States must not miss a significant opportunity at both the UN Human Rights Council and through the forthcoming Universal Periodic Review to push for greater respect and protection for human rights defenders and civil society actors in Myanmar.

ISHR today launched a major Briefing Paper on the situation of human rights defenders in Myanmar, also known as Burma. The briefing paper highlights concerns over laws which unreasonably restrict the rights to freedom of expression and assembly and which are increasingly employed to criminalise human rights defenders and censor journalists. The briefing paper also documents reports of the use of reprisals and force against those who promote corporate respect for human rights or who protest in relation to major development projects.