Asian Countries Place Business Interests Before ‘Grave’ Human Rights Situation in Burma

This week, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burma, Tomás Ojea Quintana, provided a succinct description of human rights in Burma’s post-election environment: “Despite the promise of a transition [in Burma], the human rights situation remains grave.” Meanwhile, the investment situation remains lucrative, with countries and companies pumping billions of dollars into ongoing and new projects. By placing business interests over human interests, the military regime and countries in the region continue to fail to advance and protect human rights in Burma […]

UN says Burma ‘a regional burden’

Increasing numbers of Burmese asylum-seekers in Southeast Asian states is evidence that Burma’s domestic crises are having a negative impact on the region, a top UN official has said […]

Week 33: 2010 Election Watch (19-25 October)

Developments

• SPDC authorities in Rangoon arrested at least two Buddhist monks who were handing out pamphlets protesting the election near the Shwedagon pagoda.
• People put up anti-election leaflets and posters in Myitkyina, Kachin State, and in Kyainnseikyi Township, Karen State […]

CHRO Calls for International Support for a Country-Wide Commission of Inquiry on Burma

The Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO) today warmly welcomes the report of Tomás Ojea Quintana, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Burma, and urges the international community to support a country-wide commission of inquiry into gross and systematic human rights violations and possible crimes against humanity in Burma […]

EU: Act on UN Inquiry Into International Crimes in Burma

Special Rapporteur’s Report Bolsters Call for Justice

Governments concerned about war crimes and crimes against humanity in Burma should move beyond mere condemnation and establish a United Nations commission of inquiry as follow-up to a UN expert’s report on Burma released today, Human Rights Watch said today. In a letter to European Union High Representative Catherine Ashton released today, Human Rights Watch called for Ashton and the EU to back the report of the UN special rapporteur on Burma, Thomas Quintana, and show leadership in support of a commission of inquiry […]

UN Burma Expert Warns General Assembly: Failing To Act On Crimes Will ‘Embolden’ Regime

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Burma has warned the United Nations General Assembly that: “Failing to act on accountability in Myanmar will embolden the perpetrators of international crimes and further postpone long-overdue justice.”

In a hard-hitting new report made public on 18th October, the Special Rapporteur repeats his call for a UN Commission of Inquiry into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Burma […]

“Failure to Investigate Crimes Against Humanity in Burma will Embolden the Generals,” says UN Rapporteur

The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Burma, Tomas Ojea Quintana, has said the international community has a responsibility to investigate crimes against humanity in Burma, in his latest report to the UN General Assembly.

“Failing to act on accountability in Myanmar will embolden the perpetrators of international crimes and further postpone long-overdue justice,” said Mr Quintana […]

Call for War Crimes Inquiry Foils UN Envoy’s Trip

By Marwaan Macan-Markar

When a UN human rights investigator for Burma called for an international inquiry to look into possible war crimes by the country’s military regime, he added significant weight to similar calls that had been made in other quarters.

But that call in March by Tomas Ojea Quintana, as part of a scathing 30-page report delivered to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, has come back to haunt the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, as Burma is also known.[…]

UN Special Rapporteur calls for the immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi

“I urge the Government of Myanmar to heed the call of an independent United Nations human rights body to immediately release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention recently adopted its sixth ‘Opinion’ on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, which has been made public […]

Human Rights Council holds General debate on Human Rights situations that require the Council’s attention

Thank you, Mr. President. The United States appreciates the opportunity to bring to the Council’s attention the following country specific situations:
• In Burma, the grim human rights situation documented for us in March by Special Rapporteur Ojea Quintana remains grim.[…]