NLD Government Must Protect Muslim Minority in Burma

(London, 5th July 2016) – On 1st July 2016, a mosque was demolished and burned down in Lepyin village, Lone Khin, Phar Kant Township, Kachin State. Authorities stood by as a mob carrying Buddhist flags and machetes destroyed the mosque […]

ASEAN MPs: Myanmar government must take action in response to anti-Muslim violence

JAKARTA, 4 July 2016 — Two recent attacks on mosques in Myanmar have again raised questions about the commitment of the Myanmar government to tackle rising anti-Muslim sentiment and the hate speech that fans it, ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) said today […]

Myanmar: Fair Trial Denied in “Muslim Army” Case, Torture Alleged

(MANDALAY, December 6, 2015)—The Myanmar government denied a fair trial to 12 Muslim men accused of receiving training from an armed group, Fortify Rights said today. Myanmar authorities allegedly tortured defendants now facing trial at Aung Myay Thar San Township Court in Mandalay Region […]

Letter from International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief to President Thein Sein

As the International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief, we write as a network of parliamentarians from diverse political, religious and geographical backgrounds to express grave concerns about limitations on freedom of religion or belief in your country and discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities […]

United States: Assign Tier-3 Rankings to Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Bangladesh in Annual Trafficking Report

(WASHINGTON, DC—April 22, 2015) The State Department should assign Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, and Bangladesh a tier-three ranking in its forthcoming Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report in order to encourage more robust and effective action to combat human trafficking, Fortify Rights said today […]

The Rohingya Crisis and the Risk of Atrocities in Myanmar: An ASEAN Challenge and Call to Action

Executive Summary

The longstanding persecution of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar has led to the highest outflow of asylum seekers by sea since the U.S. war in Vietnam. Human rights violations against Rohingya have resulted in a regional human trafficking epidemic, and there have been further abuses against Rohingya upon their arrival in other Southeast Asian countries […]

BURMA: USCIRF Strongly Condemns Race and Religion Bills

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) strongly condemns the package of race and religion bills that Burma’s parliament is considering. These bills would further restrict religious freedom and discriminate against all non-Buddhists, particularly male Muslims, in religious conversions and marriages. USCIRF criticized a May draft of one of these bills, the religious conversion law, as “irreparably flawed” and in contravention of “Burma’s international commitments to protect freedom of religion or belief.” […]

Myanmar: Freedom for All Prisoners of Conscience Must Follow Activist’s Release

The release of peaceful activist Dr Tun Aung, jailed simply for trying to prevent communal violence, is a positive step, but authorities in Myanmar should also free the dozens of other prisoners of conscience still behind bars, Amnesty International said […]

UN Myanmar Rights Expert: Backtracking on Democratic Space Gains Momentum in Election Year

YANGON / GENEVA (19 January 2015) – “Valuable gains made in the area of freedom of expression and assembly risk being lost,” United Nations Special Rapporteur Yanghee Lee said at the end of her ten-day official visit* to the country. “Indeed, there are signs that since my last visit, restrictions and harassment on civil society and the media may have worsened.” […]

UN Myanmar Rights Expert: Backtracking on Democratic Space Gains Momentum in Election Year

YANGON / GENEVA – “Valuable gains made in the area of freedom of expression and assembly risk being lost,” United Nations Special Rapporteur Yanghee Lee said at the end of her ten-day official visit* to the country. “Indeed, there are signs that since my last visit, restrictions and harassment on civil society and the media may have worsened.” […]