Open Letter to Indonesian Government as the Chair of ASEAN on Gross Human Rights Violations in Burma

Your Excellency,

We, members of the Solidarity for Asian People’s Advocacy (SAPA, a network of Asian civil society organisations engaged intergovernmental processes at the sub-regional, regional and international level, working on various issues of public interest), write to you today, in view of the fact that Indonesia is currently serving as the Chair of ASEAN, to share our continued concern about gross human rights violations in Burma/Myanmar ahead of your mission to the country on 26 October 2011 […]

ASEAN should delay Burma’s chairmanship to help ensure it moves towards democratic transition and peace

Since it requested the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2014, Burma’s regime has engaged in a campaign designed to make the country appear ready to chair the regional bloc. However, despite these attempts to win over ASEAN member states, the changes made by the regime have been superficial and far from being sufficient.

Granting Burma the chairmanship at this point would be premature, and a waste of a unique opportunity to encourage Burma along a path to genuine democratic transition and national reconciliation […]

Burma: Thai Leader Should Promote Rights During Visit, Genuine Reforms Needed Before Considering ASEAN Chairmanship

The first official visit to Burma by Thailand’s new prime minister should focus on mutual human rights concerns as well as investment opportunities, Human Rights Watch said today. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will pay a short visit to the Burmese capital Naypyidaw for several hours on October […]

The Saffron Revolution: A Call to International Action

During the peaceful demonstrations in 2007 which marked Myanmar’s ‘Saffron Revolution’, thousands of monks participated in democratic rallies against the military rule across Myanmar. Despites a government crackdown on internet and mobile links to the outside world, images were shown worldwide of mass arrests and indiscriminate government-violence upon peaceful civilian protesters.

We, the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC) thus strongly condemns the widespread brutality, systemic use of torture, solitary confinement, enforced disappearance and cruel and degrading treatment undertake by this illegitimate regime […]

Asean to Listen to Suu Kyi as Burma Seeks Chair

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations will weigh the opinion of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi as it considers whether to invite Burma to chair the regional grouping in 2014, Indonesia’s foreign minister told The Associated Press.

Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa also said Indonesia’s own transformation from its authoritarian regime to democracy in a decade could offer lessons to Burma, one of the world’s most sanctioned nations because of its poor human rights record […]

23 Years after 8-8-88 — It Is Finally Time For Asean to Get It Right on Burma

Twenty-three years after the democracy uprising of 1988 in Burma was brutally crushed, the world has gone through remarkable changes. In particular, Asean’s role in economic cooperation, peace and security as well as human rights and humanitarian issues has grown dramatically.

But the people of Burma, which was renamed Myanmar by the military junta after the uprising, have faced continued suppression by their own government even after last year’s so-called general elections and promised reforms. The dedication and sacrifice of the people who bravely stood up against the military regime 23 years ago remains commendable. In keeping with their people’s desire for a free and democratic homeland, Burma’s government needs to come to terms with its brutal past and stop its ongoing crackdowns against the political opposition and ethnic groups […]

Joint Rally of Indonesian People To Commemorate The 23rd Anniversary of 8888 People Uprising, mass killings and detention: it is time for ASEAN to act

Twenty years ago in 8 August 1988 people uprising in Burma has toppled the military dictator, General Ne Win. Military in response has brutally suppressed the uprising leading to the killings of around 10.000 people, disappearances and another thousand detained until today. Some them has yet found dead mysteriously in the most severe prisons in the country. Another thousand has fled the country living stateless until today […]

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Ethnic Nationalities: Nationwide Ceasefire and Genuine Dialogue Necessary for National Reconciliation

On 25 July, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi met with the military regime’s representative, Aung Kyi at a state-run guesthouse. This was the tenth meeting between Daw Suu and the regime’s Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Minister, appointed as liaison to the democracy leader. After the 70-minute meeting, Aung Kyi read a statement that failed to give any details about what was discussed, but declared that both sides were happy about the meeting. However, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s serious demeanor and body language suggested otherwise.

Khin Ohmar, Coordinator of Burma Partnership and Chairperson of the Network for Democracy and Development, told the Irrawaddy, “I don’t think the government is honest about this meeting. It is just window dressing. They want the international community to know that they have started a dialogue toward national reconciliation. They are using Aung San Suu Kyi.” This meeting was nothing more than an attempt by the regime to convince ASEAN that they are deserving of the bloc’s chairmanship in 2014. When ASEAN makes its decision, likely to be at the Summit in Bali in November, the bloc must not consider this meeting as a sign of serious dialogue and must certainly not reward the regime for such empty actions […]

Letter: Myanmar should not chair ASEAN

The ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC) deeply regrets a statement made by Rafendi Djamin, Indonesia’s representative to ASEAN’s Inter-governmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), as reported by The Jakarta Post on July 19: “ … giving Myanmar a chance [to chair ASEAN] could encourage the country to show ASEAN and the world that it is committed to improving its national situation” […]

ASEAN Must Address Burma’s Armed Conflict and Human Rights Violations at Upcoming Meetings

Prior to the upcoming 44th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) and 18th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), Burma Partnership has highlighted the continued deterioration of human rights under the military regime and the urgent need for ASEAN to take concrete action against such violations of basic human rights standards and principles included in the ASEAN Charter.

Despite the regime’s claims of a new peaceful democratic order in Burma, opposition politicians remain sidelined and little has changed for the 1,994 political prisoners that remain behind bars. Moreover, ongoing military offensives against ethnic armed groups in Eastern Burma have lead to tens of thousands of displaced civilians, many of whom have faced mounting human rights abuses, including rape, extrajudicial killings, and forced labor. The situation has resulted in refugees fleeing to neighboring Thailand and China, presenting a threat to regional stability […]