"Burma: UPR commitments remain largely unaddressed", 23 March 2015

Burma has failed to fully implement commitments it made at its last Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in 2011, FIDH and its member organization ALTSEAN-Burma said in their joint report submitted to the Working Group on the UPR...During its last UPR in 2011, Burma accepted only 74 of the 190 recommendations it received from other states. However, many of the key recommendations Burma committed to implement have remained largely unaddressed. Despite its pledge to ratify core international human rights treaties, Burma has failed to sign or ratify any of them. Burma also promised to review and amend its laws to guarantee the fundamental rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly. However, many repressive laws remain on the books...Burma expressed its commitment to ensure the independence and impartiality of the judiciary. But courts across the country have continued to hold trials that are not in keeping with the accepted norms of due process. This is particularly evident in criminal prosecutions of activists, human rights defenders, and members of ethnic and religious minorities, who are routinely jailed as a result of unfair trials held in kangaroo courts. Burma also agreed to resolve the many armed conflicts between the central government and ethnic minority groups around the country. Since 2011, the Tatmadaw [Burma’s Army] has broken a long-standing ceasefire with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and resumed hostilities against other ethnic armed groups in Kachin and Northern Shan States. The ongoing conflict in Kachin and Shan States has created approximately 100,000 IDPs, most of whom have spent the majority of the last three years in temporary shelters. The Tatmadaw’s actions, notably attacks against civilians, may amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes. During its 2011 UPR, Burma pledged to strengthen the promotion and protection of human rights of ethnic groups in Northern Arakan State. Regrettably, the human rights situation in the state has dramatically deteriorated since then. Reports of serious human rights violations committed by security forces against Muslim Rohingya persist...With regard to women’s rights, Burma pledged to adopt effective measures to ensure that violence against women is treated as a criminal offense and perpetrators are prosecuted and punished. Despite these commitments, the reality on the ground remains unchanged...Finally, Burma committed to increase its efforts to prevent and combat human trafficking. However, human trafficking continues unabated.