Burma Campaign UK

The number of political prisoners in Burma is growing every day since the military staged a coup on 1 February. Find out more in this Blog by Wai Hnin Pwint Thon, our Senior Advocacy Officer.

This list provides the products and brand names owned and used by military companies to help people in Burma avoid purchasing goods and services from military companies.

The Burmese military, led by Min Aung Hlaing, has arrested many political leaders and human rights activists, including Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, in night time raids. They have declared a state of emergency for one year.

Read more here.

For the first time the Burmese military is facing charges of genocide in an international court.

But instead of joining the case and trying to secure justice for the Rohingya, the British government is standing on the side-lines doing nothing.

Tell the British government to join the genocide case at the International Court of Justice.

The number of political prisoners in Burma is growing every day and the military continues to arrest people who are opposing the coup.

Political prisoners in Burma need our support.

Aung San Suu Kyi has once again managed to shock people around the world over her approach to the Rohingya crisis, this time by personally leading a team defending Burma at the International Court of Justice against charges of genocide. This briefing explores why.

Western Union is the latest company to be removed from our ‘Dirty List’ following confirmation that they have stopped using the military-owned Myawaddy Bank as one of their agents in Burma.

Naw Ohn Hla, a leading ethnic Karen activist, was arrested on 9 September 2019 for organising a peaceful event to mark Karen Martys Day.

Help us campaign for her release.

Timber and gems exports from Burma are worth billions of dollars a year to the military. EU must now sanction the timber & gems industry. Email EU governments now.

The Dirty List names international companies doing business with the military in Burma or involved in projects where there are human rights violations or environmental destruction.

The ‘Dirty List’ is available here.

Wonderful news that Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were released from prison on 7 May. However, we must not forget the many political prisoners still in jail or facing trial. Email Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and urge him to work for the release of all political prisoners in Burma.

Take action here.

The Dirty List names international companies doing business with the military in Burma. The list also includes international companies involved in projects where there are human rights violations or environmental destruction.

In September 2018, the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on Myanmar, which has been investigating human rights violations in the country, stated:

“The actions of the Tatmadaw (Burmese military) in Kachin, Rakhine and Shan States, in particular in the context of the ‘clearance operations’ in northern Rakhine State in 2016 and 2017, have so seriously violated international law that any engagement in any form with the Tatmadaw, its current leadership, and its businesses, is indefensible.”

A PDF of the full Dirty List is available here.

A list of companies that have been removed from The Dirty List is here.

A UN report has said Burma must be investigated for genocide and crimes against humanity.

Sign our petition urging Theresa May to support referring Burma to the International Criminal Court.

Evidence submitted by Burma Campaign UK to a British Parliament inquiry details EU complicity in the Rohingya crisis with repeated decisions by the EU and member states not to defend the rights of the Rohingya, which helped contribute to the current crisis.

This report published by MPs on the International Development Committee says the UK can no longer continue with ‘business as usual’ and calls for a complete review of UK policy on Burma.

This briefing warns that political developments such as Burma’s 2020 election may mean that there is only a window of 12-18 months where there is a realistic chance of changing the 1982 Citizenship Law.

On 28 July our amazing supporter Simon Warren cycled 200km through the night from London to the Suffolk Coast to raise funds for our campaign.

There’s still time to make a donation here.

We sometimes get asked for recommendations for new books on Burma or on topical issues relating to Burma. Here are three recent books which you may find useful and interesting if you fancy something more serious for your summer reading.

Thousands of Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh risk being sent back to giant prison camps in Burma.

Tell India and Japan not to support this repatriation.

International donors have cut aid to 9,000 displaced villagers from Shan and Karen States who fled attacks by the Burmese Army.

They will no longer receive essential aid, and risk being forced to return to their villages, despite it not being safe for most of them to return.

The military in Burma are the main obstacle to improving human rights, democracy and development in Burma. We are exploring ways that international pressure could be applied on the military to encourage Min Aung Hlaing to agree to reform.

Should we, for example, revive the ‘Dirty List’ of companies directly helping Burma’s military?

Take our survey here.

The Dirty List names international companies doing business with the military in Burma. The list also includes international companies involved in projects where there are human rights violations or environmental destruction.

In September 2018, the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on Myanmar, which has been investigating human rights violations in the country, stated:

“The actions of the Tatmadaw (Burmese military) in Kachin, Rakhine and Shan States, in particular in the context of the ‘clearance operations’ in northern Rakhine State in 2016 and 2017, have so seriously violated international law that any engagement in any form with the Tatmadaw, its current leadership, and its businesses, is indefensible.”

A PDF of the full Dirty List is available here.

The Unlawful Associations Act is used by the Burmese authorities to intimidate and arrest political activists. It is also most commonly used against members of ethnic minorities in Burma. Many political prisoners who were arrested during the period of direct military rule were charged under this act. Section 17/1 is the most commonly used section of this act.

The Unlawful Associations Act is a serious threat to freedom of association and human rights in the country, and the law should be abolished.

Download a PDF version of this briefing here.

More information on Burma’s repressive laws is available here.

