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Asia Centre highlights Myanmar’s alarming erosion of religious rights in new report

The 2021 military coup in Myanmar accelerated the decline of religious rights, particularly for ethno-religious minorities, says a new report by Asia Centre.

The study highlights four main oppressive practices, including targeted violence, destruction of religious sites, arbitrary detentions, and escalated persecution of the Rohingya population.

Despite the junta justifying these practices as national security measures, their impact is a rapid erosion of religious freedoms, especially post-coup

This report is available for download here: https://tinyurl.com/mw6x9z4a

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1 year ago

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The 2021 military coup in Myanmar has heightened the erosion of religious freedoms of ethno-religious communities via the deployment of post-colonial policies of Burmanisation and Buddhisation, according to a report from Asia Centre.

Asia Centre, a Bangkok-based research institute with Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, has recently completed a study titled “Burmanisation and Buddhisation: Accelerating the Decline of Religious Rights in Myanmar.”

The report provides a detailed analysis of the evolving situation in Myanmar.

The study found four main oppressive practices against ethno-religious minorities:

  1. Targeted violence and military attacks against pro-federalism ethno-religious communities by the Tatmadaw, the official name of Myanmar’s armed forces.
  2. The desecration, destruction, and occupation of religious sites by junta forces, with a significant portion of damaged sites located in areas heavily populated by ethno-religious minorities.
  3. Arbitrary detentions of minority group members on religious grounds, due to their perceived opposition to the junta. These detainees often face torture due to their religious affiliations or practices.
  4. The escalating persecution of the Muslim Rohingya population, leading to ethnic cleansing, detention, or displacement.

Dr James Gomez, the Regional Director of Asia Centre, highlighted that Burmanisation and Buddhisation have been advanced under the guise of addressing national security threats. “There has been a resurgence of new factions and renewed commitment to insurgency by well-established ethnic armed groups since the 2021 coup. This has resulted in intense clashes in regions that have been peaceful for years,” Dr Gomez said.

He further explained the junta’s perspective, “These ethno-religious minorities pose a perceived threat to national unity, leading to proactive measures to prevent their radicalisation, particularly among Muslims who are often labelled as terrorists.”

However, the cost of these policies on minority groups is enormous. “These groups are facing a rapid decline in their religious rights and overall well-being, especially after the 2021 coup,” Dr Gomez cautioned.

He also pointed out that the Bamar people and Buddhists aren’t immune from persecution, “Even Buddhists and their temples aren’t spared if they are viewed as pro-democracy supporters or part of an anti-junta movement.”

This policy report is a key component of Asia Centre’s FoRB Knowledge Hub’s initiative to publish evidence-based research and amplify advocacy for religious rights in Southeast Asia.

This report is available for download here: https://tinyurl.com/mw6x9z4a

The official launch of the report, along with an online discussion, is slated for 13 June 2023.

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Civil Society

Thailand withdraws reservation on refugee children’s rights, welcomed by UN Human Rights Office

Thailand’s withdrawal of its reservation on Article 22 of the CRC is hailed by the UN, marking a key step in enhancing protections for refugee and asylum-seeking children.

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1 week ago

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6 September 2024

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The UN Human Rights Office for South-East Asia (OHCHR) has praised Thailand for its decision to withdraw its reservation on Article 22 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), a move expected to improve the protection of refugee and asylum-seeking children in the country.

Cynthia Veliko, the OHCHR Representative for South-East Asia, hailed the decision, calling it “a significant, positive step” toward aligning Thailand’s laws with international standards. “This move helps protect the rights of all children on the move, no matter their nationality or origin,” Veliko said.

The Thai Cabinet’s decision to withdraw the reservation took effect on 30 August 2024. Article 22 of the CRC ensures that refugee and asylum-seeking children receive protection, humanitarian assistance, and equal access to services provided to national children, in line with international human rights laws to which Thailand is a party.

This withdrawal is also expected to strengthen the implementation of Thailand’s National Screening Mechanism (NSM), introduced on 22 September 2023.

The NSM grants the status of “protected person” to individuals who cannot return to their home countries due to the fear of persecution. However, despite these legal advancements, children without legal status in Thailand remain at risk of being detained in immigration facilities.

The UN has raised concerns over the continued detention of children despite the Thai government’s 2019 Memorandum of Understanding on Alternatives to the Detention of Children (MOU-ATD). The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has reaffirmed that every child has a fundamental right to liberty and should not be detained based on their migration status.

Veliko urged Thailand to focus on ending child immigration detention and adopting human rights-based alternatives.

“Children on the move are children first and foremost,” Veliko stressed, adding that detention due to migration status is never in the best interests of children.

The UN Human Rights Office expressed its readiness to assist the Thai government in developing alternatives to detention, ensuring that all children receive the protection and care they need.

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FORUM-ASIA condemns Myanmar junta’s forced conscription expansion, urges international action

FORUM-ASIA condemns Myanmar’s military junta for expanding forced conscription, calling it a desperate bid to maintain power. The policy, affecting men aged 35 to 60, adds to a long list of human rights violations, including forced labor and the use of civilians as human shields.

Published

2 weeks ago

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4 September 2024

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The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) has condemned the Myanmar military junta’s recent decision to expand the age limit of its forced conscription policy, calling on the international community to stand in solidarity with the people of Myanmar.

The move is seen as a desperate attempt by the junta to maintain control in the face of a growing pro-democracy resistance movement.

On 25 August 2024, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing announced the introduction of a new “security system with public participation.”

This system would require men aged 35 to 60 to serve as guards, potentially placing them on the frontlines of conflict. The announcement follows the formation of the Central Supervisory Committee for People’s Security and Anti-Terrorism on 16 August, tasked with organizing military training and overseeing “people’s security and anti-terrorism” groups at various administrative levels.

The junta’s plan builds upon the forced conscription policy it implemented on 10 February 2024, invoking the 2010 People’s Military Service Law.

The law mandates men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27 to serve two years in the military, with professionals like doctors and engineers potentially serving up to five years. Those who evade service or assist others in doing so face up to five years in prison. As part of this policy, the junta planned to conscript 5,000 individuals monthly from April 2024.

Civilians as Human Shields and Forced Labor

FORUM-ASIA has condemned the junta’s forced conscription policies, highlighting the military’s history of using civilians as human shields and forcing them into hard labor.

The International Labour Organization’s Commission of Inquiry found in October 2023 that the military continues to impose forced labor amidst the ongoing armed conflict, a practice that has escalated since the 2021 coup attempt.

Local news and human rights groups have reported that the junta is also abducting and arresting citizens to use as human shields, further contributing to the human rights violations in Myanmar. Many youths, rather than being conscripted into fighting for a regime they oppose, have fled their homes to join the resistance.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed concern over the junta’s detention and recruitment of Myanmar youth. Meanwhile, Tom Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar, noted the junta’s increasing use of powerful weapons against civilians as troop losses and recruitment challenges mount.

Call for Action

FORUM-ASIA is calling on the Myanmar military junta to immediately halt its forced conscription, abductions, forced labor, and the use of civilians as human shields.

“FORUM-ASIA urges the international community, including the UN and ASEAN, to thoroughly investigate the Myanmar military junta’s long list of human rights violations. The junta should be held accountable for all its crimes through sanctions and other punitive measures,” said Mary Aileen Diez-Bacalso, Executive Director of FORUM-ASIA.

“The international community must urgently isolate the junta and support the people of Myanmar in their struggle for justice and freedom,” Bacalso added.

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