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Pwint Phyu Latt and Zaw Zaw Latt

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 26, 2017

BURMA: Interfaith Prisoners of Conscience Pwint Phyu Latt & Zaw Zaw Latt Released

USCIRF Praises Their Release and Calls for All Prisoners of Conscience to be Freed

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) expressed satisfaction that the government of Burma has released prisoners of conscience Pwint Phyu Latt and Zaw Zaw Latt. They were released along with more than 250 other prisoners Burma’s government freed as part of a presidential amnesty.

USCIRF Vice Chairman Daniel Mark, who has advocated on behalf of Pwint Phyu Latt and Zaw Zaw Latt, stated that he “welcomed this long-overdue step by Burma’s government. Pwint Phyu Latt and Zaw Zaw Latt, both Muslim, were wrongfully imprisoned for their interfaith activities. Although I welcome and applaud their release, the fact remains that they never should have been imprisoned in the first place. I hope their release signals a more positive trajectory for the freedom of religion or belief in Burma.”

Vice Chairman Mark took up the case of Zaw Zaw Latt and Pwint Phyu Latt as part of USCIRF’s Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project. This project highlights the plight of individuals who have been imprisoned for their religious beliefs, practices, or identity and the laws and practices that led to their imprisonment.

At an event in Washington, DC last week for the release of the USCIRF 2017 Annual Report, Vice Chairman Mark cited the case of these interfaith advocates as a dramatic example of a country using security laws to crack down on those pressing for religious freedom. He highlighted that the Immigration (Emergency Provisions) Act, one of the laws under which Zaw Zaw Latt and Pwint Phyu Latt had been detained and sentenced, had been repealed, yet they were not released and their sentences were not reduced. Their initial sentence was, in fact, extended in 2016 by two years of hard labor on the same day that more than 100 other prisoners were amnestied.

Vice Chairman Mark called on “the government of Burma to repeal repressive laws and policies that target individuals for peaceful dissent and expression and abide by international human rights standards and the rule of law.”

Although the 2017 USCIRF report noted a historic and peaceful transition of government in Burma in 2016, the Commission still recommended that the U.S. State Department designate Burma as a “Country of Particular Concern.” This recommendation is due to the government perpetrating or tolerating religious freedom violations that are “systematic, ongoing, and egregious,” with the most famous example being the abysmal treatment of the Rohingya Muslims in that country.




By USCIRF

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 13, 2016

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released two reports highlighting Burma’s serious religious freedom challenges. 

Hidden Plight: Christian Minorities in Burma highlights the pervasive and longstanding persecution and discrimination Christians face that have persisted, often unreported, for generations. View the report here in English and Burmese. 

Suspended in Time: The Ongoing Persecution of Rohingya Muslims in Burma details the persecution of Rohingya Muslims’ resulting from government-directed abuses and/or government indifference to discrimination and violence that has killed hundreds, displaced thousands, and destroyed hundreds of religious properties since 2012. View the report here in English and Burmese. 

From Hidden Plight: Christian Minorities in Burma

The enduring, constitutionally entrenched power of the military and the elevation of Buddhism as the de facto state religion are key factors in understanding violations of religious freedom currently affecting Christian communities in Burma…Many of the discriminatory policies and practices instituted under the military regime continue today… The Committee for the Protection of Race and Religion, better known as Ma Ba Tha, and other ultra-nationalistic monks have played a key role in abusing the right to religious freedom and inciting violence against Christian pastors and missionaries.

From Suspended in Time: The Ongoing Persecution of Rohingya Muslims in Burma:

More than four years ago, two waves of sectarian violence struck Rakhine State. In the time since, Rohingya Muslims, Rakhine Buddhists, and individuals of other ethnicities and beliefs throughout the state have suffered grievous deprivations of basic rights, including inadequate access to food, water, shelter, education, and health care; restrictions on freedom of movement; denial of needed humanitarian aid; limited opportunities to obtain an education or earn a living; egregious human rights abuses resulting in death, injury, and displacement; and, in the case of Rohingya Muslims, the denial of the right to a nationality and citizenship.





FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 13, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) calls on the government of Burma to protect religious and ethnic minorities during the post-election period and beyond. Although Election Day largely was peaceful, the underlying electoral process was deeply flawed given the disturbing interjection of religion, the 25 percent reservation for the military of unelected seats, and the disenfranchisement of Rohingya Muslims. 

