AAPP (Burma) Submission to the United Nations Universal Periodic Review Of Burma/Myanmar

Over the last 5 years since the previous UPR submission, there have been few improvements in Burma’s failing judicial system. Activists and journalists remain detained arbitrability and sentenced to jail for exercising their freedom of expression.

There has been a rise in ethnic conflict, particularly in the Arakan state. Recent conflict between Arakan Army and the Tatmadaw have led to a dramatic increase in political prisoners detained by both sides of suspicion of association with the other side. The army, policy and ethnic armed groups are complicit in human rights violations against Burma’s citizens. We have seen the rise of deaths and torture during interrogation directly linked to this conflict. Schools in Arakan State have become detention centres. Masses of civilians are detained and forcefully interrogated and often tortured for information related to the conflict and then are released with no apologies or reparations. The expulsion of the Rohingya in 2017 was a mass human rights violation, that the Gambia has accused a genocide at the ICJ, and Rohingya continue to be detained arbitrary for attempting to travel around Burma.