President U Thein Sein: Put Words into Action

Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) welcomes President U Thein Sein’s clear call in a recent address for the “release of prisoners with a view of fostering national reconciliation” – one of the major obstacles to Burma’s nascent democratic transition […]

President Thein Sein’s US Visit Branded by Broken Promises

For the first time in nearly fifty years, President Thein Sein will visit the United States and meet with President Barack Obama today, 20 May. This follows the historic visit by President Obama to Burma six months ago. The visit is an opportunity for the White House to pressure Thein Sein to continue the reforms that have been taking place and highlight some of the concerns the United States, the international community and particularly the citizens of Burma have. The visit also represents the more troubling view that there has been a relaxing of the US policy of rewarding positive reforms with increased engagement and that there is more interest in the economic and geo-political benefits of the relationship than addressing and solving the very large problems that the people of Burma are facing inside their country today.

When President Obama visited Burma, Thein Sein made a series of pledges; he agreed to create a commission to review political prisoner cases with the aim of releasing all political prisoners from custody, to allow the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to open an office in the country, to adequately address religious violence, more specifically to hold those guilty of violence against Rohingya people accountable and address resettlement and citizenship issues, and finally to allow humanitarian organizations access to conflict areas […]

Remarks by President Obama and President Thein Sein of Myanmar After Bilateral Meeting

PRESIDENT OBAMA: I want to welcome President Thein Sein to the United States of America and to the Oval Office. Last year, I was proud to make a historic visit to Myanmar as the first U.S. President ever to visit that country. And now President Sein is able to return the favor by making a visit to the United States, and my understanding is that this is the first visit by a leader of Myanmar in almost 50 years […]

Burma: New Doubts About Pace of Reforms

The United States should use the upcoming visit by Burma’s president to ask tough questions about the slowing pace of human rights reforms and insist on implementation of past commitments, Human Rights Watch said today. President Barack Obama is hosting a visit to Washington […]

Thein Sein Again Uses Political Prisoners As PR Tools

Following reports that 23 political prisoners are being released today, just hours before Thein Sein leaves for a trip to the USA where he is due to meet president Obama in the White House, Burma Campaign UK accused President Thein Sein of blatantly using political prisoner releases as PR tools […]

President Obama to Welcome Burma’s President Thein Sein to White House, Ignores Plight of Ethnic, Religious Minorities

Today the U.S. Campaign for Burma (USCB) expresses its dismay over President Obama’s decision to welcome Burma’s President Thein Sein to the White House on Monday, May 20, 2013, just days after President Thein Sein failed to effectively manage the multiple dangers Rohingya internally displaced persons (IDPs) face from the oncoming […]

EU: Press Burma’s President on Rights Reforms

Visiting Leader Should Endorse UN Presence, Grant Full Humanitarian Access

European Union leaders should press Burmese President Thein Sein on adopting key rights reforms during his visit this week to Brussels, Human Rights Watch said today. Thein Sein is set to meet a top-tier roster of leaders on March 5, including Martin Schulz, president of the European Parliament; José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission; Herman Van Rompuy, president of the European Council; Catherine Ashton, EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy; and others […]

Statement by President Barroso Following His Meeting with Mr U Thein Sein, President of Myanmar

Good morning ladies and gentlemen, I am delighted to welcome President Thein Sein to Brussels. This is a historic visit. This is the first time a President of Myanmar visits the European Union.Our meeting takes place after my visit to Myanmar […]

Thein Sein’s Europe Visit Undermines Prospects for Genuine Reform in Burma

Karen communities across Europe express concern over President Thein Sein visiting European countries and call on European governments to reconsider their foreign policy in light of ongoing serious human rights abuses in Burma […]

Myanmar Waits Approval of Draft Rights Law

A draft Myanmar National Human Rights law aimed at broadening the work of the human right commission and ensuring its independence has been sent to President U Thein Sein, the commission’s chairman said last week […]