FAAE Committee Report

INTRODUCTION

A. The Subcommittee’s Study in Context

For many years, the military junta that ruled Burma[8] was widely regarded as one of the world’s worst human rights violators. However, since President Thein Sein took office in April 2011, a remarkable shift has occurred in the country. The Burmese government has embarked on an ambitious program of democratic reform, releasing many political prisoners, including pro-democracy icon Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, loosening restrictions on the media, and holding parliamentary by-elections in April 2012, which were won overwhelmingly by the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD).

In a motion of 31 January 2012, the Subcommittee agreed to study the human rights situation in Burma.[9] The Subcommittee heard from witnesses and received written submissions as part of this study. The Subcommittee invited the Ambassador of Burma to Canada to appear before it. While His Excellency declined to do so, the Chair of the Subcommittee was pleased to receive correspondence from him. Based on the evidence it received and on publicly available information, the Subcommittee agrees to report the following findings and recommendations to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development.

This report reviews the progress that Burma has made in regards to democratic governance and human rights since the commencement of reforms following the 2010 general elections. The positive developments include clear steps toward improving democratic governance, the release of large numbers of political prisoners, greater respect for the rights of freedom of expression, association and assembly and clear moves toward reducing the prevalence of forced labour in the country. Some progress has also been made in relation to the resolution of long-running armed conflicts in the country.

The report then considers a number of human rights concerns brought to the Subcommittee’s attention by witnesses. Civilian control of the military and democratic governance remains weak and protections for civil and political rights as well as economic, social and cultural rights remain tenuous. The continued detention of political prisoners and human rights violations in the context of large-scale development projects are among the Subcommittee’s key concerns. Witnesses also stressed to the Subcommittee that reforms in central Burma have yet to benefit the ethnic minority groups who live in the country’s border regions. According to witnesses, these peoples have been subject to massive, state-sponsored discrimination on the basis of ethnicity and religion for decades. In areas affected by internal armed conflicts, war crimes reportedly remain a grave and persistent problem. Communal violence in southwestern Burma has recently drawn attention to the plight of the Rohingya people, one of the most persecuted minorities on earth.

Finally, the report gives a short overview of Canadian human rights, aid and sanctions policy in respect of Burma.

The challenge for the Subcommittee in drafting this report has been to acknowledge, welcome and express support for the significant progress made by the Government of Burma in its transition to democracy. At the same time, the Subcommittee is deeply concerned by ongoing reports of serious violations of international law in the country. Left unaddressed, these violations may undermine Burma’s reforms and prevent the government and the people of Burma from realizing their democratic and political aspirations in a country where human rights are fully respected and protected.

Figure 1: Location of Burma in Southeast Asia

Source: CIA World Factbook: Burma.