Growing Crisis In Burma – Ban Ki-moon Must Take The Lead

Burma Campaign UK today renewed its call for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to take the lead in international efforts to free political prisoners in Burma, and persuade the dictatorship to enter into genuine high level dialogue.

Letters and postcards from 2,500 supporters of Burma Campaign UK will be sent to the UN Secretary General today […]

Burma’s Environment: People, Problems, Policies

Burma is currently facing many threats to the natural environment and sustainable livelihoods, such as construction of large dams, oil and gas extraction, mining, deforestation, large-scale agricultural concessions, illegal wildlife trade and climate change […]

Burmese Regime Neglecting Environmental Protection

New Report Highlights Need for Sound Environment and Development Policy Framework in Post-Election Burma

A new report highlights how Burma lacks any meaningful frameworks on environmental protection and sustainable development that would enable citizens to take part in decision-making about their country’s development, despite a recent transition to a military-dominated parliamentary political system […]

AIPMC Statement on Current Military Offensive and Rights Abuse by the Myanmar Army in Ethnic Areas

Monitor recent rape cases, reject Myanmar’s bid to chair ASEAN and cut financial lifelines for despots, AIPMC urges ASEAN

The ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC) is deeply concerned about atrocities against civilians following Myanmar Army offensives against ethnic armed groups in Shan State and Kachin State in Myanmar, notably sexual violence against women and girls, including gang-rape by order of high level officials […]

Post-election Burma: Impunity still reigns, women and children more vulnerable to crimes

Since the 7 November elections, Burma’s regime has continued to perpetrate crimes against humanity and war crimes with total impunity. Reports of serious international crimes have increased significantly in line with the escalation of the ongoing Tatmadaw offensives in Kachin, Shan, and Karen States […]

Aid urgently needed for refugees fleeing spreading fighting and “orders to rape” in Kachin State

Over 16,000 refugees fleeing escalating fighting and systematic sexual violence in Kachin State and sheltering in makeshift camps along the China-Burma border are urgently in need of aid, according to the Kachin Women’s Association Thailand (KWAT) […]

Open Letter to ASEAN: Combat impunity and support a Commission of Inquiry into international crimes in Burma

Your Excellencies,

On the eve of the 44th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM), the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma (Altsean-Burma) and the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) strongly call on your government to support the creation of a United Nations Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into ongoing international crimes in Burma, as recommended by the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Burma, Mr Tomás Ojea Quintana […]

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 […]

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Calls for a Commission of Inquiry as Conflict Continues in Eastern Burma

Earlier this week, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi vocalized her strong support for a UN-led Commission of Inquiry in a video message recorded for a hearing of the US House Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific. The hearing was held to highlight the fraudulent November 2010 elections, as well as the ongoing conflict in Kachin State.

The Congressional Committee hearing was entitled “Piercing Burma’s Veil of Secrecy: The Truth Behind the Sham Election and the Difficult Road Ahead.” Representative Don Manzullo, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on East Asia, criticized last year’s elections and drew on the ongoing fighting in Kachin State to highlight the lack of change in Burma: “The recent news of clashes in Burma’s Kachin province between government troops and ethnic minorities, which has been the heaviest fighting in 17 years, adds further evidence to the argument that the situation in Burma has not changed,” wrote Manzullo in his statement […]

Urging an End to the Violence in Burma

The United States is concerned by on-going violence in Burma’s northern Kachin State and other regions of the country and calls for a halt to hostilities. The Burmese Army and the Kachin Independence Army began fighting on June 9 and have continued over the past three weeks. We are particularly concerned by the reports of human rights abuses in the area […]