European Parliament call for ICC referral
The European Parliament today called on the EU to lead on referring Burma to the International Criminal Court.
The current EU position is that it does not support a referral and the EU and EU External Action Service have a long track record of ignoring European Parliament Resolutions on Burma.
New cross-party report by British MPs on Rohingya crisis
A new cross-party report by British MPs, two years on from the Rohingya crisis, is out today. It highlights the need for the British government to push for ICC referral, sanctions on military companies, a stronger position on Rohingya citizenship, and more long-term planning for humanitarian aid.
Burma Campaign UK gave evidence to the inquiry that resulted in the report.
Burma Campaign UK at TUC Congress
Doug Janke, Head of Development, on Burma Campaign UK’s stall at this week’s Trades Union Congress in Brighton. Thank you to the TUC for supporting human rights and democracy in Burma.
Doug Janke with the TUC’s General Secretary Frances O’Grady
Mission to free Burmese filmmaker gains momentum
Eminent Burmese filmmaker and rights activist Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi, who was sentenced to one year in prison for criticizing the military-drafted 2008 Constitution and the military’s role in politics, has drawn the attention of international organizations, says India’s Face2News.
Face2News reports on Burma Campaign UK’s mission to ask Aung San Suu Kyi to release Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi, and to repeal all repressive laws.
Burma Campaign UK at Vale Earth Fair
Burma Campaign UK’s Executive Director Anna Roberts and Campaigns Officer Wai Hnin were at Vale Earth Fair in Guernsey this Bank Holiday weekend. Vale Earth Fair have been supporting Burma Campaign UK for many years.
Anna Roberts and Wai Hnin at Vale Earth Fair
UK rights group expands ‘Dirty List’ of companies with ties to army – the Irrawaddy
Nearly 40 international firms including US tech giants Google and Apple, as well as Britain’s Peel Group, China’s Huawei and Japanese financial services company JCB have been added to Burma Campaign UK’s “Dirty List” for doing business with the military, reports the Irrawaddy.
Burma Campaign UK’s Director Mark Farmaner said, “When an international company does business with a military-owned company, including promoting their products, they are helping the military to make the money it uses to commit violations of human rights.”
Belgian company on ‘Dirty List’ cuts ties with military – VOA News
A Belgian company has become the first to announce it is cutting ties with the Burmese military after a United Nations fact-finding mission called on businesses to sever all financial links to the country’s generals.
Satellite communications firm Newtec said it would “follow the recommendations by the UN and stop commercial ties with Mytel,” a local mobile phone operator partially owned by the military.
But Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK, said Newtec should have acted when they were added to the campaign’s “dirty list” of firms doing business with the military. “Newtec have known for nine months that they were working for the Burmese military, and didn’t care,” he told VOA. “They are only ending their involvement now because of negative publicity after the fact-finding mission report, not because it is morally the right thing to do.”
Web of businesses financing Burma’s war crimes exposed – Byline Times
The most recent UN report outlines how European companies have helped fund military operations in Burma by entering into business ventures with firms controlled by key members of the military. The UN is now urging the international community to sever all ties to these companies and implement a global arms embargo.
Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK, told the London-based Byline Times: “To date, the only sanctions the British Government has supported is stopping a small number of junior military personnel from taking holidays in EU member states. The holiday ban doesn’t even apply to military head Min Aung Hlaing. It’s astonishing that the British and other governments are so resistant to stopping companies financing the military.”
UN calls for sanctions, arms embargo against Burmese army – Al Jazeera
The Burmese military has exploited a large network of business ties to fund “brutal operations against ethnic groups”, a United Nations fact-finding mission said in its latest report. It calls on the international community to sever all ties with the military and impose financial sanctions, an arms embargo and a consumer boycott.
Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK, told Al Jazeera that while there is no single measure that will make the military change, “targeting their financial interests is an essential part of the pressure that needs to be applied.” He said the report shows that foreign governments no longer have an excuse for inaction.
“Members of the international community try to defend their inaction by saying their options for leverage on the military are limited”, Mark Farmaner said. “This report exposes that as a lie.”
Top Myanmar generals barred from entering US over Rohingya atrocities – Tamil Guardian
The US State Department announced that it has barred several senior Burmese military officials from entering the United States, over a lack of accountability for atrocities committed against Rohingya Muslims.
Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK, said the ban would have little effect and more needed to be done to hold those guilty of atrocities to account, such as an ad-hoc tribunal or sanctions.
“Essentially this is a holiday ban,” he said. “Limiting Min Aung Hlaing’s holiday options is not a proportionate response to genocide.”