FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (27 January 2011, Geneva)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Burma Forum on the Universal Periodic Review (BF�]UPR)
Assistance Association for Political Prisoners Burma (AAPP�]B),
Arakan Rivers Network (ARN),
Burma Fund UN Office,
BurmaLawyers�f Council (BLC),
Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO),
Emergency Act Team vs Backpack Health Worker Team,
Federation of Trade Unions of Burma (FTUB),
Foundation for Education and Development (FED),
Human Rights EducationInstitute of Burma (HREIB),
Human Rights Foundation of Mon Land (HURFOM),
Kachin Women�fs Organization Thailand(KWAT),
Kaladan Press Bangladesh,
Shwe Gas Movement,
Women and Child Rights Project (WCRP)

Universal Periodic Review of Burma:

Total Denial in the Face of Widespread and
Systematic Human Rights Violations
(27 January 2011, Geneva)

Today, the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva examined
Burma'shuman rights record as part of its first Universal Periodic Review
(UPR). Burma�fs ruling military regime sent alarge delegation to Geneva,
led by Deputy Attorney General Dr. Tun Shin, who categorically denied
state�]orchestrated widespread, systematic and persistent human rights
violations against the people of Burma. Throughout the three�]hour UPR
dialogue, States raised numerous concerns, including the issue of
politicalprisoners, treatment of ethnic and religious minorities, and
impunity for perpetrators of gross human rightsviolations that may amount
to crimes against humanity. Despite well�]documented evidence to the
contrary,the Burmese delegation said that,�gAccusations of rape against
ethnic women are baseless, with the aim of discrediting armed forces
.�h
They claimed, �gThe armed forces have a zero tolerance policy towards
serioushuman rights violations, including sexual violence,�h and that
�gThere is no widespread occurrenceof humanrights violations with
impunity.�h More than 2,190 people are languishing in Burma�fs prisons
for peacefully exercising their basic civil andpolitical rights, but the
Director General of Prisons Zaw Win said, �gThey are imprisoned because
they havebreached prevailing laws, not because of their political
beliefs.�h He even went as far as to claim that, �gThere areno prison
deaths resulting from torture.�h However, the Assistance Association for
Political Prisoners Burma, amember of the Burma Forum on the Universal
Periodic Review (BF�]UPR), has documented the deaths of 146political
prisoners in detention since 1988, due to torture and denial of medical
treatment. Representatives of the BF�]UPR, a coalition of fourteen human
rights and civil society organizations, were inGeneva for the Review.
BF�]UPR representative Aung Myo Min said, �gThe military regime�fs
dismissal of any criticism of its human rightsrecord and their refusal to
even acknowledge the abuses that are taking place underscores the urgent
need for an international independent investigation into allegations of
war crimes and crimes against humanity.Establishing a UN�]mandated
Commission of Inquiry is an essential first step to ending the culture of
impunity and deterring human rights violations.�h �gDespite the claims
made in the regime�fs National Report to the UPR that the rights to
freedom of religion and non�]discrimination are guaranteed under
law,Burma�fs ethnic and religious minorities face ongoing persecutionas
part of a state policy of forced assimilation,�h added BF�]UPR
representative Salai Ling. In its National Report, the regime also claimed
it is �gbringing about balanced development... to enable thenational races
to enjoy the benefit of development�h.BF�]UPR representative Paul Sein Twa
said,�gThe right tofree, prior and informed consent is denied in Burma, so
large�]scale development initiatives like dams and extractive projects
rarely benefit affected communities. They disrupt local livelihoods, and
lead to further impoverishment. In reality such development projects have
resulted in gross human rights violations, includingmass displacement and
forced labour, especially in ethnic areas.�
Meanwhile, it is deeply disappointing that all nine member States of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) chose to commend the regime
on its 7 November elections as a positive development while failing
toaddress the ongoing humanitarian crisis in eastern Burma as a result of
intensified armed conflict since the 2elections, which has caused
thousands of refugees to flee into neighbouring countries.
Their expressions of support on the
implementation of the 7�]Step Roadmap is also of particular concern, as
the Roadmap fails togenuinely include all stakeholders in the country, and
has resulted in a deeply flawed Constitution thatenshrines impunity and
fails to meet international human rights norms and standards. The Burma
Forum on the Universal Periodic Review urges the military regime to act
now and immediately haltall human rights violations and accept the
numerous recommendations made during the Review including:immediately and
unconditionally releasing all political prisoners; reforming the
judiciary; ratifying andeffectively implementing all international human
rights treaties; ensuring full rights to ethnic and religiousminorities
both in law and in practice; and in particular, the establishment of a
Commission of Inquiry in linewith the Special Rapporteur on the situation
of human rights in Myanmar�fs recommendation, as proposed bythe Czech
Republic.(ENDS)
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For media interviews, please contact: Geneva:
Aung Myo Min, Executive Director,
Human Rights Education Institute ofBurma,
+41 (0)77 501 1453
Salai Ling, Program Director,
Chin Human Rights Organization,
+41 (0)76715 3298
Paul Sein Twa, Coordinator,
Burma Environment Working Group,
+41 (0)77 5011453
Thailand:Khin Ohmar,
Coordinator, Burma Partnership,
+66 (0)81 884 0772

For general inquries, please contact:
Geneva:Giyoun Kim,
UN Advocacy Programme Manager,
FORUM�]ASIA,
+41 (0)79595 7931Thailand:
Cheery Zahau, Coordinator,
Human Rights Education
Institute of Burma, +66 (0)84 9213423