Briefing Paper on the Situation of Human Rights in Burma/Myanmar 25th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council
10 March 2014 3:38 pm

BP FA

 

 

 

Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-­‐ASIA) Burma Partnership

 

Briefing Paper on the Situation of Human Rights in Burma/Myanmar 25th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council

 

1.1 Introduction

 

While acknowledging the positive developments that have occurred in some areas relating to human rights in Burma/Myanmar, in other areas, progress has been lacking, while in some others still, significant backsliding has taken place. The areas that have witnessed significant backsliding or lack of progress include:

  • the  continued   criminalisation   and   harassment   of   political   activists   and   human   rights defenders (HRDs);
  • the continued existence of repressive laws in the country;
  • the lack of progress in achieving sustained peace as well as the ongoing gross human rights violations in ethnic areas;
  • the escalation  of  communal  conflict  and  the  continued  failure  to  address  the  systemic discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities, especially the Rohingya; and
  • the rise in human rights violations as a result of development and business investmen

It is thus vital to maintain pressure on the government of Burma/Myanmar through a resolution on the situation of human rights in Myanmar under agenda item 4 of the UN Human Rights Council to highlight these concerns, and to ensure that it continues with its reforms and addresses these issues as a matter of extreme urgency. This call has also been made by 46 civil society groups in an open letter to the Member States of the HRC on 10 March 2014.1

 

Click here to download the complete Briefing Paper PDF