European Parliament Calls on the MNHRC to Intensify its Work of Promoting and Safeguarding the Fundamental Rights of Citizens

In a resolution dated 20 April, the European Parliament, among other things, called “on the National Human Rights Commission to intensify its work of promoting and safeguarding the fundamental rights of citizens.” This statement came only few days after Catherine Ashton, European Union High Representative announced that she has launched a programme to help the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission.

We welcome this statement as the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission is not yet an independent and effective mechanism to promote and protect human rights for the people of Burma.

We hope that the European Union will work closely with the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission in order to ensure it respects the Paris Principles. These principles are minimum conditions that must be met for a national human rights institution to be considered independent and effective in protecting and promoting the rights of the people […]

Catherine Ashton Launches a Program to Help the MNHRC

After decades of internal repression, we see dramatic and hopeful changes taking place in Burma. Here is a democratic transition unfolding in a peaceful, collaborative fashion, –acclaimed by the domestic electorate and the international community. Myanmar […]

Statement of the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission on Its Establishment and Its Current Status of Functioning

On 16 March 2012, the Speaker of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, based on the opinion of the Joint Bill Committee that the establishment of the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission (MNHRC) is not consistent with the Constitution and existing laws […]

Hluttaw Refuses Human Rights Body Budget

THE Pyidaungsu Hluttaw has refused to approve the government’s budget proposal for the National Human Rights Commission on the grounds its formation did not conform to the constitution […]

FM Marty Receives Myanmar Human Rights Delegation

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty M. Natalegawa received Chief of Myanmar National Human Rights Commission (MNHCR) U Win Mra and Chief of Myanmar Women and Children Affairs Committee (WCAC) Mya Oo at his office here on Monday.

The first-ever visit by chiefs of the two Myanmar institutes in Indonesia for a week was intended to follow up the two visits by the Indonesian foreign minister to Myanmar in October and December last year […]

Visit to Thailand of the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission

Mr. Win Mra, Chairman of the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission (MNHRC), accompanied by Mr. Nyunt Swe, Member of the MNHRC, is on a visit to Thailand during 12 – 15 February 2012 as guests of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The objective of this visit is to exchange views on human rights promotion and protection as well as bilateral cooperation. The visit is also part of the MNHRC’s tour to meet with the National Human Rights Commissions in ASEAN member countries […]

Statement of the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar

… During the mission, I met with the Minister of Home Affairs, the Minister of Defence, the Minister of Border Affairs, the Attorney-General, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the Union Election Commission, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs […]

Activities of the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission (5 September 2011 to 31 January 2012)

This report details the activities of the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission since it’s creation on 5 September 2011 until 31 January 2012. The report includes details on the formation of the commission and its members, the mandate of the commission, the funding and the functioning of the commission. It also provides information on the handling of complaints, statements and other activities of the commission […]

Burma Rights Body Lays into HRW Report

Burma’s government-formed rights commission says a recent report spotlighting ongoing abuses by the Burmese army is “unreasonable” and fails to acknowledge progress in the country over the past nine months.

Human Rights Watch said in its annual global report yesterday that troops “[continue] to violate international humanitarian law through the use of anti-personnel landmines, extrajudicial killings, forced labor, torture, beatings, and pillaging of property” […]

Release of Political Prisoners: One Step of Many Needed for Democracy in Burma

In its most substantive gesture to date, Thein Sein’s government released 651 prisoners on Friday 16 January. Among those released are ethnic leaders, leaders of the 88 Generation Student movement, and other prominent political prisoners. We applaud their release and recognize the importance of this step but further reforms are necessary in order for freedom and democracy to truly come to Burma.

The most crucial step that must be taken is the amendment or repeal of existing repressive laws, such as the Electronics Transactions Law, which subjects individuals to up to fifteen years in prison for the dissemination or receipt of information considered a threat to national tranquility, and the Unlawful Associations Act. Such repressive laws have long been used to imprison political opponents. As long as these laws remain on the books, the people of Burma will continue to risk arrest solely for expressing their opinion. This is something many of the recently released political prisoners know well, having been arrested, sentenced, released in an amnesty, and then subsequently rearrested multiple times. The concern that these political prisoners could be returned to prison should they seek to speak out against the government is of particular concern given that their release was based upon Article 401 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which allows for prisoners’ sentences to be suspended or remitted, but not cancelled as in previous amnesties. This means that should they be rearrested they could be forced to serve the remainder of their original sentence […]