UN Human Rights Chief Welcomes Release of Aung San Suu Kyi, Calls for Release of Other Political Prisoners

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay welcomed Saturday the release of Aung San Suu Kyi at the end of her sentence, and urged the Myanmar authorities to also release the remaining 2,200 political prisoners in Myanamar.

“This is a positive signal that the authorities in Myanmar are willing to move forward with the serious challenge of democratic transition, and the need for national reconciliation,” Pillay said […]

Aung San Suu Kyi enfin libre!

L’Association Suisse-Birmanie salue la libération d’Aung San Suu Kyi en ce jour du 13 novembre 2010, après 15 ans et 20 jours de détention. C’est la troisième fois qu’Aung San Suu Kyi est libérée de son assignation à résidence surveillée, la dernière fois étant en 2003 […]

Pelosi Welcomes the Release of Aung San Suu Kyi from Detention in Burma

Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today in response to the news that Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been released from house arrest. Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 and she is the leading advocate for democracy and human rights in Burma[…]

TACDB Expresses Its Severe Disappointment in ASEAN and Implores It to Re-Examine Its Approach to Burma’s Junta

The Thai Action Committee for Democracy in Burma (TACDB) wishes to express its extreme disappointment in the Association of South East Asian Nations’s (ASEAN) embrace of the severely flawed election in Burma. By doing so, ASEAN’s Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan and the members of ASEAN have put the priorities of the Burma Junta above those of the people of Burma. Their willingness to accept the results so quickly reveals badly misinterpretation of democracy […]

Cyclone Giri, Burma: Launch of fund-raising website by Giri Relief Committee

The Giri Relief Committee urges the international community to support its fund-raising drive for the survivors of cyclone Giri. Today the Committee launched its fund-raising website: www.girirelief.net.

On October 22 and 23 2010, Cyclone Giri hit Arakan State, Western Burma (Myanmar), affecting more than 260,000 people. Out of 17 townships in Arakan State, the most severely affected are Kyaukphru, Mraybon, Pauktaw, Marmbra and Manaung […]

Well done! You did it again! Congratulations to the Burmese military junta for the success of their free, honest and fair national elections!

To:
The ruling military junta of Burma (The State Peace and Development Council)
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
The United Nations (UN) & The UN Security Council

First of all to the military generals of Burma, please accept our heartfelt congratulations on your recent ‘selection’ of the next batch of oppressors in Burma. Rest assured that your 2010 multi-party elections will be as historic as your 1990 national polls. We know that deep within your hearts, fooling your people twice through elections is a great honor […]

KNU Statement Condemning Election-Related Violence in Burma’s Border Areas

We, the Karen National Union (KNU), strongly condemn recent attacks by Burma’s military regime, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), on Myawaddy Town and several other locations in Burma’s border areas, where at least 3 civilians were killed, and more injured. These latest attacks are part of the SPDC’s systematic violence against Burma’s ethnic peoples.

The conflict in Myawaddy began on 7 November, the day of Burma’s first elections in 20 years, when civilians complained of being threatened and intimidated to vote for the junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), rather than the local Karen party which was their preference […]

SWAN Denounces Burma Army Build-up and Rape in Central Shan State

SWAN strongly denounces the Burma Army build-up around the Shan ceasefire area in Ke See township, central Shan State, which led to the rape of a young disabled woman on the eve of the November 7 election.

Since November 3, more than 1,000 new troops have been deployed from other parts of Shan State to areas adjacent to territory of the Shan State Army-North (SSA-N) First Brigade […]

Reports of Intimidation and Arrests in Ethnic Areas During Burma’s Elections

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has received reports of harassment, intimidation, violence and arrests in several of Burma’s ethnic states, during and immediately following the sham elections three days ago.

In Maungdaw, northern Arakan State, at least 38 Rohingyas were reportedly arrested on election day, and other arrests were reported in other towns. Supporters of a Rohingya party, the National Democratic Party for Development (NDPD), were arrested and tortured last week in Maungdaw […]

Sham Election in Burma Must be Rejected

Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) denounces the statement of Vietnam, the current ASEAN Chair, welcoming the election in Burma as “a significant step forward in the implementation of the 7-point Roadmap for Democracy”[…]