China’s Myanmar Strategy: Elections, Ethnic Politics and Economics

As Myanmar approaches its first elections in two decades, China’s primary concerns are the security and stability of its south-western border and protecting its strategic and economic interests in the country […]

Situation of human rights in Myanmar (A.65.367)

Report by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon covering the period from 26 August 2009 to 25 August 2010.

Self-protection under strain: Targeting of civilians and local responses in northern Karen State

The SPDC Army continues to attack civilians and civilian livelihoods nearly two years after the end of the 2005-2008 SPDC Offensive in northern Karen State. In response, civilians have developed and employed various self-protection strategies that have enabled tens of thousands of villagers to survive with dignity and remain close to their homes despite the humanitarian consequences of SPDC Army practices. These protection strategies, however, have become strained, even insufficient, as humanitarian conditions worsen under sustained pressure from the SPDC Army […]

Tyrants, Tycoons and Tigers

A bitter land struggle is unfolding in northern Burma’s remote Hugawng Valley. Farmers that have been living for generations in the valley are defying one of the country’s most powerful tycoons as his company establishes massive mono-crop plantations in what happens to be the world’s largest tiger reserve […]

Upholding the Responsibility to Protect in Burma/Myanmar

Introduction

The situation in Burma/Myanmar remains grave. With elections scheduled for 7 November 2010 international attention on the country has increased. Such attention, and any policy action taken, must focus not only on the goal of democratic transition, and concerns about the regimes nuclear collaboration with North Korea, but also on the plight of Burma’s ethnic minorities who continue to suffer atrocities at the hands of the government. These atrocities may rise to the level of crimes against humanity, war crimes and ethnic cleansing – crimes states committed themselves to protect populations from at the 2005 World Summit, as described in the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect policy brief dated 4 March 2010, “Applying the Responsibility to Protect to Burma/Myanmar[…]

Burma Briefing No. 2: The United Nations General Assembly & Burma

This briefing calls on the United Nations General Assembly to establish a Commission of Inquiry into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Burma. EU Member states are currently drafting the twentieth annual resolution on Burma, which is expected to be adopted later this year […]

Burma Briefing No. 1: Burma’s transition to civilian dictatorship

A new commentary on Burma’s elections by Burma Campaign UK.

The key points of this week’s briefing are:

• Burma’s ‘elections’ will not bring the kind of change needed in Burma.
• Calls for free and fair elections miss the point. The Constitution enshrines civilian dictatorship […]

Burma’s 2010 Electoral Framework: Fundamentally Undemocratic – A Legal and Human Rights Analysis

This study draws on contributions from numerous experts in the region and comparative election, constitutional and human rights law. Since 1995, NDI has worked with partners to advance the cause of democracy in Burma. The 2010 elections in theory could have provided an opportunity to advance democratic progress and national reconciliation, which in turn could have helped significantly improve the lives of people in Burma. Based on its analysis, NDI came to the conclusion shared by many experts that the election process will not be a step forward and risks being yet another setback […]

Energy Insecurity: How Total, Chevron, and PTTEP Contribute to Human Rights Violations, Financial Secrecy, and Nuclear Proliferation in Burma

EarthRights International released an explosive new report that describes how the oil companies Total (France), Chevron (US), and PTTEP (Thailand) have generated over US $9 billion dollars in military-ruled Burma (Myanmar) since 1998, making their Yadana Natural Gas Project the single largest source of revenue for the country’s notoriously repressive dictatorship […]

Union Election Commission Directive No.2/2010

Enlisting the strength of political parties

Introduction

1. For holding a free and fair multi-party democracy general election in 2010, the Union Election Commission is granting permission to set up political parties and register as political parties in accord with the Political Parties Registration Law […]