“While political transitions can spur positive transformations, uncertainty during times of change also can lead to unrest and instability. The government of Burma must do everything in its power to stave off violence and protect those who could become targets, particularly religious and ethnic minorities,” said USCIRF Chairman Robert P. George.

Notwithstanding their eventual outcome, Burma’s elections took place in an environment of diminished rights and protections for religious and ethnic minorities. For example, along with the many voters from the beleaguered Rohingya Muslim community who were disenfranchised and Rohingya candidates disqualified, polls were postponed or canceled in several villages throughout ethnic areas, including Kachin, Karen, Mon, and Shan states.

Additionally, a group of revered Buddhist monks manipulated religion for political ends, thereby flagrantly violating a constitutional ban on such actions. In the weeks and months ahead of the elections, these monks, known by their local acronym Ma Ba Tha, orchestrated the passage of four discriminatory “race and religion bills” that diminish the rights of all non-Buddhists and women. Ma Ba Tha used these laws, including those that regulate interfaith marriage and religious conversions, to promote fear and hatred against Muslims, seeking to unduly influence the political debate. USCIRF publicly criticized these actions in August and January of this year.

“Burma cannot expect to build a democracy while sowing religious and ethnic hatred and divisions. With these elections, the country moved the needle in its political transition, but it has not yet become a rights-respecting nation that genuinely adheres to international standards for religious freedom and related human rights,” said Chairman George. “While we congratulate Burma on this first step, we also urge the Burmese government to begin healing deep-seated divisions by protecting vulnerable religious and ethnic communities.”

USCIRF again recommended in 2015 that Burma be designated as a “country of particular concern,” or CPC, under the International Religious Freedom Act for its particularly severe violations of religious freedom. The State Department has designated Burma as a CPC since 1999, most recently in July 2014. For more information, see the Burma Chapter (in English and Burmese) in USCIRF’s 2015 Annual Report. 

To interview a USCIRF Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at media@uscirf.gov or 202-786-0613.




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 22, 2015 | USCIRF 

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) strongly condemns the package of race and religion bills that Burma’s parliament is considering. These bills would further restrict religious freedom and discriminate against all non-Buddhists, particularly male Muslims, in religious conversions and marriages. USCIRF criticized a May draft of one of these bills, the religious conversion law, as “irreparably flawed” and in contravention of “Burma’s international commitments to protect freedom of religion or belief.” 

“Discrimination against non-Buddhists through law, regulation and practice already is pervasive in Burma. Instead of countering prejudices, these bills would further entrench and legalize discrimination,” said Katrina Lantos Swett, USCIRF Chair. “The bills risk fanning the flames of intolerance and violence against Muslims and other religious minorities. If they become law, Burma will be taking a major step backward.” 

During USCIRF’s August trip to Burma (click here to read the report), Commissioners M. Zuhdi Jasser and Eric P. Schwartz raised concerns about these bills in meetings with Burmese parliamentarians and representatives of the Union government. 

“Rather than protecting individuals’ rights to peacefully practice their faiths, the government of Burma is promoting restrictive, discriminatory measures that violate religious freedoms,” said Lantos Swett. “The right to change your beliefs and marry a partner of your own choosing are personal decisions not in the scope of government.” 

Specific concerns include: 
  • The Religious Conversion Bill would force those seeking to convert to give to the newly created Registration Boards an extensive list of personal information, answer intrusive questions, and wait 90 days for approval. 
  • The Interfaith Marriage Bill imposes restrictions on marriages between non-Buddhist men and Buddhist women, including a 14-day waiting period during which time anyone can object to the marriage, and the court reviewing the objections has the power to deny the marriage. Non-Buddhist men are denied numerous rights in the case of divorce and face criminal penalties if they ask their Buddhist wife to convert. Under the bill, non-Buddhist men also bear most of the financial and/or criminal penalties, including prison sentences. 

USCIRF concluded in its 2014 Annual Report chapter on Burma (Burmese translation here) that political reforms have not improved legal protections for religious freedom and have done little to curtail anti-Muslim violence, incitement, and discrimination, particularly targeting the Rohingya Muslim minority. For more than a decade, USCIRF has recommended that Burma be designated as a “country of particular concern” (CPC) for its systematic, egregious and ongoing religious freedom violations. The U.S. Department of State has designated Burma as a CPC repeatedly since 1999, most recently in July 2014. 

