From Prison to Front Line: Analysis of convict porter testimony 2009 – 2011

Over the last two decades, KHRG has documented the abuse of convicts taken by the thousands from prisons across Burma and forced to serve as porters for frontline units of Burma’s state army, the Tatmadaw. In the last two years alone, Tatmadaw units have used at least 1,700 convict porters during two distinct, ongoing combat operations in Karen State and eastern Bago Division; this report presents full transcripts and analysis of interviews with 59 who escaped […]

Dead Men Walking: Convict Porters on the Front Lines in Eastern Burma

This 70-page report details abuses against convict porters including summary executions, torture, and the use of the convicts as “human shields” […]

Report on the Human Rights Situation in Burma

The periodic report of the Network for Human Rights Documentation – Burma (ND-Burma), documents the human rights situation in Burma during the period January – March 2011. ND-Burma periodic reports provide up-to-date information on human rights violations (HRVs) and highlight pressing issues and trends within the country […]

Human Rights Violations in Burma’s 2010 Elections

Despite restrictive conditions, human rights groups, political organizations, media and ethnic groups from both inside and outside of Burma (including ND- Burma) managed to collect information on violations related to the 2010 elections. As a human rights network, ND-Burma monitored the elections primarily in terms of human rights violations. The findings of this report demonstrate the elections-related human rights violations are consistent with the ongoing violations committed by the military personnel and their proxies as they carry out military campaigns, as they secure areas for development projects, and whenever and wherever civilians dare to challenge the military’s illegitimate authority […]

Burma Briefing No. 11: Burma’s New Constitution – Denying Ethnic Rights

This briefing looks at the wide-ranging negative impacts Burma’s new Constitution will have on ethnic groups in Burma. The Constitution is likely to lead to the continued Burmanisation of ethnic minorities and increased militarisation of ethnic areas, with the subsequent increase of human rights abuses which always follows […]

The Burma-China Pipelines: Human Rights Violations, Applicable Law, and Revenue Secrecy

EarthRights International (ERI) today issued a damning report linking major Chinese and Korean companies to widespread land confiscation, and cases of forced labor, arbitrary arrest, detention and torture, and violations of indigenous rights connected to the Shwe natural gas project and oil transport projects in Burma (Myanmar). The publication, The Burma-China Pipelines: Human Rights Violations, Applicable Law, and Revenue Secrecy, draws primarily on two years of clandestine interviews with affected populations from Arakan State, Magway Division, and Mandalay Division, as well as leaked documents that provide new insight into secretive payments between the oil companies and the military regime, controversial security arrangements, and inadequate corporate due diligence […]

Farmland Confiscation and Labour Exploitation: The Critical Conditions of the Lives of the Toiling Mass

Confiscation of farmland and exploitation of labour do not only amount to being invaded by the military government and its cronies. The farmers whose social and economic life dependent upon the land are subjected to being treated like slaves as well […]

Resolution 16/24 – Situation of human rights in Myanmar

The full text of the United Nations Human Rights Council Resolution that calls for the release of political prisoners, freedom of information and association, an independent judiciary and political reconciliation, and also extends the mandate of UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Burma, Tomás Ojea Quintana.

Burma 2011: Still a Military Dictatorship

Despite the convening of the newly elected Parliament, Burma’s ‘democratically-elected’ regime is nothing more than a disguised version of the military dictatorship that has ruled Burma for the past five decades […]

Progress report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Tomás Ojea Quintana

Myanmar undertook national elections for the first time in over two decades on 7 November 2010. One week later, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was released unconditionally upon the end of her house arrest term. The new national parliament began meeting on 31 January 2011. Amidst much uncertainty, there appears to be some cautious optimism that positive change may be possible. Among those changes that the people of Myanmar dare to hope for is the realization of their economic, social and cultural rights. For this reason, the Special Rapporteur begins to address in the present report the subject of economic, social and cultural rights, starting with the right to education.

The Special Rapporteur also reiterates his call for a Commission of Inquiry into crimes against humanity and war crimes […]