Burma: International Community Should not be Appeased by Empty ‘Amnesty’ Gestures and a Façade of Change

The announcement on 16 May 2011 by Burmese president Thein Sein that all prisoners will receive a one-year sentence reduction is so woefully inadequate that it should be regarded as nothing but another attempt to present a façade of change while the regime continues to restrict […]

ALTSEAN Burma, Info Birmanie, FIDH and LDH Ask the EU to Support the Establishment of a Commission of Inquiry into War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity in Burma Now

ALTSEAN Burma, the International Federation for Human Rights, Info-Birmanie and the French League for Human Rights are deeply concerned by the continued failure of the European Union to publicly support a UN Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into credible and serious allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Burma […]

A Strong EU Common Position is Needed to Prevent Further Crimes in Burma

The recent convening of Burma’s new parliament is merely a façade to hide ongoing serious crimes in Burma. It is essential that the European Union maintain its existing Common Decision on Burma to keep pressure on the Burmese regime […]

Universal Periodic Review of Burma: Deny, Dismiss and Dodge, Military Regime Unwilling to Face up to Massive Human Rights Abuses

On the occasion of the Universal Periodic Review of the human rights situation in Burma at the UN Human Rights Council on 27 January, FIDH, Altsean-Burma and BLC deplore the military regime’s blanket denial of the serious human rights abuses and the entrenched impunity that prevails in the country. The organisations welcome the engagement by a number of Member States in their dialogue with regime officials […]

Open Letter: Thailand must respect principle of non-refoulement and protect the rights of refugees

Your excellencies,

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its member organisations, the Union for Civil Liberty (UCL) and the Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma (Altsean-Burma), are deeply troubled by the actions of the Thai Army and border police to force at least 166 refugees back to Burma on 25 December 2010. These refugees fled their home villages in southeastern Burma due to armed clashes between the Burma’s military forces and ethnic rebels […]

Aung San Suu Kyi freed, but Burma taken hostage by the generals

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma (ALTSEAN-Burma), and the Burma Lawyers’ Council are pleased to see Daw Aung San Suu Kyi regain her freedom on 13 November after spending 15 of the last 21 years in detention in Burma […]

Accountability for serious crimes essential to sustainable peace and national reconciliation in Burma

Ahead of the general elections on November 7 in Burma, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Burma Lawyers’ Council (BLC) are publishing the main interventions of their joint seminar held in Bangkok in May 2009, where leading exiled Burmese organisations, international and regional human rights NGOs, as well as renown international legal experts gathered to discuss the possibility of prosecuting the leaders of the military junta for the systematic and gross human rights violations perpetrated in Burma […]

Open letter to H.E. Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy vice-President of the European Commission

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) addressed yesterday an open letter to H.E. Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and vice-President of the European Commission calling upon the European Union to support the establishment of a United Nations commission of inquiry in Burma/Myanmar […]

France supports a Commission of Inquiry

FIDH, Human Rights Watch, Info-Birmanie and French Human Rights League demand the set-up of an international commission of inquiry

They welcome France’s statement and urge the EU to support this initiative at the UN General Assembly[…]

Open Letter to Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India – The State visit of Than Shwe, a shame for the world’s largest democracy

Your Excellency,

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), representing 164 organisations across the world, is deeply troubled by your government’s decision to welcome Senior General Than Shwe of Burma in a state visit to India, to take place from 25-29 July. As chairman of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), Than Shwe leads one of the most abusive dictatorships in the world […]