The Telecommunications Law was introduced in 2013 and since then it has been used repeatedly to restrict freedom of speech and expression. Defamation charges under Section 66 (d) of the law have been brought against reporters, politicians and social media users. Many people have been arrested for criticising the military, the government or merely posting on Facebook.

Download a PDF version of this briefing here.

More information about repressive laws is available here.

Repressive laws which arbitrarily restrict the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly remain in place, and authorities continue to use them to intimidate, arrest and jail human rights defenders, peaceful activists, members of ethnic minorities and the media.

We are producing a series of briefings on Burma’s repressive laws, with actions you can take to help pressure the government in Burma to reform or repeal the laws.

On 26th November, BCUK’s Doug Janke is running the New Forest Half Marathon to raise money for our campaign to stop the Burmese Army’s ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya.

Please sponsor his run here.

Join ‘Blue Shirt Day’ for political prisoners on Friday 21^st April.

Wear blue. Share a picture on social media. Use the hashtag: #blueshirt4burma

We can’t let political prisoners be left behind, forgotten in jail.

Rohingya who have fled to Bangladesh are telling horrific stories of the human rights violations taking place. Ask your MP to sign a new motion in Parliament calling on the British government to back a UN Inquiry into the Rohingya crisis.

This year we mark our 25^th anniversary. From our beginnings as a small solidarity group in the wake of the military crackdown after the 1990 election in Burma, we have built the campaign to become the leading Burma campaign group in the world, working with activists from Burma to achieve real change.

Two Kachin pastors, Dumdaw Nawng Latt & Langjaw Gam Seng, are in prison after helping journalists report on military attacks in Kachin State.

Please take action to call for their release.

Will you send a message of hope to end repression of the Rohingya?

Sign our petition calling on the NLD-led government to take four steps to help end the repression against the Rohingya.

Join over 100 high profile women, including Dame Judi Dench, Annie Lennox, Jo Brand, Gillian Anderson, Imelda Staunton, Julie Walters and Zoë Wanamaker, and stand with the women of Burma to end rape and sexual violence.

Whenever you shop online, you can now raise money to help the campaign for human rights in Burma. Just sign up for free here.

With easyfundraising you can help support Burma Campaign UK every time you do your online shopping!

There are nearly 3,000 retailers on board, including Amazon, John Lewis, Boots, M&S, Argos and Sainsbury’s.

Every time you shop, they pay a small percentage to us – it doesn’t cost you a penny extra!

After the NLD’s landslide election victory, this briefing contains detailed analysis of what is likely to happen next, the process of the elections, and key election statistics.

This letter writing guide gives an introduction to the situation of the Rohingya, and tells you how you can help by taking action.

You can download a pdf of the letter writing guide here.

This letter writing guide gives an introduction to rape and sexual violence in conflict in Burma, and tells you how you can help by taking action.

You can download a pdf of the letter writing guide here.

These letter writing guides provide campaign information, draft letters and addresses to write to.

Letter Writing Guides are available for:

Political Prisoners

Rape and Sexual Violence

The Rohingya

• Read our full briefing about the case here.
  
• View Andy Hall’s website about the case here.

Andy Hall is facing several trials. He needs our help. If he is convicted, Andy will go to jail for doing nothing more than helping vulnerable people who are being exploited

Please make a donation towards Andy’s legal costs, to help keep him out of jail.

The British government has announced that it is ending its training of the Burmese military.

Burma Campaign UK has been campaigning for the British government to end this training since it was first announced in 2013.

These two Kachin teachers were raped and murdered by the Burmese Army. The British government could immediately take three practical steps to help stop rape in Burma, but so far they have refused to do so.  Please take action.

Is British aid to Burma linked with the deaths of children?

Donate your old currency or left over holiday money.

Do you have any foreign coins or banknotes gathering dust? Why not donate your forgotten currency to Burma Campaign UK?

Donate your old currency or left over holiday money.

Do you have any foreign coins or banknotes gathering dust? Why not donate your forgotten currency to Burma Campaign UK?

Burma Campaign UK depends on donations, as we do not receive government funding. Let your forgotten coins and notes make a difference to the people of Burma.

Click here, print the form and send it off.

Leftovercurrency.com will then exchange your currency and donate the exchanged amount plus 5% of the value to Burma Campaign UK.

Or you can download the form here and use it to send off your old currency.

Please email President Thein Sein, asking him to publish his full army record, including the role he played in crushing the uprising in 1988.

The 8th August is the 26th anniversary of the massacre of thousands of people, many of them students, who had been protesting for democracy in Burma.

Soldiers opened fire on the protesting students, and in the following weeks at least three thousand people are thought to have been killed. The date, 8-8-88 is one of the most significant anniversaries in Burma’s struggle for freedom. There has never been a full investigation into the massacre.

When he became President, Thein Sein described the massacre and crackdown as having ‘saved the nation’.

A leaked US embassy diplomatic cable dated 20th October 2004 said Thein Sein ’distinguished’ himself cracking down against the 1988 uprising. It stated: ‘Major Thein Sein served as commander of Light Infantry Division (LID)-55, one of the elite organizations loyal to the Burmese Socialist Program Party (BSPP). In that capacity, he distinguished himself, as did Soe Win, in the crackdown against the 1988 uprising in support of democracy.’

