Human Rights Reporting (global, regional and Myanmar)

expand all
collapse all

Individual Documents

Title: Market Analysis Unit: Market Price Report - Rakhine State (December 2023)
Description: "The MAU tracks market prices in Central and Northern Rakhine State and Chin State. Data are collected from three vendors per product per market in the last week of each month. Data and product specifications are available online through the MPR dashboard at www.themimu.info/market-analysis-unit. KEY FINDINGS Essential food prices skyrocked in December, as prices for cooking oil and pulses doubled; Vegetable prices added 50% to last month's hikes, as some prices doubled once more; Meat and fish prices rose 23% in many cases, and most NFI prices started the year at least 7% higher; Rathedaung and Maungdaw saw the most price hikes, but no markets were spared rising prices; Cooking oil and pulses are increasingly out of reach for many households following December's price hikes; Village-level access to goods will grow uncertain, as armed conflict shutters markets in multiple towns; Disruptions in Sittwe will affect supply regionwide, although high prices may reach crisis-levels soonest in Rathedaung and Muangdaw where hikes have surged. Product-Level Price Changes Essential Foods – Essential food prices skyrocketed in December as prices for pulses and cooking oil doubled. Most markets monitored saw cooking oil prices double in December, while prices for pulses popped 43% in some markets and 100-200% in others. Rice prices spiked in Sittwe and Maungdaw, although they held steady elsewhere. Vegetables – Vegitable prices bounded higher, often adding 50% increases to last month's price hikes. Most markets saw garlic, green chili, and onion prices climb 50%, 80%, and 200%, respectively. Prices for eggplant, long bean, and watercress typically rose 20-40%. These increases compounded November's increases of 100-300%. Rathedaung saw the largest vegetable price hikes in December. Meat and Fish – Meat and fish prices again rose slower than other foods, but they too added at least 23% in most cases. Price hikes for meat/fish were more moderate in Sittwe—and prices were fairly stable in Minbya—but elsewhere prices lurched higher. Dried fish rose 11-62%, fish paste rose 33-140%, and shrimp climbed 67-110%. Hygiene Products – Prices for most hygiene products climbed at least 14% in December. Toothpaste prices rose 11-34% in December, while prices for sanitary pads rose 5-73%. Soap and detergent prices were stable or rising in December, but retailers reported stockouts of some common soaps. Other NFIs – Prices for other NFIs also climbed by 7% or more in December, and charcoal prices doubled. Charcoal prices increased 36-100% in December, although prices held stable in Sittwe. Retailers in several markets reported stockouts of blankets. Most other NFIs saw price increases of 4-18%, while Rathedaung registered the deepest price hikes..."
Source/publisher: Myanmar Information Management Unit (Myanmar) via "Reliefweb" (New York)
Date of entry/update: 2024-01-20
[field_licence]
Type: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
Size: 1.1 MB
more
Title: Alarming Increase in Attacks on Education Worldwide
Sub-title: Ukraine War, Other Major Conflicts Accounted for Much of the Increase
Description: "(New York) – More than 3,000 attacks on education were identified in 2022, a 17 percent increase over the previous year, the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) reported in a data release today. The data were released ahead of the fourth United Nations International Day to Protect Education from Attack, on September 9, 2023. Almost one-third of all attacks took place in just three countries: Ukraine, Myanmar, and Burkina Faso, with the war in Ukraine accounting for the majority. According to GCPEA, more than 6,700 students and educators were reportedly killed, injured, abducted, arrested, or otherwise harmed by attacks on education in 2022, an increase of 20 percent from 2021. Armed forces and non-state armed groups using schools for military purposes also rose in 2022, with over 510 cases reported, compared with around 450 the previous year. Explosive weapons, both targeted and indiscriminate, were frequently used in attacks on education, causing widespread damage. Unexploded ordnance will continue to pose a deadly risk for years to come. “The International Day to Protect Education from Attack serves as a stark reminder that schools are not always the safe refuges they should be, but instead are often the sites of extreme violence and terror,” said Diya Nijhowne, GCPEA executive director. “The distressing increase in attacks last year underscores the urgent need for both armed forces and non-state armed groups to safeguard education, including by avoiding using explosive weapons with wide-area effects in populated areas, such as near schools or universities, and refraining from using schools for military purposes.” The coalition also released a new 39-page report, Non-State Armed Groups and Attacks on Education: Exploring Trends and Practices to Curb Violations, which found that, in 2020 and 2021, more than half of all attacks on education, and a quarter of reported military use of schools and universities, were by non-state armed groups. The report highlights the various motivations these groups have for attacking schools and educators, and provides recommendations and strategies for reducing these attacks. In 2022 and 2023, non-state armed groups continued to perpetrate a significant proportion of all attacks. In just one example, Al-Shabaab, an insurgent group in Somalia, claimed responsibility for a car bomb attack in October 2022 against the Ministry of Education that killed at least 121 civilians and wounded hundreds more. The Safe Schools Declaration, a political commitment to protect students, educators, schools, and universities during armed conflict, endorsed by 118 countries, plays an essential role in preventing, and mitigating the impact of attacks on education. By endorsing the Declaration, governments also commit to using the Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict. The use of schools as bases, firing positions, detention centers, training grounds, and for other military purposes, can convert the schools into military targets, putting the lives of those within them at risk, and deterring students and teachers from attending out of fear or because the schools are closed to education. Those who do attend are vulnerable to sexual violence and recruitment by soldiers. School infrastructure and learning materials are also damaged, affecting the quality of education, and sometimes making learning impossible. Since 2015, when the Safe Schools Declaration was launched, over a dozen governments have made changes to their national policies, practices, or military manuals, to limit the use of schools for military purposes. Non-state armed groups have also taken measures to safeguard education. In October 2022, several groups operating in Burkina Faso signed unilateral declarations committing to protect educational institutions. In Yemen, the Houthis – who control the capital and other parts of the country – signed an action plan in 2022 to end attacks on schools along with other grave violations against children. “Despite the chilling statistics on attacks on education and the staggering loss of life and potential that these numbers represent, there is still much hope,” Nijhowne said. “The Safe Schools Declaration and its guidelines on military use of schools provide a roadmap for preserving the lives and futures of students and teachers, and the communities they build. On this International Day to Protect Education from Attack, all countries should endorse the Declaration and put its commitments into action.” Notes to editors: The Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) is a coalition of UN agencies and nongovernmental organizations working in the fields of education in emergencies, protection, and higher education. GCPEA is grateful for the support it receives from the Education Above All Foundation (EAA), Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and an anonymous donor..."
