Librarian's Choice
Librarian's Choice
Source/publisher:
International Labour Office (GB.313/INS/6 (Add.)
Date of publication:
2012-03-20
Description:
1. As stated in paragraph 2 of document GB.313/INS/6, the Supplementary Understanding was extended for an additional one-year trial period until 25 February 2013. The text of this Agreement for Extension is reproduced in Appendix I.....
2. In paragraph 27 of document GB.313/INS/6, the Office announced the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding regarding the development of a comprehensive, joint and benchmarked strategy for the elimination of all forms of forced labour in Myanmar by 2015. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by both the ILO and the Government of Myanmar on 16 March 2012. Its text is reproduced in Appendix II.
Date of entry/update:
2012-03-20
Type:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
485.01 KB
Local URL:
GB313-INI-6(Add)(en)-red.pdf
GB313-INI-6(Add)(en)-red.pdf more
Source/publisher:
Human Rights Watch
Date of publication:
2012-03-19
Description:
?When Burmese President Thein Sein took office in March 2011, he said that over 60 years of armed conflict have put Burma?s
ethnic populations through ?the hell of untold miseries.? Just three months later, the Burmese armed forces resumed military
operations against the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), leading to serious abuses and a humanitarian crisis affecting tens of
thousands of ethnic Kachin civilians.
?Untold Miseries?: Wartime Abuses and Forced Displacement in Kachin State is based on over 100 interviews in Burma?s Kachin
State and China?s Yunnan province. It details how the Burmese army has killed and tortured civilians, raped women, planted
antipersonnel landmines, and used forced labor on the front lines, including children as young as 14-years-old. Soldiers have
attacked villages, razed homes, and pillaged properties. Burmese authorities have failed to authorize a serious relief effort in
KIA-controlled areas, where most of the 75,000 displaced men, women, and children have sought refuge. The KIA has also been
responsible for serious abuses, including using child soldiers and antipersonnel landmines.
Human Rights Watch calls on the Burmese government to support an independent international mechanism to investigate
violations of international human rights and humanitarian law by all parties to Burma?s ethnic armed conflicts. The government
should also provide United Nations and humanitarian agencies unhindered access to all internally displaced populations, and
make a long-term commitment with humanitarian agencies to authorize relief to populations in need.?
Date of entry/update:
2012-03-20
Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
Internal displacement/forced migration of Kachin, Armed conflict in Kachin State - displacement and the humanitarian situation, Armed conflict in Kachin State - hostilities, Armed conflict in Kachin State - human rights violations, Armed conflict in Kachin State - economic factors associated with the conflict, Discrimination against the Kachin, Discrimination/violence against women: reports of violations in Burma, Armed conflict, adminstration, development and investment, Burmese refugees in China
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.72 MB
Local URL:
Untold_Miseries-Kachin-red.pdf
Untold_Miseries-Kachin-red.pdf more
Source/publisher:
"The Mirror" ("Kyemon") ကြေးမုံ
Date of publication:
2011-12-02
Date of entry/update:
2012-03-17
Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
Laws, decrees, bills and regulations relating to association and assembly (texts), Pyidaungsu Hluttaw: Laws and bylaws/rules/regulations proposed (bills) and/or adopted in 2011, Burma/Myanmar laws which have been used in political cases and are in need of amendment (texts), Burma/Myanmar laws, decrees and regulations (Pyidaungsu Hluttaw), 2011
Language:
Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Format :
pdf pdf
Size:
41.82 KB 101.23 KB
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Source/publisher:
International Labour Office (GB.313/INS/7)
Date of publication:
2012-03-02
Description:
Complaint concerning non-observance by Myanmar of the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87), made by delegates to the 99th Session (2010) of the International Labour Conference under article 26 of the ILO Constitution....Purpose of the document:
"In the present document, the Governing Body is invited to decide whether it wishes to institute the procedure under article 26 of the Constitution and, consequently, to appoint a Commission of Inquiry or to take any other action on the complaint of non-observance by the Government of Myanmar of the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87) (see the draft decision in paragraph 8)."
Date of entry/update:
2012-03-16
Type:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
more
Source/publisher:
International Labour Office (GB.313/INS/6)
Date of publication:
2012-03-15
Description:
Purpose of the document:
"This document informs the Governing Body about activities undertaken by the Office since the 312th Session (November 2011), includes a report of the Liaison Officer pursuant to paragraph 6 of the Supplementary Understanding and provides factual background information on the current situation. It also addresses the question of possible review of the measures adopted by the International Labour Conference."
