New Clothes, Same Old Faces: Brutal Dictatorship Endures in Burma

Following the military-orchestrated sham ‘elections’ in November 2010, a military-dominated Parliament was convened in January 2011 and appointed high-ranking officials from the former State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) to top political offices in Burma, ensuring the continued dominance of the political system by the same group of people who have ruled Burma with extreme brutality for the past decades. Leaders of the military junta have simply shed their uniforms for suits to extend their grip on power in the disguise of a ‘civilian’ government.

No genuine justice and accountability measures have been adopted by the government, despite repeated calls from the democratic opposition, genuine representatives of ethnic groups in Burma, civil society, the international community and the United Nations. In November 2011, the UN General Assembly adopted yet another resolution calling on the government to investigate human rights abuses and end impunity without delay. In March 2012, the UN Human Rights Council resolution on Burma repeated the call for investigation and accountability for serious human rights abuses. There is an international coalition in support of the establishment of a UN Commission of Inquiry to investigate numerous allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated in Burma.

This page will be updated regularly and provides quick access to selected documents and information published by FIDH, Altsean-Burma and other partners on these issues:

Altsean-Burma briefers and resources:

March 2012 - Burma’s by-elections: Still short of international standards^New

November 2011 - Burma’s Parliament: a tool for institutionalized oppression

November 2011 - Burma’s economy: Mismanagement as usual

October 2011 - Serious international crimes continue in Burma under ’new’ regime

July 2011 - Post-election Burma: Impunity still reigns, women and children more vulnerable to crimes

Regime Watch - Who’s who of Burma’s legislative, executive, and judicial branches

Monthly Burma Bulletins

Statements and letters

30 March 2012 - Urgent reforms are the real litmus test of government’s commitment to change

12 March 2012 - Oral statement on Burma at the 19th Session of the Human Rights Council

1 March 2012 - Open letter to President Thein Sein: Postpone destructive Chinese pipelines in Burma

10 January 2012 - Open letter to Alain Juppé, Minister of Foreign Affairs of France, regarding justice and accountability and democratic reform in Burma

6 January 2012 - All political prisoners must be freed immediately

For more statements, please click here.

Reports and additional resources

Burma Environmental Working Group - Benchmarks for Investment in Energy, Extractive and Land Sectors in Burma (March 2012)

Human Rights Foundation of Monland - Burma’s Democratic Facade: Human Right Abuses Continued (January 2012)

Women’s League of Burma - A short film "Bringing Justice to Women of Burma" (November 2011)

Kachin Women’s Association Thailand: Burma’s Covered-up War: Atrocities Against The Kachin People (October 2011)

Burma Lawyers’ Council: Revealing Burma’s System of Impunity - a briefer for the Commission of Inquiry campaign (pdf)

FIDH/Burma Lawyers’ Council Seminar: Advancing human rights and ending impunity in Burma: which external leverages? Foreword by Shirin Ebadi (pdf)

FIDH/Altsean-Burma/Burma Lawyers’ Council: International crimes committed in Burma: the urgent need for a Commission of Inquiry (pdf)


International Community’s Support for a Commission of Inquiry:

Countries supporting the creation of a UN Commission of Inquiry (as of 11 April 2011)

1.Australia (15 March 2010)
2.Belgium (28 October 2010)
3.Canada (2 September 2010)
4.Czech Republic (8 April 2010)
5.Denmark (10 March 2011)
6.Estonia (2 October 2010)
7.France (14 September 2010)
8.Hungary (6 September 2010)
9.Ireland (25 September 2010)
10.Latvia (10 March 2011)
11.Lithuania (29 September 2010)
12.Netherlands (21 September 2010)
13.New Zealand (22 April 2010)
14.Slovakia (8 June 2010)
15.United Kingdom (24 March 2010)
16.United States (18 August 2010)