Source/publisher: Human Rights Watch (USA)
Date of entry/update: 2023-09-07
[field_licence]
Type: Individual Documents
Language:
Local URL:
more
Title: Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on 4 April 2023: 52/31. Situation of human rights in Myanmar (A/HRC/RES/52/31)
Description: "Human Rights Council Fifty-second session 27 February–4 April 2023 Agenda item 4 Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention The Human Rights Council, Guided by the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenants on Human Rights, and reaffirming all relevant General Assembly and Human Rights Council resolutions and decisions on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Welcoming Security Council resolution 2669 (2022) of 21 December 2022, the Security Council statements on Myanmar of 4 February, 10 November, 8 December and 29 December 2021 and of 2 February 2022, the statement by the President of the Security Council on Myanmar of 10 March 2021, the meetings of the Security Council held on 2 February and 5 March 2021 and the briefing convened by the General Assembly with the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Myanmar on 16 March 2023, Reaffirming its commitment to the sovereignty, political independence, territorial integrity and unity of Myanmar, Condemning in the strongest terms the military coup by the Myanmar military on 1 February 2021, and the continuation of the state of emergency, including the extension on 1 February 2023, the declaration of martial law and its expansion on 1 February 2023, the suspension of the parliament and the arbitrary detention, arrest and politically motivated conviction and sentencing of President Win Myint, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, other government officials and politicians, human rights defenders, journalists, civil society members, local and foreign advisers, religious leaders and many others, Condemning also in the strongest terms the arbitrary detention, arrest and politically motivated convictions, sentencing and executions, including of pro-democracy activists, as well as violent acts, including extrajudicial killings, systematic sexual and gender-based violence, and torture committed against civilians, including health-care workers, children, teachers, students, lawyers, artists, journalists, human rights defenders and many others, which exacerbate the polarization and violence and worsens the humanitarian situation in the country, Expressing deep concern at the ongoing use of violence and the escalation of the conflict by the Myanmar military, which seriously undermine the enjoyment of human rights of individuals in Myanmar, especially those of women, children and older persons, as well as those of persons belonging to ethnic and religious minorities, including Rohingya Muslims, owing to the heavy militarization of Myanmar, aggravated by the continued access to arms by the Myanmar military, and at the deaths and many injuries as a consequence of the increase in the indiscriminate use of lethal force against civilians by the Myanmar armed forces and police, Underlining the need to uphold the rule of law and to fully respect human rights, stressing in particular the need to fully protect the enjoyment of human rights by women and children, stressing the importance of accountability, and expressing deep concern at restrictions on medical and humanitarian personnel, civil society, labour union members, journalists and media workers, Expressing deep concern at the increasing military build-up and use of military force throughout the country, in particular in the south-eastern, central, north and north-western parts of the country, which is making de-escalation and the provision of humanitarian aid even more challenging, Expressing grave concern at the attacks against and the harassment of journalists and other media workers, including arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearance, torture and other ill-treatment, killings and surveillance, and Internet shutdowns and other restrictions on and interruptions to the Internet and social media, including the amendment to the law on television and radio broadcasting, and the proposed revival of the law on cybersecurity, which unnecessarily and disproportionately restricts the right to freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to seek, receive and impart information, the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association and the right to privacy, as set forth in article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Expressing grave concern also at the ongoing conflicts between the Myanmar armed forces and other armed groups, at the increased use of violence by the Myanmar armed forces against civilians, including sexual and gender-based violence, and grave violations and abuses against children, at airstrikes killing civilians and destroying civilian infrastructure, at the burning of villages, at the continuing forced displacement of civilians, including of ethnic and religious minorities, at reports of violations and abuses of human rights, including abductions, arbitrary detentions, arrests and killings, and other violations involving the use of facilities functioning as schools, hospitals and houses of worship for military purposes, the use of landmines and at the enduring impunity that exists in Myanmar, particularly in the Myanmar armed and security forces, Reiterating the obligation of Myanmar to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of the child in accordance with its obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, including the right to education and the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, and alarmed that children continue to be subjected to the six grave violations against children during armed conflict and that the scale and recurrent nature of such violations and abuses will affect generations to come, Reiterating also the responsibility of the Myanmar armed forces to ensure the protection of the human rights of all persons in Myanmar, including persons belonging to ethnic, religious and other minorities, including the Rohingya, and reiterating the urgent need to undertake a full, transparent, impartial and independent investigation into all reports of violations and abuses of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law and crimes under international law, to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable in fair, independent and impartial criminal proceedings, including in domestic courts or tribunals, in accordance with international law standards, and to ensure that victims and their families have access to effective remedy, including by prompt, effective and independent casualty recording and guarantees of non-recurrence, Alarmed at the continued attacks on medical and humanitarian personnel, on medical facilities and on transport and equipment, and at the lack of humanitarian access, and calling upon all parties, in particular the Myanmar armed forces, to abide by international law, including international human rights law and international humanitarian law, and to allow and facilitate safe, timely and unhindered humanitarian access across the entire country for local and international staff of humanitarian and other relevant international agencies to provide humanitarian assistance independently, neutrally and impartially to all in need, in particular to persons displaced by the conflict..."
Source/publisher: UN Human Rights Council via "Reliefweb" (New York)
Date of entry/update: 2023-05-12
[field_licence]
Type: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
Size: 211.48 KB (Original version) - 12 pages
more
Title: Announcement on Formation of Advisory Board - လူ့အခွင့်အရေးဆိုင်ရာဝန်ကြီးဌာန၊ အကြံပေးအဖွဲ့ ဖွဲ့စည်းမှု အခြေအနေထုတ်ပြန်ချက်
Description: "1. The Ministry of Human Rights of the National Unity Government of the Republic o f the Union of Myanmar has formed an advisory board so a s to obtain technical input in handling human rights issues. Appointees represent various strata of life and were chosen and invited to the group based on their faith in and commitment to human rights principles, a s well as their professional experience and expertise in human rights and other related fields. 2. The advisory board is comprised of several activists and experts continuously engaged in promotion of women's and ethnic minorities' rights, including U Aung Kyaw Moe, human rights activist and Daw May Pale' Thwe, peace educator and member of Muslim of Myanmar Multi-Ethnic Consultative Committee. The advisory board will be expanded a s necessary. 3. The advisory board held its first meeting on August 25, 2021 during which ministry officials discussed documentation of human rights violations, and measures to bring justice for human rights violations and ensure NUG's functions are in line with human rights norms. The advisory board provided recommendations. 4. Ministry of Human Rights has been focusing its efforts to perform the duties and obligations of the people's government to respect, protect and fulfill human rights of the public. Ministry of Human Rights National Unity Government..."
