Campaign News

In assessing the reform process in Burma, which is an entirely top-down process, examining the man leading the reforms is essential. Article in The Irrawaddy by Mark Farmaner, Director of Burma Campaign UK.    

Article in The Irrawaddy: The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has ruled on the case of ethnic Kachin farmer Brawn Yung, who is serving a 21-year sentence in Myitkyina Prison, and called on the Burmese government to immediately release him and offer reparations because his detention is illegal. Wai Hnin Pwint Thon, campaigns …

An article in the Myanmar Times today: On July 15, 2013 – one year ago this week – President U Thein Sein stood next to David Cameron in London and told reporters, “By the end of the year there will be no prisoners of conscience in Myanmar.” “The UK, US and rest of the international …

A short video about the situation of the Rohingyas in Burma.

Burma Campaign UK is quoted in an article in The Diplomat: “As long as the foundations of military rule remain in place, the large EU funds flowing into Myanmar carry the heavy risk of supporting authoritarianism, instead of democracy. “The process of closer partnership should be frozen, along with all programs building government capacity except …

The British government is spending more than £60m a year on aid to Burma, but not all that aid is reaching the people who need it, and a lot is going on programmes which help the military-backed government. Here are nine ways to make improvements. Read the list here on BuzzFeed.

Yesterday, there was a debate in the British Parliament on the persecution of the Rohingya and other minorities in Burma. Speaking in the debate, David Ward MP said, “Burma Campaign UK has produced eight steps that it believes the British Government could take to improve human rights in Burma. First, the Government should put human …

Article in Myanmar Times this week quotes Burma Campaign UK: “Activists and human rights groups are urging Britain to maintain pressure on the government to combat sexual violence in conflict, as focus shifts to implementation of a plan to address the issue after Myanmar endorsed a UN declaration earlier this month. “If sexual violence by …

  At the Unison conference in Brighton today, where our campaign to highlight the British government’s rose-tinted view on Burma is getting a lot of support!    

A delegation of women from Burma spoke at a meeting in the British Parliament today. They spoke about the ongoing use of rape and sexual violence by the Burmese Army, as well as the situation in Kachin State highlighting the ongoing military offensive and humanitarian assistance for IDPs, Karen and Shan State, refugees return, the …

A delegation of women from Burma have joined the Global Summit To End Sexual Violence In Conflict being held in London this week, hosted by British Foreign Secretary William Hague and Angelina Jolie. Moon Nay Li, coordinator at the Kachin Women’s Association Thailand (KWAT), writes in Mizzima: “If the international community is serious about ending sexual …

Article in the Democratic Voice of Burma today as the British government hosts an international summit on rape in conflict, aiming to “shatter the culture of impunity for sexual violence in conflict”. A delegation of seven women representing Burmese civil society groups are attending the summit. “Rape and sexual violence by the Burmese Army has …

“If the Burmese government is serious about ending sexual violence in conflict, it should set a timeline for the implementation of practical steps, including ending impunity and holding perpetrators of sexual violence to account; supporting an independent investigation involving international expertise; amending the 2008 Constitution that condones sexual violence by guaranteeing impunity for past sexual …

11 years ago the Depayin Massacre took place in Burma, where more than 70 supporters of Aung San Suu Kyi’s party the National League for Democracy were killed by the regime’s sponsored mob. Read more about the Depayin Massacre here.  

Burma Campaign UK quoted in CNN article today: “The interfaith marriage laws play into the greatest fears of ethnic and religious minorities that the government sees the country as a Burman Buddhist country where ethnic and religious minorities are not considered equal.” Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK   Buddhist monks attend a meeting …

Burma Campaign UK’s poster is used in a demonstration in Magwe, central Burma on 7 May 2014 calling for media freedom.    Credit: DVB Zaw Pe is a video journalist working for the Democratic Voice of Burma. He is based in the Magwe region of central Burma. In August 2012  Zaw Pe and another man, …

Our press release calling on Tony Blair to disclose what his involvement is with President Thein Sein of Burma is reported in the Myanmar Times today: “Giving strategic, political and public relations advice to the military-backed government while [sic] it’s soldiers are still attacking and killing civilians and raping ethnic women, would be deplorable. Tony …

Article by Wai Hnin Pwint Thon, Campaigns Officer at Burma Campaign UK, published in Myammar Times. “Progress in releasing political prisoners has stalled and there is no clear mechanism in sight for addressing this problem. We can’t carry on year after year waiting and hoping for the next announcement from the president about who he …

Article in Mizzima by Zoya Phan, Campaigns Manager at Burma Campaign UK “Helping the [Myanmar] government to become more efficient and effective makes sense if it is working for the people, but it isn’t. We still have a military-backed government which is not democratic and not accountable to the people. We didn’t choose this government. …

Article in Huffington Post by Mark Farmaner, Director at Burma Campaign UK. The British government’s honeymoon with Thein Sein isn’t over and trade and investment, rather than human rights, remain the top priority. However, at last, there are signs of doubts. We can only hope they grow, but divorce is still a long way off. …