FORUM-ASIA, as secretariat of the Asian NGO Network on NHRIs (ANNI), together with Burma Partnership, will undertake a fact-finding mission from 16-18 November 2015 to inquire into the impact and effectiveness of the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission (MNHRC).
Amid the optimism surrounding the elections, pervasive human rights abuses continue throughout the country, such as: land confiscation; arbitrary detention, arrest and imprisonment of peaceful protesters; abuse of repressive legislation to restrict legitimate human rights work; sexual violence in conflict zones; and the targeting of civilians in military offensives, among others. Given the longstanding human rights abuses in the country, it is critical that the MNHRC is a viable and effective accountability mechanism to address these issues. As such, this upcoming fact finding mission is essential in assessing the impact of the MNHRC’s role for human rights protection and governance in the country.
This is also timely and significant as the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (ICC) will assess the MNHRC for its institutional compliance with the Paris Principles (16 – 20 November 2015), which are the minimum standards for National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) to be considered credible and operate effectively. An “A” status institution denotes an independent, effective and accountable NHRI that is fully compliant with the Paris Principles.
The delegation will hold a press conference to give a debriefing and present key observations/findings from the mission. Smile Education and Development Foundation and Equality Myanmar will join the mission team. We will also share the main highlights of the 2015 ANNI Report on the Performance and Establishment of National Human Rights Institutions in Asia “Burma: All Shook Up”.
Details:
Date: Wednesday,18 November 2015
Venue: Best Western Green Hill Hotel, No. 12, Po Sein Road, Tamwe Township, Rangoon, Burma
Time: 14:00 – 16:00
Speakers:
- Betty Yolanda (Head of Mission, Forum-Asia Country Programme Manager)
- Prof. Kwong-Whan Ahn (former Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea and Professor of Law, Emeritus, Seoul National University)
- Nur Kholis (Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission of Indonesia, Komnas HAM)
- Khin Ohmar (Coordinator, Burma Partnership)
- Myo Win (Director, Smile Education and Development Foundation)
Moderator:
- Aung Myo Min (Director, Equality Myanmar)
For more information, please contact:
Aung Myo Min, Equality Myanmar, +95 (0)9448015306 (Burmese/English)
Khin Ohmar, Burma Partnership, +66 (0)818840772 (Burmese/English)
Joses Kuan, Burma Partnership, +95 (0)9793112839 (English)
