Statement by the Diplomatic Missions of Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway, Republic of Korea, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and the United Nations on Myanmar’s Elections

As Myanmar approaches historic elections on Sunday, the diplomatic missions of Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway, Republic of Korea, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and the United Nations reaffirm their support for the people of Myanmar […]

Southeast Asia: Put Rights at Center of Boat People Summit

(Bangkok, May 28, 2015) – Governments gathering in Bangkok on May 29, 2015, to discuss the Southeast Asia boat people crisis should reach binding agreements to save people at sea, permit them to disembark without conditions, and ensure unimpeded access for United Nations agencies to protect the rights of asylum seekers, Human Rights Watch said today […]

Urgent APRRN Statement On Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand Allowing Migrants Rescued at Sea Temporary Protection

APRRN welcomes the decision of the governments of Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand to provide temporary protection to refugees and migrants rescued at sea as a step in the right direction […]

Statement from the Kachin Community in Australia

We, the Kachin organisations in Australia, are aware that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is scheduled to visit Australia this month and meet with Burmese community members and representatives. As we are invited to attend events welcoming her, we as a Kachin community, have collectively decided not to attend any events and public forums related […]

133 Ethnic Civil Society Organizations Express Concern and Reservation Regarding Foreign Military Engagement with the Burmese Military

Today, October 17, 2013, 133 civil society organizations, representing 15 of Burma’s ethnic nationalities, submitted a joint letter to President Barack Obama of the United States, Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom, and Prime Minister Tony Abbott of the Commonwealth of Australia expressing great concern and reservation regarding their military engagement with the Burmese military. Along with details of human rights atrocities and ongoing conflict the Burmese military continues to perpetrate, the joint letter pens explicit preconditions that must be met prior to any military engagement and states the criteria for military engagement should it move forward […]

Burma: Joint Letter from Ethnic Nationalities Civil Society Organizations Regarding Foreign Military Engagement with the Burmese Military

Dear President Obama, Prime Minister Cameron, and Prime Minister Abbott,

We, the undersigned 133 ethnic nationalities civil society organizations, are writing to express our concerns and reservations about your countries’ military engagement with the Burmese military.

We appreciate the concern the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia have shown over the years for the human rights violations the Burmese military has committed against us, as well as your support for our pursuit of genuine democracy and national reconciliation. While your intentions may be genuine, we are deeply concerned that your current approach to military-to-military relations will neither prove beneficial to our mutual goals of ending the Burmese military’s perpetration of human rights violations against us, nor bring us closer to national reconciliation […]

Australian Human Rights Commission Hosts Myanmar Visitors

As part of the Strengthening Human Rights in Myanmar 2012 – 2016 project, conducted by Sweden’s Raoul Wallenberg Institute, the Commission has hosted a delegation from the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission.

Commission President, Professor Gillian Triggs, said it was an honour to be able to contribute to the project’s objective of helping the Myanmar Commission to more effectively implement their mandates to protect and promote human rights in their country […]

Burma’s 100 Days of Parliament: More ‘NAYS’ than ‘YEAS’

Australia’s Foreign Minister, MPs, senior government officials, and foreign diplomats were today warned that Burma’s political, economic, and humanitarian crises persisted despite the convening of the Parliament. A video message from Burmese pro-democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and statements from a leading ASEAN […]

Week 34: 2010 Election Watch (26 October – 1 November)

Developments

• NLD members distributed election boycott leaflets in Rangoon’s Insein and Mingaladon Townships. Riot police in Rangoon’s North Okkalapa Township surrounded “no-vote” campaigners as they attempted to distribute election boycott leaflets.
• Around 1,200 people from over 150 villages protested the elections in Ye and Thanbyuzayat Townships in Mon State and Kyainnseikyi Township in Karen State […]

Elections in Burma designed to legitimise military rule: Australia

Burma Campaign Australia congratulates Australia for saying the elections in Burma are designed to legitimise military rule in Burma.

During recent Senate Estimates in Australia the First Assistant Secretary South-East Asia Division of DFAT* Hugh Borrowman answered questions about Australia’s position on the upcoming elections […]