UN Human Rights pages on Myanmar

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Description: CRC, CEDAW and CRPD documents on Myanmar from 2004
Source/publisher: United Nations
Date of entry/update: 2009-03-18
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: Arabic, Chinese, English, French Russian, Spanish
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Description: Information about the Special Rapporteur on Myanmar, The UNSG?s Special Representative plus links to documents on Burma/Myanmar of the Charter-based and Treaty-based mechanisms
Source/publisher: United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Date of entry/update: 2008-03-29
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English
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Description: Some information about the Special Rapporteur plus list of documents and press releases
Source/publisher: United Nations
Date of entry/update: 2011-08-28
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English
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Description: List of UN Charter-based human rights documents on Burma/Myanmar
Source/publisher: United Nations
Date of entry/update: 2009-03-18
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish
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Individual Documents

Description: "NEW YORK (21 February 2024) – Myanmar’s military junta is becoming an even greater threat to civilians, even as it shows further signs of weakness and desperation through the imposition of mandatory military service, warned a UN expert. Tom Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, today called for stronger international action to protect increasingly vulnerable populations. “While wounded and increasingly desperate, the Myanmar military junta remains extremely dangerous,” he said. “Troop losses and recruitment challenges have become existential threats for the junta, which faces vigorous attacks on frontlines all across the country. As the junta forces young men and women into the military ranks, it has doubled down on its attacks on civilians using stockpiles of powerful weapons.” On 10 February, the junta issued an order that purportedly brought the 2010 People’s Military Service Law into force. Citizen men aged 18 to 35 and citizen women aged 18 to 27 are eligible for conscription, though “professional” men and women can be conscripted up to the ages of 45 and 35 respectively. Those who evade military service or help others evade military service are subject to up to five years imprisonment. A junta spokesperson has indicated that the junta intends to conscript 5,000 individuals per month beginning in April. In the face of inaction by the Security Council, the Special Rapporteur urged States to strengthen and coordinate measures to reduce the junta’s access to the weapons and financing it needs to sustain its attacks on the people of Myanmar. “Make no mistake, signs of desperation, such as the imposition of a draft, are not indications that the junta and its forces are less of a threat to the people of Myanmar. In fact, many are facing even greater dangers.” “By seeking to activate the conscription law, the junta is trying to justify and expand its pattern of forced recruitment, which is already impacting civilian populations around the country. In recent months, young men have reportedly been kidnapped from the streets of Myanmar’s cities or otherwise compelled into joining the military’s ranks. Villagers have reportedly been used as porters and human shields,” said Andrews. “Young people are horrified by the possibility of being forced to participate in the junta’s reign of terror. The numbers fleeing across borders to escape conscription will surely skyrocket.” The Special Rapporteur also called for an infusion of humanitarian aid for impacted communities, including through the provision of cross-border aid. “I implore the international community to provide increased levels of humanitarian aid to those impacted by the conflict while supporting leaders committed to a democratic transition process that affirms human rights, transparency, and accountability,” he said. “Now, more than ever, the international community must act urgently to isolate the junta and protect the people of Myanmar.” ENDS Mr. Thomas Andrews (United States of America) is the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. A former member of the US Congress from Maine, Andrews is a Robina Senior Human Rights Fellow at Yale Law School and an Associate of Harvard University’s Asia Center. He has worked with the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and parliamentarians, NGOs and political parties in Cambodia, Indonesia, Algeria, Croatia, Serbia, Ukraine and Yemen. He has been a consultant for the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma and the Euro-Burma Network and has run advocacy NGOs including Win Without War and United to End Genocide. The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Comprising the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, Special Procedures is the general name of the Council's independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity..."
