President Obama: Urge Burma To Stop New Political Arrests

Today, the U.S. Campaign for Burma (USCB), along with 41 other human rights organizations, expressed concern that the Burmese government is continuing to arrest political prisoners/prisoners of conscience at alarmingly high rates. These arrests blatantly discredit the Burmese government’s claim that all political prisoners will be released by the end of December 2013 […]

Letter to President Obama on Political Prisoners

Dear President Obama,

We are writing to express our concern that the Burmese government is continuing to arrest farmers, activists, human rights defenders, and ethnic minorities at alarmingly high rates. These arrests discredit the Burmese government’s claim that all political prisoners/prisoners of conscience (hereinafter “political prisoners”) will be released by the end of December 2013 […]

Burmese Political Prisoners on Hunger Strike in Jail

Three human rights activists, who were arrested in June, have been on hunger strike since 13th December. Khin Mi Mi Khaing, Myint Myint Aye and Thant Zin Htet were arrested for supporting farmers protests against land confiscation.

They have been on trial for more than six months. They have been refused bail, and faced more than 20 court hearings without a proper trial and verdict. They have gone on hunger strike to protest against their treatment by Burma’s judicial system […]

1,000 Letters About Burma’s Political Prisoners Delivered To William Hague

Burma Campaign UK today delivered 1,000 letters calling on the Foreign Secretary William Hague to pressure the military-backed government in Burma to set up a permanent and independent review committee for political prisoners and secure their immediate unconditional release.

Although there have been releases of many high profile political prisoners, hundreds of activists are still being arrested under repressive laws. In Kachin State and in Rakhine state, hundreds more remain in jail or are awaiting trials […]

Free All Human Rights Defenders and Stop Ongoing Arbitrary Arrests

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, an FIDH-OMCT joint programme, welcomes the latest release of human rights defenders who were among the political prisoners detained in Burma/Myanmar, and now urges the Government to immediately and unconditionally release all those who remain detained and to stop ongoing arbitrary arrests and imprisonment […]

Myanmar: Release of Prisoners of Conscience Positive But Many Still Locked Up

The release of several prisoners of conscience in Myanmar today is a positive step, but time is running out for the government to keep its promise to release everyone imprisoned for peaceful activism by the year’s end, Amnesty International said […]

Dispatches: The Political Prisoner Endgame in Burma?

The release of 69 political prisoners in Burma today is cause for optimism that the drawn-out persecution of peaceful activists, which reached its apex just a few years ago when up to 2,000 peoplewere locked up, is drawing to a close. Today’s amnesty includes the prominent rights activist Naw Ohn Hla […]

Political Prisoners Continue to Be Used as a PR Tool by Thein Sein

Today Burma Campaign UK welcomed the news that 69 political prisoners have been released but expressed concerns that, once again, the release of political prisoners is cynically timed with the visits of high profile international delegations.

Activists Aung Soe and Naw Ohn Hla were among the released prisoners, and their cases were highlighted in our No Political Prisoner Left Behind campaign in March and August 2013 […]

Thein Sein Urged To Release Bauk Ja

Burma Campaign UK today urged President Thein Sein to immediately release Bauk Ja and all remaining political prisoners unconditionally. Burma Campaign UK today highlighted Bauk Ja as political prisoner of the month as part of the No Political Prisoner Left Behind Campaign […]

Only One Side of the Story of Reform in Burma

By Khin Ohmar

The statement by Burma’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Wunna Maung Lwin, on 13 September at the 24th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, on the country’s recent reforms or “progressive developments,” made for interesting reading. Indeed, it seems to suit many, not least the Burma government, to impose a simplistic narrative on events in the country over the last two years. Yet such a narrative is only one side of the story […]