Burma Campaign UK
On 13th March 2011 the dictatorship in Burma broke a 22 year long ceasefire agreement with the Shan State Army – North. 3,500 Burmese Army soldiers took part in a military offensive in north-central Shan State, an area with a population of 100,000. Sixty-five clashes were reported in the first three weeks of the dictatorship …
Following an announcement of a limited prisoner amnesty in Burma, but no mass release of political prisoners, the new dictator, Thein Sein, is increasingly showing himself to be as or more hard-line than former dictator Than Shwe. In the first few months of becoming dictator, Than Shwe first acknowledged that there were political prisoners, and …
Burma Campaign UK today urged Vijay Nambiar, the UN Special Advisor on Burma, not to ignore the current crisis in Shan State during his visit to Burma. Nambiar is visiting Burma to assess the willingness of Burma’s new dictator, Thein Sein, to enter into dialogue and implement democratic reforms. There has been a major increase …
Burma Campaign UK today called on the British government to publicly condemn the dictatorship in Burma for breaking ceasefire agreements with ethnic organisations in Burma, including breaking the ceasefire with the Shan State Army – North. The dictatorship in Burma is threatening to plunge the country into conflict, which will lead to a major human …
Press Release from Democratic Voice of Burma The Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) news organisation is marking World Press Freedom Day on 3 May with the launch of a campaign to free its 17 jailed video journalists (VJs), all of whom are serving lengthy sentences in prisons across the country. The launch of the Free …
Press release from The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) has grave concerns for political prisoner, Ko Min Aung, after learning he has been denied urgent medical care for the past 11 months despite suffering from heart disease. Ko Min Aung, Taungup NLD treasurer aged 37, is just …
Burma Campaign UK today welcomed the decision by EU Foreign Ministers to renew European Union (EU) economic sanctions on Burma for a further year. EU Foreign Ministers met today to make the Council Decision on EU Burma policy, which has to be renewed once a year. There were no major changes. “We are pleased that …
Press release by Shan community based organisations Shan community groups strongly denounce the current Burma Army offensive against the Shan State Army-North (SSA-N) and atrocities against civilians, including shelling of Buddhist temples, gang-rape and using women as cannon fodder. On March 13, 2011, ignoring repeated calls for peaceful dialogue, Burma’s military regime broke its 22-year-long …
EU Should Support Commission of Inquiry on Burma Brussels The ITUC and the ETUC are calling on the European Union to support the holding of a UN Commission of Inquiry into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Burma, when the EU renews its Burma policy on 12 April. “The Burmese military junta is responsible …
Burma Campaign UK today called on the British government to ensure that the EU supports a UN Commission of Inquiry into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Burma. EU Foreign Ministers meet on April 12th and will renew their common policy on Burma. Foreign ministers will also issue a statement on EU Burma policy, …
Burma Campaign UK today publishes a new Briefing Paper – Burma’s New Constitution – Denying Ethnic Rights – analysing Burma’s new Constitution and the impact it has on ethnic rights. View the briefing here. Burma’s new Constitution, approved in a rigged referendum in 2008, is likely to have wide-ranging negative impacts on ethnic people in Burma. These …
Burma’s Dictator, Than Shwe, has today officially disbanded the State Peace and Development Council, the body through which Burma’s dictators have ruled the country since 1997. However, Burma Campaign UK today warned that dictatorship remains alive and well in Burma, guaranteed by a new Constitution and a new political infrastructure. The transfer of power from …
Two more European countries have expressed support for international investigations into human rights abuses in Burma, following protests in London targeting six European countries. Latvia stated it supports a UN Commission of Inquiry; ‘in principle’, while Denmark stated it; ‘supports in principle the establishment of an international investigation into human rights abuses in Burma… a …
Burma Campaign UK today publishes a new briefing, ‘Political Prisoners in Burma – A Crime Against Humanity’. The briefing finds, based on international law, that the detention and treatment of political prisoners in Burma should be investigated as a crime against humanity. It calls on governments to support the establishment of a UN Commission of …
Burma’s dictatorship has not met key EU demands for reform, and so sanctions must remain in place, according to the findings of a new policy briefing paper published by Burma Campaign UK. The new briefing paper is published as EU member states debate their joint policy on Burma, which has to be renewed at the …
European Burma Network Statement on the current situation in Burma and recommendations to European governments Members of the European Burma Network (EBN) met in Prague, Czech Republic, on 12th and 13th February, 2011. The European Burma Network brings together organisations promoting human rights and democracy in Burma, and works in solidarity with Burma’s democracy movement. …
The Executive Committee of the European Parliamentary Caucus for Burma (EPCB) met on February 14, 2011 in Prague, Czech Republic in order to discuss its strategies and the upcoming revision of the European Union’s Common Position. It is now more than 3 months after the elections in Burma; the EPCB has been following then whole …
Burma Campaign UK today welcomed what will amount to a doubling of UK aid to Burma. News of the increase was reported by The Independent today. Burma Campaign UK has been lobbying the British government to continue increasing aid to Burma, which was a commitment of the previous Labour government, and which had been supported …
Media Release from Brighton Festival. We are delighted to announce the courageous leader, human rights advocate and Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi as Guest Director of Brighton Festival 2011. Aung San Suu Kyi has fought passionately for over two decades for democracy and human rights in Burma and taken to the heart of …
38 organisations in 18 countries are taking part in a global day of action in support of 34 resistance fighters from Burma who are currently being held in an Indian jail. The 34 are threatened with deportation back to Burma, where they would very likely face arrest, torture and imprisonment. The thirty-four were arrested 13 …
Burma’s dictatorship has rejected 16 separate proposals made at the United Nations Human Rights Council calling on the dictatorship to respect international law and investigate breaches of international law. The recommendations were made by members of the Human Rights Council as part of the Universal Periodic Review into human rights in Burma, which takes place …
Burma Campaign UK today welcomed steps taken by the British government to highlight restrictions on freedom of speech and scrutiny in Burma’s new Parliament. In response to a question in the British Parliament, Jeremy Browne MP, Foreign Office Minister with responsibility for Burma, stated: “we have raised our concerns over the restrictive and undemocratic nature …
NLD sets release of all political prisoners as a critical benchmark before lifting sanctions Burma Campaign UK today called on members of the European Union to maintain targeted sanctions on Burma, following the release of a policy statement on sanctions by the National League for Democracy (NLD). The European Union has a ‘Common Decision’ on …
National League for Democracy 97/B, West Shwegondine Road, Bahan Township, Rangoon Sanctions on Burma (A review by the National League for Democracy, 8 February 2011) In recent months sanctions have repeatedly featured in discussions over the kind of policies that would best encourage positive change in Burma. Are current administrative policies and practices conducive to …