To interview a USCIRF Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at media@uscirf.gov or 202-786-0613.



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 6, 2014 | USCIRF

WASHINGTON, DC – On the eve of President Obama’s November 12-14 trip to Burma, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released a new report, “Burma: Religious Freedom and Related Human Rights Violations are Hindering Broader Reforms.” The report and its recommendations reflect a USCIRF Commissioner-level visit to Burma in August 2014 by Commissioners M. Zuhdi Jasser and Eric P. Schwartz and two USCIRF staff. 

USCIRF focused on four key issues in its mission: discrimination and horrible abuses against Rohingya Muslims; broader patterns of intolerance against Muslims driven by bigotry and chauvinism among religious and political figures that also impact all other minority religious communities in Burma; laws, policies and proposed legislation that entrench multiple forms of discrimination; and deprivation of citizenship to Rohingya Muslims and prejudicial practices in the issuance of identification documents to all Muslims. 

In the report, USCIRF urges the U.S. government to press Burma’s political leaders to permit humanitarian access to Rohingya Muslims who are displaced in Rakhine State and have been denied freedom of movement, and revise the Rakhine State Action Plan to ensure that Rohingya who have been in Burma for generations and know no other home will not be denied citizenship. USCIRF also urges the U.S. government to press for the basic rights of all minority religious communities; encourage tolerance and reconciliation; and support international efforts to promote religious freedom and human rights, including a forthcoming UN resolution that will focus on human rights in Burma. USCIRF also urges U.S. officials to use the term “Rohingya” in recognition of that community’s right to self-identify. Additional recommendations can be found in the report. 

USCIRF’s visit to Burma underscores the appropriateness of Burma’s designation as a “country of particular concern” (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act. For more than a decade, Burma has been designated by the State Department as a CPC due to systematic, egregious and ongoing religious freedom violations. In its report, USCIRF recommends specific ways the U.S. government could take advantage of this CPC designation to encourage reform and respect for religious freedom and related human rights.






FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

August 23, 2014 | USCIRF 

Statement of Commissioners M. Zuhdi Jasser and Eric P. Schwartz upon completing a five-day visit to Burma. 

This is our first Commissioner-level visit to the country. We have had meetings with Union and state government officials, Rangoon-based representatives of ethnic and religious groups, representatives of non-governmental organizations, representatives of political parties, including Aung San Suu Kyi, and religious leaders. We traveled to Rangoon, Mandalay, Meiktila, and Naypyidaw. In Meiktila, we welcomed the chance to visit camps for persons from both the Muslim and Buddhist communities who were displaced by spasms of violence in March 2013. 

We visited Burma to promote tolerance and inclusion in light of violations of religious freedom and violence and discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities. After our return, we expect to issue a report of our findings. Our comments today represent preliminary observations. 

We were deeply impressed by the conviction of so many Burmese about the importance of religious freedom and human rights and by their recognition that equal treatment, in law and in practice, for all of Burma’s ethnic and religious communities is critical to the process of reform. We also met with officials who echoed President Thein Sein’s stated goal of “securing equal rights for each and every citizen.” 

The Commission has followed this country for more than a decade, expressing concern about limitations on religious freedom for everyone – Buddhists and non-Buddhists. And we have very much welcomed the release of prisoners of conscience, easing of restrictions on freedom of expression and other encouraging developments in recent years. Nonetheless, this visit has confirmed our concerns about serious and substantial discrimination against minority religious faiths, imposed by law, regulation and practice. As a result, members of these faiths have unequal personal status, reflected, for example, in their identification documents and rights associated with citizenship. Other restrictions prevent the construction of religious institutions and impose obstacles to the practice of faith by Christians; we are also concerned by the failure to adequately hold accountable perpetrators of violence against religious minorities. 

We are deeply troubled by reports we received of abuses against the Rohingya Muslim community in Rakhine State. No impartial observers question reports of systematic, large-scale and egregious abuses of human rights of this community involving acts and omissions resulting in deaths, injuries, displacement, denial of basic health and other services, denial of freedom of movement, and denial of the right to a nationality, among other violations. While Rakhine State is among the poorest states in Burma and all its communities merit attention and concern, government action is urgently needed to address the horrible circumstances confronting the Rohingya. 