Source/publisher: Ministry of Human Rights
Date of entry/update: 2021-08-27
[field_licence]
Type: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf pdf
Size: 17.29 KB 167.45 KB
more
Title: Myanmar military leaders attempting to legitimize power: UN Special Envoy
Sub-title: Six months after seizing power in a coup, Myanmar’s military leaders now appear to be moving to consolidate their rule, the UN Special Envoy for the country said on Tuesday, in her latest briefing to journalists in New York.
Description: "Christine Schraner Burgener said the situation in Myanmar “is still very worrisome”, amid a “severe” third wave of COVID-19 infections. Last week, senior army general Min Aung Hlaing announced he was appointing himself Prime Minister, and pledged to hold elections by 2023. Solidifying their grip “In my view, the Commander-in-Chief appears determined to solidify his grip on power with the latest caretaker government announcement; also, with the formal annulment of the election result from last year and declaration of the Commander-in-Chief to be Prime Minister of the country,” the UN envoy said, speaking from Switzerland. Ms. Schraner Burgener also expressed fear that the National League of Democracy (NLD), which won the November 2020 election, could also soon be forcibly disbanded. State Counsellor and party leader Aung San Suu Kyi, alongside President Win Myint, were detained in the 1 February coup. “This is an attempt to promote legitimacy against lack of international action taken”, she said. “And I have to make (it) clear that the UN does not recognize Governments, so it’s up to the Member States.” She underlined that “as long as Member States do not make any decision”, Myanmar’s Permanent Representative in New York, Kyaw Moe Tun, remains the country’s legitimate UN Ambassador, while Ms. Suu Kyi and President Myint are its leaders. Recently, international media reported that a plot was uncovered to kill or injure Ambassador Tun, who denounced the coup in the General Assembly Hall in New York. “I was really shocked to hear this, and clearly it’s now up to the investigation team to find out who is behind this attack,” said Ms.Schraner Burgener. Violence and pandemic The situation on the ground in Myanmar remains “very difficult”, she reported. “There is no freedom of speech, and I have still grave concerns about attacks against the free press. And I urge always in my discussions with the army to release political prisoners, including many media workers.” The military cracked down on pro-democracy demonstrations in the wake of the coup, and more than 960 people have been killed so far. Thousands more were arrested and detained, including foreigners and over 100 children. Meanwhile, clashes between the army and local defense forces continue. Violence has risen, and the defense groups are increasingly using “professional weapons”. At the same time, Myanmar is also facing a devastating battle against the coronavirus. More than 331,000 cases have been reported. UN agencies and partners are working to resume provision of health assistance, with priority given to vaccine rollout through the global solidarity initiative, COVAX, and to revitalizing immunizations generally. Ongoing UN engagement Ms. Schraner Burgener continues her engagement to find a peaceful solution to the political crisis in Myanmar, although she has yet to be allowed to travel there. The UN Special Envoy has been holding talks with the military, ethnic armed organizations, and other stakeholders, who include the National Unity Government (NUG), formed by exiled lawmakers ousted in the coup. Representatives come from the NLD, other parties and ethnic armed groups. Over the past two months, she has been promoting the idea of an inclusive dialogue organized around four “clusters” covering pandemic response, humanitarian assistance, and issues related to the Rohingya community. The final and biggest cluster would address root causes of the crisis, such as discussions around the federal system, the constitution, law reforms and the electoral system. She has also proposed establishing an international observer group on Myanmar. Membership would comprise China, India, Japan, Thailand, the United States, the United Kingdom, Norway, and Switzerland, in addition to the UN, the European Union and the Southeast Asian regional bloc, ASEAN. Promoting inclusive dialogue “The ethnic armed groups were in the majority very positive of this idea, and really want to find a peaceful solution,” she said, referring to the dialogue proposal. “The NUG…was interested in the idea but clearly would have pre-conditions to start such a dialogue.” Ms. Schraner Burgener held “a long conversation” with Soe Win, the army’s Deputy Commander-in-Chief, on 16 July. Although receptive to some of her ideas, including integrating health workers in COVID-19 prevention measures, “on the dialogue, I didn’t receive an answer: not a positive, not a negative.” She hoped that with the recent appointment of an ASEAN Special Envoy on Myanmar, an all-inclusive dialogue will take place, otherwise “it goes more and more in the direction of a civil war,” she warned..."
Source/publisher: UN News
Date of entry/update: 2021-08-11
[field_licence]
Type: Individual Documents
Language:
Local URL:
more
Title: Myanmar police occupy hospitals in Yangon ahead of national strike
Sub-title: Human rights group says move is a breach of international law as labour unions call for extended stop work
Description: "Police in Myanmar have occupied hospitals and universities and reportedly arrested hundreds of people involved in protesting last month’s military coup, while a coalition of labour unions called a nationwide strike for Monday. Tension was high in the country’s biggest city, Yangon, on Sunday night, where gunshots from heavy weapons could be heard in several areas after the 8pm curfew. The sounds of what apparently were stun grenades could also be heard on videos posted on social media. Some of the shooting was heard near hospitals, where reports said neighbourhood residents sought to block the entry of police and soldiers. Security forces have previously targeted medical personnel and facilities, attacking ambulances and their crews. There are fears the police presence in hospitals would allow authorities to arrest wounded people presumed to be protesters. The international Physicians for Human Rights group condemned the occupation of hospitals, saying in a statement that it was “appalled by this latest wave of violence by the Myanmar military, including the invasion and occupation of public hospitals and wanton excessive force against civilians”. “If it was not obvious before, it is absolutely clear now: the Myanmar military will not stop violating the rights of the people of Myanmar until the international community acts decisively to prevent and account for these outrageous acts,” it said. The group said the occupation of hospitals by force was a violation of international law which “only serves to further undermine a health care system already embattled by the Covid-19 pandemic and by the military’s recent coup d’état”. It said one eyewitness account reported armed security forces entering and seeking to occupy West Yangon General Hospital by force. It said it also had reports of Yangon General Hospital, North Okkalapa Waibagi Specialist Hospital, South Okkalapa Women and Children’s Hospital, East Yangon General Hospital, and Central Women’s Hospital, being occupied by the military. The group said it had received similar reports from Mandalay, Monywa, and Taunggyi. An alliance of influential worker unions in Myanmar has called for an extended nationwide strike starting on Monday, with the intention of causing the “full, extended shutdown” of the country’s economy in an attempt to halt the military coup. In a statement, nine labour organisations called on “all Myanmar people” to stop work in an effort to reverse the seizure of power by the military. Workers in several industries have joined the protest movement, most notably from the state railway and the banking sector. Moe Sanda Myint, chair of the Federation of Garment Workers Myanmar, said she believed the majority of workers would join. “We are urging to continue the strike until the dictatorship is uprooted,” she said. Andrew Tillett-Saks, Myanmar country program director for the Solidarity Center, a US-based worker rights organisation, said the strike “increases the likelihood that many more from the private sector will answer the call in the days and weeks that follow”. “This is a strategy that could actually plausibly really pressure the military,” he said. Tens of thousands of people came out in Myanmar on Sunday in one of the biggest days of protest against the coup, despite overnight raids by security forces in Yangon, on campaign leaders and opposition activists. In a single Yangon neighbourhood, Shwepyitha, at least 100 students were reported to have been arrested, and many protesters were also said to have been detained in other cities, especially at universities. Police fired teargas and stun grenades in Lashio town in the country’s northern Shan region, according to live video posted on Facebook. A witness said police opened fire to break up a protest in the historic temple town of Bagan, but it was not clear if they were using rubber bullets or live ammunition..."
