The Stateless Rohingya Blog

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. UN Photo/Devra Berkowitz By Burma Campaign UK April 26, 2014 UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has warned Burma of possible international consequences if they continue to “tolerate impunity” for human rights abuses against the Rohingya. Speaking at a meeting of the Partnership Group on Myanmar in New York on 25th April, the Secretary General stated: “In the pursuit of the human rights agenda, any impression that the authorities tolerate impunity could generate negative pressures within the international community and among different parts of Myanmar’s population.” The Secretary General yesterday also described the situation in Rakhine State as “alarming” and “completely unacceptable”. He stated that the government of Burma had a “solemn duty” to “ensure the safety and protection of all civilians in Myanmar, no matter what their religious or ethnic affiliation.” The warning over impunity follows the recent report by the UN Special R...

By Burma Campaign UK March 14, 2014 Burma Campaign UK today welcomed the latest report by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in Burma. The Rapporteur concluded that: “The pattern of widespread and systematic human rights violations in Rakhine State may constitute crimes against humanity as defined under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.” He went on to state that: “During his latest visit to Rakhine State, the Special Rapporteur saw no improvements in the human rights situation. Instead, as time passes without clear action at the State and Union level to address the widespread discrimination and human rights violations occurring there, the situation continues to worsen from an already dire state.” The Special Rapporteur also backed calls made by Burma Campaign UK, the European Burma Network and many other human rights organisations for an international investigation the massacre at Du Chee Yar Tan in January. The Special Rapporteu...

By   Burma Campaign UK January 09, 204 Kyaw Hla Aung is a human rights defender and a Rohingya community leader from Rakhine State who promotes minority rights in the country. On 15th July 2012, he was taken from his home in Sittwe. After his arrest, he was charged with three different counts, and transferred to Sittwe Prison. When his trial began on 14 August 2013, four more counts were added to his case. He has now been charged with seven different counts, including under 505(b) of Statements Conducting to Public Mischief. The charges are politically motivated and his trial continues at Sittwe Court. He is suffering from high blood pressure and arthritis. As part of the No Political Prisoner Left Behind campaign, Burma Campaign UK is highlighting a case of a political prisoner every month to draw attention to the hundreds of political prisoners who could still be in jail. The political prisoner for this month is Kyaw Hla Aung. Thein Sein lied to David Came...

Burma Campaign UK: July 14, 2013 Media Release from the All-Party Parliamentary Group For Democracy In Burma British Parliamentarians from the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Democracy in Burma are calling on Foreign Secretary William Hague to prioritise human rights when he meets Burmese President Thein Sein in London. The All-Party Parliamentary Group For Democracy in Burma has recently heard evidence on a number of serious human rights issues, including the continuing recruitment of child soldiers, ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya, religious persecution against the Chin ethnic minority, and possible war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Burmese Army against Kachin civilians. The British government is right to support reforms which have taken place, but must also maintain a healthy scepticism about the process, given that so many serious problems continue to be ignored. Benchmarks and timelines should be put to Thein Sein for impr...

  Gianluca Mezzofiore International Business Times April 8, 2013 Burma Campaign UK criticises President Thein Sein for oppressive policies against minority Muslims Myanmar's government has violated at least eight international laws with its treatment of the Rohingya Muslims, one of the world's most persecuted minorities, according to a British-based advocacy group.  Burma Campaign UK  slammed the progressive president Thein Sein for policies of oppression applied exclusively to the Rohingya. The minority group is considered stateless under Burma's citizenship law of 1982.  Legal constraints render it "almost impossible" for the Rohingya to be recognised as citizens of the country. "This violates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and international norms prohibiting discrimination of racial and religious minorities," says the report. Many Burmese  con...

Burma campaign UK March 26, 2013 The European Union is currently reviewing its policy on sanctions on Burma. On 22nd April the EU Foreign Affairs Council will decide whether to continuethe suspension of EU sanctions, or to lift sanctions. We are concerned that the premature lifting of European Union sanctions will undermine the reform process in Burma, and could even encourage further serious human rights abuses. There is no doubt that there have been dramatic changes in Burma in the past two years, and that there is opportunity for further change which must be encouraged. However, we believe that European Union members have a tendency to highlight the positives while ignoring some important and harsh realities on the ground. Burma’s generals did not suddenly wake up one morning and decide they wanted Burma to be a democracy. International pressure has clearly played a motivating role in the reforms currently taking place. Therefore, to relax too much pressure t...

Burma Campaign UK March 24, 2013   Burma Campaign UK welcomes the United Nations Human Rights Council Resolution on Burma, passed by consensus on Thursday 21st March. The resolution highlighted serious human rights abuses which could violate international law, including ‘…arbitrary detention, forced displacement, land confiscations, rape and other forms of sexual violence, torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, as well as violations of international humanitarian law,…. violence, displacement and economic deprivation affecting persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities… armed conflict in Kachin State and the associated human rights violations and allegations of international humanitarian law violations, desecration of places of worship, sexual violence and torture…’ In a blow for President Thein Sein, the Burmese government failed in its attempt to have Burma moved from Item 4 of the Council’s agenda, ‘Human rights situa...

Burma Campaign UK February 5, 2013 Burma Campaign UK today welcomed Early Day Motion 838 on Burma, tabled by members of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Democracy in Burma (APPG Burma). So far 57 MPs across all parties have signed the motion, calling for international observers, full international access to deliver humanitarian aid, and the repeal of the racist 1982 citizenship law in Burma. An Early Day Motion (EDM) is a kind of parliamentary petition. The motion concerns the ongoing attacks against the Rohingya Muslim ethnic minority in Burma. The British MPs noted that in October 2012 the attacks also began against the Kaman Muslim ethnic minority and that the police, state security and also national Burmese Army soldiers were reported to be taking part in some of the attacks. They also express concerns about the request of President Thein Sein for international assistance in deporting all Rohingya from Burma, which gives encouragement to the those carrying out the...