We are disappointed that the overall political reform effort has yet to address seriously these concerns. At a time when we’d hope to see reform that addresses these issues, we are also concerned by actions that are in contrast to a reform commitment, such as the draft anti-conversion law and other race and religion bills. 

Finally, we encourage the efforts of the United States and other governments to accelerate the process of reform in Burma. Governments should communicate solidarity with activists who have worked so diligently, and often at great personal sacrifice, to promote respect for human rights, tolerance and religious freedom. Governments should seize opportunities to signal ongoing support for human rights and religious freedom – the rights of those, like Rohingya Muslims, who are the victims of the most serious of abuses. 

To interview a USCIRF Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at media@uscirf.gov or 202-786-0613.




The Plight of the Rohingya Muslim Minority 

Muslims in Rakhine (Arakan) state, and particularly those of the Rohingya minority group, continue to experience the most severe forms of legal, economic, religious, educational, and social restrictions and discrimination. The government denies citizenship to Rohingyas. Without citizenship, Rohingyas lack access to secondary education in state-run schools, cannot be issued government identification cards (essential to receiving government benefits), and face restrictions on freedoms of religion, association, and movement. In some areas, Muslims were allowed to gather for worship and religious training only during major Muslim holidays. The government recently ordered the destruction of mosques, religious centers, and schools. In his 2013 report, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Burma again reported to the UN Human Rights Council on the systematic and endemic discrimination against the Muslim community. 

In the past year, Rohingya asylum seekers have been turned away from Bangladesh and Thailand, including being forcibly pushed back to sea by Thai military forces. Untold numbers have died attempting to seek refuge in third countries. About 300,000 Muslim Rohingya live, often in squalid conditions, in refugee camps in Bangladesh, Thailand, and other Southeast Asian countries, and face discrimination, trafficking, and other hardships.





By U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)

Bottom Line Assessment: Issues of religion and ethnicity will shape the trajectory of Burma’s political reform before the planned 2015 elections. Burma is currently designated by the State Department as a “country of particular concern” for particularly severe violations of religious freedom, as ongoing political reforms have yet to dramatically improve the situation for freedom of religion and belief. Sectarian and societal violence, anti-Muslim exclusionary campaigns, and military incursions have caused egregious religious freedom violations against Muslims and some ethnic minority Christians. Nonetheless, in areas where the military has retreated from daily governance, the worst human rights abuses have receded in the past year (including many that affected religious communities). Legal restrictions on some religious activities remain in place, but are enforced sporadically, if at all, depending on region, ethnicity, and religious group. The situation of the ethnic minority Rohingya, which intertwines issues of religious freedom and ethnic discrimination, remains a profound humanitarian and political crisis. It threatens to inflame anti-Muslim prejudices in other parts of the country, create large refugee flows in the region, instigate additional sectarian violence and discrimination, and potentially undermine the political reform process.

Read full report on Scribd --





For Muslim Americans and other concerned citizens across the nation, news of still more violence against the largely Muslim Rohingya of Burma highlights the plight of one of the world’s most persecuted communities and the need for a global response. The latest bloodshed, coupled with two prior months of riots and murders, has left more than 700 dead and 80,000 homeless. This violence has been compounded by the behavior of the Burmese security forces who, according to major human rights organizations, have participated in killings and rapes as well as mass arrests against the Rohingya. 

Despite recent democratic reforms, Burma’s new civilian government has failed to reverse decades of anti-Rohingya discrimination, including denial of citizenship. As a result, Rohingyas face severe religious freedom restrictions, including limits on the number of Muslim marriage ceremonies in certain villages. Authorities routinely deny them permits to build mosques and often destroy mosques and schools for lacking permits. The military offers charity, bribes, and promises of jobs or schooling for Muslim children converting to Buddhism. 

This alarming state of affairs reveals how much farther Burma’s new government must go in advancing reform and protecting human rights, including religious freedom. Until improvements occur, the United States should maintain economic and political sanctions, including its designating Burma as a “country of particular concern” for severe religious freedom abuses. 

We recognize Burma’s recent changes and the positive political opening they promise. Yet in the face of massive violations of human rights, and in particular the right to religious freedom, we must address the plight of the Rohingya. Public condemnations and food aid, while necessary, are insufficient when Burma’s 800,000 Rohingya remain stateless and vulnerable. Moreover, Burma’s experiment in democratic change will surely fail if it excludes the Rohingya and other ethnic and religious minorities. 

