Free Burmese Interfaith Activists

Burma Campaign UK today called for the immediate and unconditional release of Zaw Zaw Latt ,Pwint Phyu Latt and Zaw Win Bo, and urged the Burmese government to reform the Prisoners of Conscience Affairs Committee and to ensure the release of Zaw Zaw Latt, Pwint Phyu Latt, Zaw Win Bo and all remaining political prisoners in Burma […]

Letter of Concern from Civil Society Organizations in in Myanmar Affected by Department for International Development (DFID) Support that has led to Closed door Bilateral Dialogue between Union of Myanmar and the China for an MOU to Legalise the Illicit cross­-border Timber Trade between China and Myanmar

This letter is to complain about the support that DFID is providing to a bilateral dialogue on timber trade and industrial investment between the governments of China and Myanmar, which has not included the voices of those who would be most affected, contributing to conflict in these unstable border areas, and further instability […]

Letter of Concern from Civil Society Organizations in in Myanmar Affected by Blue Moon Support

This letter is to complain about the support that the Blue Moon Fund is providing to a bilateral dialogue on timber trade and industry investment between the governments of China and Myanmar, which has not included the voices of those who would be most affected, contributing to conflict in these areas, and would ultimately benefit the Myanmar Timber Enterprise (MTE), an organization on the US US’s Specially Designated Nationals List (SDL) […]

Free Burma Rangers: Update on Burma Army Activity in Kachin State, Burma

During August/September there has been increased troop activity and clashes between the Burma Army and ethnic resistance groups in Kachin & Northern Shan States. As elections draw near Burma Army troops are heavily reinforcing their positions with supplies and soldiers. Despite ceasefire discussions the Burma Army has refused to halt military operations against Kachin and Shan groups as well as against civilians […]

Karen National Defense Organization Statement on Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement

1. The Karen National Defense Organization (KNDO) has closely followed the development regarding the peace process of Burma/Myanmar, starting with the call for nationwide ceasefire by the Ethnic Armed Resistance Organizations (EARO) in 2011 to be followed by political dialogue […]

UNFC Statement on Tatmadaw Current Offensives in Ethnic Areas

U Thein government is making preparations for holding a grand ceremony of signing the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) with 8 organizations, in Naypyidaw on October 15 of this month. At the same time, it has been launching military offensives in the Kachin and Shan States more and more ferociously, day by day […]

As Case Goes to High Court, Kachin Women Maintain Husbands’ Innocence

MYITKYINA, Kachin State — Being forced to flee their burned out homes after fighting flared in Kachin State in June 2011 put incredible strain on the families of Lashi Lu and her fellow villager Hkawn Nan, who along with many of their neighbors took shelter in a Myitkyina camp for internally displaces persons (IDPs). But things got far worse for both women a year later, when soldiers from Infantry Battalion 37 arrested their husbands while they were working as cattle hands […]

Civilians Murdered and Widespread Use of Air Strikes Despite High-Level Meetings

Despite recent meetings between senior representatives of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), President Thein Sein and Burma Army military head Min Aung Hlaing to discuss a potential ceasefire agreement, incidents of aggression by the Burma Army have increased to levels not seen since initial fighting in 2011 […]

Parliament Committee: Re-impose Burma Sanctions If No Improvement In Human Rights

The influential Foreign Affairs Committee of the British Parliament has published a report today which calls on the British government to support the re-imposition of European Union sanctions on Burma in 12 months’ time if there is no improvement in the situation of the Rohingya, and if all political prisoners are not unconditionally released. […]

The FCO’s Human Rights Work 2013

Summary

In this report, we examine the 2013 Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Report on Human Rights and Democracy (2013 Report), and highlight some areas of particular concern. Promoting human rights should be a foreign policy priority, but for this to be meaningful, we believe that the Department would benefit from the establishment of clearly defined objectives and benchmarks to measure the outcomes of all of its human rights policies, and further prominence being given to these in the Report.

Countries of concern

The FCO designated 28 countries of concern in its 2013 report, where it judged the gravity of the human rights abuses to be so severe that a particular focus should be applied. We have concentrated our attention on three of these countries: Sri Lanka, Burma, and Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Favourable trade concessions to the EU market should be removed from Sri Lanka if the Government of Sri Lanka continues to deny the OHCHR investigation team access into the country. The Government should advocate re-imposition of sanctions by the EU if there is no improvement in the human rights situation in Burma. The human rights of Israeli, Palestinian and Bedouin citizens living in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories continue to be of serious concern to the UK. […]