Burma/Myanmar: New Forms of Control and Threats to Freedoms of Expression, Assembly and Association Amidst Reforms Fanfare

An international fact-finding mission was conducted by Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) on 24- 30 October 2012 to assess the situation of freedoms of expression, assembly and association in Burma, against the backdrop […]

Arbitrary Arrests in Burma: A Tool to Repress Critical Voices

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) is highly concerned that the government of Burma continues to use arbitrary arrest as a tool to hold members of the democracy and human rights movement behind bars often without formal charges […]

The Recognition of Political Prisoners: Essential to Democratic and National Reconciliation Process

Reconciling divide on political prisoner numbers

The exact number of political prisoners in Burma has been hotly disputed over the past few months. It comes as no surprise that members of the U Thein Sein regime, such as the Presidential Advisor and Foreign Minister, dispute the numbers of political prisoners, saying estimates of political prisoners are inflated and erroneous. The burden of proof rests on the U Thein Sein regime, not the opposition, and calls for the regime to publicly disclose its prisoner lists along with evidence proving the status of each political detainee […]

Burma’s Regime Does it Again: Political Prisoners Remain in Jail

On 12 October, Burma’s regime released 6,359 prisoners from jails across the country. However, only 220 political prisoners were among those released.

The regime’s routine mass releases of prisoners haven’t resulted in the release of significant numbers of political prisoners. Political prisoners have accounted for about 1% of the prisoners freed by the regime during mass amnesties […]

Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Burma

This is a key moment in Myanmar’s history and there are real opportunities for positive and meaningful developments to improve the human rights situation and deepen the transition to democracy. The new Government has taken a number of
steps towards these ends […]

Burma Briefing No. 16: Political Prisoner Releases in Burma

As speculation mounts that the government in Burma is about to release some political prisoners, this briefing looks at the history of political prisoner releases in Burma […]

Monthly Chronology of Burma’s Political Prisoners (August, 2011)

The laws set to criminalize peaceful dissent continue to reign in the Thein Sein regime, marking the month of August. Reports emerged that two youths were arrested and allegedly tortured for having three posters under their motorbike seat calling for the release of political prisoners […]

The Role of Students in the 8888 People’s Uprising in Burma

The decision of over hundreds of thousands of Burmese to take to the streets on 8 August 1988 did not happen overnight, but grew out of a growing sense of political discontent and frustration with the regime’s mismanagement of the country’s financial policies that led to deepening poverty […]

Prison Sentence Reductions are Not Enough

The Myanmar government’s reduction of prison terms must be swiftly followed by the immediate and unconditional release of all prisoners of conscience, Amnesty International said today […]

AAPP Denounces Recent Prisoner Amnesty

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) denounces the prisoner amnesty, announced 16 May by the new Thein Sein administration, as a ploy to appease the international community. Under this so-called ‘amnesty’, outlined in order […]