At least three factors contributed to the crisis confronting Rohingya Muslims. 

• First, anti-Rohingya animus runs deep. Many Burmese view the Rohingya as an unwelcome foreign presence that the British foisted on Burma in the 19th century. Unfortunately, even Nobel laureate Aun San Suu Kyi stopped short of publicly endorsing Rohingya citizenship. 

• Second, Burma has a history of severe religious freedom violations, especially against non-Buddhist ethnic minorities, including both Muslims and many Christians among the Chin, Naga, Karen, and Karenni ethnic minorities. 

• Finally, Burma’s military governments for decades maintained power through a divide-and-conquer strategy which pitted Buddhists, Christians, and Muslims against each other, and ethnic Rakhine against their Rohingya neighbors. Reflecting this strategy, Burma’s military in 1982 stripped the Rohingya of citizenship, and subsequently let violence, discrimination, and human rights abuses occur with impunity. 

The mistreatment of the Rohingya should arouse the world’s conscience. Besides the ongoing anti-Rohingya violence inside Burma, at least 350,000 Muslim Rohingya languish in refugee camps in Bangladesh, Malaysia, and other Southeast Asian nations. 

The new government’s treatment of the Rohingya serves as a bellwether for its treatment of other ethnic and religious minorities. Under military rule, Burma was one of the world’s worst human rights and religious freedom violators. Under civilian rule, it has yet to put that image behind it and fully affirm its ethnic and religious diversity by upholding human rights, including religious freedom, for everyone. 

So how can we help the Rohingya? 

The international community should speak out against anti-Rohingya violence and encourage Burma to increase the Rohingya’s protection. The United States and the UN have spoken out recently, as have countries like Indonesia, Turkey and Pakistan. This emerging coalition must support immediate security measures and a durable solution for the Rohingya in Burma and throughout Southeast Asia. 

Further, the United States and world community must keep challenging Burma to embrace democracy and freedom. There must be coordinated efforts to convince Burma’s new government that protecting religious and ethnic minorities is not only the humanitarian thing to do, but is vital to security and prosperity. 

If Burma wants a free and prosperous tomorrow, it must uphold the rights of all of its people -- Rohingya included -- today.

USCIRF 

September 6, 2012

Editor’s note: Indiana is home to the largest concentration of Burmese refugees in the United States. About 7,000 Burmese live in the state, mostly in Fort Wayne and Indianapolis.

For Muslim Americans and other concerned citizens in Indianapolis and elsewhere in the nation, news of still more violence against the largely Muslim Rohingya of Burma highlights the plight of one of the world’s most persecuted communities and the need for a global response. The latest bloodshed, coupled with two prior months of riots and murders, has left more than 700 dead and 80,000 homeless. This violence has been compounded by the behavior of the Burmese security forces who, according to major human rights organizations, have participated in killings and rapes as well as mass arrests against the Rohingya.

Despite recent democratic reforms, Burma’s new civilian government has failed to reverse decades of anti-Rohingya discrimination, including denial of citizenship. As a result, Rohingyas face severe religious freedom restrictions, including limits on the number of Muslim marriage ceremonies in certain villages. Authorities routinely deny them permits to build mosques and often destroy mosques and schools for lacking permits. The military offers charity, bribes, and promises of jobs or schooling for Muslim children converting to Buddhism.

This alarming state of affairs reveals how much farther Burma’s new government must go in advancing reform and protecting human rights, including religious freedom. Until improvements occur, the United States should maintain economic and political sanctions, including its designating Burma as a “country of particular concern” for severe religious freedom abuses. 

We recognize Burma’s recent changes and the positive political opening they promise. Yet in the face of massive violations of human rights, and in particular the right to religious freedom, we must address the plight of the Rohingya. Public condemnations and food aid, while necessary, are insufficient when Burma’s 800,000 Rohingya remain stateless and vulnerable. Moreover, Burma’s experiment in democratic change will surely fail if it excludes the Rohingya and other ethnic and religious minorities.

At least three factors contributed to the crisis confronting Rohingya Muslims.

First, anti-Rohingya animus runs deep. Many Burmese view the Rohingya as an unwelcome foreign presence that the British foisted on Burma in the 19th century. Unfortunately, even Nobel laureate Aun San Suu Kyi stopped short of publicly endorsing Rohingya citizenship.