Source/publisher: "The Guardian" (UK)
Date of entry/update: 2021-03-08
[field_licence]
Type: Individual Documents
Language:
Local URL:
more
Title: Myanmar crisis now or never moment for ASEAN
Description: "More than a month on from a democracy-suspending military coup in Myanmar, many see the junta’s increasingly violent crackdown on dissent as approaching a point of no return. As the United States and others press for tougher sanctions on the junta’s leaders, Southeast Asian nations are under pressure to intervene to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe. With its credibility on the line after past failures to tackle human rights crises in the region, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is still widely seen as the best hope for a diplomatic solution amid uncharacteristic outspokenness from some of its member states who are pushing to build a regional consensus on the need for Myanmar to return to democracy. But the grouping isn’t speaking with one voice, with some of its members describing the putsch as an internal matter, consistent with the bloc’s long-held tradition of non-interference in members’ domestic affairs. Moreover, the organization’s diplomatic efforts have been met with skepticism by those protesting across Myanmar who are staunchly opposed to any engagement that would confer legitimacy onto Naypyidaw’s generals..."
Source/publisher: "Asia Times" (Hong Kong)
Date of entry/update: 2021-03-05
[field_licence]
Type: Individual Documents
Language:
Local URL:
more
Title: Myanmar: Reporter placed in chokehold as 6 journalists charged
Sub-title: Six journalists are facing charges punishable with up to three years in prison amid a crackdown on anti-coup protests.
Description: "The Associated Press news agency released a video on Wednesday that showed Myanmar security forces holding an AP journalist in a chokehold and handcuffs as security forces crack down on anti-coup protests. Myanmar authorities have charged Thein Zaw and five other journalists with violating a public order law, which could put them in prison for up to three years. "Independent journalists must be allowed to freely and safely report the news without fear of retribution," Ian Phillips, AP vice president for international news, said on Wednesday, calling for Thein Zaw's immediate release. What did the video show? In the AP video, Thein Zaw appears to be photographing security forces running at protesters on Saturday in Myanmar's largest city Yangon. Thein Zaw tries to escape as seven people place him in a chokehold and handcuffs. A policeman then pulls him with the handcuffs. What do we know about the charges? According to AP, Thein Zaw's lawyer said he faces charges under a law that punishes spreading false news, causing fear, or agitating for a criminal offense against public employees. The junta amended the law last month to increase the penalty from two years and widen its jurisdiction, the lawyer told AP. Thein Zaw, 32, is reportedly being held in Insein Prison in northern Yangon, where previous military regimes sent political prisoners. AP said that the lawyer confirmed Thein Zaw could be held until March 12 without another hearing. Among the charged journalists are reporters working for Myanmar Now, Myanmar Photo Agency, 7Day News, Zee Kwet online news and a freelancer, AP reported..."
Source/publisher: "DW News" (Germany)
Date of entry/update: 2021-03-04
[field_licence]
Type: Individual Documents
Language:
Local URL:
more
Title: Democracy in Myanmar still under threat
Description: "Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) secured a landslide victory in November’s 2020 general election. The NLD’s massive win was shocking even for close observers of Myanmar politics, who anticipated the party’s popularity to take a hit after five years of controversial rule. Since the NLD has been in power, Myanmar’s nascent democracy has not met expectations. The country’s human rights record has not improved, the peace process is stalled, and repression of government critics is continuing. Economic growth has slowed down due to the inefficient bureaucracy and volatile conflict situation. Pro-democracy activists are wary of Aung San Suu Kyi’s growing authoritarianism while the international community now calls her a pariah. The NLD did poorly in its 2017 and 2018 by-elections, a downward trend that was expected to continue. What does the NLD’s electoral victory suggest about Myanmar’s road to democracy? Myanmar’s democratic institutions are working relatively well. The Union Parliament (Pyidaungsu Hluttaw) has been one of the most active government institutions since its birth in 2011, which implies that parliamentary democracy is functioning. General elections are held every five years and, while there is still room for improvement, no significant electoral fraud, violence or manipulation were reported in November. The voter turnout of 71.6 per cent is also an encouraging sign, up from 69 per cent in 2015. But other aspects of Myanmar’s democratisation have regressed over the last five years. The government has tightened control over the media, causing overall freedom to decline and civil society space to shrink. Restrictive laws such as the Telecommunication Law, Unlawful Association Act and the defamation section in the Penal Code intimidate the media, while journalists have been detained for reporting on the conflict in Rakhine State. The COVID-19 pandemic has also affected the electoral landscape, with domestic and international observers criticising the Union Election Commission for introducing restrictions on election campaigns and cancelling the vote in some townships in Rakhine, Shan, Kachin and Kayin states. Continued ethnic conflict presents another challenge. The violent situation in Rakhine State has not yet been contained. Although there was no visible political violence during the election period, following the election, a parliamentarian elected to the Amyotha Hluttaw (upper house) was killed in late November 2020. The Arakan Army, an insurgent group, and the Tatmadaw — the Myanmar military — agreed to hold a by-election in areas where the vote was cancelled, but the incident shows that national reconciliation will not be easy..."
