• 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.

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    • Burma: Promises of Reform
      Nov 23 2011 - 15:33

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Burma

  • Burma: the EU has been too quick to lift sanctions
    Apr 23, 2013
    William Hague congratulated the Burmese government last week for its role in spearheading "remarkable changes" in the country. But his upbeat assessment and heady optimism are premature, as is the EU's haste to lift all economic sanctions on Burma except for the arms embargo.
  • EU: Ending Sanctions Undercuts Burma’s Rights Progress
    Apr 22, 2013
    The European Union’s premature lifting of all targeted sanctions on Burma means the EU will need a new platform to press the government to improve the country’s still dire human rights situation.
  • Burma: End ‘Ethnic Cleansing’ of Rohingya Muslims
    Apr 22, 2013
    Burmese authorities and members of Arakanese groups have committed crimes against humanity in a campaign of ethnic cleansing against Rohingya Muslims in Arakan State since June 2012, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today.
  • Burma: Satellite Images Detail Destruction in Meiktila
    Apr 1, 2013
    The Burmese government should thoroughly investigate and hold accountable those who incited and committed deadly violence in Meiktila in central Burma from March 20 to 22, 2013, Human Rights Watch said today. Decisive government action to combat impunity, end discrimination, and promote tolerance among religious groups is needed to end the tide of attacks against Muslim communities.
  • Burma: Rohingya Muslims Face Humanitarian Crisis
    Mar 26, 2013
    The Burmese government is systematically restricting humanitarian aid and imposing discriminatory policies on Rohingya Muslims in Arakan State.
  • Thailand: Fleeing Rohingya Shot in Sea by Navy
    Mar 13, 2013
    Sailors from Thailand’s navy shot at ethnic Rohingya “boat people,” causing at least two deaths, Human Rights Watch said today. The Thai government should immediately investigate the incident, and direct the navy to abide by international standards on the use of force.
  • UN Human Rights Council: Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Myanmar
    Mar 11, 2013
  • Human Rights Council: Maintain Scrutiny of Burma
    Mar 11, 2013
    The United Nations Human Rights Council should retain its current level of scrutiny of Burma’s still poor human rights situation.
  • EU: Press Burma’s President on Rights Reforms
    Mar 4, 2013
    European Union leaders should press Burmese President Thein Sein on adopting key rights reforms during his visit this week to Brussels.
  • Why it’s too soon to ease pressure on Myanmar
    Mar 4, 2013
    Myanmar President Thein Sein has been touring Europe touting his country’s unlikely transformation in the past two years from the archetype of authoritarian repression to a supposedly shining example of peaceful transition towards democracy. But how much of this is real reform and how much is window dressing? How much have human rights genuinely improved on the ground in Myanmar?
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