Executive Summary: "Section 1 of the Report ? the Introduction ? explains the background to the issue of HRDs in Burma, and outlines the current political situation in the country. In brief, since early 2011, when President Thein Sein?s quasi-civilian government came to power, Burma has undergone a series of reforms that gave many hope that the situation of HRDs would improve ? in terms of their freedom to pursue their valuable and legitimate human rights work. However, testimony and reports from inside the country paint a very different picture and, as the 2015 national elections draw ever closer, the democratic and civil society space within which HRDs can operate has started to contract alarmingly once again. Those who try to defend human rights now seem to be operating in as dangerous environment as ever..... Section 2 outlines the objective, scope and methodology of the Report. In particular, the research involved organizing 75 interviews and two focus group discussions (?FGDs”), conducted with a spectrum of HRDs, and across diverse areas within Burma. This broad scope of research allowed AAPP and BP to identify inter- and intra-sectoral trends across a range of human rights work. The objectives of the Report are to outline the specific risks and challenges that HRDs in Burma face in 2015, and to set out some practical protection mechanisms and policy recommendations that might improve the situation of HRDs. The long term aim is an improvement not only in the lives of the HRDs themselves, but also in the human rights situation in Burma as a whole ? to the benefit of all those living in Burma..... Section 3 first highlights the international legal framework intended to protect HRDs and their legitimate work. It then goes on to set out the domestic legislation that poses a threat to the work or lives of HRDs in Burma ? or indeed is actively used to target them ? while in the process highlighting high profile cases, reported in the media, which demonstrate how the legislation in question is being used. It finishes by analyzing the role of various important Burma institutions, in the context of the current repression of HRDs and the stifling of their work..... Section 4 sets out and analyzes the findings of the interviews and FGDs, and groups them into thematic areas. Each sub-section focuses initially upon the nature of the various challenges and risks that different types of HRDs face in Burma, identifying trends and patterns of abuse, dangers and threats ? whether real or perceived ? before going on to highlight existing and potential protection mechanisms..... Section 5 then captures all of the practical solutions and policy recommendations, addressed to a variety of key actors and stakeholders, which directly draw upon the experiences and perspectives of the HRDs interviewed. It is hoped that these recommendations will in turn improve the situation of HRDs in Burma, and allow them to better conduct their valuable and legitimate human rights work..... Section 6 ? the Conclusion ? states that even in 2015, HRDs in Burma are subjected to a whole range of attacks and abuses, and are therefore in dire and urgent need of protection. If the Burma Government were to start protecting HRDs, and respecting their rights and their valuable and legitimate work, the overall human rights situation in Burma would improve ? to the benefit of all people in Burma."