Source/publisher: "East Asia Forum" (Australia)
Date of entry/update: 2021-01-17
[field_licence]
Type: Individual Documents
Language:
Local URL:
more
Title: Myanmar’s cardinal calls on government to abandon violence
Description: "For 70 years Myanmar has been torn apart by ethnic conflicts, dictatorship and religious nationalism that have led to horrific bloodshed, death, destruction, slavery and abuse,” said Cardinal Charles Maung Bo of Yangon. The Southeast Asian nation of 56 million (map) is 88% Buddhist, 6% Christian, and 4% Muslim..."
Source/publisher: "Catholic Culture"
Date of entry/update: 2019-12-04
[field_licence]
Type: Individual Documents
Language:
Local URL:
more
Title: Charred bones of Karen rights activist found in Thai lake after five years
Description: "The burnt bones of an ethnic Karen community activist who disappeared in Thailand more than five years ago were found underwater in a national park, investigators said Tuesday, confirming his death for the first time. Rights groups say 30 human rights activists have disappeared or been murdered in Thailand since 2001, and the country is considered one of the deadliest in Asia for environmental defenders. Known as Billy, ethnic Karen leader Por Cha Lee Rakcharoen was stopped by local authorities at a checkpoint in April 2014 while travelling to meet Karen villagers who had accused officials of destroying their homes in Kaeng Krachan national park. Officials later said he was questioned for illegally gathering honey but released. Divers found his remains in a lake in the same park in April this year, and identified the bones using DNA from his mother. "We can assume Billy is dead, as these bones were removed from his body," Mr Korawat Panprapakorn, deputy director general of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), told reporters. One bone was found in an oil drum while others were scattered around the lake..."
Source/publisher: "Frontier Myanmar" via AFP
Date of entry/update: 2019-09-04
[field_licence]
Type: Individual Documents
Language:
Local URL:
more
Title: Selection Process of New Commissioners for the MNHRC Must be Transparent and Inclusive - ကော်မရှင်အဖွဲ့ဝင်သစ်များ ရွေးချယ်ရေးလုပ်ငန်းစဉ် ပွင့်လင်းမြင်သာမှုနှင့် အားလုံးပါဝင်မှုရှိရန်လိုအပ်
Description: "We, the 24 organizations of the CSO Working Group on MNHRC Reform, call on the Selection Board to engage in a public, transparent and inclusive selection process to determine the next commissioners of the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission’s (MNHRC) when the current commissioners’ terms end in September 2019. Given Myanmar’s myriad of complex human rights issues and political realities, it is vital that the commission is reinvigorated with members who have the expertise, experience, and mindset to tackle pressing human rights protection issues and stand on the side of human rights defenders and rights activists. The current composition of the MNHRC has proved unable to adequately protect the rights of those most marginalized, especially in conflict-affected ethnic areas, as seen in the cases of Ko Par Gyi, Brang Shawng, and the recent investigation into the Kyauktan Massacre in Rakhine State which sided with the Myanmar military’s version of events of the murder of eight detainees, despite witnesses and survivors stating otherwise.[1] In 2014, seven of the current ten commissioners were selected upon the promulgation of the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission Law. According to the MNHRC Law, 30 potential commissioners are nominated by the Selection Board to the President who, in coordination with the Speaker of the Upper House and the Lower House, selects between seven and 15 members, and assigns the roles of both Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson. The term of a commissioner lasts five years and a commissioner can serve a maximum of two terms, meaning the current commissioners are eligible to serve a second term. However, trust between civil society and the MNHRC is low, with the current members backgrounds that include serving the former military dictatorship, a major reason. We believe that it is time to invigorate the commission with fresh motivation and energy with members who have deep understanding and commitment to human rights in Myanmar. In order to build this confidence of the MNHRC as an ally of the people, the selection of new members must also go hand-in-hand with reforms to the MNHRC Law so as to improve the selection process. The current composition of the Selection Board consists of a) Chief Justice of the Union, b) Union Minister, Ministry of Home Affairs, c) Union Minister, Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, d) Attorney‐General of the Union, e) a representative from the Bar Council, f) two representatives from the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, g) a representative from the Myanmar Women’s Affairs Federation and h) two representatives from registered Non‐Governmental Organizations. We believe that the composition of the Selection Board does offer guarantees of independence from either the Government or the military, and does not include adequate civil society representation. The presence of acting military personnel in the form of the Minister of Home Affairs on the Selection Board is particularly problematic as the military are the main perpetrators of human rights violations. Another major issue is the stipulation that representatives must come from registered NGOs, which is a problem in Myanmar where many rights-based civil society organizations are not registered due to restrictive legislation for independent rights-based organizations, and thus limits the participation of diverse civil society. While acknowledging the flaws in the Selection Board’s composition, a transparent selection process in which the public can engage and critique the criteria for selection and screen potential candidate is still possible. International standards on selection processes of national human rights institutions require “a clear, transparent, merit-based and participatory selection and appointment process.”[2] In order to do this, vacancies must be widely publicized, candidates must come from a wide range of sectors of society, the application, screening, selection and appointment process must include consultation and participation of the public and civil society, the applicants must be assessed “on the basis of pre-determined, objective and publicly available criteria,” and applicants must be chosen based on their individual capacity as oppose to the organization or institution they represent. We believe that the above components are possible in the selection process of new MNHRC commissioners and strongly urge the Selection Board to use this opportunity to reinvigorate the commission, and start to build trust with the public that the MNHRC can fulfil its mandate with qualified and progressive members committed to the protection of human rights...မြန်မာနိုင်ငံရှိ အရပ်ဘက်အဖွဲ့အစည်းပေါင်း ၂၄ ဖွဲ့ဖြင့် ဖွဲ့စည်းထားသည့် မြန်မာနိုင်ငံ အမျိုးသား လူ့အခွင့်အရေး ကော်မရှင် ပြုပြင်ပြောင်းလဲရေးဆိုင်ရာ အရပ်ဘက်အဖွဲ့အစည်းများ လုပ်ငန်းအဖွဲ့ (MNHRC Reform Working Group) အနေဖြင့် လူ့အခွင့်အရေး ကာကွယ်စောင့်ရှောက်ရေး ကိစ္စရပ်များကို ကောင်းစွာကိုင်တွယ်နိုင်မည့် ကျွမ်းကျင်မှု၊ အတွေ့အကြုံနှင့် အတွေးအမြင်ရှိပြီး လူ့အခွင့်အရေး ကာကွယ်စောင့်ရှောက်သူများနှင့် အခွင့်အရေးကို လေးစားလိုက်နာသည့် တက်ကြွလှုပ်ရှားသူများဘက်မှ ရပ်တည်မည့်သူများဖြင့် မြန်မာနိုင်ငံအမျိုးသားလူ့အခွင့်အရေး ကော်မရှင် (Myanmar National Human Rights Commission - MNHRC) အား ပြန်လည်သွေးသစ်လောင်းရန် အချိန်ကျရောက်ပြီးဟု ယုံကြည်ပါသည်။ သို့ဖြစ်၍ လက်ရှိ ကော်မရှင်အဖွဲ့ဝင်များ၏ သက်တမ်းသည် ၂၀၁၉ ခုနှစ် စက်တင်ဘာလတွင် ကုန်ဆုံးမည် ဖြစ်သောကြောင့် နောက်သက်တမ်းအတွက် ရွေးချယ်ခန့်အပ်မည့် အဖွဲ့ဝင်များကို စိစစ်ရွေးချယ်ရာတွင် လူသိရှင်ကြား ပွင့်လင်းမြင်သာမှုရှိပြီး အားလုံးပါဝင်မှုရှိသော ရွေးချယ်ရေးလုပ်ငန်းစဉ်ဖြင့် လုပ်ဆောင်သွားရန်ရွေးချယ်ရေး ဘုတ်အဖွဲ့အား မိမိတို့မှ တောင်းဆိုလိုက်ပါသည်။ MNHRC ၏ လက်ရှိဖွဲ့စည်းထားပုံမှာ ပစ်ပယ်မှုအများဆုံး ခံရသူများ၏ အခွင့်အရေးများအတွက်အထူးသဖြင့်ပဋိပက္ခဒဏ်သက်ရောက်မှုရှိသော တိုင်းရင်းသား နယ်မြေများတွင် ကာကွယ်စောင့်ရှောက်မှု အလုံအလောက်မပေးနိုင်ကြောင်းကို ကိုပါကြီးအမှု၊ ဘရန်ရှောင်အမှု၊ နောက်ဆုံးအားဖြင့် ရခိုင်ပြည်နယ် ကျောက်တန်း ဥပဒေမဲ့သတ်ဖြတ်မှုများက သက်သေပြနေပြီး ကျောက်တန်း ဥပဒေမဲ့သတ်ဖြတ်မှုတွင် မျက်မြင်သက်သေများနှင့် မသေဘဲကျန်ရစ်သူများ၏ ထွက်ဆိုချက်များ ရှိနေသော်လည်း ထိန်းသိမ်းခံထားရသူရှစ်ဦး အသတ်ခံရမှုတွင်မြန်မာစစ်တပ်၏ ဖြေရှင်းချက်များအတိုင်း ရပ်တည်ခဲ့ကြပါသည်။..."
