John Humphrey Freedom Award 2006
Su Su Nway…
"I really want to go to Canada but I can't. Please tell them that I will come down there as soon as Burma achieves democracy"
Su Su Nway, 34, came to the world’s attention last year for her inspiring efforts to see the junta’s representatives in her village brought to justice for forcing her and her neighbours to repair a road without pay. Conscious of the dangers inherent to confronting Burma’s military authorities, Su Su Nway’s determination paid off last year when a judge sentenced the village Chairman and a deputy to eight months in prison under an untested law passed in 1999 that bans forced labour. The verdict was the first ever against the military regime’s long-standing practice of forced labour. Su Su Nway’s legal victory was short lived, when a few months later she was charged with defamation of the village’s replacement Chairman. She was sentenced to 18-months in prison in October 2005. Su Su Nway, who suffers from a heart condition, endured nine months in Insein before authorities finally bowed to international pressure and released her on June 6, 2006. Su Su Nway’s defiant struggle for human rights and dignity has made her a symbol of resilience and courage to the people of Burma, who now honour her with the title, “Courageous Su Su Nway.”
John Humphrey Freedom Award Ceremony and Related Activities:
Get involved!
Special Edition of Libertas Newsletter
- Download the Newsletter (Volume 16 - Number 2) (PDF)
General Information on Burma and Background of our Work
- Burma: An Overview
- Myanmar or Burma?
- Background of Rights & Democracy's Work in Burma
- Useful websites related to Burma
- Useful documents on the situation in Burman and forced labor
John Humphrey Freedom Award:
Featured Press Release:
Burma: What's happening in Canada?
- Canadian Friends of Burma (CFOB):
Recommendations to the Government of Canada (PDF) -
Adoption by Parliament of the Burman motion, October 14, 2004
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Canadian Parliament. Second report about human rights issue in Burma (Burma motion, October 14, 2004)
Burma: An Overview
Under military rule since 1962, Burma is one of the least democratic countries in the world. In 1988, during massive nationwide demonstrations for regime change, the military responded by violently cracking down on demonstrators. Elections were finally held in May 1990, but citizen participation in public decision-making of the country did not last very long: the military junta refused to allow the elected assembly to convene. The military dictatorship has created a state of terror in Burma and it remains in power through coercion and by seeking legitimacy abroad.
The 1990 elections, following the 1988 student protests, were a turning point in Burma’s recent history. The National League for Democracy (NLD), founded by Aung San Suu Kyi, received an overwhelming majority of the votes winning 82% of the parliamentary seats. The military refused to allow the elected assembly to convene. Because of the repression of elected representatives, the NLD decided, during a secret meeting in December 1990, to send some MPs abroad including Dr. Sein Win, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s cousin, to form a government –in-exile: the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB).
Burma is a human-rights catastrophe. The junta’s military pursuit of a solution to the demands of Burma’s numerous ethnic communities has resulted in about one million internally displaced persons (IDPs), while about three million are temporarily taking refuge in neighbouring countries such as Thailand, China, India, and Bangladesh. In those host countries, refugees from Burma face various forms of discrimination, exploitation and violence. Women in particular, face insecurity and are under constant threat of various forms of sexual exploitation and violence.
Repression in Burma continues unabated. Recently, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC—the military junta) waged one of their biggest military offensives in the last decade by uprooting more than 11, 000 civilians in Karen State.
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Statistical Snapshot
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Government: Burma is ruled by a military junta known as the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC). The main democratic opposition party is the National League for Democracy (NLD), which won 82% of votes during the last elections. |
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Last elections: Parliamentary elections were last held in 1990, but the results were not honoured. |
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Human Development Index (HDI) (rank / 177 countries): Medium development: 129 |
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Number of Core Human Rights Treaties and Protocols ratified (possibility of 13): 2 (Convention on the Rights of the Child, Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women) |
Myanmar or Burma?
Following its independence and under an elected government, the country’s name was the Union of Burma. In 1989, the ruling military junta issued a decree changing the names of several cities, rivers and regions as well as the country’s official name from Burma to Myanmar. “Myanmar” is a transliteration of “Burma” in Burmese language—the language spoken by the country’s largest ethnic group—the Burman.1) The name of the country was changed by decree from the military dictatorship. Only an elected Parliament would have the legitimacy to change the name of the country by adopting an act of parliament.
2) Using Myanmar, derived from the Burmese language, ignores the fact that Burma is a multi-ethnic and multi-lingual country with a large minority for whom Burmese is a second or even third language. (The population is also made up of the Karen, Shan, Akha, Chin, Chinese, Danu, Indian, Kachin, Karenni, Kayan, Kokang, Lahu, Mon, Naga, Palaung, Pao, Rakhine, Rohingya, Tavoyan, and Wa ethnic or indigenous groups.)
3) The army and most positions of power are dominated by Burmans. Burmese military rulers have been highly criticized for their gross human rights violations of ethnic/indigenous peoples. Some experts consider these violations as a form of genocide or ethnic cleansing. For many people, the use of “Myanmar” shows support for the military regime’s efforts to “Burmanize” the country.
The use of Myanmar in reference to Su Su Nway, or to anyone else from the pro-democracy movement, is considered an insult. A publication using Myanmar could also be viewed as having a poor understanding of the current situation in Burma or, worse, a pro-military bias in which the term “Burma” is avoided out of fear of offending the country’s current military rulers (State Peace and Development Council - SPDC).