Source/publisher: UN Human Rights Council (Geneva) via "Reliefweb" (New York)
2024-02-21
Date of entry/update: 2024-02-21
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Three years of widespread, systematic violence in Myanmar and the evidence against perpetrators is mounting Geneva, 30 January 2024 – Three years ago, the Myanmar military overthrew the country’s elected government. A host of serious international crimes followed, starting with the violent suppression of protests and arrests of those daring to speak out against the military regime. Thousands, including political opponents and journalists, have been detained without due process of law, and these detentions have often been accompanied by torture and other abuses, including sexual violence. The military takeover also triggered an intensification of armed conflicts in Myanmar, during which brutal crimes have been committed, including indiscriminate air strikes killing numerous civilians, mass killings of detainees, dismemberment and desecration of bodies, rape, and the deliberate burning of entire villages. Thousands have been killed, and around two million have been displaced. The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar has been collecting evidence of these crimes from hundreds of sources over the past three years. The evidence reveals a pattern that indicates that these are not isolated crimes but rather a manifestation of an organizational policy, implemented on a widespread and systematic basis by the military regime. No one has yet been held accountable for these crimes, which has deepened the culture of impunity in the country. Through our analysis of the information we have collected, including testimonies from survivors, defectors and eyewitnesses, we are assembling evidence which can reveal who is responsible for these crimes. This includes the identity of those who are directing this policy, and many of those committing the crimes on the ground, from the air, or inside detention facilities. We are investigating the perpetrators who ordered and executed these crimes, as well as those who failed to punish the crimes committed by those under their command. The Mechanism continues to collect and analyze new information it receives regarding past or ongoing crimes, and each piece of evidence takes us closer to seeing the perpetrators held to account. We stand ready to support relevant authorities from national, regional or international courts or tribunals who will prosecute these crimes, now or in the future. We believe that one day this evidence will be presented in a court of law and those responsible will face justice. *The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM or Mechanism) *was created by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2018 to collect and analyse evidence of the most serious international crimes and other violations of international law committed in Myanmar since 2011. It aims to facilitate justice and accountability by preserving and organizing this evidence and preparing case files for use in future prosecutions of those responsible in national, regional and international courts..."
Source/publisher: UN Human Rights Council (Geneva) via "Reliefweb" (New York)
2023-01-30
Date of entry/update: 2024-01-30
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "NEW YORK (24 October 2023) – A growing trend of coordinated action by Member States, including sanctions targeting key financial institutions and jet fuel, is offering the hope of a more effective path forward to weaken a military junta that is driving Myanmar deeper into a human rights and humanitarian crisis, said Tom Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, in remarks to the General Assembly’s Third Committee in New York. “The junta continues to attack the people of Myanmar with the relentless bombing of villages, hospitals, schools, and camps for internally displaced persons. But, non-Myanmar nationals are also being victimized by transnational criminal enterprises, including scam operations, that are flourishing on the border.” “Now is the time for UN Member States to strengthen and coordinate actions that weaken the junta,” Andrews said. “A world beset by conflagrations of mass violence must not lose sight of the runaway fire of brutality and human rights violations that is burning in Myanmar, threatening the lives of millions and eroding regional stability,” he said. In his report to the UN General Assembly, Andrews highlighted the junta’s attacks against civilians, including reports of mass killings, beheadings, torture, sexual and gender-based violence, forced labor, and the use of human shields by junta forces. Massive humanitarian needs have been exacerbated by the junta’s deliberate obstruction of the delivery of lifesaving aid, according to the report. Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh have endured drastic cuts in food rations even as they face the threat of coercive repatriation back into the hands of the same military forces whose genocidal attacks forced them over the border. “Junta leaders would like the world to believe that only they can restore peace and stability in Myanmar. The opposite is true. The junta is an agent of chaos and violence, creating a vacuum of governance in the country that is increasingly impacting Myanmar’s neighbours and the international community,” Andrews said. While condemning the actions of Member States that supply the junta with arms and provide other forms of material or diplomatic support, Andrews praised positive actions taken by governments to deprive the junta of weapons, money and legitimacy. “Sanctions targeting aviation fuel and key financial institutions relied on by the junta are potent measures that could help alleviate the suffering of the people of Myanmar and push the country back towards the path to democracy,” the Special Rapporteur said. “Some of Myanmar’s neighbours have boycotted diplomatic and defense summits attended by junta officials and denounced the junta’s plans to hold fraudulent elections,” Andrews said. “The international community must build on the momentum created by these positive developments through a working coalition of States that are committed to human rights and engaging in coordinated actions that add up to a powerful whole,” he said. “The people of Myanmar deserve no less.” ENDS Mr. Thomas Andrews (United States of America) is the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. A former member of the US Congress from Maine, Andrews is a Robina Senior Human Rights Fellow at Yale Law School and an Associate of Harvard University’s Asia Center. He has worked with the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and parliamentarians, NGOs and political parties in Cambodia, Indonesia, Algeria, Croatia, Serbia, Ukraine and Yemen. He has been a consultant for the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma and the Euro-Burma Network and has run advocacy NGOs including Win Without War and United to End Genocide. The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Comprising the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, Special Procedures is the general name of the Council's independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity..."