Source/publisher: "Progressive Voice" via 24 Civil Society Organizations
Date of entry/update: 2019-08-06
[field_licence]
Type: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf pdf
Size: 670.84 KB 515.37 KB
more
Title: Myanmar: Human rights violations affecting region and ASEAN must apply pressure, says UN expert
Description: "Human rights violations in Myanmar are creating increasingly serious issues for South and South East Asia, a UN expert said today, urging stronger action by regional countries to address potential peace and security concerns. Special Rapporteur Yanghee Lee cited the nearly 1.5 million refugees from Myanmar in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, trafficking and smuggling of people from Myanmar and the drug trade within and outside the region as examples of deepening concerns. Lee, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, continues to be denied access to the country and concluded her 11-day mission to Thailand and Malaysia today. “It is incumbent on Myanmar’s neighbours to acknowledge these most serious issues and that they have been created by Myanmar. The continuing gross violations of human rights in Myanmar jeopardise the lives of people around that country and relentlessly impact Myanmar’s neighbours in such a way that could threaten South and South East Asian peace and security.” The Special Rapporteur urged regional states to take a stronger position. “When states in this region engage with Myanmar, human rights should firmly be on the agenda. I therefore most strongly urge ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) to prioritise human rights in Myanmar, and to hold the Government of Myanmar to its obligations to respect, protect and fulfil human rights.” During her visit, Lee received reports that the conflict between the Tatmadaw and the rebel Arakan Army (AA) rages on, and that human rights violations and abuses against the civilian population are worsening. The total number displaced by the conflict since January could now be as high as 55,000 across Chin and Rakhine States. “The situation is urgent and deserves more attention from the international community,” said the expert. The Government’s almost month-long mobile internet shutdown in nine townships in northern Rakhine and southern Chin was unprecedented and unacceptable, Lee said. “It is now monsoon season in Myanmar and there have been terrible floods in three townships in Rakhine State. There is no access to mobile internet in any of those townships, meaning that people were not adequately prepared for or warned of the floods that occurred. This has resulted in displacement and houses being destroyed.” Lee also spoke to people from Myanmar who have grave concerns about the way that hate speech and misinformation campaigns are being waged on social media. It appears that these campaigns are getting more sophisticated, coordinated and strategic, using coded language to get around content restrictions to continue to spread hateful messages. She said social media companies are taking inadequate and inconsistent action; anything done should be in a transparent manner and in close consultation with civil society and technology organisations in Myanmar. She was distressed that on her mission she received reports of women and girls, some as young as nine, being trafficked from northern Myanmar to neighbouring countries for sex work. Years of conflict in northern Shan and Kachin States has left families financially desperate, making women and girls vulnerable to human trafficking. The Special Rapporteur said it is incumbent on the international community to bring about criminal justice in Myanmar. She also said that victims need to receive reparations for the harm caused to them and they have a right to know the truth about what happened to them, their family members and their communities. Solid guarantees that violations that have occurred in the past, and continue to occur now, will not happen again in the future are also essential. “The first step for this to happen is for the Government and the military to reverse its stance of denial, and to recognise what the people of Myanmar have suffered at their hands. The countries in this region, and ASEAN, have a large role to play in persuading Myanmar to bring about this fundamental shift.” ENDS Ms. Yanghee Lee (Republic of Korea) was appointed by the UN Human Rights Council in 2014 as the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. She is independent from any government or organization and serves in her individual capacity. Ms. Lee served as member and chairperson of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (2003-2011). She is currently a professor at Sungkyunwan University, Seoul, and serves on the Advisory Committee of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea. Ms. Lee is the founding President of International Child Rights Center. The Special Rapporteurs and Independent Experts are part of the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, 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: reliefweb via UN Human Rights Council
Date of entry/update: 2019-07-19
[field_licence]
Type: Individual Documents
Language:
Local URL:
more
Title: Press Release: Ongoing UN and Japan Cooperation on Rakhine extended in 2019 to also support communities in Kachin and Shan
Description: ''The Government of Japan and eight United Nations Agencies today signed a US$ 37 million value agreement to implement humanitarian and development projects in Shan, Kachin and Rakhine States. The funding will enable the delivery of life-saving assistance, protection, trust-building initiatives and early recovery support to women, men, girls and boys across the three states. This important partnership builds on a US$ 20 million agreement that was signed in 2018, that aimed to assist half a million people in Rakhine State. “I thank the Government and people of Japan for their continued support to respond to immediate humanitarian needs and address the long-term development prospects in Rakhine as well as Kachin and Shan States,” said UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim Knut Ostby. “The UN agencies signing today appreciate the continued confidence of our partners that enable us to add urgently needed support for humanitarian activities in Kachin and northern Shan States to the ongoing humanitarian and development initiatives in Rakhine State.” The agreements were signed by His Excellency Mr. Ichiro Maruyama, Ambassador of Japan to Myanmar and representatives of the participating UN Agencies. UN bodies that receive contribution under the agreements include the International Organization on Migration (IOM), UN-Habitat, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), UN Women, and the World Food Programme (WFP). The Agreement was signed in the presence of representatives of the Union Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement and Union Ministry of Foreign Affairs...''
