Urgent Reforms Are the Real litmus Test of Government’s Commitment to Change

In the lead-up to the by-elections on 1 April, which are already marred by irregularities and censorship [1], rights groups have stressed that key benchmarks have not yet been met. The international community must press for urgent steps to meet these benchmarks […]

Oral Statement Prepared for the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights Situation in Burma in 19th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council

FIDH and and its member organization Altsean-Burma welcome the report by the Special Rapporteur and his emphasis on the situation political prisoners, institutional reforms, and accountability for gross human rights violations […]

Open Letter to Alain Juppé, Minister of Foreign Affairs of France, Regarding Justice and Accountability and Democratic Reform in Burma

Dear Mr Minister,

We have the honour of writing to you before your upcoming visit to Burma. We urge you to use this valuable opportunity to press the Burmese authorities to: release all political prisoners and ensure their freedom to participate in the political transition; repeal oppressive legislation; cease military offensives in ethnic areas and grant greater unfettered access to humanitarian groups; and
prioritize justice and accountability for past and on-going human rights abuses in the country […]

All Political Prisoners should be Freed Immediately

The Burmese government is continuing its public relations game which has delivered little substantive change by refusing to honor previous promises to release all political prisoners […]

Small Concessions From Naypyidaw Must Not Overshadow Increasing Number of Human Rights Abuses

A year after the flawed election of 2010 in Burma, it is time to take stock of where the country stands. The regime might have taken some positive actions, including suspending the Myitsone Dam in Kachin State, releasing some political prisoners, and most recently making changes to the political party registration laws that would allow the NLD to officially register. But this year was also marked by a dramatic increase in the number of human rights abuses being committed, especially in ethnic areas. Regional civil society and exiled activists from Burma based on the Thai-Burma border gathered today in Jakarta to remind ASEAN and the international community of this outrageous reality. Some small concessions may have been made by Naypyidaw, but these have not affected the majority of Burma’s civilian population, especially ethnic nationalities […]

Piecemeal Releases of Political Prisoners do not Demonstrate Genuine Commitment to Necessary Reforms

The release this week of an estimated 220 political prisoners in Burma comes as a relief to their families and colleagues, but again fall far short of a key benchmark for reconciliation and genuine transition to democracy, namely the unconditional and immediate release of all remaining political prisoners and the cessation of military attacks on civilians,

BURMA: Asian, African and Latin American Civil Societies Call on their Governments to Support UN Inquiry into International Crimes in Burma

Member organizations of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) have called on Governments of Asian, African and Latin American countries to support the creation of a United Nations Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into international crimes […]

Open Letter to ASEAN: Combat impunity and support a Commission of Inquiry into international crimes in Burma

Your Excellencies,

On the eve of the 44th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM), the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma (Altsean-Burma) and the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) strongly call on your government to support the creation of a United Nations Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into ongoing international crimes in Burma, as recommended by the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Burma, Mr Tomás Ojea Quintana […]

Burma’s Political Prisoners

On the visit of Bo Kyi, former political prisoner and Joint-Secretary of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners-Burma to Brussels, the above organisations appeal to the European Union and Member States to strengthen their call to the Burmese authorities to immediately and unconditionally […]

Burma: Government’s rejection of human rights recommendations demonstrates no intention for real change

The Burmese government’s contempt for internationally recognised human rights will be on display yet again tomorrow as the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva considers the outcome report[1] of Burma’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) which took place in January 2011 ဟ…“