Source/publisher: UN Human Rights Council (Geneva) via "Reliefweb" (New York)
2023-10-24
Date of entry/update: 2023-10-24
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Six years ago this week, Myanmar’s military initiated its latest brutal campaign in a decades-long persecution of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Rakhine State. In what has been alleged to be a genocidal operation against the Rohingya, some 10,000 men, women, boys, girls, and newborns were killed, over 300 villages destroyed and over 700,000 fled to Bangladesh within a short period of time. In all, over a million Rohingya have fled persecution and systematic discrimination to seek international refugee protection in Bangladesh, and more than 100,000 others are being held in closed displacement camps inside Myanmar. In a sign of their desperation, thousands more continue to attempt dangerous sea crossings from Myanmar and Bangladesh, too often ending in tragedy. More must be done to hold the military to account for their repeated campaigns of persecution against the Rohingya, and for driving the country into its current human rights and humanitarian crisis. In the face of the impunity enjoyed by the Myanmar military for past and present crimes against the Rohingya as well as other groups, I call on States fully to support the ongoing international accountability efforts. Having spent many years trying to ease the plight of the Rohingya, my most fervent wish is for them to be able to return to their homes in dignity, in freedom and properly recognised as part of the diversity of Myanmar’s population. Their human rights must be fully respected and their security guaranteed. This is currently not the case given the precarious conditions in Rakhine State. Furthermore, the military has shown no willingness to address systematic discrimination against the Rohingya. In the face of competing crises, the international community must not forget the Rohingya people or their host community in Bangladesh. Humanitarian appeals for supporting the Rohingya, both in Myanmar and in the camps in Bangladesh, need greater support and funding. At the same time, third countries should expand Rohingya resettlement programmes or provide temporary protection, particularly in the region. And international efforts must be redoubled to reverse course in Myanmar and to ensure accountability and justice..."
Source/publisher: UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
2023-08-24
Date of entry/update: 2023-08-24
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Human Rights Council Fifty-fourth session 11 September–6 October 2023 Agenda item 4 Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention Summary The present document is the fifth report submitted by the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar to the Human Rights Council pursuant to resolution 39/2 of 27 September 2018. It covers the activities carried out by the Mechanism between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2023. Four years after it began operations, the Mechanism continues to actively monitor and investigate the deteriorating situation in Myanmar. Armed conflicts substantially intensified during the reporting period. The Mechanism reiterates its previous assessment that there is strong evidence indicating that serious international crimes are being inflicted against the people in Myanmar. With no foreseeable end to the violence, the work of the Mechanism to facilitate justice and accountability is more relevant and necessary than ever. The Mechanism has made consistent and notable progress in fulfilling its mandate. It significantly increased the amount of first-hand testimonial evidence collected, by conducting several investigative missions to refugee camps and other locations and by carrying out screenings and in-person interviews with witnesses, survivors and defectors. The Mechanism also continued to collect additional evidence, such as photographs, videos, audio material, documents, maps, geospatial imagery, social media posts and forensic evidence. By the end of the reporting period, the Mechanism had collected millions of information items, and engaged with over 700 sources and information providers. The evidence collected will enable the Mechanism to continue building case files and analytical products to prove individual criminal responsibility for serious international crimes in Myanmar. The Mechanism is sharing evidence it has collected and its analysis for use in ongoing judicial processes. During the reporting period, the Mechanism completed three major analytical reports to be shared with national and international courts or tribunals, focusing on the structure and reporting lines within the Myanmar military; the failure of Myanmar authorities to investigate or punish sexual and gender-based crimes; and the organized spread of hate speech content on Facebook by the Myanmar military before, during and after the 2017 “clearance operations”. The Mechanism made significant strides in expanding and diversifying its collaboration with civil society organizations, which make critical contributions to its work owing to their access to on-the-ground information and contacts with potential witnesses. In the second quarter of 2023, the Mechanism held its first civil society dialogue, bringing together representatives from relevant civil society organizations to deepen partnerships and strengthen processes for ongoing cooperation and information-sharing. The civil society dialogues will be a regular and important component of the Mechanism’s increased engagement and collaboration with civil society organizations..."