Source/publisher: United Nations in Myanmar
Date of publication: 2019-02-26
Date of entry/update: 2019-02-26
[field_licence]
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Local URL:
more
Title: RCHC ai remarks at Japan grants signing 26 Feb 2019
Description: ''It is an honor to participate in this signing and exchange of notes ceremony which builds on agreements signed a year ago, on 22 February 2018. Allow me to thank Government of the Union of Myanmar and specifically Union Minister of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement His Excellency Dr. Win Myat Aye for leadership and partnership throughout this process. We look forward to continued strong leadership and partnership from the Government in the new phase of the programme. In 2018, we signed agreements totaling US$20 million that aimed to reach half a million people in Rakhine. This year, eight agencies – IOM, UN-Habitat, UNDP, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UN Women, and WFP will receive will receive funding from agreements totaling US$37 million for humanitarian operations in Kachin, Rakhine and Shan, and development initiatives in Rakhine State. I thank the people and the Government of Japan for their continued support to allow the UN to respond to meeting the needs of vulnerable communities in the three states. I would like to recognize the indispensable role of His Excellency Mr. Yohei Sasakawa, Special Envoy of the Government of Japan for National Reconciliation in Myanmar, who led the efforts to forge this partnership that merges the strengths of bilateral and multilateral cooperation. Thank you also to His Excellency Mr. Ichiro Maruyama, Ambassador of Japan to Myanmar, for his tireless support to make this partnership happen. The Ambassador has always emphasized that the objective of this partnership is to benefit all communities in need. Finally, I would like to appreciate the work of the UN agencies who have been implementing the grants from the Government of Japan signed in 2018. They are IOM, UNDP, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UN Women, and WFP. They have integrated their activities in line with the humanitarian-development-peace-human rights nexus to achieve better results. Their projects deliver simultaneously on tall three pillars of the UN Charter: peace, development and human rights. As Kofi Annan said: “There is no peace without development, there is no development without peace, there is no peace and development without human rights.”...''
Source/publisher: United Nations in Myanmar
Date of publication: 2019-02-26
Date of entry/update: 2019-02-26
[field_licence]
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Local URL:
more
Title: Peaceful Critics Prosecuted: Repeal or Amend Laws Criminalizing Speech, Assembly
Description: '' Myanmar’s first democratically elected civilian government in decades has prosecuted large numbers of peaceful critics in violation of basic human rights, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Concerned governments should press Myanmar to protect the rights to expression and assembly, and reform laws penalizing peaceful speech to bring them in line with international standards. The 87-page report, “Dashed Hopes: The Criminalization of Peaceful Expression in Myanmar,” documents the use of broad and vaguely worded laws against activists, journalists, and ordinary citizens by Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy-led government. While discussion of a wide range of topics now flourishes in the media and online, those speaking critically of the government, military, or their officials, as well as abuses in Rakhine or Kachin States, are frequently subject to arrest and prosecution. “Abuses against the press under Myanmar’s new government have been particularly striking,” said Linda Lakhdhir, Asia le" The report, based on interviews in Myanmar and analysis of legal and policy changes since 2016, examines the use of laws including the Telecommunications Law, Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law, and Myanmar’s penal code. The government should stop using criminal laws against peaceful speech and assembly and undertake legislative reforms to better protect freedom of expression, assembly, and the media...''
Source/publisher: Human Rights Watch via " Progressive Voice"
Date of publication: 2019-01-31
Date of entry/update: 2019-02-07
[field_licence]
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Format : pdf pdf
Size: 1.27 MB 655.65 KB
more
Title: Myanmar: ICJ hosts workshop on strategic litigation, speaks on CSR at society forum in Mon State
Description: ''The workshop aimed to facilitate discussion on strategic litigation options for communities adversely affected by existing and proposed investment projects. The ICJ and civil society organizations have extensively documented how human rights abuses continue to occur in the context of business activities in Myanmar. Communities generally have limited understanding of their rights, while government actors and businesses regularly flout their legal obligations. The ICJ’s international legal adviser Sean Bain first set out applicable international standards, with a focus on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. He identified Myanmar’s nascent legal framework for environmental protection as a key area of law with potential to deter rights abuses. He noted that while in December 2015 the Government of Myanmar issued the Environmental Impact Assessment Procedure, its provisions are rarely followed or enforced in practice...''
Date of entry/update: 2019-02-01
[field_licence]
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Local URL:
more
Title: Myanmar: creation of UN mechanism a step toward accountability
Description: ''“The creation of this evidence-gathering mechanism is a welcome concrete step towards justice,” said Matt Pollard, Senior Legal Adviser for the ICJ. “But this is a stopgap measure, effectively creating a prosecutor without a court, that only underscores the urgent need for the Security Council to refer the entire situation to the International Criminal Court, which was created for precisely such circumstances,” he added. The Council’s decision follows on conclusions and recommendations by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar (FFM). The FFM’s 444-page full report described large-scale patterns of grave human rights violations against minority groups in the country, particularly in Rakhine, Kachin and Shan States. It also highlighted the need for criminal investigations and prosecutions for crimes under international law, something the FFM concluded that national courts and commissions within Myanmar could not deliver. “National justice institutions within Myanmar lack the independence, capacity and often also the will to hold perpetrators of human rights violations to account, particularly when members of security forces are involved. The latest government-established inquiry in Rakhine State also seems designed to deter and delay justice,” Pollard said...''
