Situation in Rakhine (Arakan) State and the Rule of Law

Recent events in Rakhine (Arakan) State, Burma, have many causes which need to be addressed.

On all sides, however, there is agreement that there needs to be clarification and proper implementation of citizenship laws […]

Rights Groups Express “Grave Concern” Regarding U.S. Policy on Investment in Burma

In response to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s announcement on the lifting of restrictions on U.S. investment in Burma, five human rights groups issued the following statement:

“We express grave concern regarding the U.S. government’s decision to allow investments into businesses connected to the Burmese regime that are corrupt and help to fuel human rights violations. As it stands now, investment in many of the most attractive sectors of the Burmese economy is likely to worsen the human rights situation while directly benefitting individuals and entities responsible for rights abuses, who contribute to corruption, or are otherwise acting to obstruct political reform […]

ASEAN: Ensure Declaration Meets Rights Standards

Genuine Consultation Needed with Civil Society Groups

Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should make a public commitment to ensure that the forthcoming ASEAN Human Rights Declaration will fully comply with international human rights standards. The foreign ministers are scheduled to meet on July 8, 2012, with the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights in Phnom Penh and receive a draft declaration for their consideration […]

Letter to the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting from International NGOs on the Draft ASEAN Human Rights Declaration

The International Commission of Jurists, International Federation for Human Rights, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Dignity International, and Article 19, write to you today to express our grave concerns regarding the process of drafting the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (AHRD). We understand that the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) will be transmitting to you a draft of the Declaration during your meeting with them on 8 July 2012 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia […]

Open Letter to the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) on the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration

We, the undersigned organizations, welcome the important initiative of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) in drafting the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (AHRD) and the determination that the Declaration will not be lower than international human rights norms and standards, as expressed in AICHR’s first official consultation meeting with civil society organizations on 22 June 2012 in Kuala Lumpur. We understand that the draft prepared by the AICHR will be presented at the 45th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) on 9 July 2010. As such, we appeal to you to take into considerations our following concerns in discussing the draft of the AHRD at the AMM […]

Student Activist Arrests Warning Sign on Limits of Burma Reform

Burma Campaign UK today called on European governments to view the arrests of around 20-30 student and youth activists in Burma on July 6th and 7th as a warning sign of the limits of reform in Burma. The arrests took place in several cities […]

AIPMC Calls for Release of Student Leaders Detained Ahead of July 7 Commemoration Events

The ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC) today called on the government of the Union of Myanmar to immediately release student leaders detained in Mandalay, Yangon and other cities and to ensure students and civil society groups are given the freedom to assemble and exercise their democratic rights […]

Thailand: Don’t Deport Pregnant Migrant Workers

Thailand’s government should scrap the labor minister’s proposed regulation to deport migrant workers who become pregnant, Human Rights Watch said today. The proposal discriminates against women workers and would not advance the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s stated aim of reducing human trafficking […]

Burma: Mass Arrests, Raids on Rohingya Muslims

Brutal and Biased Police Response to Sectarian Violence in Arakan State

Burmese security forces have responded to sectarian violence in northern Arakan State with mass arrests and unlawful force against the Rohingya Muslim population, Human Rights Watch said today. Local police, the military, and a border security force known as Nasaka have committed numerous abuses in predominantly Muslim townships while combating the violence between the Rohingya and ethnic Arakan, who are predominantly Buddhist, that broke out in early June 2012 […]

No political prisoners must remain in jail! Free Myint Aye!

On Tuesday this week, the military backed government in Burma announced the release of 25 political prisoners. Three recent released activists’ cases were highlighted, as part of Burma Campaign UK’s new campaign, No Political Prisoner Left Behind, which highlights a political prisoner case every month […]