NLD Reject Burma Elections – UN Must Restart Dialogue Efforts

As the National League for Democracy (NLD) announced that elections laws are so unjust that it will not register as a party to be able to take part, Burma Campaign UK today called on UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to stop trying to persuade Burma’s generals to reform elections designed to maintain military rule. Instead the United Nations should renew efforts to force Burma’s generals to enter into dialogue with the NLD and genuine ethnic representatives […]

Burmese Army Shoots Five-Month Old Baby in Attack on Karen Village

On 22nd March a five month old baby boy, a five year old girl, and a 37 year old woman were killed in an attack by the Burmese Army on Khaw Hta village, Kler Lwe Htoo District (Nyaung Lin Bin District in Burmese), Karen State.

According to a local villager, Burmese Army Battalion 369 entered the village at 4.30pm and opened fire without warning, shooting at any villager in sight and firing into villager’s homes, […]

UK Government Supports Burma Regime Referral to International Criminal Court

The Burma Campaign UK today warmly welcomed a statement by the British government that it would support the United Nations Security Council referring Burma to the International Criminal Court.

The statement was made on 24th March by H.E. Mr. Mark Lyall Grant, UK Representative to the United Nations, after a meeting of the United Nations Security Council about the situation in Burma […]

Nyi Nyi Aung Release – Generals Keep Playing Their Games

The Burma Campaign UK today welcomed the release of Nyi Nyi Aung, an American Burmese arrested last year while visiting his sick mother, but warned that the generals are once again playing games with the international community, and that the release is designed to divert attention from the recently published election laws, which have been widely condemned. […]

PM Calls Election Terms in Burma “Restrictive and Unfair”

The Prime Minister has called the terms of the Burmese election laws “restrictive and unfair” and called for an urgent meeting at the UN in New York to discuss these developments.

The laws have been published ahead of the election in the country later this year […]

UN Burma Human Rights Expert Backs UN Commission Of Inquiry Into Abuses

The Burma Campaign UK today warmly welcomed a recommendation by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Mr. Tomás Ojea Quintana, that the UN consider establishing a Commission of Inquiry into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Burma.

The unprecedented recommendation came in an advance unedited version of his report submitted to the UN Human Rights Council, which has been published on their website. […]

Burmese Army Mortar-Bombs Schoolchildren

One schoolboy has been killed and two more injured when the Burmese Army fired a mortar bomb at a school in Northern Karen State.  The attack took place at 9am on Friday 19th February, in Mutraw (Papun) district in Northern Karen State. Burma Campaign UK sources say the school was in a temporary village for […]

UK Government: ‘Tangible Progress’ Needed Before EU Eases Burma Sanctions

The Burma Campaign UK today welcomed a statement by Foreign Office Minister Ivan Lewis MP that; “The UK will not support any easing of sanctions in the absence of tangible progress on the ground.” On Thursday the European Parliament also called on EU governments not to relax sanctions until there is; ‘tangible progress on democratisation.’ […]

European Parliament Rejects Burma Election – Calls For End To Systematic Displacement

The European Parliament today passed a new resolution on Burma, stating that under present conditions Burma’s planned elections cannot be free and fair. As thousands of Karen people flee a new military offensive in Karen State, Burma, the Parliament also demanded an end to systematic forced displacement, and for an end to impunity for crimes […]

3,000 Ethnic Karen Refugees At Risk Of Deportation From Thailand To Burma

The Burma Campaign UK today called on the government of Thailand not to go ahead with forcing around 3,000 ethnic Karen refugees back to Burma. The refugees fled into Thailand in June 2009 following a military offensive by the Burmese Army and their allies, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), in Karen State, Eastern Burma. […]