Arakan News Agency
Two international advocacy organisations have slammed the new Myanmar government for failing to address fundamental human rights shortcomings in its first 100 days in office, echoing recent criticism from the international community.
In a joint statement, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Alternative ASEAN Network of Burma (ALTSEAN-Burma) issued a list of key priorities in 10 areas of concern, including unrealised constitutional and legislative reforms, anti-Rohingya policies, military impunity and a failure to adequately protect women’s rights. The National League for Democracy government was also urged to immediately establish a national human rights agenda.
“In some human rights areas, progress has been slow; in others, key issues have remained unaddressed or been relegated to a low priority status,” FIDH’s president, Karim Lahidji, said in a press release on July 10.
“The long-delayed reforms would allow human rights violations, particularly in ethnic minority areas, to continue and foster a climate of impunity among members of the armed forces,” the statement read.
The rights groups questioned the current government’s decision to put constitutional reform – a central campaign plank in the 2015 election – on hold. Parliament’s lower house Speaker U Win Myint recently said the issue of constitutional reform would only be dealt with after there is a durable peace agreement with the nation’s many ethnic armed groups.
“The constitution is the biggest obstacle to the creation of a democratic, transparent and accountable institution,” Andrea Giorgetta, director of FIDH’s Asia desk, told.
“It is not a coincidence that the ethnic armed groups have made constitutional reform an indispensable condition for the success of the peace process.”
Arina Khoo Ying Hooi, a Malaysia-based political analyst, said there is a sense of disappointment over the early performance of the NLD government led by President U Htin Kyaw and State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
Source: Myanmar Times
