One year on, a million Rohingya refugees still fear for their lives – Rushanara Ali
Rushanara Ali, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Democracy in Burma, writes in the Guardian: “The international community must urgently find a way to allow the Rohingya to rebuild their lives in safety and security.”
On the UK’s lack of support for referring Burma to the International Criminal Court, she writes “The sad reality is that our government, while strong on providing humanitarian assistance, has not come close to putting real pressure on the Myanmar government and its military leader, Min Aung Hlaing. If May means what she says, the UK government must support a referral of the Myanmar military to the ICC.”
30 years since 1988 uprising – Time
30 years since massive, student-led uprisings threatened the military government and gave rise to the National League for Democracy, Time reports that the goals of 1988 are still far from being realised. “The NLD is not a government that is respecting human rights and the kind of freedoms that people were on the streets protesting for,” says Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK. “The NLD-led government [has] absolutely no interest in rectifying past wrongs.”
Burmese Army torture village headman – Shan Human Rights Foundation
A village headman was severely tortured by troops of the Burmese Army and a local pro-government militia on June 27, 2018 in Wan Mu Ser village, southern Shan State, reports the Shan Human Rights Foundation. The headman was accused of links to the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA).
Burma Campaign UK submits evidence to Foreign Affairs Committee
Burma Campaign UK’s written evidence to the Foreign Affairs Committee’s inquiry into the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s human rights work has just been published.
Public health up in smoke: Big tobacco returns to Burma – Asian Correspondent
More than 70,000 annual deaths are attributable to tobacco use in Burma, and the return of global cigarette manufacturers to a largely unregulated market suggests that the country faces an impending tobacco‐related disease epidemic, according to the Asian Correspondent.
British American Tobacco (BAT), which announced its return to Burma in July 2013 following reforms to the country’s political, economic, and social systems, has emphasised the benefits of its new $50 million manufacturing operation. Confronted with the false choice between health and economic wellbeing, Burma’s policymakers have apparently opted for the second of these options.
But potential investors, as well as international governments and civil society, are uneasy about recent events. Burma Campaign UK, a key actor in the previous campaign that led BAT and other companies to quit the market, is considering reviving its “Dirty List” of companies directly or indirectly linked to human rights violations.
Protests at Burmese government’s plan to close IDP camps – VOA News
“I am worried about you”, Burma Campaign UK’s Campaigns Manager Zoya Phan told VOA Burmese News after the Burmese government announced plans to close camps for IDPs (internally displaced persons) in ethnic areas.
A statement by the Ei Tu Hta IDP Supporting Committee of ethnic organisations calls on the Burmese government to immediately halt all plans involving closure of IDP camps in ethnic areas and address the root causes of the decades-long civil war before discussion of IDP return.
EU imposes sanctions on Myanmar officers over Rohingya offensive – Financial Times
The EU has imposed sanctions on seven regional Myanmar military and police officers over alleged atrocities against Muslim Rohingya — but stopped short of targeting top national commanders including the head of the military, Min Aung Hlaing.
Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK, told the FT: “In effect, the entire EU response to what is probably genocide of the Rohingya is to stop seven soldiers and police officers shopping in the EU. It is hard to see how EU officials can truly believe this is an adequate response to what has taken place.”
Read Financial Times article (behind paywall)
Burma Campaign UK meets Shadow Justice Minister Imran Hussain
Burma Campaign UK’s Director Mark Farmaner and Campaigns Officer Karin Valtersson today met Imran Hussain MP, Shadow Justice Minister for the Labour Party, to discuss the human rights situation in Burma and the need for accountability.
Burma Campaign UK at UNISON conference
Rumours swirl of MyTel’s Buddhist extremist links – Coconuts Yangon
Coconuts Yangon reports on rumours that the recently launched telecoms operator MyTel has subtly endorsed the nationalist 969 Movement, an Islamophobic group whose stated goals include preventing Muslim population growth in Myanmar.
Mark Farmaner, Burma Campaign UK’s Drector, tweeted: “MyTel is the most expensive mobile network in Burma. It funds the military, costing lives of ethnic people every day. Taking funds from health and education to buy guns and jets. Blocking democratic constitutional reform. #boycottMyTel”