Religious Conversion Law Threatens Religious Freedom in Burma/Myanmar

Over 80 organizations from civil society worldwide today call on the Government of Burma/Myanmar to scrap proposed legislation that would unlawfully restrict the right to freely choose a religion. If adopted, this law would violate fundamental human rights and could lead to further violence against Muslims and other religious minorities in the country […]

Myanmar: Constitutional Reform, A Crucial Step in the Transition to A More Democratic Nation

GENEVA (23 May 2014) – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, Tomás Ojea Quintana, today called on Myanmar to press forward with the on-going process of constitutional reform[…]

Hague Urged to Act To Free Zaw Pe

Burma Campaign UK today launches a campaign calling on British Foreign Secretary William Hague to personally intervene to secure the release of jailed DVB journalist, Zaw Pe […]

Council Conclusions on the Establishment of a Human Rights Dialogue with Myanmar/Burma

The Council adopted the following conclusions:

The Council recalls the adoption in 2001 of the European Guidelines on human rights dialogues, revised in 2008.
The Council recognizes the importance of further strengthening the relationship between the European Union and Myanmar/Burma by establishing an EU-Myanmar/Burma Human Rights dialogue, as foreseen in the Council Conclusions on the Comprehensive Framework for the European Union’s policy and support to Myanmar/Burma of 22 July 2013 and agreed during the EU-Myanmar/Burma Task Force held on 13-15 November 2013 […]

ASEAN: Time to Get Serious about Protecting Human Rights

Paris, Bangkok: ASEAN must stop putting human rights on the backburner and adopt measures that strengthen its regional human rights mechanisms, FIDH said today. On 10-11 May, ASEAN leaders will convene in Burma’s capital, Naypyidaw, for the 24th ASEAN Summit. Tensions in the South China Sea are expected to top the Summit agenda. However, ASEAN leaders should be more concerned over the serious human rights crises that threaten their internal stability and, in some cases, have cross-border implications […]

President Obama Must Renew Burma Investment Sanctions

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, the U.S. Campaign for Burma (USCB), along with 28 other human rights organizations, called on President Obama to continue the national emergency with respect to Burma. The national emergency provides the authority for the ban of U.S. investment in the Burmese military and the authority for the Reporting Requirements for Responsible Investment in Burma. This authority is set to expire this month. Last week, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom also pressed for the renewal of the national emergency […]

Burma Campaign UK Welcomes Foreign Office Quarterly Human Rights Update

Burma Campaign UK welcomes the new quarterly human rights update on Burma published today by the British Foreign Office. The update summarises human rights developments in Burma for the months of January-March 2014 […]

UNFPA Statement on Myanmar Census and Violence in Rakhine State

YANGON—UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is very concerned about the mob attacks on international NGO and UN offices in Sittwe yesterday, and supports the call by the UN Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator (a.i.) on the Government to ensure the protection of the humanitarian and development community in Rakhine State […]

Karen Worldwide Call for Burma’s Census to be Postponed

28 Karen community organisations from 11 countries are writing to the United Nations Population Fund and their respective governments, expressing deep concern over Burma’s upcoming census, and calling for it to be postponed […]

Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar, Tomás Ojea Quintana

The mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar was established pursuant to Commission on Human Rights resolution 1992/58 and was recently extended by Human Rights Council resolution 22/14. The present report, submitted pursuant to Council resolution 22/14 and General Assembly resolution 68/242, covers human rights developments in Myanmar since the previous report of the Special Rapporteur to the Council in March 2013 (A/HRC/22/58) and to the Assembly in October 2013 (A/68/397). The present report to the Council is the last by the current mandate holder before the end of his six-year term in May 2014 […]