Date of entry/update:
2012-03-16
Type:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
more
Source/publisher:
United Nations
Date of publication:
2012-03-12
Date of entry/update:
2012-03-15
Type:
Individual Documents
Language:
Espa?ol, Spanish, English
more
Source/publisher:
United Nations
Date of publication:
2012-03-12
Date of entry/update:
2012-03-15
Type:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
132.42 KB
Local URL:
HRC19-ID-Myanmar.pdf
HRC19-ID-Myanmar.pdf more
Source/publisher:
United Nations Human Rights Council (webcast)
Date of publication:
2012-03-12
Date of entry/update:
2012-03-15
Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
Statements and reports by the Special Rapporteur on Myanmar and the High Commissioner for Human Rights to regular sessions of the Human Rights Council, Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar at the 19th Session of the Human Rights Council, 30th meeting, 12 March 2012 (video)
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
156.59 KB
Local URL:
HRC19-ID-SRM-opening_stmt.pdf
HRC19-ID-SRM-opening_stmt.pdf more
Source/publisher:
United Nations
Description:
The Corporate Responsibility to Respect Human Rights: An Interpretive Guide (OHCHR, Advance Unedited Version, November 2011)...UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights 2011...Guide on How to Develop a Human Rights Policy 2011...A Human Rights Management Framework Poster 2010...Human Rights Translated - A Business reference guide, A joint publication of Global Compact Office and Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights 2008...OHCHR and Global Compact Human Rights and Business Learning Tool...A Guide for Integrating Human Rights into Business Management, 2nd Edition ...Guide for Integrating Human Rights into Business Management - A joint publication of BLIHR, Global Compact Office and Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights May 2006 ...Embedding Human Rights in Business Practice II...Embedding Human Rights in Business Practice I
Date of entry/update:
2012-03-15
Type:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Language:
English
more
Source/publisher:
United Nations - Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
Description:
Overview:
"The process of globalization and other global developments over the past decades have seen non-state actors such as transnational corporations and other business play an increasingly important role both internationally, but also at the national and local levels. The growing reach and impact of business enterprises have given rise to a debate about the roles and responsibilities of such actors with regard to human rights.
Industrial Park Factory Workers © UN PhotoInternational human rights standards have traditionally been the responsibility of governments, aimed at regulating relations between the State and individuals and groups. But with the increased role of corporate actors, nationally and internationally, the issue of business? impact on the enjoyment of human rights has been placed on the agenda of the United Nations. Over the past decade, the United Nations human rights machinery has been considering the scope of business? human rights responsibilities and exploring ways for corporate actors to be accountable for the impact of their activities on human rights. As a result of this process, there is now greater clarity about the respective roles and responsibilities of governments and business with regard to protection and respect for human rights. Most prominently, the emerging understanding and consensus have come as a result of the UN ?Protect, Respect and Remedy” Framework on human rights and business, which was elaborated by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, building on major research and extensive consultations with all relevant stakeholders, including States, civil society and the business community. On 16 June 2011, the UN Human Rights Council endorsed Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights for implementing the UN ?Protect, Respect and Remedy” Framework, providing ? for the first time ? a global standard for preventing and addressing the risk of adverse impacts on human rights linked to business activity."
Date of entry/update:
2012-03-14
Type:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Language:
English
more
Source/publisher:
United Nations
Date of publication:
2011-11-00
Description:
In June 2011, the United Nations Human Rights Council unanimously endorsed the Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights presented to it by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG), Professor John Ruggie.
This unprecedented move established the Guiding Principles as the global standard of practice that is now expected of all governments and businesses with regard to business and human rights. While they do not by themselves constitute a legally binding document, the Guiding Principles elaborate on the implications of existing standards and practices for States and businesses and include points covered variously in international and domestic law...This Guide in no way changes or adds to the provisions of the UN Guiding Principles, nor to the expectations that they set for businesses. Its purpose is to provide additional background explanation to the Guiding Principles that could not be included in the UN document itself due to space constraints, but which supports a full understanding of its meaning and intent. The Guide‟s content was the subject of numerous consultations during the six years of Professor Ruggie‟s mandate and was reflected in his many public reports and speeches, but has not previously been gathered together in one place..."
Date of entry/update:
2012-03-14
Type:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.13 MB
Local URL:
corporate-responsibility-to-respect-HR.pdf
corporate-responsibility-to-respect-HR.pdf more
Source/publisher:
United Nations
Date of publication:
2012-03-12
Description:
In this page, scroll down a little to the VIDEO ON-DEMAND Search, type in "Myanmar", Sort by: Date descending, and scroll down the results to "United Nations Webcast - Special Rapporteur, Interactive Dialogue on situation in Myanmar, 30th Meeting". This should be the beginning of the dialogue. When this is finished (about 15 minutesx) use your back button to come back up the list to get to the next item (the Myanmar presentation) and sumilarly fo view the government and NGO presentations...or go to the individual statements in OBL - text and video in one place.
