Hammond Urged To Mobilise EU Over Rohingya Refugee Crisis

Burma Campaign UK today called on Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond to ensure that EU Foreign Ministers discuss the Rohingya refugee crisis when they meet on Monday. The European Union should apply pressure on Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia to stop pushing boats of Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshis back out to sea […]

Rohingya Refugee Crisis: ASEAN Should Stop Push-Back and Tackle Root Causes

Burma Campaign UK today called on ASEAN members to stop pushing boats of Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshis back out to sea […]

ASEAN Parliamentarians Condemn Indonesia’s Treatment of Migrants

JAKARTA, 13 May 2015 – ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) today criticized Indonesia’s approach to dealing with the influx of migrants in the midst of an escalating regional refugee crisis […]

ASEAN: ICJ Condemns Indonesian and Malaysian Push-backs at Sea

Bangkok, Thailand — The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) today condemned the decisions of the governments of Indonesia and Malaysia to turn away and push back boats carrying hundreds of Bangladeshis and Rohingyas, including women and children, out to sea […]

ASEAN Parliamentarians: Horrific Discoveries In Southern Thailand Further Demonstrate The Need For Regional Action

JAKARTA, 8 May 2015 — The horrific discovery of dozens of bodies of trafficking victims in southern Thailand represents yet another disturbing outcome of a collective lack of leadership on the part of regional governments to address the pervasive problem of human trafficking and the unfolding tragedy for Rohingya Muslims, said ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) this week […]

Parliamentarians Welcome Malaysian FM’s Comments on Rohingya Crisis, but Urge Concrete Action

JAKARTA, 30 April 2015 — Recent statements by Malaysia’s Foreign Minister recognizing the regional significance of the plight of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar are a step in the right direction, but ASEAN leaders must take concrete action to address the growing crisis, said ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) this week […]

Burma Air Force Destroys Timber Trucks in order to Gain Timber Monopoly in Kachin State

The Burma Army has been deliberately targeting timber trucks in Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) controlled areas with airstrikes. These targeted attacks have been documented and photographed by the KIO. The sale and shipping of resources through Kachin State, such as timber, is a lucrative revenue source, and this is not the first time that timber trucks have been disrupted en route […]

Briefing Paper: Voices of Refugees – Situation of Burma’s Refugees Along the Thailand-Burma Border

(27 April 2015) Today, Burma Link and Burma Partnership launches a joint briefing paper, Voices of Refugees – Situation of Burma’s Refugees Along the Thailand-Burma Border, online. The briefing paper highlights how the voices of refugees continue to be neglected in Burma’s reform process […]

Hopes Shattered a Year on from Burma’s ASEAN Chairmanship

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Civil Society Conference/ASEAN Peoples’ Forum 2015 (ACSC/APF) ended on 24 April 2015 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, bringing the voices of the people of ASEAN together in its yearly three day event. It reminds us of the historic ACSC/APF 2014 that was held for the first time in Burma and the hopes raised and duly dashed since that forum in the past year. As civil society throughout the region strives for better promotion, protection and respect for human rights, a review of the human rights situation and democratic reforms in Burma over the past year represent dreams turning into nightmares.

Events at the ACSC/APF 2015 involving Burma included a theatre play by Burma’s students and youth depicting the events of Letpadan, where over 100 students and supporters were detained after a violent attack by police and hired thugs on the column of students marching from Mandalay to Rangoon. The play called for the government to release the 79 student protesters and their supporters that remain in jail. The ASEAN Youth Forum labelled this strive for education reform by Burma’s students as an “endless and painful struggle.” Events brought to mind previous student demonstrations and consequent crackdowns such as in 1974, 1988 and 1996, all of which were committed by overtly military regimes. It begs the question; what has changed? […]

ASEAN Governments Must end the Clampdown on Freedom of Expression

As the ASEAN People’s Forum (APF) is held this week in Malaysia in parallel to the ASEAN Summit of Heads of State, we call on governments across Southeast Asia to end the clampdown on freedom of expression and to halt the use of repressive laws to silence dissenting voices […]