Please email President Thein Sein, asking him to publish his full army record, including the role he played in crushing the uprising in 1988. The people of Burma have the right to know the past actions of the President.

The Burmese government has now signed the Declaration of Commitment to End Sexual Violence in Conflict.

The declaration contains practical and political commitments to end impunity, promote accountability, and provide justice and safety for victims of sexual violence in conflicts.

This shows pressure works. However, just because Burma has signed the declaration, it doesn’t mean that they will actually do anything about it. We have seen a great many broken promises by President Thein Sein in the past, including his failure to release all political prisoners by the end of last year, his failure to stop using child soldiers in the Burmese Army, and his failure to stop Burmese Army attacks in Kachin State.

Pressure must be maintained to ensure that President Thein Sein agrees concrete actions within a specific timeframe to actually implement the declaration.

Please write to Philip Hammond MP, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and urge him to take action to stop rape and sexual violence in Burma.

Zaw Pe is a journalist with Democratic Voice of Burma who has been jailed for asking a government officer questions. This is the latest in a series of recent arrests or jailings of journalist.

Take action to free Zaw Pe and all Burma’s political prisoners.

Rohingya are facing starvation.

Please take action to call on UN Secretary General António Guterres to go to Burma to persuade the government and military to LET THE AID IN.

Nay Myo Zin and Win Cho were arrested on 18th January 2014 for leading a protest with hundreds of farmers across Burma. They were charged under Article 18 of the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law, and sentenced to 3 months in Insein Prison.

• Aid to Burma
• British policy on Burma
• Crimes Against Humanity
• Persecution of the Rohingya
• Crisis in Kachin State
• Political Prisoners
• Rape and Sexual Violence
• The United Nations and Burma
• Trade and Investment

The British government has performed a dramatic U-turn in Burma policy since Thein Sein became President, reversing a decade’s long policy of prioritising human rights. Trade and investment are now the priority for the British government.

Since the change of policy, the British government has tended to downplay serious human rights abuses, or even ignore them altogether.

Have you received a reply from the British Foreign Office to your letter about political prisoners in Burma?

Click here for more information and advice about how to reply.

Response to FCO letter December 2013

Our new briefing paper analyses the most recent quarterly human rights update on Burma published by the Foreign Office. This reveals that the FCO report provides a misleading and inaccurate description of the current human rights situation in Burma.

To highlight how the British government takes a rose-tinted view of Burma, and to pressure the government to put human rights first, we are sending rose-tinted glasses to Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond.

Order your rose-tinted glasses here. We will use your donation to buy rose-tinted glasses and deliver them to Philip Hammond.

No Political Prisoner Left Behind

Take action to free Burma’s political prisoners. Community leader Kyaw Hla Aung was arrested on 15th July 2013 and has been detained in Sittwe Prison. His trial continues.

Saturday 25th August marks the first anniversary of the beginning of a pre-planned military offensive against the Rohingya population in Burma. This Q&A looks at the international response to the crisis.

Auntie Pamela’s
Skydive for Burma
On Saturday March 14th Auntie Pamela Sarkaw Moo jumped out of a plane from over two miles up to raise funds for Burma Campaign UK.Auntie Pamela is a 67 year old Karen refugee from Burma who volunteers every week at BCUK.

In Burma, she was a nurse at a hospital in Rangoon and treated students shot by the army in 1988.She says: “I am jumping because BCUK is doing a fantastic job. They work for equality, rights and self-determination for all people in Burma, not just my ethnic group.”

Please sponsor her here.

Fancy skydiving for
Burma Campaign UK? 
Fundraising for Burma Campaign UK raises desperately needed funds supporting vital action for the people of Burma. Your support will help us to work for real freedom for the people of Burma.

We can send you a fundraising pack with an A-Z of fundraising ideas from Abseiling to Zorbing. You can download the A-Z of Fundraising here.

If you are feeling inspired and want to help us fundraise, please register your interest and we will contact you or call 020 7324 4710.

Public Statement on Leaving Thailand
7^th November 2016

Q&A about Andy Hall’s trial

Press Release:Trial against British Migrants Rights Activist Andy Hall Commences in Bangkok
12 May 2016

Press Release: Criminal case against Finnwatch researcher Andy Hall dismissed
18 September 2015

Letter to Thai Prime Minister, Prayuth Chan-ocha.
19 August 2015

Preliminary Hearing Begins in Andy Hall’s Most Serious Criminal Prosecution in Thailand
14 November 2014

Letter to the Thai Government in support of Andy Hall.
29 October 2014

PRESS RELEASE: Finnwatch Researcher’s Trial Begins in Bangkok on 2nd Sept
28 August 2014

Letter to TPIA
Over 100 organisations appealed to members of the Thai Pineapple Industry Association (TPIA) to urge its fellow member Natural Fruit to drop the cases filed against Andy Hall.
August 2014

UN Human Rights Council Experts Intervene in Andy Hall’s Natural Fruit Prosecution Case
Previously confidential UN letter dated 26 April 2013 released on 11 September 2013

Response to Burma Campaign UK from the Royal Thai Embassy, London
22 August 2013

This guide provides case studies and addresses to write directly to political prisoners and to demand international action for the release of political prisoners.