Date of entry/update:
2012-03-14
Type:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
more
Source/publisher:
United Nations (A/HRC/19/67)
Date of publication:
2012-03-07
Description:
Summary:
"The recent wave of reforms has had a positive impact on the situation of human
rights in Myanmar. The upcoming by-elections on 1 April 2012 will be a key test of how
far the Government has progressed in its reform process. There is, however, a risk of
backtracking on the progress achieved to date. At this crucial moment in the country?s
history, remaining human rights concerns and challenges should be addressed, and justice
and accountability measures, as well as measures to ensure access to the truth, should be
taken."
Tomás Ojea Quintana
Date of entry/update:
2012-03-14
Type:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
384.44 KB
Local URL:
HRC-19-SRM(en)-red.pdf
HRC-19-SRM(en)-red.pdf more
Source/publisher:
Need-Burma
Description:
ABOUT US:
Message from Executive Director;
Who We Are;
History of NEED;
Ecological Crisis in Burma;
Why Sustainable Agriculture?;
Volunteer... OUR PROJECTS:
Model Farm (MF);
MF - Our Approach;
MF - Activities;
MF - Blog;
MFI School (MFI);
MFI - Overview;
MFI - Apply;
MFI - FAQ;
MFI - Calendar;
Village Level Capacity Building (VCB);
VCB - Skill Development;
VCB - Alumni Activities...RESOURCES & PUBLICATIONS:
NEED Publications;
NEED Videos;
Photo Gallery;
Alumni Resources;
Related Publications;
Resource Links;
Contact Us;
Donate Now;
Sitemap;
NEED Feeds;
NEED Brochure -
"Growing Food, Sharing Knowledge"
Date of entry/update:
2012-03-14
Type:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Language:
English, Burmese
more
Source/publisher:
UN OCHA
Date of publication:
2012-03-12
Description:
"...Between June 2011 and February 2012, instability
across Kachin and northern Shan states resulted in
displacement, damage of infrastructure and loss of
lives and livelihoods. Despite ongoing peace negotiation
between parties to the conflict, incidents
continue to be reported. Additionally, there are
indications that a number of people fled just across
the Myanmar-China border and live with relatives
or in temporary makeshift camps, but information is
still unclear and cannot be independently verified.
The number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)
steadily increased from September 2011 (approx
20,000 people) to an estimated 50-55,000 people at
present. These people sought refuge in camps, in
public buildings, in host families or in the jungle.
The numbers of IDPs continue to fluctuate and in
some locations, some IDPs temporarily return to
their villages to attempt salvaging some of their livelihood,
leaving some of their family members in
camps or with relatives. Available information indicates
that these returns are not permanent or substantial
in numbers, as IDPs continue to be concerned
over ongoing tensions and instability as well
as presence of landmines.
Whilst the Kachin State Government started a planning
exercise encompassing return and recovery
operations, the Union Government and the Kachin
State Government have clearly stated that only
those who wish to return should do so, and that
assistance in camps must continue. The State Government
indicated relief aid and recovery operations
will require support from the aid community
well into 2013.
Whilst partners are able to provide a wide range of
assistance to some 19,000 Internally Displaced Persons
(IDPs) located in fully accessible towns of Myitkyina, Waingmaw, Bhamo, Mansi, Momauk, Putao and Shwegu, some (mostly local) partners do
have some degree of access to population in other
locations. Limited ability for a wide range of partners
to reach all those in need resulted in further
suffering, as gaps and inequality in assistance is a
fact of life for a significant portion of the affected
people..."
Date of entry/update:
2012-03-13
Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
Internal displacement/forced migration of Kachin, Armed conflict in Kachin State - displacement and the humanitarian situation
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
594.96 KB
more
Source/publisher:
The Online Books Page (U PENN)
Description:
"There?s a vast range of online literature beyond what we index individually on The Online Books Page. Below we list some of the major sources and indexes of free online texts, in all languages, both general and specialized...".....Large-scale repositories...Significant indexes and search aids...Significant smaller-scale archives...Foreign Languages...Specialty Archives
Date of entry/update:
2012-03-10
Type:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Language:
English
more
Source/publisher:
Hathi Trust Digital Library
Description:
More than 1,000,000 items...125 search results for Subject: Burma - Full view....Copy of search results in Alternate URL.....The texts can be viewed on screen, but a "partner login" is required to download more than the current page
Date of entry/update:
2012-03-10
Type:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
219.62 KB
Local URL:
hathitrust-search-Burma-red.pdf
hathitrust-search-Burma-red.pdf more
Source/publisher:
LSE via Hathi Trust Digital Library
Date of publication:
1954-00-00
Description:
Read online...There are several viewing options. I found that using the Classic view (default), and clicking the horizontal navigation arrow, gave the fastest loading of the next page....
