Impunity Prevails after Two Youths Killed in Pegu

On 4 September, two youths were shot execution style in Pegu, north-east of Rangoon. The incident took place shortly after midnight when the youths were involved in a minor traffic accident with a motorbike carrying two military officers. One eye-witness reported, “After arguing with local youngsters, about 10 soldiers, including officers, came back to the town with arms, looking for the young men they had had problems with. The soldiers found them near a local teashop and shot them after more arguing.” The youths were identified as Aung Thu Hein, 22, and Soe Paing Zaw, 18.[…]

US Supports UN Inquiry in Burma; Others Must Follow Suit

Last Tuesday, the Obama administration declared their support for a UN commission of inquiry into crimes against humanity and war crimes in Burma. Activists, think tanks, and UN officials, including UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Burma Tomás Ojea Quintana and his predecessors Paulo Pinherio and Yozo Yokota, have long called for this commission of inquiry in order to move towards justice and peace in Burma.[…]

U.S. Supports UN Investigation on Crimes against Humanity in Burma

After months of rigorous grassroots campaign led by United States Campaign for Burma (USCB) and repeated requests from the U.S. lawmakers, the Obama administration finally agreed to support the establishment of an UN-led Commission of Inquiry to investigate crimes against humanity and war crimes taking place in the Southeast Asian country of Burma.[…]

Congressman Crowley Applauds Administration’s Support of the Establishment of a Commission of Inquiry into Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes in Burma

[…]“It is long overdue that the world acknowledges that the Burmese regime is guilty of heinous and brutal acts against its own people and I applaud today’s announcement by the Obama Administration of its support for a Commission of Inquiry into these crimes.[…]

Upholding the Responsibility to Protect in Burma/Myanmar

Introduction

The situation in Burma/Myanmar remains grave. With elections scheduled for 7 November 2010 international attention on the country has increased. Such attention, and any policy action taken, must focus not only on the goal of democratic transition, and concerns about the regimes nuclear collaboration with North Korea, but also on the plight of Burma’s ethnic minorities who continue to suffer atrocities at the hands of the government. These atrocities may rise to the level of crimes against humanity, war crimes and ethnic cleansing – crimes states committed themselves to protect populations from at the 2005 World Summit, as described in the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect policy brief dated 4 March 2010, “Applying the Responsibility to Protect to Burma/Myanmar[…]

Call for War Crimes Inquiry Foils UN Envoy’s Trip

By Marwaan Macan-Markar

When a UN human rights investigator for Burma called for an international inquiry to look into possible war crimes by the country’s military regime, he added significant weight to similar calls that had been made in other quarters.

But that call in March by Tomas Ojea Quintana, as part of a scathing 30-page report delivered to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, has come back to haunt the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, as Burma is also known.[…]

Philippine government urged to support probe on Myanmar junta’s ‘crimes against humanity’

End Injustice In Burma! Denounce SPDC’s 2010 Elections

To visualize the gravity of the crimes against humanity committed by Burma’s military regime, about a hundred of solidarity activists under the Free Burma Coalition-Philippines (FBC-Phils) today held a rally in front of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and urged the Philippine government to pledge its support to the ongoing international campaigns calling for the creation of a UN commission of inquiry to investigate possible crimes against humanity in Burma[…]

Congressman Crowley’s Legislation Imposing Sanctions on Burma Passes House

Crowley Urges Action on Crimes Against Humanity Following UN Findings

Today, Congressman Crowley (D-Queens, the Bronx) praised the unanimous passage of H.J. Res. 83, a resolution led by the Congressman that extends sanctions on Burma. Specifically, the measure continues the ban on imports from Burma […]

U.S. House of Representatives Unanimously Extends Sanctions on Burma’s Military Junta

The U.S. Campaign for Burma, a leading coalition of Burmese activists in exile and American human rights campaigners working to promote freedom, justice and democracy in Burma, today welcomes and supports the unanimous decision of the U.S. House of Representative to extend sanctions against the military junta that rules the Southeast Asian country of Burma with guns, threats and oppression, and conducts crimes against humanity under a system of impunity. The House Joint Resolution 83 (H.J. RES. 83), the renewal of import restrictions contained in the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003, was introduced by Congressmen Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Peter King (R-NY), cosponsored by 20 additional House Members and approved by a voice vote today[…]

Government of Canada is urged to support “Commission of Inquiry” on Burma

While leaders of G20 are meeting in Toronto, Parliamentary Friends of Burma (PFOB) and Canadian Friends of Burma (CFOB) are calling upon the Government of Canada and other world leaders to support an establishment of an UN’s “Commission of Inquiry” on “crimes against humanity” in Burma […]