Source/publisher: International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)
Date of publication: 2018-09-27
Date of entry/update: 2019-01-31
[field_licence]
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Local URL:
more
Title: Myanmar: ICJ hosts workshop on freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief in Myanmar
Description: ''Freedom of thought, conscience and belief, often referred to as the right to freedom of religion of belief (FoRB) is considered by many to be one of the foundations of a democratic society. The workshop was aimed at discussing State regulation of religion or belief in Myanmar and included some 40 human rights defenders, lawyers and members of religious groups, from across the country. ICJ legal adviser Sean Bain introduced the right to FoRB under international law and standards – particularly Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Mr Bain also discussed the complementarity of these articles with other rights, such as the right to freedom of expression, and highlighted the limitation clauses in the international treaties which provide a framework for resolving some of the tensions that can arise in specific cases. Michelle Yesudas, a Malaysian human rights lawyer, shared good practices and lesson learned from application of strategic litigation in FoRB related cases in Malaysian context and spoke about potential approaches and strategies that could be adapted in Myanmar context to push the legislative reform and enforcement of the law...''
Source/publisher: International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)
Date of publication: 2018-11-05
Date of entry/update: 2019-01-31
[field_licence]
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Local URL:
more
Title: Myanmar: international accountability mechanism needed (UN statement)
Description: ''The statement, delivered during an interactive dialogue with the UN International Fact Finding Mission, read as follows: “The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) has monitored justice and human rights in Myanmar for more than five decades. The ICJ has an established presence in the country supporting justice actors to protect human rights through the rule of law. With this experience, the ICJ views the Independent International Fact Finding Mission’s conclusions as painting an authoritative picture of the general situation in Myanmar, particularly in its highlighting of the pervasive damage of military impunity upon human rights, rule of law and the nascent democratic process. The rule of law cannot be established, let alone flourish, without accountability for perpetrators of human rights violations and redress for victims and their families. The Fact Finding Mission’s findings of crimes under international law, including crimes against humanity in Rakhine, Kachin and Shan states, and the identification of alleged perpetrators, necessitate immediate action...''
Source/publisher: International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)
Date of publication: 2018-09-18
Date of entry/update: 2019-01-31
[field_licence]
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Local URL:
more
Title: UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL RESOLUTION ON MYANMAR STRENGTHENS UN MECHANISMS ON MYANMAR, BUT STOPS SHORT OF GOING FURTHER
Description: "(Geneva, 23 March 2018) Today the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on Myanmar with 35 states voting in favour 5 against and 10 abstaining in the 47 member body.[1] The resolution maintains and strengthens existing human rights mechanisms on Myanmar which is a positive development. However, despite the dire situation on the ground, the resolution merely extends a cautious acknowledgement of proposals for accountability measures, including the authority of the Security Council to refer the situation to the International Criminal Court. ?While it helps in laying some groundwork for future accountability and strengthens mechanisms the resolution fails to change the status quo on what has been described by UN experts as a situation that bears the hallmarks of genocide,? says R. Iniyan Ilango of the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA). ?Despite strong rhetoric, UN Member States have stalled on decisive action and passed the buck between various UN Mechanisms and Bodies in New York and Geneva, allowing for serious violations to continue in the meanwhile. The Human Rights Council is the only UN body that has been able to take some action and in this context strengthening of human rights mechanisms on Myanmar is welcome.?.."
Source/publisher: ASIAN FORUM FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
Date of publication: 2018-03-23
Date of entry/update: 2018-04-04
[field_licence]
Type: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
Size: 146 KB
more
Title: REGIONAL MPS URGE MYANMAR PARLIAMENT TO REJECT AMENDMENTS TO PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY LAW
Description: "JAKARTA, 12 March 2018 ? Lawmakers from across Southeast Asia expressed serious concerns today over new, restrictive draft amendments to Myanmar?s peaceful assembly law, and urged members of the Myanmar Parliament?s Lower House to reject the proposed revisions, following the Upper House?s passage of the amendments on 7 March. ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) said that the draft amendments to the 2011 Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law would place further burdensome restrictions on the right to free assembly and expression and constituted a step in the wrong direction for Myanmar. ?If passed, the amendments would not only stifle freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, but would also mark a significant shrinking of democratic space in Myanmar,” said Philippine Congressman Teddy Baguilat, an APHR Board Member..."
Source/publisher: ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR)
Date of publication: 2018-03-12
Date of entry/update: 2018-03-24
[field_licence]
Type: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
Size: 129.63 KB
more
Title: Shadow NBA on Business and Human Rights
Description: "Myanmar?s transition from the military junta to democracy that started in 2011 gained ground when the National League for Democracy (NLD) led by Aung San Suu Kyi took office in April 2016. However, the military elite still maintains extensive economic and political power. The military presides over the ministries of Home Affairs, Border Affairs, and Defense, and holds effective veto power over constitutional changes. The legal and economic reforms that accompanied the transition have not yet addressed holdover problems from the military rule. The rule of law, including the administration of justice and law enforcement, remains weak. Corruption is endemic. Discrimination and abuses against women and ethnic, religious, and sexual minorities continue. Human rights abuses linked to business activities are routine. Meanwhile, the government is actively pursuing new economic opportunities and foreign investment, which has hit record high in recent years. It is thus urgent to close gaps in laws, policies, and practices so that businesses operating and investing in Myanmar do not further threaten human rights..."
Source/publisher: Altsean-Burma
Date of publication: 2017-12-08
Date of entry/update: 2018-03-21
[field_licence]
Type: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
Size: 2.18 MB
more
Title: Death, Lies, and Videotape
Description: Death, Lies, and Videotape "David Scott Mathieson explores the pernicious effects of fake news on complex conflicts... The shaky mobile phone footage of Myanmar army soldiers questioning and beating men wearing civilian clothes shocked social media followers in recent weeks. Rights groups seized on the 17-minute long footage, claiming it demonstrated ongoing abuses by the military, or Tatmadaw, especially as government, military and ethnic armed groups leaders were meeting in the capital Naypyidaw for the Panglong 21st Century Peace conference in late May. There is no denying the brute force impact of the footage, with soldiers striking handcuffed men with helmets, kicking them, and threatening them with sharp weapons, whilst demanding information, in Burmese, and through interpreters in Palaung, on suspected hidden weapons. Rights groups quoted in The New York Times claimed the footage was taken in recent days or weeks, yet it was determined subsequently to be two years old, pointing to the perils of premature social media posting of conflict reports..."
David Scott Mathieson
Source/publisher: teacircleoxford
Date of publication: 2017-07-24
Date of entry/update: 2017-07-28
[field_licence]
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Local URL:
more