Open Letter to Permanent Representatives of Member and Observer States of the UN Human Rights Council

Dear Excellencies,

We write to you regarding Burma/Myanmar as civil society groups working on the ground in the country. We strongly urge you to continue the UN Human Rights Council resolution on Burma/Myanmar and as in past years extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur under Item 4 of the Council’s agenda. At this important juncture in the country’s history, we request the Council and the Special Rapporteur to work towards establishing clearly benchmarked guidelines that will act as a road map for the future of human rights in Burma/Myanmar […]

Myanmar: UN Support is still Required to Improve the Human Rights Situation – Amnesty International’s written statement to the 31st session of the UN Human Rights Council (29 February-24 March 2016)

The recent elections in Myanmar should not be seen as a sign that the UN Human Rights Council’s (Council/HRC) engagement is no longer needed in Myanmar […]

A Regional Solution to the Refugee Crisis Must Address Root Causes

On 29 May 2015, Thailand hosted the long-awaited Special Meeting on Irregular Migration to address the unfolding refugee crisis in the Andaman Sea. The talks brought together representatives from 19 nations mainly in the ASEAN region, along with delegates from the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). At the time of the meeting, the Arakan Project has reported that at least 6,000 refugees, mainly Rohingya, are unaccounted for and likely stranded at sea. Victims of discrimination and denied even basic human rights back in Burma, these individuals are risking malnourishment, dehydration, and abuse in order to escape repressed lives under the Burma Government.

As more and more refugees are rescued from the squalid conditions at sea, survivor accounts have begun to emerge. Human Rights Watch recently published accounts that detail the dangerous journey from Burma, including stories involving traffickers intentionally abusing the refugees in order to hasten ransom demands, being forced at gunpoint into departing refugee boats, and the cramped and overcrowded conditions of the boats used to transport the refugees. A 16-year-old Rohingya girl described her experience on board the refugee boat, “When I got to the big boat … I cannot explain my feeling I was so scared. We were about 16 people in one small room. The doors were always locked. The smugglers put the food and water through a small hole, we never saw them.” […]

Responding To Boat People Crisis in Southeast Asia – Special Meeting in Bangkok Must Formulate a Long-Term and Sustainable Solution

(Bangkok, 28 May 2015) – On 29th May, 17 countries will come together in Bangkok for the “Special Meeting on Irregular Migration in the Indian Ocean” hosted by the Thai Government […]

Joint Statement By UNHCR, OHCHR, IOM And SRSG For Migration and Development: Search and Rescue At Sea, Disembarkation, and Protection of The Human Rights of Refugees and Migrants Now Imperative To Save Lives in The Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea

We, the undersigned*, strongly urge the leaders of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, to protect migrants and refugees stranded on vessels in the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea, to facilitate safe disembarkation, and to give priority to saving lives, protecting rights, and respecting human dignity […]

Killing, Beheading and Disappearance of Villagers Instill Fear of Return Among Kokang Refugees

According to recent interviews by SHRF, Kokang refugees sheltering in China remain fearful of return, due to killing, beheading and disappearance of villagers caught returning home […]

Briefing Paper: Voices of Refugees – Situation of Burma’s Refugees Along the Thailand-Burma Border

(27 April 2015) Today, Burma Link and Burma Partnership launches a joint briefing paper, Voices of Refugees – Situation of Burma’s Refugees Along the Thailand-Burma Border, online. The briefing paper highlights how the voices of refugees continue to be neglected in Burma’s reform process […]

Myanmar “Needs Urgently to Get Back on Track”

GENEVA (25 February 2015) – UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein today warned that Myanmar “seems headed in the wrong direction and needs urgently to get back on track” in a crucial year for the country’s democratic transition and long-term reconciliation […]

WORLD REPORT 2015

Burma

The reform process in Burma experienced significant slowdowns and in some cases reversals of basic freedoms and democratic progress in 2014. The government continued to pass laws with significant human rights limitations, failed to address calls for constitutional reform ahead of the 2015 elections, and increased arrests of peaceful critics, including land protesters and journalists […]

Allegations of Ethnically Motivated Rape and Killing in Myanmar of Grave Concern

I am gravely concerned by the killing and the allegations of the rape of two young female teachers from the Kachin Baptist Convention in a village in Northern Shan State in Myanmar on January 20th. I call on the Government of Myanmar to ensure that an impartial and effective investigation into this killing and alleged rape is conducted in order to ensure justice, reparations for the families and accountability for the perpetrators […]