Multilateral Development Banks and Burma: A Resource Book from the Bank Information Center

Multilateral development banks, or MDBs, are a significant source of economic assistance for developing countries. MDBs lend tens of billions of dollars to low and middle income countries each year. In the Asia-Pacific region, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) loans $5 to 6 billion a year to its borrowing countries. If and when the MDBs decide to resume engagement with Burma, they could be a very large source of financial support for Burma’s development agenda.

Many of those in the movement to promote democracy in Burma have engaged in debates and discussions about whether or not economic assistance should be extended to the military regime. The Resource Book is meant to help expand this discussion to include the issue of multilateral assistance from MDBs […]

Burma’s State Protection Law: An Analysis of the Broadest Law in the World

An analysis of the Burmese junta’s State Protection Law in the context of the global war on terrorism.

The Paris Principles

The full text of the resolution entitled “National institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights”, which established the Paris Principles (see Annex). These principles are the minimum conditions that must be met for a National Human Rights Institution to be considered independent and effective in protecting and promoting the rights of the people […]

Law Relating to the Formation of Organizations (1988)

The full text of the Law Relating to the Formation of Organizations in English and Burmese.

Burma Citizenship Law (1982)

This is an unofficial translation of the Act, the Pyithu Hluttaw Law No. 4 of 1982. Published in “Working People’s Daily” on 16 October 1982. The Chairman of the Council of State, on 15 October 1982, promulgated the Burma Citizenship Law which was approved and passed by the third session of the Third Pyithu Hluttaw […]

The Public Property Protection Act (1947)

The full text of the Public Property Protection Act.

The Penal Code (1861)

The full text of the Penal Code.