Background of Rights & Democracy's Work in Burma
For over 15 years, Rights & Democracy has been supporting a peaceful transition toward democracy in Burma. Rights & Democracy opened its doors in 1990, the year of Burma’s democratic elections. On December 18, 1990, when the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB) was created, Rights & Democracy was able to react swiftly and was the first institution in the world to support the government-in-exile. Its support continues to this day.
Moreover, Rights & Democracy has earned international recognition for its strong support for Burma. In 1993, the institution organized a mission to Thailand comprised of Noble Peace Prize laureates Archbishop Desmond Tutu, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Betty Williams, Mayread Corrigan, Adolfo Perez-Esquivel, Oscar Arias and the President of Rights & Democracy. More recently, in the fall of 2005, Rights & Democracy co-organized a full day of activities in Ottawa in honour of Prime Minister Sein Win, leader of the NCGUB, and to mark the 10-year anniversary of Aung San Suu Kyi’s house arrest. In addition, Rights & Democracy works closely with Burma’s government-in-exile and Canadian NGOs in order to bring the Burmese cause to the attention of Canadian, regional and international bodies. The organization also support the Burmese Women’s Union, a group that promotes the participation of women in the country’s pro-democracy movements, and works on Burma’s borders with Thailand, China and India.
For more information on our work in Burma, please refer to the Burma Dossier.
Useful websites related to Burma
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) : www.icftu.org
Info-Birmanie : www.info-birmanie.org
Women’s league of Burma (WLB) : www.womenofburma.org
Burma Lawers’ Council (BLC) : www.blc-burma.org
Federation of Trade Union (Burma) FTUB : www.ftub.org
Actions Birmanie : www.birmanie.net
Burma Forum Canada : www.burmaforum.org
National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB) www.ncgub.net
Useful documents on the situation in Burman and forced labor
Useful documents on the situation in Burman and forced labor.
1. Threat to the Peace: A Call for the UN Security Council to Act in Burma
Report commissioned by Vacláv Havel and Archbishop Desmond Tutu and prepared by DLA Piper
September 20, 2005
http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/reports/Burmaunscreport.pdf
2. Developments concerning the question of the observance by the Government of Myanmar of the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29 ).
International Labour Office. Governing Body ( GB.297/8/1 )
November 2006
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/standards/relm/gb/docs/gb297/pdf/gb-8-1.pdf
3. Statement by Mr. Paolo Sergio Pinheiro, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar.
(c) Human rights situations and reports of special rapporteurs and representatives
61st Session of the General Assembly, Third Committee, NEW YORK, 20 October 2006
http://www.ibiblio.org/obl/docs3/GA2006-SRM-oral2.pdf
4. Asian Politicians plead for UN Action in Myanmar, 4 Oct. 2006.
ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus
http://www.aseanmp.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=124&Itemid=19
5. Burma: UN Security Council Must Press for Reforms, 29 sept. 2006
Human Rights Watch
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/09/29/burma14282.htm
6. Myanmar: senior UN official set to return for high-level talks on rights and democracy, 29 Sept. 2006
UN News Center
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=20089&Cr=myanmar&Cr1=&Kw1=Myanmar&Kw2=&Kw3
7. Situation of human rights in Myanmar
United Nations. General Assembly. A/61/369
September 21, 2006
http://www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/GA/61documents.htm
8. The Situation in Myanmar
United Nations. Security Council. S/PV.5526.
September 15, 2006
http://www.un.org/Depts/dhl/resguide/scact2006.htm
9. Divided UN Security Council agrees to focus on situation in Myanmar, 15 Sept. 2006
UN News Center
http://www.un.org/apps/news/storyAr.asp?NewsID=19862&Cr=myanmar&Cr1=&Kw1=Myanmar&Kw2=&Kw3
10 Myanmar Leaving Home, 8 Sept. 2005
Amnesty International UK
http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA160232005?open&of=ENG-MMR
11. INTERNATIONAL CONFEDERATION FREE TRADE UNIONS
WORLD CONFEDERATION OF LABOUR
ECOSOC – Point 14 b
July 26th, 2006
http://www.cmt-wcl.org/cmt/ewcm.nsf/0/2d96dbc03669e3c4c12571e9002ac6f0/$file/annex%20ecosoc%20burma%20speech%20biondi.pdf?openelement
12. International Labour Conference. Provisional Record 2. Ninety-fifth Session, Geneva, March 2006
Additional agenda item : Review of further action that could be taken by the ILO in ccordance with its Constitution in order to: (i) effectively secure Myanmar’s compliance with the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry; and (ii) ensure that no action is taken against complainants or their representatives.
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/standards/relm/ilc/ilc95/pdf/pr-2.pdf
13. Situation of human rights in Myanmar - Report of the Special Rapporteur, Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro
February 7, 2006 (E/CN.4/2006/34)
http://ap.ohchr.org/documents/dpage_e.aspx?si=E/cn.4/2006/34
14. A global alliance against forced labour . Global Report under the Follow-up to the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.
Geneva, International Labour Conference, 2005
http://www.ilo.org/dyn/declaris/DECLARATIONWEB.DOWNLOAD_BLOB?Var_DocumentID=5059
15. Forced Labour in the 21st Century.
Anti Slavery International / The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), 2001
http://www.antislavery.org/homepage/resources/forcedlabour.pdf
16. Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105)
http://www.ohchr.org/english/law/pdf/abolition.pdf
17. Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29)
http://www.ohchr.org/english/law/forcedlabour.htm
