24 January - 4 February 2011
The government of Burma/Myanmar will be due for review in the 10th session of the UPR Working Group of the UN Human Rights Council. For this, a report was prepared for the UPR Working Group by the Burma Forum on Universal Periodic Review (BF UPR) which is composed with 14 organizations including Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO) which is a member of AIPP.
In this submission, BF-UPR highlights their concerns regarding Burma’s compliance with its international human rights obligations in the following areas: crimes against humanity; administration of justice, impunity and the rule of law; freedom of expression and assembly, prisoners of conscience and political rights; housing, land and property rights and development; poverty and access to humanitarian services; the rights of ethnic and religious minorities and indigenous peoples; human trafficking; and labour rights.
Religious and ethnic minorities and indigenous peoples face persecution, discrimination and forced assimilation. There are widespread and systematic violations in the ethnic areas, amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Exploitation of natural resources in ethnic areas and lack of participation in decision-making processes has led to disempowerment of local communities and a growing economic disparity between the rural and ethnic areas and the urban centres. Ethnic Rohingya living in Arakan State are denied citizenship and face severe persecution.
Among the recommendations of the group presented in this report are:
- Immediately end all hostilities in the ethnic areas and begin an inclusive dialogue for national reconciliation with all stakeholders.
- Amend the Constitution to allow the full and equal participation of ethnic groups in the country, and to allow local communities to have a say over land use and natural resources.
- Grant full citizenship rights to all stateless persons living in Burma. Amend the 1982 Citizenship Law to ensure compliance with international human rights law and end persecution of the Rohingya.
The full text of the report is attached herewith.
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