Download the Political Prisoner Letter Writing Guide here.

Since 2012 there has been a downward spiral in the human rights and humanitarian situation of the ethnic Rohingya in Burma. Now a new plan proposed by the Burmese government will further increase discrimination and could result in hundreds of thousands of Rohingya people being interned in what amount to concentration camps.

The draft Rakhine State Action Plan is completely unacceptable, violates international law, and must be rejected by the British government and rest of the international community.

Please email the British Foreign Secretary.

Download a Word version of this letter here to print and send to the Foreign Secretary.

With the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and some reforms in Burma, there is a growing perception by many people that things are ok in Burma now.

However, Burma still has one of the worst human rights records in the world. International pressure is still needed to promote human rights and democracy in Burma.

Human Rights Abuses Since Thein Sein Became President

It is now more than two years since Thein Sein became President, yet Burma still has one of the worst human rights records in the world.

Click here to read the briefing.

Thein Sein In His Own Words

This briefing provides revealing quotes, past and present, from Burma’s President Thein Sein.

Download it here.

Thein Sein – President of Burma

This briefing highlights Thein Sein’s decades-long involvement in human rights abuses in Burma.

Thein Sein spent 40 years as a soldier in one of the most brutal military dictatorships in the world. He spent 14 years on the ruling council of the dictatorship, and he also spent many years based in ethnic states, where the Burmese Army committed horrific human rights abuses against the civilian population.

Download it here.

President Thein Sein of Burma has been hailed as a reformer by the British government.

However, Thein Sein rules a country which still has one of the worst human rights records in the world. A country with hundreds of political prisoners still in jail, where torture is still being used, where his army continues to kill, to bomb and to rape ethnic civilians and camps where ethnic children die because he won’t allow them to get aid.

If all this sounds familiar, it is because many of the abuses committed by the past regime haven’t stopped. In fact some have even increased since Thein Sein became President. Worse, Human Rights Watch has evidence that ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity have been committed against the ethnic Rohingya minority.

But you won’t hear Prime Minister David Cameron talking about taking action on ethnic cleansing going on in Burma. You won’t hear Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond condemning the widespread use of rape by the Burmese Army. That’s because the British government now takes a rose-tinted view of what is happening in Burma. They talk up the positives, but play down or don’t talk about many of the negatives.

Last Month in Parliament is a monthly round-up of issues relating to Burma in the British Parliament.

Photo galleries of Burma Campaign UK campaigns and events, pictures of the 2007 uprising, Aung San Suu Kyi, Cyclone Nargis and more.

Watch videos about the situation in Burma. Even more videos are available on our YouTube channel.

Burma Briefing provides comment, briefing and analysis from Burma Campaign UK.

This page contains reports from the Burma Campaign UK and other groups about the situation in Burma.

A comprehensive archive of documents by the UN, including reports from the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burma and statements from the UN Security Council.

Burmese Girls is a delightful window into the relatively unknown world of growing up in Burma.

Buy your “Free Burma” t-shirts now. They support the work of the Burma Campaign UK and are fairtrade and organic.

Buy anything on Amazon via the link below and Burma Campaign UK receives a percentage of what you pay:

The award-winning documentary ‘Burma VJ’ tells the remarkable story of the brave young video journalists who, using hidden cameras, put their lives on the line to tell the real story of the 2007 uprising in Burma and the subsequent crackdown by the ruling military regime. They now face up to 65 years in prison for simply recording the events in the film.

With the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and some reforms in Burma, there is a growing perception by many people that everything is ok in Burma now. But it isn’t.

Burma still has one of the worst human rights records in the world. Hundreds of political prisoners remain in jail, attacks against ethnic minorities continue, reports of rape by Burmese Army soldiers have increased, and almost all repressive laws remain in place.

International pressure is still needed to promote human rights and democracy in Burma.

Please post these pictures on Facebook, Twitter and other social media networks, send them to friends, or perhaps even print them and put them up at work or at home.

Please help us spread the word. The people of Burma still need our help.

Despite some welcome political changes in Burma, including the release of high profile political prisoners, hundreds of political prisoners remain in jail.

The international community must not forget those political prisoners still left behind in Burma’s jails.

Please click here for more information about Burma’s political prisoners.

Despite some welcome political changes in Burma, including the release of high profile political prisoners. However, despite government claims that all political prisoners have been released, many people remain in jail because of their political activities, ethnicity or religion.

The international community must not forget those political prisoners still left behind in Burma’s jails.

Please click here for more information about Burma’s political prisoners.

Despite some welcome political changes in Burma, including the release of high profile political prisoners, hundreds of political prisoners remain in jail.

The international community must not forget those political prisoners still left behind in Burma’s jails.

Please click here for more information about Burma’s political prisoners.

The military-backed government in Burma arrested two women activists in June, Khin Mi Mi Khaing and Myint Myint Aye, for allegedly taking part in illegal associations.

Their arrest came after showing their support to farmers who were protesting on confiscated land. They have been detained in Paungde Prison and their trials continue.

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Events and demonstrations held by the Burma Campaign UK, the Burmese community or supporters of Burma Campaign UK.

