Burma’s Challenge: Democracy, Human Rights, Peace, and the Plight of the Rohingya

Chairman Salmon, Ranking Member Sherman, and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today to testify on the important issues of democracy, the protection of human rights, and forging sustainable peace in Burma […]

Myanmar: End International Crimes, Hold Perpetrators Accountable

(GENEVA)—The government of Myanmar should commit to concrete actions to end and remedy ongoing abuses during its upcoming Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the United Nations Human Rights Council, Fortify Rights said today. Fortify Rights today published its formal submission to the United Nations on Myanmar’s human rights record, documenting four years of abuses. The […]

ASEAN Parliamentarians Urge International Action to Address Escalating Human Rights Concerns Ahead of Elections in Myanmar

NEW YORK, 14 September 2015 – With elections less than two months away, Myanmar stands at a critical moment in its political transition. But without deliberate steps to address core human rights concerns, including support from the international community, the country risks veering from a path toward democracy, ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) said today […]

Statement on Floods in Myanmar

(Yangon, 12 August 2015) Today I returned from Kale Township in Sagaing Region, where I visited communities affected by the floods and observed ongoing relief efforts. I was joined by government officials, several ambassadors, NGOs and UN colleagues […]

ASEAN Parliamentarians Welcome Announcement of Myanmar Election Date, but Raise Concerns Ahead of the Vote

JAKARTA, 10 July 2015 – ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) today welcomed Myanmar’s announcement of a date for its long-awaited general election, but warned that a nationwide vote alone was not enough to guarantee the country’s continued transition to democracy […]

Ethnic Armed Resistance Organizations Reaffirm Unity at Law Khee Lar

On 2-9 June, the Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) held a Summit hosted by the Karen National Union (KNU) in Law Khee Lar, Karen State to discuss the draft of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement, which was finalized on 30 March 2015 by the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) and the Union Peacemaking Work Committee (UPWC).The Summit reviewed the NCA draft, but there are still remaining points to be negotiated […]

Trafficking in Persons Report 2014

BURMA

Burma is a source country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor, and for women and children subjected to sex trafficking in other countries. Burmese men, women, and children who migrate for work abroad, particularly to Thailand and China, are subjected to conditions of forced labor or sex trafficking in these countries. Poor economic conditions within Burma continue to drive large numbers of Burmese men, women, and children to migrate through both legal and illegal channels for work primarily in East Asia, as well as destinations including the Middle East, South Asia, and the United States. Men are most often subjected to forced labor, often in the fishing, manufacturing, and construction industries abroad. Women and girls are primarily subjected to sex trafficking or domestic servitude. The large numbers of migrants seeking work in Thailand’s fishing and domestic work sectors do so outside formal channels. Some Burmese men in the Thai fishing industry are subjected to debt bondage, passport confiscation, or false employment offers; some are also subjected to physical abuse and are forced to remain aboard vessels in international waters for years […]

UN Must Act On G8 Call For Burma Dictatorship To Enter Into Dialogue

Burma Campaign UK today welcomed a statement by the G8, whose leaders have just held their annual summit, which calls on Burma’s dictatorship to enter into ‘substantive dialogue’ with Burma’s democracy movement, including ethnic groups. By calling for ‘substantive dialogue’ the G8 is recognising that elections due later this year will not solve the problems in Burma […]