Burma Campaign UK
Media Release From European Karen Network As the Burmese Army steps up attacks against ethnic Karen civilians in Eastern Burma, the European Karen Network, which represents Karen communities in Europe, today called on European governments to support a UN Commission of Inquiry into war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the dictatorship. On 23rd …
The British government has told the United Nations Security Council that Burma’s military dictatorship continues to target civilians, particularly from ethnic minorities, during a debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict on 7th July 2010. “The Burmese military regime continues to target civilians, particularly people from ethnic minorities. The use of rape and …
More than 1,000 supporters of Burma Campaign UK have written letters to Kristalina Georgieva, the European Commissioner responsible for European Union aid, calling on the Commission to review its policy of refusing to fund cross-border aid to Burma. Restrictions on humanitarian aid by the dictatorship in Burma mean that there are parts of the country …
Burma Campaign UK today welcomed a statement by the G8, whose leaders have just held their annual summit, which calls on Burma’s dictatorship to enter into ‘substantive dialogue’ with Burma’s democracy movement, including ethnic groups. By calling for ‘substantive dialogue’ the G8 is recognising that elections due later this year will not solve the problems …
The Burma Campaign UK today welcomed a new report – Crimes against Humanity in Western Burma: The Situation of the Rohingyas – published by the Irish Centre for Human Rights. The report was supervised by Prof Schabas, an expert on international human rights law, who served as one of the seven commissioners on the Sierra …
Burma Campaign UK today warmly welcomed British Prime Minister David Cameron’s letter of support for Aung San Suu Kyi on her 65th birthday, and asked him to take the lead in supporting UN led efforts to secure negotiations between the dictatorship and Burma’s democracy movement. “The letter from the Prime Minister demonstrates Britain’s continuing commitment …
Ninety British MPs so far have signed a Motion in the British Parliament calling on the British government to support a UN led effort to secure dialogue in Burma. The Motion, timed for Aung San Suu Kyi’s 65th birthday, rejects elections due in Burma later this year, condemns the new constitution, and calls on the …
Demonstrations, concerts, performances, conferences, seminars, protests and numerous other events are taking place in more than 22 cities around the world to mark the celebration of Aung San Suu Kyi’s 65th birthday on Saturday June 19, 2010. Aung Sun Suu Kyi, icon of democracy, freedom and non-violence, is still being detained by the military dictatorship …
A video birthday message to Aung San Suu Kyi from National League for Democracy leader U Win Tin has been smuggled out of Burma. In the message U Win Tin, who spent 19 years in jail as a political prisoner, describes how he misses Aung San Suu Kyi, and how he hopes she will soon …
Five Burmese exiled dissidents staged a defiant protest at the country’s London embassy earlier this morning to mark the 65th birthday of Burma’s iconic leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. Aung San Suu Kyi led the National League of Democracy to victory in the last elections in Burma back in 1990 with just under 60 per …
Media Release from Freedom Now UN Urges Her Immediate And Unconditional Release Washington, D.C. – Today, Freedom Now released Opinion No. 12/2010 from the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. The judgment from this international tribunal unequivocally reestablishes that the ongoing detention of Burmese democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is illegal and …
Media Release from Kachin National Organization – UK Today, the Kachin Community in UK are holding a protest against forced relocation of villagers due to the Myitsone Irrawaddy dam project, and against the arrest of Kachin youth the regime accuses of resisting the dams. Since 28th May, 63 households from Mazup Mare village near the …
The Burma Campaign UK today condemned as ‘pathetic’ and ‘irresponsible’ a joint statement on Burma issued by the EU and ASEAN on 26th May. The statement goes so far in misrepresenting reality that it effectively amounts to a defence of the dictatorship. The statement bizarrely calls on the dictatorship to ‘continue to engage in meaningful …
Media Release from Simon and Schuster ‘Without a scrap of self-pity and with a fair dollop of humour, 28-year-old Phan describes a life mostly spent running for cover’ MAIL ON SUNDAY ‘Enormously readable- a little piece of your heart will be left in Burma’ JO BRAND Published by Pocket 27th May 2010, Priced £7.99 ‘My …
Free Elections ‘Impossible’ The European Parliament today unanimously passed a strong resolution on Burma, stating that election laws make free elections ‘impossible’ and the new constitution will ‘maintain a dictatorship in a civilian guise’. The European Parliament also called EU member states to support the recommendation by the UN Special Rapporteur on Burma for a …
Activists worldwide are bombarding Burmese embassies with emails demanding Burma’s dictatorship allow medical access for Ko Mya Aye, a leading democracy activist in Burma. Ko Mya Aye, currently serving a 65 year jail term for his role in organising the democracy uprising in 2007, is being denied medical treatment for a serious heart condition. In …
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has failed to take any serious action to prevent Burma’s largest political party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), becoming a banned organisation. Under new election laws introduced by Burma’s dictatorship the NLD will officially cease to exist from midnight tonight. The NLD was required to register as a political …
The Burma Campaign UK has approached the main political parties in the UK asking them for their policies on Burma. Commenting on the responses, Nang Seng, Parliamentary Officer at Burma Campaign UK said: “The policies of all the main political parties in the UK demonstrate cross-party support for targeted economic sanctions, a global arms embargo, …
Ko Mya Aye, one of the leaders of 88 Generation Students Group, which led protests in 1988 and again in 2007, is being denied access to proper medical treatment he urgently needs for a heart condition. On 9th of April he was moved from Loikaw Prison in Karenni State to Taungyi Prison in Shan State. …
Today is the final deadline for armed ethnic groups which have signed ceasefire agreements with the dictatorship in Burma to agree to become border guard forces or militias under the control of the Burmese Army. The demand is part of the generals’ agenda to destroy all opposition ahead of elections designed to maintain their rule …
Responding to media reports that Burmese Prime Minister Thein Sein and around 20 other military officers in government positions have resigned their military ranks, Burma Campaign UK described this as the beginning of the transition of Burma from a military to civilian dictatorship. Since it was announced in 2003, Burma Campaign UK has been warning …
Burma Campaign UK today welcomed the renewal of European Union (EU) sanctions against Burma for a further year, and a call by the European Union for Burma to “end to violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.” In March the UN Special Rapporteur on Burma called for a UN Commission of Inquiry into war …
The Burma Campaign UK today welcomed the Czech Republic’s support for establishing a United Nations Commission of Inquiry into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Burma. News about the Czech Republic’s support was reported on The Irrawaddy website today. The Czech Republic is the third country to publicly support the establishment of a Commission …
National League for Democracy No 97(B) West Shwegondine Street, Bahan Township, Rangoon 6th April 2010 “A Message to the People of Burma” (Unofficial Translation) 1. The National League for Democracy (NLD) was formed with a commitment to establish democratic system in Burma, which the people of Burma demanded unanimously during the 1988 nationwide pro-democracy uprising. …