If you are holding a Burma-related event and would like it added here, please email info@burmacampaign.org.uk

Archive:

Last Month in Parliament is a monthly round-up of issues relating to Burma in the British Parliament.

Last Month in Parliament is in PDF format. Download Acrobat here:

Burma Briefing provides comment, briefing and analysis from Burma Campaign UK.

To receive Burma Briefing directly, subscribe by sending an email to this email address

Campaigning for human rights and freedom

Burma Campaign UK is one of the leading Burma campaign organisations in the world. We play a leading role in raising awareness about the situation in Burma, and pressuring the international community to take action in support of the people of Burma.

Your support is crucial. Take action now and help the people of Burma in their struggle for freedom.

Campaigning works!

• Our campaigns have helped free hundreds of political prisoners.
• We expose human rights abuses that the government tries to keep secret.
• We have ensured life-saving aid has reached those hiding in Burmese jungles after attacks by the Burmese Army.
• We lobby governments all over the world to do more to promote human rights in Burma.
• Our campaigns have stopped companies investing in Burma in ways which contribute to human rights abuses.
• We generate worldwide media coverage, ensuring the world does not ignore the crisis in Burma.
• We provide support and training to Burmese organisations and individuals, building the capacity of people from Burma to speak out and influence the international community.

Andy Hall is a researcher who defends the rights of migrants in Thailand, including migrants from Burma.

In 2013 he was involved in exposing how a factory in Thailand was committing human rights abuses against migrant workers in its factory. Abuses included child labour, workers being beaten, being paid illegally low wages and facing dangerous working conditions.

Instead of the company, Natural Fruit, taking action to stop these abuses, it has launched several legal cases for defamation and computer crimes against Andy Hall. If convicted he could face more than eight years in jail and a fine of more than eight million pounds.

The government of Thailand should be enforcing the law to stop abuses like this. They should be telling Natural Fruit to drop these cases and clean up its act. Instead they have been supporting the prosecution, appealing against a court decision to dismiss one of the cases.

These cases are an attack on free speech, and threaten work to improve the rights of migrant workers in Thailand, millions of whom are from Burma.

Since communal violence erupted in June 2012 in Burma’s Arakan (Rakhine) State, there is a growing humanitarian and human rights crisis which is not receiving sufficient international attention. The violence has evolved into systematic attacks against the ethnic Rohingya.

More than 100,000 people have been displaced, the vast majority without receiving sufficient assistance because they are ethnic Rohingya. Aid is being severely restricted by the government and many Rohingya people have been excluded.

The President of Burma proposed a policy that amounts to ethnic cleansing, asking the United Nations to arrange for Rohingya people to be placed in camps, removed from Burma and sent to third countries.

Action needs to be taken now to ensure aid can be delivered, arrests and human rights abuses stop, and people are allowed to return safely to their homes.

Statement by Adama Dieng, Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide, and Jennifer Welsh, Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on the Responsibility to Protect, on the upcoming elections in Myanmar
4 November 2015

Statement by the National League for Democracy
‘The position of the National League for Democracy regarding the boat people’
1 June 2015

Letter from Public Health Experts to President Thein Sein regarding MSF suspension in Arakan State
April 2014

A Timeline of the massacre in Maungdaw, Rakhine State
January 2014
By Burma Rohingya Organisation UK

Maps and UN situation reports

Myebon Joint Mission Statement
30 December 2013

Since violence erupted in 2012 in Rakhine (Arakan) State, there is a growing humanitarian and human rights crisis. More than 100,000 people displaced, with the majority not receiving sufficient assistance because they are ethnic Rohingya.

Urgent aid needed for Rakhine State

The Burmese government is blocking aid ‎to the 140,000 Rohingya people living in squalid camps in Rakhine State.

With most sanctions against the military-backed government in Burma now lifted, European companies must ensure they adhere to the highest standards to avoid human rights abuses, exploitation of workers and environmental destruction.

Great news! Naing Htay Lwin and Myo Min Min, the two imprisoned union leaders whose release we were campaigning for, were freed on 17 April 2016. They were arrested in February 2015 for asking for a pay rise of $1 a day for garment workers.

At her Nobel Peace Prize speech, Aung San Suu Kyi made an impassioned call to governments to increase funding for refugees from Burma, saying:

“Can we afford to indulge in compassion fatigue? Is the cost of meeting the needs of refugees greater than the cost that would be consequent on turning an indifferent, if not a blind, eye on their suffering? I appeal to donors the world over to fulfil the needs of these people who are in search, often it must seem to them a vain search, of refuge.’

Refugees in camps on the Thailand Burma border, and those hiding in the jungle from the Burmese Army are facing cuts in rations and shelter.

The British government is currently reviewing aid to Burma and needs to double aid to them to prevent further suffering.

“As someone who was an internally displaced person after my village was attacked by the Burmese Army, and who lived in refugee camps, I am very upset that the situation is getting much worse, and the British government isn’t doing enough to help.” Zoya Phan, Campaigns Manager, Burma Campaign UK.

The Burmese Army continues to use rape and sexual violence against ethnic women. The international community is ignoring the widespread and systematic use of sexual violence by the Burmese Army. This cannot be allowed to continue.

