• Human Rights in Burma

    Burma’s human rights situation remains poor despite some noteworthy actions by the government toward reform. In April 2012, opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s party swept nearly all the seats contested in a parliamentary by-election, but a large majority of seats in Burma’s lower house are controlled by the government party and the military. President Thein Sein welcomed back exiles and released nearly 400 political prisoners, but several hundred prisoners remain behind bars. While some laws have been amended, repressive laws remain. The army targeted civilians in armed conflict with the Kachin minority group. After violence erupted between Arakanese Buddhists and the long-persecuted Rohingya Muslims, state security forces took part in abuses against the Rohingya.

  • A worker uses a mobile phone in Burma, where the government plans to increase mobile access to 50 percent in three years.
    © 2013 Reuters
    Burma: Telecoms Risk Complicity in Surveillance, Censorship
    International telecommunications companies risk being linked to human rights abuses if they enter the Burmese market before adequate protections are in place, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today. Burma’s human rights reforms thus far have been inadequate, including in the Internet and telecommunications sector, so companies entering the country should adopt robust safeguards to prevent and address any abuses linked to their operations.
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    • Burma: Promises of Reform
      Nov 23 2011 - 15:33

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Burma

  • Burma: Investors Need Robust Rights Safeguards
    May 24, 2013
    American companies investing in Burma should not let new US government reporting requirements lull them into complacency on human rights concerns. The US “Reporting Requirements on Responsible Investment” in Burma went into effect on May 23, 2013.
  • Burma: Japanese Leader’s Visit Should Highlight Rights
    May 23, 2013
    Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe should make improving the human rights situation in Burma a top priority during his visit to the country this week.
  • Extractive Industries: A New Accountability Agenda
    May 21, 2013
    The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) was founded in 2003 with the goal of strengthening governance by increasing transparency over revenues from the oil, gas, and mining sectors. EITI has contributed to much greater disclosures of information and helped spur dialogue in many countries. But EITI has not made progress toward its ultimate purpose of enhancing accountability in resource-rich countries. An independent evaluation commissioned by EITI in 2011 concluded, “EITI has not been a significant driver of change. While transparency has improved, accountability does not appear to have changed much.” The evaluation attributed this problem to the absence of a coherent strategic vision, explaining that without clarity on how publicizing credible data on natural resource revenues would lead to better governance, EITI would not be able to direct its efforts to where they would be most likely to deliver results.
  • Burma: Telecoms Risk Complicity in Surveillance, Censorship
    May 19, 2013
    International telecommunications companies risk being linked to human rights abuses if they enter the Burmese market before adequate protections are in place, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today. Burma’s human rights reforms thus far have been inadequate, including in the Internet and telecommunications sector, so companies entering the country should adopt robust safeguards to prevent and address any abuses linked to their operations.
  • Burma: New Doubts About Pace of Reforms
    May 18, 2013
    The United States should use the upcoming visit by Burma’s president to ask tough questions about the slowing pace of human rights reforms and insist on implementation of past commitments.
  • Burma: Cyclone Threatens Displaced Muslims
    May 14, 2013
    Burma’s government should take immediate action to evacuate to higher ground tens of thousands of Muslims displaced last year by ethnic cleansing in Arakan State in advance of a tropical cyclone in the Bay of Bengal, Human Rights Watch said today.
  • Burma: China-Led Oil, Gas Projects Spark Arrests
    May 11, 2013
    Authorities in Burma should drop charges against ethnic Arakanese activists who participated in peaceful protests against Chinese-led oil and gas projects, Human Rights Watch said today. Ten activists are scheduled to face criminal charges in court on May 13, 2013, for demonstrating and holding a peaceful march without a permit on April 18 on Maday Island in Burma’s western Arakan State.
  • Blunder in Burma: Scrapping of EU Sanctions Sends Wrong Message
    May 9, 2013
    Although Burma is shrugging off the burden of five decades of military dictatorship, its transition to democracy is still far from complete. Reform remains precarious, and ethnic violence is rife. But in its eagerness to claim a foreign policy success, the EU is turning a blind eye.
  • Myanmar army continues to live in denial over abuses
    May 9, 2013
    Myanmar's rapidly evolving political landscape produced another symbolic event at the recent Armed Forces Day parade.
  • Despite reforms, Myanmar's ethnic violence continues
    May 7, 2013
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