Edmund Leach
Date of entry/update:
2012-03-10
Type:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
more
Source/publisher:
Burma Centre Delhi (BCD)
Description:
"Burma Centre Delhi (BCD) is a non-profit organization which was formed with the aim to work for the restoration of peace, justice, democracy and human rights in Burma, India and other parts of the world.
BCD strongly believes that India, the world?s largest democracy, can influence Burma and other countries of the world in bringing about peace and democratic transition.
BCD also believes that the on-going political crisis in Burma is a clash between the oppressed and the oppressors and that only political dialogue can solve the problems that Burma has faced and continues to face.
BCD firmly adheres to non-violent political methods.
The Mission of BCD is to:
provide update information on Burma?s political, social and economic issues to the different levels of Indian people so as to raise the level of consciousness and actions for democracy movement in Burma
strengthen relationship and building network between the people of India and Burma for better understanding and solidarity
serve as a resource centre providing a platform for Burmese and Indian for sharing knowledge of two countries to know about each other
observe Indo-Burma relations and take initiative role for appropriate campaign and lobby to urge the Indian Government to support the aspirations for democracy and human rights"
Date of entry/update:
2012-03-10
Type:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Category:
India-Burma relations
Language:
English
more
Source/publisher:
Transnational Institute
Description:
Important papers on Burma/Myanmar including: Financing Dispossession; Ending Burma?s Conflict Cycle?; Conflict or Peace? Ethnic Unrest Intensifies in Burma; Burma?s Longest War: Anatomy of the Karen Conflict; Ethnic Politics in Burma: The Time for Solutions; A Changing Ethnic Landscape: Analysis of Burma?s 2010 Polls; Unlevel Playing Field: Burma?s Election Landscape; Burma?s 2010 Elections: Challenges and Opportunities; Burma in 2010: A Critical Year in Ethnic Politics...
Date of entry/update:
2012-03-09
Type:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Category:
Dialogue/transition: resources, Armed conflict and peace-building in Burma - theoretical, strategic and general, TNI-BCN Project on Ethnic Conflict in Burma
Language:
English
more
Source/publisher:
Transnational Institute, Burma Centrum Nederland (Burma Policy Briefing Nr 8)
Date of publication:
2012-03-09
Description:
Amsterdam, 22 & 23 February 2012
"A two-day conference under Chatham House rule was organized on 22-23 February in Amsterdam by BCN-TNI to assess ongoing social and political changes in Burma/Myanmar under the government of President Thein Sein. Sixty people at?tended, including representatives of Bur?mese civil society as well as international non-governmental organisations, diplo?mats and academics.Burma/Myanmar is in the midst of its most
important period of political transition in
over two decades. Previous times of
government change since independence
have led to conflict and division rather than
inclusion and national progress. Thus the
conference focused on developments in five
key areas – politics, ethnic relations, the
economy, social and humanitarian affairs,
and the international landscape – in order
to consider the challenges and opportunities
that present changes bring.
Analysis during the conference reflected
the rapid speed of recent change, welcoming
the potential that this provides for reconciliation
and addressing long-neglected
needs. But progress also requires realism
and the inclusion of all citizens to foster
stability and national advancement. The
rapprochement between the government
and National League for Democracy,
promised economic change and recent
spread of ethnic ceasefires are providing
grounds for optimism that Burma/Myanmar
could be embarking on a road to
democratisation and reform. Western
governments are keen to support such
processes. But the social and political
landscape is uneven, with differences between
Yangon, for example, and the rest of
the country. Burma/Myanmar is at the
beginning of a new time of socio-political
change – not at an end. It is thus essential
that domestic and international policies are
reflective of realities and support inclusive
reform. The divisions and state failures of
the past must not be repeated.
In politics, the new government under
President Thein Sein appears determined
to make the new constitutional system
work. Censorship has reduced; many political
prisoners have been released; and the
door opened to political exiles and international
critics. But there remain many
uncertainties about how the new political
system will evolve. Through the Union
Solidarity Development Party, a governmental
transition has taken place from the
military State Peace and Development
Council. But it is unclear how the NLD,
ethnic and other opposition parties will fit
into the political process. Peace talks in the
coming month and parliamentary by-elections
on 1 April may answer some of these
questions. But, in the meantime, there are
many shades of grey in the functioning of
government..."