Burma is one of the poorest countries in Asia. Decades of military rule have resulted in widespread poverty, poor health care and low educational standards. An estimated 75% of the population live below the poverty line.

Aid to Burma needs to be increased, but instead it’s going to be cut at a time when the need has never been greater.

Tell British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab not to cut aid to Burma.

For more than thirty years, the United Nations has been documenting human rights violations by the Burmese military which break international law.

In 2018 the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar reported that there was evidence that the Burmese military has committed genocide and crimes against humanity against the Rohingya and war crimes against ethnic minorities in Kachin and Shan States.

The Burmese military is being investigated for crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court. The International Court of Justice has agreed to hear a case that Burma is in breach of its obligations under the Genocide Convention following the Burmese military offensive against Rohingya civilians, mostly children, in 2017.

On 1st February 2021, the Burmese military held an illegal coup, overthrowing the democratically elected government, shooting peaceful protesters on the streets and arresting and illegally detaining thousands of people. Tens of thousands of ethnic civilians have been forced to flee their homes after Burmese military attacks.

It’s time for a global arms embargo.

Since the coup on 1 February 2021, hundreds of political leaders, human rights activists and peaceful protesters have been arrested. More people continue to be arrested every day.

See the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners for regular updates on political prisoner numbers.

All political prisoners must be freed.

Take action to free all political prisoners in Burma.

Activists and journalists continue to be arrested in Burma and political prisoners remain in jail.

Take action to free political prisoners.

Despite some welcome political changes in Burma, including the release of high profile political prisoners, hundreds of political prisoners remain in jail.

The international community must not forget those political prisoners still left behind in Burma’s jails.

Please click here for more information about Burma’s political prisoners.

Find the latest reports from the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners here.

There are still political prisoners in jail, and all the laws under which they were jailed remain in place, and must be repealed. People are still being arrested because of their political activities, ethnicity or religion. If we draw the attention of the NLD-led government to the remaining political prisoners, hopefully they will also be released. We are continuing our campaigns to free all political prisoners in Burma. No political prisoner should be left behind in jail.

Take action here to free political prisoners in Burma.

Thank you to everyone who has written to the British government.

Here is the response from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (pdf letter).

In the past year, there are reports that the Burmese Army has stepped up its use of rape, gang-rape and sexual violence against ethnic women. Recent documented cases include the rape of a 12 year old girl in front of her mother, and a disabled woman.

The international community continues to ignore the widespread and systematic use of rape and sexual violence by the Burmese Army. This cannot be allowed to continue.

Please print and send this letter to William Hague.  [Word document]

• 2018 Report of the UN Secretary General on Sexual Violence in Conflict

• 2017 Report of the UN Secretary General on Sexual Violence in Conflict

• 2016 Report of the UN Secretary General on Sexual Violence in Conflict

• 2015 Report of the UN Secretary General on Sexual Violence in Conflict

• 2014 Report of the UN Secretary General on Sexual Violence in Conflict

• 2013 Report of the UN Secretary General on Sexual Violence in Conflict

• 2012 Report of the UN Secretary General on Sexual Violence in Conflict

“There is no doubt that the Burmese military junta is responsible for serious human rights violations and that they should be held to account.”

Former Foreign Secretary
William Hague

For many years the United Nations has ignored widespread and systematic crimes committed by Burma’s military, including the destruction of more than 3,500 villages in eastern Burma, widespread use of rape as a weapon of war against ethnic minorities, the forced displacement of over 1 million refugees and internally displaced people, tens of thousands of child soldiers, and the abundant use of forced labour in the country.

For decades the United Nations has been documenting these serious and systematic human rights abuses committed by Burma’s military, abuses which break international law. Yet no action has been taken to end the impunity which Burma’s military-backed government enjoys.

Burma’s new constitution, which came into force after fake elections on 7 November 2010, grants immunity from prosecution for those who have committed these crimes. This is why it is up to the international community to take action to end the impunity with which the military-backed government commits these crimes.

In March 2010, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Burma called for a United Nations Commission of Inquiry into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Burma. The United Kingdom, France, USA and Australia are among the countries that expressed support for such an inquiry.

The following are statements in support of a Commission of Inquiry into crimes against humanity in Burma.

• NDF statement in support of a Commission of Inquiry (PDF Format)
  The National Democratic Front (NDF) is a military alliance of eight ethnic resistance groups in Burma.
• Nobel Laureates letter to UNSC (PDF Format)
• Nobel Women’s Initiative (PDF Format)
• Conservative Party supports Commission of Inquiry into crimes against humanity
• Former UN Special Rapporteurs for Human Rights in Burma call on EU to support a Commission of Inquiry (PDF Format)
• Click here to see a list of countries and organisations that expressed support for a UN Commission on Inquiry

The Burmese Army continues use of rape, gang-rape and sexual violence against ethnic women. Ethnic women and girls suffer horrific sexual abuse while military perpetrators enjoy impunity.

If you are considering leaving Burma Campaign UK a gift in your Will, we have produced a Will making guide to provide help and advice.

