforms to address the root causes of human rights violations targeting these groups, said the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its member organisation, the Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma (Altsean-Burma) […]

Sumlut Roi Ja Still Missing One Year On

More than one year on, Sumlut Roi Ja, an ethnic Kachin woman abducted by the Burmese Army, is still missing and President Thein Sein is still failing to take action to investigate and prosecute the soldiers who abducted her.

Sumlut Roi Ja is a 28-year-old mother who was arrested by Burmese Army soldiers on October 28th 2011 while working on a family’s farm near her village Hkai Bang, close to the China border […]

Position Statement of the KNU Central Standing Committee Special Emergency Meeting

On October 25 and 26, 2012 the Karen National Union (KNU) Central Standing Committee (CSC) held a special emergency meeting at Lay Wah, in Pa-an District, and efficaciously resolved the problems, which had been brewing within the KNU […]

New Violence in Arakan State

Human Rights Watch identified 811 destroyed structures on the eastern coastal edge of Kyauk Pyu following arson attacks reportedly conducted on October 24, 2012, less than 24 hours before the satellite images were captured. The area of destruction measures 35 acres and includes 633 buildings and 178 houseboats and floating barges adjacent on the water, all of which were razed.

UN Expert Calls for Underlying Causes of Tensions in Rakhine State to be Addressed

Expressing concern about renewed deadly violence, a United Nations independent expert has called for the underlying causes of the tension and conflict between the Buddhist and Muslim communities in Myanmar’s Rakhine state to be addressed as a priority […]

Asian and European Leaders Should Heed Calls for Caution in Myanmar and Place Human Rights and Peace at Center of ASEAN Agenda

Concerns over the viability of various peace initiatives and the hopes of securing long-term peace and stability in Myanmar should be placed high on the agenda of the Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Laos next month, the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC) said today.

The 9th Asia-Europe Meeting Summit or ASEM 9 will be held on 5 – 6 November 2012 in Vientiane, Lao PDR under the theme: “Friends for Peace, Partners for Prosperity” […]

Statement on My Exchange and Assessment Trip to Burma

As my home country of Burma has begun to open up and I was recently removed from the blacklist, I have decided to take the opportunity to see the situation of the people with my own eyes and listen to their voices directly. Thus I have applied for, and received, a visa to enter Burma for the first time in 24 years […]

UN Expert: Human Rights Should Lie at the Heart of Myanmar’s Reform Process

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, Tomás Ojea Quintana, today highlighted the importance of keeping human rights on the agenda for Myanmar. This, he stressed, is particularly relevant in light of the ongoing violence in Rakhine State […]