Date of entry/update:
2012-03-09
Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
Dialogue/reform/transition in Burma/Myanmar - analyses and statements, TNI-BCN Project on Ethnic Conflict in Burma
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
206.34 KB
Local URL:
TNI-confreport0212-red.pdf
TNI-confreport0212-red.pdf more
Source/publisher:
International Labour Office
Date of publication:
2012-03-00
Description:
"...The Committee notes the comments submitted by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) in a communication dated 31 August 2011.
The Committee further notes the conclusions of the Conference Committee on the Application of Standards of June 2011. The Committee notes, in particular, that the Conference Committee noted with great concern the continued failure by the Government, over several years, to eliminate serious discrepancies in the application of the Convention. The Committee further observes that an Article 26 of the Convention complaint in relation to the application of this Convention is pending for decision before the Governing Body..."
Date of entry/update:
2012-03-06
Type:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
more
Source/publisher:
International Labour Office
Date of publication:
2012-03-00
Description:
Concluding remarks:
"The Committee fully endorses the conclusions concerning Myanmar made by the Conference Committee and the Governing Body, as well as the general evaluation of the forced labour situation by the ILO Liaison Officer. The Committee welcomes the positive developments, such as submission to Parliament of the draft legislation repealing the Towns Act and the Village Act of 1907; the expanded awareness-raising activities; the improvements in dealing with under-age recruitment by the military, including release of children and imposition of disciplinary and penal sanctions on military personnel; cooperation in the functioning of the SU complaints mechanism and its further extension for another year. However, the Committee observes that, in spite of the efforts made towards the implementation of the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry, the Government has not yet fully implemented these recommendations. Besides the steps taken towards the amendment of the legislation, the Government still has to ensure that, in actual practice, forced labour is no longer imposed by the authorities, in particular by the military; and it still has to ensure that penalties for the exaction of forced labour under the Penal Code are strictly enforced against civil and military authorities. While noting the positive developments referred to above, the Committee urges the Government to redouble its efforts towards the full implementation of the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry, by implementing the concrete practical requests addressed by the Committee to the Government. It expresses the firm hope that all the necessary measures will be taken without delay to achieve full compliance with the Convention, both in law and in practice, so as to ensure that all use of forced or compulsory labour in Myanmar is completely eliminated."
Date of entry/update:
2012-03-05
Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
CEACR: Observations Concerning ILO Convention No. 29, Forced Labour (1930) - Myanmar (English, Laws, decrees, bills and regulations relating to labour (commentary)
Language:
English
more
Source/publisher:
SIL International
Description:
234 results, March 2012
Date of entry/update:
2012-03-04
Type:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Category:
Burmese
Language:
English
more
Source/publisher:
German Institiute of Global and Area Studies Institute of AsianStudies
Description:
38 results for "Myanmar OR Burma" - full-text articles (March 2012)
Date of entry/update:
2012-03-04
Type:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Language:
English
more
Source/publisher:
DOAJ
Description:
Full-text articles...120 results for Myanmar, 68 for Burma (March 2012)
Date of entry/update:
2012-03-04
Type:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Language:
English
more
Source/publisher:
Mongbay.com
Description:
TROPICAL RAINFORESTS: Deforestation rates tables and charts
...
"According to the U.N. FAO, 48.3% or about 31,773,000 ha of Myanmar is forested, according to FAO. Of this 10.0% ( 3,192,000 ) is classified as primary forest, the most biodiverse and carbon-dense form of forest. Myanmar had 988,000 ha of planted forest.
Change in Forest Cover: Between 1990 and 2010, Myanmar lost an average of 372,250 ha or 0.95% per year. In total, between 1990 and 2010, Myanmar lost 19.0% of its forest cover, or around 7,445,000 ha.
Myanmar?s forests contain 1,654 million metric tons of carbon in living forest biomass. Biodiversity and Protected Areas: Myanmar has some 1709 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Of these, 4.7% are endemic, meaning they exist in no other country, and 5.9% are threatened. Myanmar is home to at least 7000 species of vascular plants, of which 15.3% are endemic. 0.3% of Myanmar is protected under IUCN categories I-V...."
Rhett A. Butler
Date of entry/update:
2012-03-03
Type:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Category:
Deforestation
Language:
English
more
Source/publisher:
DestiNet
Description:
Some useful links by way of browsing from the top bar. The search engines do not seem to work very well - too many dead links ..."DestiNet helps you to develop sustainable consumption and production in the tourism sector, both in the tourism value chain or at destination level.
DestiNet is tourist destination information service that supports networking of various sustainable tourism stakeholders. The portal offers a number of services including the option to submit EVENTS or NEWS and to suggest new links on relevant TOPICS, TOOLS or STAKEHOLDERS.
