Joint letter on the Establishment of the Prisoners of Conscience Affairs Committee

One month after the announcement of the reconstitution of the Committee for Scrutinizing the Remaining Prisoners of Conscience into the Prisoners of Conscience Affairs Committee we are writing to you to outline our concerns, expectations and recommendations for the new Committee […]

Myanmar: Prisoner Committee Should Not be Smokescreen

A Myanmar government committee reconstituted to deal with “prisoners of conscience affairs” should resolve remaining prisoner-of-conscience cases, be inclusive, independent, transparent and designed to tackle growing numbers of politically motivated arrests, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said today in a joint open letter to the committee’s new chair […]

WORLD REPORT 2015

Burma

The reform process in Burma experienced significant slowdowns and in some cases reversals of basic freedoms and democratic progress in 2014. The government continued to pass laws with significant human rights limitations, failed to address calls for constitutional reform ahead of the 2015 elections, and increased arrests of peaceful critics, including land protesters and journalists […]

Burma: Rights Heading in Wrong Direction

(Bangkok, January 29, 2015) – Burma’s human rights situation declined in 2014, setting back progress made since the reform process began three years ago, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2015. Donors and influential governments have done little to pressure the army and government to keep reforms on track.

Burma’s Rohingya: Violations of International Law Require International Investigation – New Briefing Paper

Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK today publishes a new briefing paper ‘International investigation urgently needed into human rights abuses against the Rohingya’, detailing violations of international law against the Rohingya in Burma […]

Burma: “Peaceful Assembly Law” Fails to End Repression

(New York, January 25, 2015) – The authorities in Burma should stop arresting peaceful protesters and immediately and unconditionally free those imprisoned, Human Rights Watch said today. Burma’s donors should press for amendments to Burmese law so that it protects the rights to freedom of assembly, association, and expression […]

Burma: Amend Biased Citizenship Law

(New York) – The Burmese government should accept the United Nations call to amend the discriminatory law that deprives Rohingya Muslims of Burmese citizenship, Human Rights Watch said today in a letterto President Thein Sein.

On December 29, 2014, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling on the Burmese government to amend the 1982 Citizenship Law so that it no longer discriminates against the Rohingya. Successive Burmese governments, including the current administration of Thein Sein, have used the law to deny citizenship to an estimated 800,000 to 1.3 million Rohingya by excluding them from the official list of 135 national races eligible for full citizenship […]

Statement from First European Rohingya Conference

Europe based Rohingyas held a very first conference in Esbjerg, Denmark from 27th to 28th December 2014. All Rohingya organizations in Europe joined to work collectively for the suffering of Rohingyas in Arakan State and to raise stronger voice against quasi-civilian Burmese government […]

Myanmar: Drop Charges Against Father of Slain School-Girl

(Bangkok, December 18, 2014)— Authorities in Myanmar should drop criminal charges against human rights defender Shayam Brang Shawng, said Fortify Rights and five leading international human rights organizations in an open letter to President Thein Sein published today. Brang Shawng, 49, faces two or more years in prison for filing a complaint with the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission (MNHRC) that alleged the Myanmar Army was responsible for the death of his 14-year-old ethnic-Kachin daughter, Ja Seng Ing […]

Open Letter: To President Thein Sein

December 08, 2014 President Thein Sein President’s Office Nay Pyi Taw Republic of the Union of Myanmar Re: Prosecution of Shayam Brang Shawng Dear President Thein Sein, We write to you to express our concerns about the criminal prosecution of Shayam Brang Shawng (hereinafter Brang Shawng), an ethnic Kachin resident of Sut Ngai Yang village, […]