Second, Burma has a history of severe religious freedom violations, especially against non-Buddhist ethnic minorities, including both Muslims and many Christians among the Chin, Naga, Karen, and Karenni ethnic minorities.

Finally, Burma’s military governments for decades maintained power through a divide-and-conquer strategy which pitted Buddhists, Christians, and Muslims against each other, and ethnic Rakhine against their Rohingya neighbors. Reflecting this strategy, Burma’s military in 1982 stripped the Rohingya of citizenship, and subsequently let violence, discrimination, and human rights abuses occur with impunity.

The mistreatment of the Rohingya should arouse the world’s conscience. Besides the ongoing anti-Rohingya violence inside Burma, at least 350,000 Muslim Rohingya languish in refugee camps in Bangladesh, Malaysia, and other Southeast Asian nations.

The new government’s treatment of the Rohingya serves as a bellwether for its treatment of other ethnic and religious minorities. Under military rule, Burma was one of the world’s worst human rights and religious freedom violators. Under civilian rule, it has yet to put that image behind it and fully affirm its ethnic and religious diversity by upholding human rights, including religious freedom, for everyone.


So how can we help the Rohingya?


The international community should speak out against anti-Rohingya violence and encourage Burma to increase the Rohingya’s protection. The United States and the UN have spoken out recently, as have countries like Indonesia, Turkey and Pakistan. This emerging coalition must support immediate security measures and a durable solution for the Rohingya in Burma and throughout Southeast Asia.

Further, the United States and world community must keep challenging Burma to embrace democracy and freedom. There must be coordinated efforts to convince Burma’s new government that protecting religious and ethnic minorities is not only the humanitarian thing to do, but is vital to security and prosperity.

If Burma wants a free and prosperous tomorrow, it must uphold the rights of all of its people — Rohingya included — today.


al-Hibri and George serve as commissioners on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.

 Source here


The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
Washington, DC

Dear Madam Secretary:

As you prepare to travel to Burma, I am writing on behalf of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) to urge you to raise concerns about freedom of religion publically during your trip. Religion drives serious human rights abuses in Burma, particularly against ethnic minorities and Buddhist monks who participated in peaceful protests in 2007. We believe improvements in religious freedom should be a critical benchmark for gauging the government of Burma’s commitment to genuine reform.

After almost fifty years of brutal military rule, there may be “flickers of progress” occurring in Burma, as President Obama recently stated. We commend the administration for sending you to assess the government’s commitment to reform. We note, however, that serious human rights violations continue to occur daily in Burma and any recent positive steps can easily be reversed. We hope you will maintain pressure on the regime to match its reformist rhetoric with concrete initiatives to release all political prisoners, call an immediate ceasefire in ethnic conflict areas, end attacks and discrimination against minority religious groups, and improve religious freedom and related human rights.

The Burmese government’s actions thus far have not improved religious freedom conditions, which remain acute. Since 1999, Burma has been designated as a Country of Particularly Concern (CPC) for particularly severe religious freedom abuses. Burma’s military continues its brutal attacks on Christian churches in Chin minority areas in Kachin State, as it also has in Karen, Karenni, and Naga areas. Rohingya Muslims continue to face severe discrimination and restrictions on their religious activity, causing large refugee problems in Bangladesh and elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Hundreds of Buddhist monks, such as U Gambira, continue to serve long sentences. In addition to raising these concerns with Burma’s government, we encourage you to discuss religious freedom issues during meetings with representatives of Buddhist, Christian, and Muslim communities.

We believe it would be premature to consider lifting existing economic or political sanctions, like the CPC designation, until there is concrete and verifiable progress on the benchmarks cited above. However, if Burma pursues genuine reform, then the international community should respond proportionately and positively. We urge you to coordinate diplomatic actions with allies such as India, Japan, Thailand, and any ASEAN nation interested in religious freedom, democracy, and the rule of law in Burma.

We hope your mission to Burma is successful and would welcome the opportunity to discuss religious freedom concerns in Burma with you upon your return. We have included the USCIRF 2011 Annual Report chapter on Burma for your reference.

Sincerely,

Leonard Leo
Chair

cc: Michael Posner, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor
Suzan Johnson-Cook, Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom
Derek Mitchell, Special Representative and Policy Coordinator for Burma

To interview a USCIRF Commissioner, contact Tom Carter, Communications Director at tcarter@uscirf.gov or (202) 523-3257.

Credit: USCIRF

    • Rohingya Exodus