Open Letter: Thailand must respect principle of non-refoulement and protect the rights of refugees

Your excellencies,

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its member organisations, the Union for Civil Liberty (UCL) and the Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma (Altsean-Burma), are deeply troubled by the actions of the Thai Army and border police to force at least 166 refugees back to Burma on 25 December 2010. These refugees fled their home villages in southeastern Burma due to armed clashes between the Burma’s military forces and ethnic rebels […]

Human Rights Council holds General Debate on Human Rights Situations that require the Council’s attention

[…]JEAN-BAPTISTE MATTEI (France) In Burma, 1,200 prisoners were still not liberated. Human rights were still systematically violated and France expressed its support for the Special Rapporteur’s recommendation to establish an international commission of inquiry.[…]

Burma’s Human Rights Record Up For Review

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners has submitted its report to the UN Human Rights Council for the Universal Periodic Review of Burma. The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a new mechanism of the Human Rights Council (HRC) aimed at improving the human rights record of all 192 UN Member States […]

UN Declares Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s Detention Illegal

UN Urges Her Immediate And Unconditional Release

Today, Freedom Now released Opinion No. 12/2010 from the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. The judgment from this international tribunal unequivocally reestablishes that the ongoing detention of Burmese democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is illegal and in violation of international law […]

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.[…]

United Nations Human Rights Council: Positive Steps on Country Situations and the Protection of Human Rights Norms

Commenting on the results of its 13th session which ended on Friday March 26th , FIDH considers the United Nations Human Rights Council has taken positive steps to respond to the human rights violations committed in Guinea and Burma […]

ASEAN Human Rights Commission Must Address Crimes Against Humanity in Burma

The Task Force on ASEAN and Burma (TFAB) calls on the newly formed ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) to make systematic human rights violations and crimes against humanity in Burma a priority.

On 15 March, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Myanmar, Tomas Ojea Quintana, told the UN Human Rights Council that human rights violations in Burma “are the result of a State policy, originating from decisions by authorities in the executive, military and judiciary at all levels.” […]

Letter to UNHRC Member States

A letter from the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the Alternative Asean Network on Burma (ALTSEAN), the Burma Lawyers’ Council (BLC), and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) calling on the United Nations Human Rights Council to endorse the conclusions and recommendations put forward by the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, Professor Tomas Quintana, in his latest report to the Council on March 15, 2010 […]

Australia supports UN Commission of Inquiry into Crimes in Burma

In a major victory for Burma campaigners Australia is the first country to publicly announce its support for a UN Commission of Inquiry into human rights abuses in Burma.

In a statement at the UN Human Rights Council earlier this week Australia’s representative to the council, Angela Robinson, said: “Australia would support investigating possible options for a United Nations commission of inquiry”. […]

Press Release on Recommendation of UN Special Rapporteur

The Karen National Union (KNU) warmly welcomes and earnestly supports the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in Burma, Tomás Ojea Quintana’s recommendation to the UN for establishing a Commission of Inquiry into war crimes and crimes against humanity by the Burmese SPDC military government.

We the KNU are fully in agreement with his recommendation, which is firmly based on his findings and the findings of his predecessors. It states the gross and systematic nature of human rights violations and the lack of taking action against the perpetrators, indicating that it is a state policy that involves authorities at all levels, in the executive, military and judiciary. […]