Source/publisher: UN Human Rights Council (Geneva) via "Reliefweb" (New York)
2023-06-30
Date of entry/update: 2023-08-09
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Size: 233.89 KB 304.08 KB 309.93 KB 456.77 KB
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Description: "NAY PYI TAW – Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Myanmar Noeleen Heyzer met with State Administration Council (SAC) Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in Nay Pyi Taw today, in her first visit to Myanmar as Special Envoy, to communicate in person the pragmatic steps to de-escalate the violence, address the multidimensional crisis and advance unfettered humanitarian assistance free of discrimination to all people in need. The Special Envoy’s meeting with the Senior General and his senior advisers is part of broader efforts by the United Nations to urgently support an effective and peaceful Myanmar-led political pathway to return to civilian rule based on the will and the needs of the people. The Special Envoy’s mandate as an impartialactor is to engage with all stakeholders in Myanmar, the region and globally consistent with the principles of the United Nations. The Special Envoy’s visit follows her extensive consultations with actors from across the political spectrum, civil society and as communities affected by the conflict. “The United Nations Secretary-General is extremely concerned about the gravity of the humanitarian, security, economic and political crisis,” Special Envoy Heyzer said. “My visit is to convey the concern of the United Nations and propose concrete steps needed to reduce the conflict and suffering of the people. UN engagement does not in any way confer legitimacy. The people of Myanmar have the right to democracy and self-determination free from fear and want, which will only be possible by the good will and efforts of all stakeholders in an inclusive process.” She added that the United Nations was focused on providing support to women in Myanmar, the protection and empowerment of whom is key to achieving peace and any economic and social transformation. The Special Envoy stated that any progress in Myanmar depended on an end to the violence and visible and significant improvements in the lives of people on the ground. Following the recent death sentences carried out against pro-democracy activists that the United Nations has strongly condemned, the Special Envoy directly urged the Senior General to impose a moratorium on all future executions. She also reiterated the United Nations Secretary-General’s call for the release of all political prisoners. “I urged the SAC to implement the Secretary-General’s appeal,” the Special Envoy said. “I also conveyed a specific request from the Australian Government that has asked for the release of Australian economist Sean Turnell. Personally, I call for the release of all children who are being detained in prisons or other facilities.” The Special Envoy amplified the latest call from the Security Council for an immediate cessation of all forms of violence, full respect for human rights and the rule of law, and full, safe and unfettered humanitarian access to all those in need. She called for immediate and specific de-escalation steps including ending aerial bombing and the burning of civilian houses and infrastructure. The Special Envoy stated her deep concern about civilian displacement across communities and the need for greater space for humanitarian actors to reach those affected with lifesaving support. She underlined that all parties must facilitate the unimpeded and immediate delivery of humanitarian assistance to all people in need without discrimination and free from instrumentalization. She highlighted the importance of delivery through all channels and raised the issue of an inclusive forum for humanitarian engagement, which several key ethnic armed organizations and other actors have asked her to establish, focusing on the emergency that is a direct result of the political crisis. The Special Envoy raised her request for a meeting with State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi following her latest sentencing. “I’m deeply concerned about Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s health and well-being in her current situation, and request that she can return home soon,” Special Envoy Heyzer said. “I want to have an opportunity to meet with her as soon as possible, both because I care about her personally and I believe she is a critical stakeholder for my dialogue with all parties concerned.” Ahead of her mission to Bangladesh later this month, the Special Envoy told the Senior General she plans to consult with the Government and visit the refugee camps in Cox’s Bazaar that host about 1 million Rohingya and other forcibly displaced people. She highlighted Myanmar’s responsibility for conducive conditions for the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return of refugees as well as to ensure that the Rohingya’s rights and well-being are integral to the future of a peaceful and prosperous Myanmar. The Special Envoy presented the Senior General with a copy of the UN Charter, on which the ASEAN Charter is based, and emphasized that sovereignty must come with development for all, leaving no one behind, and the promise that every individual in every country has an equal claim to dignity, respect and freedom from want or fear. The UN Charter is the foundation of the rule-based world order, the Special Envoy told the Senior General, adding that these norms and standards must be met if peace and stability are to be achieved. The Special Envoy emphasized the strong commitment of the United Nations to continue making all efforts to provide humanitarian assistance and community-based resilience support and protection services to people in need, guided by the internationally recognized principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence, and asked the Senior General to respect and support these efforts. She highlighted her continued resolve to act in a bridging role and leverage her convening power to address the protection needs and suffering of the most vulnerable and to end the conflict. Going forward, the Special Envoy and the Senior General agreed to engage in frank conversations, focusing on the need for inclusive solutions to a peaceful and democratic Myanmar, reflective of the will of the people..."