Whatever gift you are able to leave in your Will to us would be very important to us and to the future of Burma.

Please contact us and we will be very happy to send you the guide. Please call 020 3095 1991 or email legacy@burmacampaign.org.uk

Or you can download the Guide here.

Legacies are special gifts from one generation to another. By remembering Burma Campaign UK’s work in your Will, you will be continuing the fight for freedom and democracy in Burma into the future.

Having an up-to-date Will is important for you and your loved ones as it ensures your wishes will be carried out exactly as you wanted.

Also it allows you to give extra support to the campaigns and causes that you care about. This support is very significant for Burma Campaign UK.

We have a guide to making or changing your Will, which we would be happy to send you.

Please call 020 7324 4710 or email info@burmacampaign.org.uk and we will send you one.

Or you can download the Guide here.

Click here to register your event on Bmycharity

Wai Hnin landed her skydive safely and raised much needed funds to ensure No Political Prisoner is Left Behind. Support Wai Hnin and our campaign here.

Ben Hammond is dancing his way from John O’Groats to Land’s End. Click here to show your support for Ben’s epic challenge.

Frances Barclay completed the Glasgow Women’s 10K to show her support for our campaign against sexual violence and rape. Support Frances and our campaign here.

We can send you a fundraising pack with an A-Z of fundraising ideas from Abseiling to Zorbing.

Download our A-Z of Fundraising here.

Interested in taking part in a sponsored event to raise funds for Burma Campaign UK?

Click here for a list of events and how to register or for more information call: 020 3095 1991.

Click here to register your event.

Our fantastic supporters 

Peter Hagenbuch

Thank you to Peter, who did a 60-mile charity walk on Saturday 18th October 2014 for charity, including raising funds for Burma Campaign UK.

Pam Skelton and Lesley Mair

Pam Skelton, accompanied by her daughter Laura, and Lesley Mair walked 60km in the Just Walk 2013 and between them raised over £4,496 through the generous donations of our supporters.

Louise Procopiou and her family

Louise Procopiou with Joshua and Emma Murphy, pictured above with their Aunt Wilhelmina, who raised £1,371 in the Just Walk 2013 for Burma Campaign UK in memory of their grandmother.

Ian Fleming

Ian Fleming walked 60km in one day and raised £562.27 for Burma Campaign UK.

Our thanks also go to Darren Laker who also walked the 60km route.

A big thank you to all our fundraisers.

If you want to raise funds for Burma Campaign UK, you can register your own UK event here.

If you are a UK tax payer, don’t forget that your donation could be increased through Gift Aid, meaning Burma Campaign UK will get even more support!

You can run, jump, swim or walk just about anywhere in the world and raise vital funds for Burma Campaign UK.

Fundraising for Burma Campaign UK raises awareness and encourages new supporters as well as desperately needed funds supporting vital action for the people of Burma.

Your support will help us to work for democracy and freedom for the people of Burma.

We can send you a fundraising pack with an A-Z of fundraising ideas from Abseiling to Zorbing. You can download the A-Z of Fundraising here.

If you are feeling inspired and want to help us fundraise, please register your interest and we will contact you or call 020 3095 1991.

You can now buy your favourite books about Burma on Amazon Kindle.

Buy your “Free Burma” reusable shopping bag now. They support the work of the Burma Campaign UK and are fairtrade and organic.

Burma Campaign UK t-shirts are made from 100% organic cotton and printed in the UK in a renewable energy-powered factory.

Buy Burma related Audio Books and music CD’s by various artists.

Buy films about Burma including Academy Award nominated documentary Burma VJ.

Choose from a great range of books about Burma and the democracy movement.

A wide range of books written by and about Burma’s democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Click here to go back to the Freedom Shop

The autobiography of Zoya Phan, who was forced to flee Burma when Burmese army soldiers attacked her village. She is now a high profile activist campaigning for freedom for her homeland.

Click here for more gift ideas, including books by Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma Campaign T-Shirts, Bags and Rambo!

Brave New Burma is a stunning book by Nic Dunlop, who has spent 20 years photographing Burma, from the frontlines of war, to Aung San Suu Kyi, to the lives of ordinary people struggling to survive.

This fascinating book looks at Burma’s history and its struggle for justice, with wide-ranging accounts of the courage and determination of Burma’s people.

This beautiful book of photographs shows Burma’s landscape, architecture and the lives and diversity of the people in this extraordinary country.

This new biography is a must-read – an accessible and engaging book about Aung San Suu Kyi and her part in Burma’s struggle for democracy.

Burma Campaign UK supporters receive our campaign magazine Burma Campaign News, which comes out twice a year.

Find out how to help raise money for Burma Campaign UK’s vital campaigning.

Developments in Burma show that campaigning does work but we must keep up the pressure for real democracy and human rights. Please make a donation today.

By remembering Burma Campaign UK’s work in your Will, you will be continuing the fight for freedom and democracy in Burma into the future.

Buy books on Burma, CDs, DVDs, cameras, birthday presents or DIY equipment. It all raises money for Burma Campaign UK.

Pam and Lesley both volunteer at Burma Campaign UK. On May 11th they will walk 60km across the South Downs to raise funds for Burma Campaign UK.

