The Coalition of Indigenous People publicized key findings of their report about human rights in Myanmar, for the Universal Periodic Review.
4:26 PM MMT, Tue July 21, 2015
The Coalition of Indigenous People publicized key findings of their report about human rights in Myanmar, for the Universal Periodic Review.
The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a process by the UN, which reviews the human rights records of all 193 UN member countries. It allows the member countries share best human rights practices and declare what actions they have taken to improve the human rights situations in their countries.
Founded in 2013, the Coalition of Indigenous People has now 24 member CSOs and NGOs, representing all indigenous people across the country. The group said they have submitted the review to the UN in March 2015.
Country Program Coordinator, Chin Human Rights Organization, Lian Bawi Thang: We started collecting data in 2011, mainly focusing on the issues of literacy and culture of indigenous people, development projects in their regions, human rights violation and the use of land and natural resources in the regions. This review reveals that indigenous people in the country are experiencing human rights violations, land grabs, exploitation of natural resources and forced relocation.
Held every four years, the review requires each UN member country to submit three reports done by the state government, UN agencies and NGOs.
Country Program Coordinator, Chin Human Rights Organization, Lian Bawi Thang: We hope other countries review our report and leave comments which can pressure the government, because when over 170 countries reviewed our report in 2011, the government was made to promise to implement over 70 percent of the review.
The UN will review the reports in November 2015.