DestiNet is jointly administrated by the European Environment Agency (EEA), ECOTRANS a European network of experts and organisations in the tourism sector, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the World Tourism Organization (UN WTO). The main objective of DestiNet is to provide a user-friendly environment for the tourism stakeholder community to showcase best practices and share knowledge within DestiNet partnership (EEA, ECOTRANS, UNEP, WTO) and its users.
Based on this, the creation of Sustainable Tourism Knowledge Networks is now underway. Such networks will tackle issues relevant to developing, enhancing, and evaluating policy measures and the success of regulatory and voluntary actions concerning tourism and tourism destinations..."
Date of entry/update:
2012-03-03
Type:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Language:
English
more
Source/publisher:
Equations
Description:
"We are a research, campaign and advocacy organisation. We study the social, cultural, economic and environmental impact of tourism on local communities. We believe that tourism should be non-exploitative, equitable and sustainable. A question that has been central to our work and directs much of it is ?Who Really Benefits from Tourism??..."
Date of entry/update:
2012-03-03
Type:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Language:
English
more
Source/publisher:
International Land Coalition
Date of publication:
2012-01-00
Description:
"This report, authored by leading land experts, is the culmination of a three-year research project that brought together forty members and partners of ILC to examine the characteristics, drivers and impacts and trends of rapidly increasing commercial pressures on land.
The report strongly urges models of investment that do not involve large-scale land acquisitions, but rather work together with local land users, respecting their land rights and the ability of small-scale farmers themselves to play a key role in investing to meet the food and resource demands of the future.
The conclusions of the report are based on case studies that provide indicative evidence of local and national realities, and on the ongoing global monitoring of large-scale land deals for which data are subject to a continuous process of verification.
But while research and monitoring will continue, this report draws some conclusions and policy implications from the evidence we have already
Ward Anseeuw, Liz Alden Wily, Lorenzo COTULA, Michael Taylor
Date of entry/update:
2012-02-28
Type:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
more
Source/publisher:
Burma Centre for Ethnic Studies (Analysis Paper No. 2)
Date of publication:
2012-02-00
Description:
ပြည်တွင်းငြိမ်းချမ်းရေးနှင့် စစ်အာဏာရှင်ပြဿနာ။ ။ သမ္မတသိန်းစိန် အစိုးရ တက်လာပြီးနောက်ပိုင်း နိုင်ငံရေးပြုပြင်ပြောင်းလဲမှုများကို အလျင် အမြန်ပြုလုပ်နေပါသည်။ သူ၏ သမ္မတ ကျမ်းသစ္စာ ကျိန်ဆိုပွဲ မိန့်ခွန်း ၌ မြန်မာနိုင်ငံ တွင် နိုင်ငံရေးပြုပြင်ပြောင်း လဲမှုများ လိုအပ်ကြောင်း ရှင်းလင်းတင်ပြပြီး၊ တိုင်းပြည်ငြိမ်းချမ်းရေး (Peace)၊ တည်ငြိမ်ရေး (Stablity)၊ နှင့် ဖွံ့ဖြိုးတိုးတက်ရေး (Development) တို့ကို နိုင်ငံရေးပြုပြင်ပြောင်း လဲမှု အခြေခံမူ (၃) ရပ်အဖြစ် လက်ခံ ကျင့်သုံး မည်ဖြစ်ကြောင်း ကြေညာခဲ့သည်။ "The root cause of political crisis in Burma is not only ideological confrontation between democracy and a military dictatorship, but ethnic problems rooted in the failure to implement the Panglong Agreement in 1947. Since independence, however, ethnic problems, including over sixty years of armed conflict and civil war, have long been neglected and ignored by successive governments of the Union of Burma. Only recently, the Burman/Myanmar politicians from three different camps: the President, the ousted former military regime Prime Minister General Khin Nyunt, and democracy icon Daw Aung San Suu Kyi have expressed in unison that ethnic conflict is the major issue that today?s Burma faces..."
Lian H. Sakhong
Date of entry/update:
2012-02-28
Type:
Individual Documents
Language:
Burmese/ မြန်မာဘာသာ (English, Alternate URL)
Format :
pdf pdf
Size:
129.02 KB 218.06 KB
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Source/publisher:
Burma Centre for Ethnic Studies (BCES) - Briefing Paper No. 3
Date of publication:
2012-02-00
Description:
Although a number of initial peace agreements involving ethnic armed groups have been signed (see Analysis Paper No.1), sporadic fire fights and human rights violations continue to be reported in those ethnic areas covered. While there has been a tendency towards suggesting that such reports are indicative of the UOB Government?s deceitfulness, there is a failure by many observers to fully understand the enormity of the problem the country faces in relation to dealing with the military apparatus. Since 1962, and the seizing of power by General Ne Win, the Burma Army has made a concerted effort to fully militarise ethnic areas in order to completely control their populations. After implementing a scorched earth policy known as the four cuts campaign in the seventies, the Burmese military further increased its presence in ethnic areas and fully mobilised its troops through a number of operations against ethnic armed forces during the eighties and nineties. To ensure the complicity of ethnic populations in pacified areas, the Burma Army (BA) created a vast network of military outposts close to ethnic villages both in designated black areas, or free-fire zones, and brown areas, or contested territory where both ethnic opposition and government forces operate. As a consequence the military, both BA and resistance forces, has solely dominated and exploited the lives of those civilians in areas where they operate. It is hoped that this domination will be eroded by the new government?s peace initiatives; however, this can only be accomplished by encouraging reforms on both sides..."
