“I Want to Help My Own People”

State Control and Civil Society in Burma after Cyclone Nargis

This 102-page report based on 135 interviews with cyclone survivors, aid workers, and other eyewitnesses, details the Burmese military government’s response to Nargis and its implications for human rights and development in Burma today. The report describes the government’s attempts to block assistance in the desperate three weeks after the cyclone […]

Indonesian Foreign Minister’s Trip Should Promote Rights

Indonesia’s foreign minister should stress to Burma’s military government that drastic reforms are needed if the elections this year are to be credible, Human Rights Watch said in a letter today to Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, who is visiting Burma on March 30 […]

G8 Summit should tackle Burma rights crisis

Members of the Group of Eight (G8) industrialized nations should put Burma on the agenda of the G8 Summit in Toronto in June, Human Rights Watch said in a letter to foreign ministers of G8 countries today. The foreign ministers of G8 countries are meeting March 29 and 30, 2010, in Gatineau, Quebec to discuss major issues affecting international security and finalize the summit’s agenda.[…]

Military Government Frees US Citizen

More Than 2,100 Political Prisoners Should be Released Before Election

The Burmese military government’s release today of imprisoned US citizen Nyi Nyi Aung should be followed by the immediate and unconditional release of Burma’s more than 2,100 political prisoners, Human Rights Watch said today. […]

Burma: UN Should Move on International Inquiry

(New York) – The United Nations should not delay the setting up of an international inquiry to address possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in Burma, Human Rights Watch said today. On March 15, the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Tomas Ojea Quintana, presented his progress report on […]

Burma: Election Laws May Shut Down Opposition Parties

Influential Governments Should Reject Sham Process

Newly issued laws in preparation for 2010 elections in Burma are designed to exclude the main opposition party and ensure a victory for the ruling military, Human Rights Watch said today.

The ruling State Peace and Development Council today released the Political Party Registration Law, which includes provisions barring prisoners from being members of political parties. The law effectively excludes more than 2,100 political activists currently imprisoned on politically motivated charges, including Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD). […]

Thailand: Migrant Workers Face Killings, Extortion, Labor Rights Abuses

February Deadline for Renewal of Work Permits Invites Exploitation The Thai government should swiftly act to end police abuse and discriminatory laws and policies against migrant workers and their families, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today. The February deadline for more than a million migrant workers to enter the “nationality verification” […]

From the Tiger to the Crocodile: Abuse of Migrant Workers in Thailand

A 124-page report that is based on 82 interviews with migrants from neighboring Burma, Cambodia, and Laos. It describes the widespread and severe human rights abuses faced by migrant workers in Thailand, including killings, torture in detention, extortion, and sexual abuse, and labor rights abuses such as trafficking, forced labor, and restrictions on organizing. Download […]

The Resistance of the Monks: Buddhism and Activism in Burma

This report describes the junta’s repression of Burma’s monks after the anti-junta demonstrations in September 2007. The report tells the stories of individual monks who were arrested, beaten and detained […]

The Resistance of the Monks: Buddhism and Activism in Burma

This 99-page report written by longtime Burma watcher Bertil Lintner, describes the repression Burma’s monks experienced after they led demonstrations against the government in September 2007. The report tells the stories of individual monks who were arrested, beaten and detained. Two years after Buddhist monks marched down the street of the detained opposition leader Aung […]