Please show your support and sponsor them today!

UK sanctions

EU Sanctions

US Sanctions

Australian sanctions

On 22 April 2013 the EU announced that it would be lifting all EU sanctions against Burma, except the arms embargo, despite that fact that the EU’s own benchmarks for improvements in human rights have not been met. Read our press release, which includes details on how those benchmarks have not been met.

View images of Aung San Suu Kyi in the photo gallery here.

Global Statements Calling For The Release Of Aung San Suu Kyi

Statements from world leaders about the conviction of Aung San Suu Kyi in August 2009  (PDF Format)

Aung San Suu Kyi was released on 13 November 2010 after spending more than 15 years in detention, most of it under house arrest.

The international community should use the release of Aung San Suu Kyi as an opportunity to apply pressure on the dictatorship to enter into genuine dialogue. This briefing provides recommendations for action from the international community.

Aung San Suu Kyi spent more than 15 years in detention. She was released from her third period of detention on 13th November 2010.

If you want to contact Aung San Suu Kyi or the NLD, please email them directly at: info.nldburma@gmail.com

Burma’s fake elections, held on 7 November 2010, were part of the dictatorship’s much-criticised “road-map to democracy” that has been condemned around the world as an attempt to entrench and legitimize military rule.

The entire process was a sham. The elections brought in a new constitution, which contains many undemocratic measures including the military having an effective veto over decisions made by the new Parliament and government. It was designed to keep the dictatorship in power and has not brought any new freedom to Burma’s people.

For more information: Download our briefing on elections here [PDF file].

2010 Elections News
This site provides news and information from Democratic Voice of Burma about the 2010 elections, including details of the parties taking part.
The British Foreign Office Minister Jeremy Browne said: “These elections are set to be held under deeply oppressive conditions designed to perpetuate military rule. The Burmese people should have a real chance to vote for change. Instead, the first opportunity in twenty years for Burma’s people to have a more open, stable and prosperous society has been missed.”

The Burmese dictatorship’s elections on 7 November 2010 were condemned around the world as an attempt to entrench and legitimize military rule. The election was part of the regime’s much criticized “road-map to democracy”, which contains a number of undemocratic measures including the military having an effective veto over decisions made by the new Parliament and government.

Monks marching through Rangoon during the 2007 uprising

View images of 2007 Saffron Revolution in Burma in the photo gallery here.

The Real Disaster:

Satellite imagery

• Rangoon River, Before & After Nargis (.pdf)
• Flooded settlements 12 miles south of Rangoon. (.pdf)
• Fields flooded by Rangoon. (.pdf)

View images of Cyclone Nargis in Burma here.

After the Storm: Voices from the Delta

Burma Campaign UK has ended its call for all tourists not to visit Burma, following a decision by National League for Democracy leaders to amend their tourism policy.

Burma Campaign UK uses Burma as this is what Burma’s democracy movement prefers. They stated that the dictatorship had no legitimacy and so no right to change the name of the country to Myanmar.

As far as individuals, organisations and media are concerned, Burma Campaign UK takes no position, as we believe it is more important to talk about what should be done about ongoing human rights violations in the country, rather than what it should be called.

See this article by Bertil Lintner for more information about the history of the terms Burma and Myanmar.

• Introduction
• 2007 uprising
• Cyclone Nargis
• Fake 2010 Elections
• Ethnic Groups
• Aung San Suu Kyi
• Targeted Sanctions

• Burma Organisations Worldwide
• Human Rights
• News and Information
• Environment
• Business and Economy
• Health
• Ethnic Groups
• Women
• Refugees and IDPs
• Students and Education
• Trade Unions
• Burmese Regime
• Documentaries and Videos
• Other

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Buy any item on Amazon via our website and BCUK will receive a percentage of what you pay. Just click on the Amazon link above.

An international task force is needed to help tackle growing religious violence in Burma

After the recent religious violence in Burma, this briefing looks at the growing problem and the need for urgent action.

The consequences of failing to do so would be so serious that they justify the urgent creation of a task force which helps Burma’s political and religious leaders, both in government and in opposition, learn from the past experience of the international community

Repressive laws which restrict the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly remain and are still being used to intimidate, arrest and jail activists, ethnic minorities and journalists.

You can receive Last Month in Burma via email every month for free. Simply send a blank email to {encode=”burmabriefing-subscribe@lists.burmacampaign.org.uk” title=”this email address”} to subscribe to the service.

• News
• Reports
• Burma Briefing
• Blog
• Campaign Actions

Our campaigns have successfully:

Persuaded the British government to double aid to Burma

Generated thousands of stories about Burma in the media, ensuring the world does not ignore the crisis there.

Met with the British Prime Minister, and many other senior politicians around the world,  ensuring the message of Burma’s democracy movement is heard by global decision makers.

Burma Campaign UK is making a difference, but without support from members of the public our work would end.

Please make a donation today to support our vital work.

Burma Campaign UK works for human rights, democracy and development in Burma.

Burma Campaign UK is one of the leading Burma campaign organisations in the world.

We play a leading role in raising awareness about the situation in Burma, and pressuring the international community to take action in support of the people of Burma.