Myanmar/Burma: Sustained EU Engagement at UN Critical to Support Human Rights Reforms

Amnesty International, FIDH (the International Federation for Human Rights), and its member organization, the Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma (ALTSEAN-Burma) today call on the European Union (EU) and its member states to ensure continued international engagement on the human rights situation in Burma by again introducing a resolution on the country at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in October 2014. A failure to retain a robust UNGA resolution on Burma would endanger progress on human rights, which has increasingly come under threat this year […]

THREE MDCF ACTIVISTS JAILED, FOURTH ON TRIAL

Three activists from the Movement for Democracy Current Force (MDCF) have been imprisoned and a fourth is on trial, as a result of their peaceful political activities. They are prisoners of conscience […]

Burma: End the Prosecution of Rohingya Human Rights Defender Kyaw Hla Aung

Bangkok-Geneva-Paris-Rangoon. The Burmese Government must end the prosecution of Rohingya human rights defender Kyaw Hla Aung and immediately release him, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, an FIDH-OMCT joint programme, and the Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma (ALTSEAN-Burma) said today […]

Briefing Paper on the Situation of Human Rights in Burma/Myanmar 25th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council

1.0 Introduction While acknowledging the positive developments that have occurred in some areas relating to human rights in Burma/Myanmar, in other areas, progress has been lacking, while in some others still, significant backsliding has taken place. The areas that have witnessed significant backsliding or lack  of progress include: the continued criminalisation and harassment of political […]

Burmese Political Prisoners on Hunger Strike in Jail

Three human rights activists, who were arrested in June, have been on hunger strike since 13th December. Khin Mi Mi Khaing, Myint Myint Aye and Thant Zin Htet were arrested for supporting farmers protests against land confiscation.

They have been on trial for more than six months. They have been refused bail, and faced more than 20 court hearings without a proper trial and verdict. They have gone on hunger strike to protest against their treatment by Burma’s judicial system […]

Sombath Somphone One Year On: 62 NGOs Call for a New Investigation into his Enforced Disappearance

We, the undersigned 62 regional and international organizations, express outrage over the Lao Government’s ongoing failure to shed light on the enforced disappearance of prominent activist and civil society leader Sombath Somphone.

December 15, 2013 marks the one-year anniversary of Sombath’s disappearance […]

Arrest of Human Rights Defender, Mr Tin Htut Pai

On 3 December 2013, Mr Tin Htut Pai was arrested for his involvement in commemorating the one-year anniversary of the protests against the Letpadaung mining project. Tin Htut Pai is currently detained at Insein prison, where he is able to meet his family members but has not been permitted to see his lawyer […]

Sentencing of May Sabe Phyu and Maran Jaw Gun Highlights New Tactics of Intimidation

Two Kachin peace activists, May Sabe Phyu and Maran Jaw Gun, were today fined 40,000 Kyat ($40, £24), for violating Section 18 of Burma’s Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law, The case took place at San Chaung Township Court, Rangoon.

They had taken part in a peaceful protest in Rangoon on the International Day of Peace 2012, highlighting how the Burmese government broke a ceasefire in Kachin State, Burma, in 2011 […]

Human Rights Defenders Messrs Moe Thway and D Nyein Lin Receive Prison Sentence Along with Four Other Peaceful Protesters

On 21 November 2013, six peaceful demonstrators were sentenced to one month’s imprisonment in Kyimyindaing Court in Rangoon under Section 18 of the 2011 Peaceful Assembly Law.

The charges of “protesting without prior permission” had been brought against human rights defenders Moe Thway andD Nyein Lin, as well as Ma Thandar,Aung Moe Oo, Myin Kyaw Oo and Soe Moe Tun, for demonstrating in Rangoon on 1 December 2012 against the forceful treatment of peaceful protesters who were camping near the Letpadaung copper mine, in central Burma […]

Free All Human Rights Defenders and Stop Ongoing Arbitrary Arrests

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, an FIDH-OMCT joint programme, welcomes the latest release of human rights defenders who were among the political prisoners detained in Burma/Myanmar, and now urges the Government to immediately and unconditionally release all those who remain detained and to stop ongoing arbitrary arrests and imprisonment […]