Thein Sein’s First 100 Days: Words Not Matches By Actions

One hundred days after assuming the presidency in Burma, former General Thein Sein has failed to take any meaningful steps towards political, legal, and economic reforms. Thein Sein’s policies have been a continuation of the State Peace and Development Council’s programs.

This five-page briefer reveals that it was “business as usual” for the Burmese military despite President Thein Sein’s much-promoted image as a “softliner” […]

Ethnic Areas Update: Burma Heads Toward Civil War

In hostilities that began in February, the Tatmadaw rebuked longstanding ceasefire agreements with the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and the Shan State Army – North (SSA-N). In May and June, Tatmadaw attacks in Southern Kachin State and Northern and Southern Shan State escalated […]

Burma: Government’s rejection of human rights recommendations demonstrates no intention for real change

The Burmese government’s contempt for internationally recognised human rights will be on display yet again tomorrow as the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva considers the outcome report[1] of Burma’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) which took place in January 2011 ဟ…“

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 […]

100 Days of Burma’s Parliament: Strengthening the Status Quo

The 11th of May marks one hundred days since the convening of Burma’s Parliament on 31 January. The laws governing the proceedings of the first parliamentary session in 22 years gagged MPs and restrict civilian access to the Parliament. Many MPs complained about being subjected to detention-like living conditions. The regime also barred domestic journalists and foreign correspondents from covering the session […]

ASEAN Civil Society to Hold First Hearing on CSR

Southeast Asia civil society’s first public hearing on Corporate Social Responsibility and ASEAN will be held in Jakarta on Monday, May 2, from 10am-4pm. The venue is the Yayasan Lembaga Bantuan Hukum Indonesia (YLBHI) office, Jl. Diponegoro No. 74, Jakarta Pusat […]

First US Ambassador to Asean Expected to Press Burma

David Lee Carden, a former attorney who has been named the first US ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), will attend the Asean Summit in Indonesia next week, where he will have the opportunity to push Burma to change and discuss with Asean members whether Burma chair the organization in 2014, claim Burma activists […]

Locked in, Tied up: Burma’s Disciplined Democracy

On 30 March 2011, the military regime’s long-running play ‘roadmap to democracy’ concluded almost eight years after its release. In the military stronghold of Naypyidaw, President-elect Thein Sein was sworn […]

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 […]