Burma Campaign UK
Statement by Members of the European Burma Network The European Burma Network (EBN) unequivocally condemns the military coup in Burma, and calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Aung San Suu Kyi, government ministers, regional chief ministers, pro-democracy activists and all other civilians arrested during the coup. We urge the Commander-in-Chief and the military …
Burma Campaign UK today called for a robust international response to the military coup in Burma which took place this morning. This should include sanctions against military companies and support for a global arms embargo. The UK already has its own arms embargo. The latest campaign actions are here. The Burmese military, led by Min …
Burma Campaign UK today urged the British Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, to put pressure on Aung San Suu Kyi to release all political prisoners in Burma. Aung San Suu Kyi has kept almost all repressive laws in place, and they are being used against critics of the government and military. State media controlled by the …
Media Release from Rushanara Ali MP 104 Parliamentarians from across parties are calling on the UK Government to take urgent action to protect the Rohingya Muslim minority from persecution from the Myanmar Government and military. The MPs and Peers want the UK to formally support The Gambia’s case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) …
Burma Campaign UK today called on Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to join the Rohingya genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). With the government and military in Burma so far ignoring provisional measures ordered by the Court, the UK joining the case and making an intervention will send an important political message as …
Justice For Myanmar commends swift action, reiterates calls for targeted sanctions Myantrade, a Myanmar government trade promotion website funded by UK aid has removed Myanmar military-owned business listings. The de-listed companies initially included in the portal were Myawaddy Trading Limited, Ngwe Pinlae Livestock Breeding & Fisheries Co. Ltd. and Adipati Agricultural Produce Trading Ltd, all …
Burma Campaign UK today welcomed notification from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) that it is bringing in new rules to prevent the Burmese military benefitting from investment in Burma by CDC Group, the UK’s development finance institution. Burma Campaign UK has been lobbying for stricter policies since 2017, when Irrawaddy Green Towers, a …
In an answer to a question in the British Parliament, the British government has said it will “watch and assess” support to the Union Election Commission (UEC) on the basis of principles of inclusion and impartiality. “Impartiality of the election commission is an essential part of a fair democratic process” said Nigel Adams, the Foreign, …
HM Treasury has again turned down a Freedom of Information request by Burma Campaign UK, asking for information on the value of assets frozen against 16 members of the Burmese military. The asset freeze and visa ban are the only direct actions the British government has taken against the Burmese military in response to genocide …
Burma Campaign UK today publishes a new Briefing Paper: Burma’s 2020 Election. A Step Forward or a Step Back? The Briefing is available here. The Briefing Paper discusses how rather than this election being an improvement on the last, it will be less free and fair. More people will be disenfranchised in this election than …
Toothless UK sanctions targeting 16 individuals from the Burmese military and security services have not resulted in any reported assets being frozen, according to a new report published by the British government. The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, under HM Treasury, published its Annual Review 2019-2020 on 9th October. Once again no assets from individuals …
Maersk, the biggest shipping company in the world, has informed Burma Campaign UK that it will stop using military-owned ports in Burma before the end of the month. In May this year Maersk was placed on the ‘Dirty List’ of companies doing business with the military in Burma, as they were using military-owned ports in …
On 11th September the British government pulled off quite a diplomatic coup at the UN Security Council. Following a closed door meeting on Burma, eight of the fifteen UN Security Council members issued a joint statement. The statement included the usual uncontroversial calls for peace and humanitarian access, but also included calls for Burma to …
On the eve of the third anniversary of the military offensive against ethnic Rohingya in 2017, Burma Campaign UK called on the international community to implement the recommendations of the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar. Not one country in the world has implemented all of the UN Fact-Finding Mission recommendations. The USA and UK have …
The UK’s biggest opposition party, the Labour Party, is joining calls for the British government to impose sanctions on Burmese military companies. In an article for Burma Campaign News, also published as a blog on the Burma Campaign UK website here, Stephen Kinnock MP, Shadow Minister for Asia and the Pacific, states: “…further sanctions should …
Burma Campaign UK today welcomed notification received from Portia Management Services that they have no plans to renew or extend their contract managing a military-owned port in Yangon. The current contract expires in 2021. Liverpool based Portia manages the TMT Port in Yangon through a contract with KT Group, a Burmese conglomerate which appears to …
31 new companies have been added to the latest edition of the ‘Dirty List’, bringing the total number of companies to 113. The new ‘Dirty List’ is available here. The ‘Dirty List’ names and shames international companies with business links to the Burmese military, or which are involved in projects linked to human rights violations …
Burma Campaign UK today strongly criticised the European Union for deciding to continue with its ‘do nothing’ response to genocide in Burma. Last week, European Union Foreign Ministers decided to extend existing measures in place for a further year without taking any further action, or implementing any of the recommendations of the United Nations Fact-Finding …
Burma Campaign UK today expressed disappointment at Aung San Suu Kyi’s deliberate decision to keep almost 200 political prisoners in jail. Almost 400 more activists face trial and possible detention at a future date. While it is a wonderful news that 18 released political prisoners are being reunited with their families again, given that 6 …
Burma Campaign UK today called on the British government to coordinate increased international support for Internally Displaced People (IDPs) and refugees from Burma. The entire country lacks the capacity to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, but the situation of refugees and IDPs is of particular concern. They have even less capacity to cope with the …
As the European Union (EU) approaches the renewal of the Common Position on Burma in April, members of the European Burma Network (EBN) are calling on the EU to strengthen its commitment to human rights in Burma. Mass atrocity crimes have been committed against the Rohingya and other minorities across the country. Armed conflicts continue …
Burma Campaign UK today welcomed a ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for provisional measures to be taken by the government of Burma to prevent what the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar described as an ‘ongoing genocide.’ The Court has issued four provisional measures related to compliance with the Genocide Convention and implementation …
The British government has publicly welcomed the Rohingya genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), having previously avoided expressing support for the case. The Gambia brought forward charges of genocide of the Rohingya to the court and the first hearings were held in December 2019. In answers to Parliamentary Questions on 9th of …
Burma Campaign UK is calling on the British government to join the 59 countries already supporting the case of genocide against Burma at the International Court of Justice. To date, the 57 members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Canada and The Netherlands support the case. Last week saw astonishing scenes at the International Court …