Burma Campaign UK Welcomes Political Prisoner Release

Burma Campaign UK today welcomed the release of a significant number of political prisoners, including members of the 88 Generation Students and journalists from the Democratic Voice of Burma, but also cautioned the international community not to forget those political prisoners still left behind in Burma’s jails […]

2012: A Year for Cautious Optimism

At the end of 2011, looking back at some of the initial steps taken towards progress in the country, 2012 looked more promising with the hope that real progress and substantive change would be coming to Burma. Only one week into the New Year, to our surprise, disenchantment has already set in.

On 2 January, President Thein Sein signed a clemency order marking this week’s 64th anniversary of independence from British colonial rule. Under the order, death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment and prisoners serving more than 30 years had their sentences cut to 30 years. Those serving 20 to 30 years had their terms reduced to 20 years, while those with less than 20 years had their sentences cut by one-fourth. Under this clemency, 6,656 people who had already served the time of their reduced sentences were released. However, as reported by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners – Burma (AAPP), at the end of the day on 3 January, only 34 political prisoners were freed. Those who have a critical role to play in the democratic transition and national reconciliation process will continue to remain behind bars for decades […]

All Political Prisoners should be Freed Immediately

The Burmese government is continuing its public relations game which has delivered little substantive change by refusing to honor previous promises to release all political prisoners […]

The Position Statement of United Nationalities Federal Council on Peace in the Country

The armed conflict, which has been going on between the non-Burman nationalities and successive regimes in power in the Union of Burma, is due to denial of equality to the non-Burman nationalities. This lack of equality is the crucial political problem underlying the politics of Burma […]

Clinton Should Prioritize Burmese Army’s Increase in Mass Atrocities, Violence Against Women During Trip to Burma

Today the U.S. Campaign for Burma welcomed the announcement of Secretary of State Hilary Clinton’s trip to Burma scheduled for December 1, 2011. We urge Secretary Clinton to prioritize seeking an end to the Burmese regime’s systematic and widespread […]

Myanmar National Human Rights Commission’s Open Letter to President Thein Sein

Myanmar National Human Rights Commission had in an open letter dated 10, October, 2011 submitted an appeal for the release of prisoners by granting amnesty to them. In our submission, Myanmar National Human Rights Commission […]

An Open Letter in Support of the President of Myanmar’s Decision on the Suspension of the Myitsone Dam Project and a Call for a Review of the Hatgyi Dam Project in Kayin (Karen) State

We, the members of Karen Rivers Watch wish to express our appreciation of your government’s decision on the suspension of the Myitsone Dam project in Kachin State . Karen Rivers Watch sees this decision as an important step towards […]

Burma Centre Delhi calls on the Prime Minister of India to push President Thein Sein to reveal its commitments for democracy

Today, Burma Centre Delhi submitted a memorandum to Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India during a three-day visit of Burma’s President, U Thein Sein to India. The Centre welcomed this visit considering that the two countries have a long history […]

Request Submitted in Open Letter by Myanmar National Human Rights Commission to President of Republic of Union of Myanmar

In a series of steps you have taken in fulfillment of the hopes of the people for good governance, clean government, flourishing of democratic practices, fundamental rights of citizens, rule of law, transparency and accountability, one perceptible step is the establishment of the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission on […]

Chinese Official Threatens Myanmar

The head of a major Chinese company behind a controversial dam in Myanmar said the project’s suspension by the Myanmar government last week was a surprise that “will lead to a series of legal issues,” in the latest sign of frayed relations between the two countries […]