Paul Keenan (author); Lian K. Sakhong (editor)
Date of entry/update:
2012-02-28
Type:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
483.58 KB
Local URL:
BCES-BP-No.3.pdf
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Source/publisher:
Future Agricultures Consortium (FAC)
Date of publication:
2011-04-08
Description:
Organised by the Land Deals Politics Initiative (LDPI) in collaboration with the Journal of Peasant Studies and hosted by the Future Agricultures Consortium at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex...Rich site with full texts of more than 170 papers and presentations from the Conference
Date of entry/update:
2012-02-27
Type:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Category:
International resources on land rights and tenure, Land research including land grabbing - global and regional
Language:
English
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Source/publisher:
Future Agricultures Consortium
Description:
A site with a large number of links to resources, including the papers of the 2011 International Conference on Global Land Grabbing..."FAC has been exploring what needs to be done to get different forms of agriculture – food/cash crops, livestock/pastoralism, smallholdings/contract farming/large holdings – moving on a track of increasing productivity and competitiveness. Through a series of debates, dialogues and conferences – at local, national and global levels – the Consortium has been asking in particular: what are the challenges for institutional design and wider policy processes, from local to global arenas?..."
Date of entry/update:
2012-02-27
Type:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Category:
International resources on land rights and tenure, Land research including land grabbing - global and regional
Language:
English
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Source/publisher:
Amnesty International
Date of publication:
2012-02-13
Description:
"Amnesty International?s written statement to the 19th session of the UN Human
Rights Council (27 February ? 23 March 2012)
Over the past year, Myanmar?s human rights situation has improved notably in some respects but has
significantly worsened in others. Freedoms of assembly and expression remain restricted; there still are
hundreds of political prisoners and many prisoners of conscience. In several ethnic minority areas
the army continues to commit violations of international human rights and humanitarian law against
civilians, including acts that may constitute crimes against humanity or war crimes..."
Date of entry/update:
2012-02-27
Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
Various rights: reports of violations against several ethnic groups, Oral statements on Myanmar by NGOs to regular sessions of the Human Rights Council
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
108.23 KB
Local URL:
AI- HRC-Written_statement-13.02.12.pdf
AI- HRC-Written_statement-13.02.12.pdf more
Source/publisher:
Human Rights Watch
Date of publication:
2012-02-08
Description:
World Bank: Emphasize Civic Participation in Burma;
Encourage Transparency, Accountability in Exploring Reengagement
Date of entry/update:
2012-02-26
Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
World Bank and its Watchers
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
202.57 KB
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Source/publisher:
Online Burma/Myanmar Library
Date of publication:
2012-02-26
Description:
Not all that much information, but it?s a start on this important part of the Burma Army
Date of entry/update:
2012-02-26
Type:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Category:
Army
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
50.9 KB
Local URL:
Commanders_of_Regional_Military_Commands.pdf
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Source/publisher:
Wikipedia
Description:
"The Myanmar Army (Burmese: တပျမတောျ(ကွညျး)), pronounced [taʔmədɔ̀ tɕ?]) is the land component of the Military of Myanmar. The Myanmar Army is the largest branch of the Armed Forces of Myanmar and has the primary responsibility of conducting land-based military operations. The Myanmar Army maintains the second largest active force in Southeast Asia after Vietnam?s Vietnam People?s Army.
The Myanmar Army has a troop strength around 492,000. The army has extensive combat experience in fighting insurgents in rough terrains, considering it has been conducting non-stop counter-insurgency operations against ethnic and political insurgents since its inception in 1948..."
Date of entry/update:
2012-02-26
Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
Army
Language:
English
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Source/publisher:
The Best Friend
Description:
"The Best Friend was founded in 1999 as The Best Friend Group of Literature, by two concerned monks with the purpose of encouraging people to become more educated, aware and active in the struggle for peace and freedom in Burma. The main belief is that education can open up people?s ears and eyes and is THE way to eradicate poverty.
