UNSC Burma Meeting : Action Needed on Shan and Kachin Conflict

Burma Campaign UK is calling on members of the United Nations Security Council to take up the issue of increased Burmese Army military offensives in Shan State and Kachin State when they discuss the situation in Burma this morning […]

UN Security Council Must Agree Concrete Action on Rohingya Crisis

Burma Campaign UK welcomes the discussion on Burma and the Rohingya due to take place at the United Nations Security Council today […]

More Murders, Same Patterns as Burma Army Acts with Impunity

Yet another astonishing act of barbarity was committed by the Burma Army as two young ethnic Kachin teachers were raped and murdered in a village in northern Shan State. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case as this incident once again demonstrates the impunity that protects the perpetrators of such cruel acts.

According to Kachin Women’s Association – Thailand, (KWAT) Burma Army troops had arrived in the village of Kawng Kha Shabuk, near the town of Muse, northern Shan State on the morning of 19 January 2015. They had previously been involved in military operations against the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). In the early hours of the morning, villagers heard screaming from the church compound where the two teachers were staying. They went to check but could not ascertain what had happened. The next morning, a neighbor went to the compound to find the two teachers dead with signs of sexual assault and of being viciously beaten. Boot marks were found nearby their living quarters. According to KWAT, “There is strong circumstantial evidence that the rape and killing was carried out by the Burma Army troops which had arrived on January 19. These troops were stationed on guard around the village, and no one else would have dared carry out these crimes with the soldiers present.” […]

Statement: Civil Societies’ Review on Myanmar’s Transition Process: Prospects for 2015 and Beyond

We, more than 650 representatives from 257 organizations and networks in Myanmar, came together in Yangon for 3 days from 14-16 October 2014 to exchange opinions, debate and to assess a wide range of issues currently confronting Myanmar in the context of recent political developments and the transition process that started in 2011 […]

Navigating Paths to Justice in Myanmar’s Transition

1. Introduction

Since President Thein Sein and his government took office in 2011, Myanmar’s transition has unfolded at a pace that has surprised many and earned the acclaim of western governments, financial institutions, and private-sector investment analysts.1 The Burmese population of approximately 60 million has endured more than a half-century of military dictatorship, armed conflict, economic dysfunction, and political repression.2 A meaningful transformation into a peaceful society that enjoys economic development and functions democratically now seems plausible, though it is far from guaranteed. Ultimately, the blanket immunity afforded by the 2008 Constitution shields the acts attributable to prior regimes from any form of accountability.3 Whether the reform process will evolve to include measures that address the massive and systematic injustices of the past remains less certain.

Women of Burma Attend Global Summit To End Sexual Violence In Conflict

A delegation of women from Burma have joined the Global Summit To End Sexual Violence In Conflict. The Summit is being held in London this week, hosted by British Foreign Secretary William Hague and Angelina Jolie.

The summit is part of a new initiative on preventing sexual violence being led by the British government. The summit has four main goals […]

Conflict-related Sexual Violence: Report of the Secretary-General

The present report, which covers the period from January to December 2013, is submitted pursuant to paragraph 22 of Security Council resolution 2106 (2013) , in which the Council requested me to submit annual reports on the implementation of resolutions 1820 (2008) , 1888 (2009) , 1960 (2010) and 2106 (2013) with regard to conflict […]

Ramifications of Recent UN Actions for Burma

The United Nations Security Council has recently intervened in internal conflicts in Libya and Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), stressing the urgent need to protect civilians at risk. In only a matter of weeks, the UN Security Council has invoked the responsibility to protect twice, requiring the international community to intervene when a country fails to protect its own citizens. Does this suggest that the pattern of Security Council intervention in internal conflict is changing? Could this thinking translate into protection for civilian populations in other countries such as 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 […]

UK Government Supports Burma Regime Referral to International Criminal Court

The Burma Campaign UK today warmly welcomed a statement by the British government that it would support the United Nations Security Council referring Burma to the International Criminal Court.

The statement was made on 24th March by H.E. Mr. Mark Lyall Grant, UK Representative to the United Nations, after a meeting of the United Nations Security Council about the situation in Burma […]