Source/publisher: UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs via United Nations Myanmar
2022-08-17
Date of entry/update: 2022-08-17
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Human Rights Council Forty-ninth session 28 February–1 April 2022 Agenda item 4 Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention Progress made in the implementation of follow-up action to the recommendations of the “A Brief and Independent Inquiry into the Involvement of the United Nations in Myanmar from 2010 to 2018” to strengthen the prevention capacity of the United Nations system* Report of the Secretary-General Summary In resolution 73/264 on the “Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar”, the UN General Assembly noted “the recommendation by the fact-finding mission on the conduct of a comprehensive, independent inquiry into the involvement of the United Nations in Myanmar since 2011 and encourage[d] the United Nations system to follow up on the issues raised and to ensure that all engagement with Myanmar takes into account, and addresses, human rights concerns.” Pursuant to General Assembly resolution 73/264 of 22 December 2018, and to resolution 39/2 Adopted by the Human Rights Council, the Secretary-General appointed Mr. Gert Rosenthal in December 2018 to conduct an independent inquiry into the involvement of the United Nations in Myanmar from 2010 to 2018. Following oral presentations to the Human Rights Council on the findings and implementation of the recommendations of Mr. Rosenthal’s review in 2020 and 2021, Human Rights Council resolution 46/21 (March 2021) invited the Secretary-General to provide a written report on progress made in the implementation of follow-up action to enable more effective work in the future and to strengthen the prevention capacity of the United Nations system. **I. Introduction ** In resolution 73/264 on the “Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar”, the UN General Assembly noted “the recommendation by the fact-finding mission on the conduct of a comprehensive, independent inquiry into the involvement of the United Nations in Myanmar since 2011 and encourage[d] the United Nations system to follow up on the issues raised and to ensure that all engagement with Myanmar takes into account, and addresses, human rights concerns.”1 Pursuant to General Assembly resolution 73/264 of 22 December 2018,2 and to resolution 39/2 Adopted by the Human Rights Council,3 the Secretary-General appointed Mr. Gert Rosenthal in December 2018 to conduct an independent inquiry into the involvement of the United Nations in Myanmar from 2010 to 2018. Mr. Rosenthal’s observations can be categorised as three sets of interrelated areas and challenges to be addressed: (i) UN structures, coordination, information sharing and decisionmaking; (ii) interaction with the host government; (iii) interaction with other Member States (both within UN bodies and bilaterally) and the wider international community, including international NGOs. Following oral presentations to the Human Rights Council on the findings and implementation of the recommendations of Mr. Rosenthal’s review in 2020 and 2021, Human Rights Council resolution 46/214 (March 2021) invited the Secretary-General to provide a written report on progress made in the implementation of follow-up action to enable more effective work in the future and to strengthen the prevention capacity of the United Nations system. Since Mr. Rosenthal’s review, the Secretary-General launched his Call to Action for Human Rights (Call to Action), which promotes a transformative vision of human rights across the United Nations system, recognising human rights as offering solutions and tools, and as speaking to the aspirations of every human being. The initiative underlines that “human rights are the responsibility of each and every United Nations actor and that a culture of human rights must permeate everything we do, in the field, at regional level and at Headquarters”.5 It also makes clear the link between human rights protection and prevention. The present report should be read in conjunction with efforts underway in the context of the Call to Action, as well as Our Common Agenda,6 launched by the Secretary-General in September 2021. Our Common Agenda contains recommendations across four broad areas, including a new social contract anchored in human rights. Together, the Call to Action and Our Common Agenda provide the UN system with the necessary frameworks, coherence, and momentum, to ensure that human rights is placed at the centre of our efforts across the three pillars, as envisaged in Mr. Rosenthal’s review..."
Source/publisher: UN Human Rights Council via "Reliefweb" (New York)
2022-03-15
Date of entry/update: 2022-03-16
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Format : pdf
Size: 166.37 KB
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Description: ''Myanmar has postponed a planned visit by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, The New Age, a Bangladesh daily, reported on January 15. Myanmar authorities canceled the trip following renewed fighting between government forces and ethnic rebels in Rakhine State. Thirteen Myanmar police officers were killed by Arakan Army militants on January 4 in attacks near the border with Bangladesh. Grandi was supposed to visit areas where hundreds of thousands of Muslim Rohingya refugees fled from to Bangladesh in 2017. The UNHCR was supposed to oversee a repatriation of the refugees in accordance with agreements reached between Myanmar and Bangladesh, but The New Age quoted an unnamed UN Security Council diplomat as saying the Myanmar side had “done nothing at all and didn’t particularly want that to be exposed.”
Creator/author: Bertil Lintner
Source/publisher: Asia Times
2019-01-17
Date of entry/update: 2019-01-18
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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