At one point, The Best Friend operated fifteen libraries inside Burma. The libraries provided both monks and laypersons access to uncensored information and literature. Apart from that, they were meeting places where people could discuss freely. The Best Friend also teaches languages, such as English, French, Japanese and Burmese.
The Burmese military regime has been closely monitoring and controlling the activities of politically active people, especially since the 2007 Saffron Revolution. Many of the members and volunteers of The Best Friend were forced to leave Burma to avoid persecution. Several people, also monks, were arrested and are currently imprisoned. Simply for the crime of providing information and discussing about politics and freedom.
Today, only three of the fifteen libraries are still in operation. King Zero and Ashin Sopaka, the founders of The Best Friend, moved to the Thai border town Mae Sot and opened the first Best Friend Library in Thailand in 2008.
Apart from Thailand, The Best Friend has spread to many other countries in the world and has now active groups in The Netherlands, in Switzerland and Canada. It is legally registered as The Best International e.V. in Germany and is active raising awareness about the situation in Burma and giving information to people who wish to support the organization.
From its new base in Thailand, The Best Friend is developing projects supporting the many Burmese refugees in the area. In 2010, the Mobile Health Care Program was launched and the Relocation Project ? to help illegal refugee families move away from the Mae Sot rubbish dump ? was set up. The Best Friend also offers many classes, such as English language classes, computer and sewing courses, Dhamma teachings and children?s classes. All teachers work voluntarily and all classes are free of charge..."
Date of entry/update:
2012-02-25
Type:
Websites/Multiple Documents
Language:
English
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Source/publisher:
Burmese Women?s Union (BWU)
Date of publication:
2012-02-00
Description:
Executive Summary: "Burma?s continuing political repression and economic deterioration, coupled with China?s rapid growth, have caused a new phenomenon over the past few years: large-scale northward migration from Burma to China. The Yunnanese border town of Ruili (called Shweli in Burmese) has seen an estimated tenfold increase in the number of migrants from Burma since 2006, with numbers now exceeding 100,000. Formerly mainly employed in the jade, transport and sex industries, migrants are now working in a range of sectors, including domestic work, restaurants and hotels, sales, construction and manufacturing industries. Migrants are arriving from all parts of central and eastern Burma, particularly from the central dry zone, where continuing drought has deprived farmers of their traditional livelihoods. In Sagaing and Magwe, whole villages are draining of young people coming to find work in China. A large proportion of the migrants are women. During 2010 the Burmese Women?s Union (BWU) conducted in-depth interviews with 32 of these women from various work sectors. Most were from Burma?s central divisions. About half were high school graduates, and some had even graduated from university, but none had been able to find jobs inside Burma. The migrant women interviewed by BWU in Ruili revealed persistent patterns of work exploitation, occupational health and safety hazards and mistreatment by employers throughout different work sectors. A particularly dangerous kind of work being carried out by migrant women in Ruili is processing of petrified wood, imported from Mandalay Division and sold as highly valued home ornaments throughout China. In hundreds of small workshops, women are paid a pittance to sit for long hours sanding and polishing wood, using hazardous electric equipment and chemical solvents, without protective clothing or health insurance. On top of general exploitative work conditions, women also face gender discrimination, receiving lower pay than men in most sectors, no maternity leave and benefits, and suffering sexual harassment from employers. Health and safety risks are particularly high for the several hundred Burmese women working in the sex industry in Ruili and Jiegao, who are often forced to have unprotected sex, and face violence from clients, especially those who are drug users There are no existing mechanisms for foreign migrant workers to seek redress for cases of exploitation and infringement of their rights. They also forbidden from organising any workers? committees or unions. This has occasionally caused workers? pent-up resentment to erupt into violence against employers. There are no signs that the migration from Burma will ease in the foreseeable future. Burma?s November 2010 elections were neither free nor fair, and power remains constitutionally firmly in the hands of the military, which continues to receive the lion?s share of the national budget, while health and education needs remain critically underfunded. During 2011 the Burma Army has launched fierce new offensives against ethnic resistance groups seeking to protect their communities and environment from damaging resource exploitation. The military mismanagement at the root of Burma?s economic woes thus looks sets to continue, together with the outflow of migration to neighbouring countries, including China. Mechanisms to protect the rights of foreign migrant workers and prevent further injustices, particularly against women in China are thus urgently needed."
Date of entry/update:
2012-02-24
Type:
Individual Documents
Category:
Migrant workers from Burma in China, Reports about women of Burma by national, regional and international NGOs, Migrants' rights: reports of violations
Language:
Burmese
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.79 MB
Local URL:
Forgotten_Workforce(bu)-red.pdf
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