84,000 Karen Civilians Call on Ban Ki-moon to Help Stop Attacks in Burma

On Monday 28 February 2011, a petition signed by 84,000 Ethnic Karen civilians will be handed in the office of the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, and other world leaders, including British Prime Minister David Cameron and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard. The petition delivery will take place in 8 countries including Japan, Norway, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Canada. This petition is endorsed by 30 Karen organizations from 15 countries around the world and it is the first time a Karen petition will be delivered to world leaders […]

New report warns crisis in Burma “puts the credibility of the UN at stake”

The United Nations is at risk of losing legitimacy for failing to establish a formal inquiry into alleged crimes against humanity in Burma, according to a new report published by the German Marshall Fund and the Legatum Institute.

The report’s author, Benedict Rogers, catalogues a grim list of large-scale human rights abuses and brutal oppression of ethnic minorities and opposition […]

Week 35: 2010 Election Watch (2-8 November)

Developments

Widespread evidence of electoral fraud, irregularities, threats, harassment, and lack of independent monitoring characterized Election Day and the days leading up to it:

• In the days before the election, local SPDC officials, polling station officials, and Union Solidarity and Development (USDP) members throughout the country solicited advance and proxy votes, in the overwhelming majority of cases specifically for the USDP […]

Week 32: 2010 Election Watch (12-18 October)

Developments

• SPDC Election Commission Chairman Thein Soe said that no foreign journalists or international monitors would be allowed to observe the upcoming elections.
• SPDC Election Commission Chairman Thein Soe said that 3,071 candidates, including 82 independent candidates, will contest the elections […]

Week 31: 2010 Election Watch (5-11 October)

Developments

• Youth activists posted signs that urged people to boycott the upcoming elections in 15 Villages across Arakan State.
• Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) organizers told residents of Shweza Village, Maungdaw Township, Arakan State, that if they did not vote for USDP candidates, they could be fined up to 100,000 kyat (about US$1,000) and serve one year in prison […]

Situation of human rights in Myanmar (A.65.367)

Report by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon covering the period from 26 August 2009 to 25 August 2010.

Week 23: 2010 Election Watch (10-16 August)

Developments

• The SPDC Election Commission set the election date for 7 November and also established a two-week filing period that ends on 30 August for political parties to submit their list of candidates for review and approval.
• The SPDC Election Commission designated constituencies for the National and Regional Parliaments […]

One Year on from Suu Kyi Sentencing – A Year of Inaction by UN

On the eve of the first anniversary of Aung San Suu Kyi being sentenced to 18 months under house arrest, the Burma Campaign UK called on the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to stop dithering and start acting to bring change to Burma […]

NLD Reject Burma Elections – UN Must Restart Dialogue Efforts

As the National League for Democracy (NLD) announced that elections laws are so unjust that it will not register as a party to be able to take part, Burma Campaign UK today called on UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to stop trying to persuade Burma’s generals to reform elections designed to maintain military rule. Instead the United Nations should renew efforts to force Burma’s generals to enter into dialogue with the NLD and genuine ethnic representatives […]

Statement Requesting UN SG to Call on SPDC to Stop Attacks against Karen Civilians

While we, the Karen National Union (KNU), welcome UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s expression of concern regarding new attacks on the Karen people, we do not believe that this alone is an adequate response to the current crisis.

We would like to remind the Secretary General that these attacks have been taking place for more than 60 years, […]