Displaying results 1 - 100 of 196

Jan 15, 2013 FOR YOUR INFORMATIONJanuary 14, 2013 | By Katrina Lantos Swett The following appeared in the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs on January 14, 2013. Former Soviet prisoner and refusenik Natan Sharansky,…
Apr 30, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEApril 30, 2013| By USCIRF Washington, D.C. -- The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an independent federal advisory body created by the International Religious Freedom…
USCIRF Chair Katrina Lantos Swett gave the following remarks at a conference, cosponsored by USCIRF and the National Endowment for Democracy on May 7, 2013Introduction Thank you for that kind introduction. It truly is a pleasure to join you today at the…
May 20, 2013 FOR YOUR INFORMATION May 20, 2013| By William Shaw and M. Zuhdi Jasser , and Azizah al-Hibri When President Obama meets with President Thein Sein of Myanmar (Burma) today, he should emphasize…
May 21, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMay 21, 2013 | By USCIRF WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today welcomed the State Department's release of its 2012 International Religious Freedom…
Click here to view the August 2013 Policy Brief, Burma: Implications of Religious and Ethnic Violence
Dec 3, 2013 FOR YOUR INFORMATIONDecember 2, 2013 | By Robert P. George The following op-ed appeared in the Providence Journal on November 30, 2013. Washington - As the nation celebrates Thanksgiving, Jewish Americans are also…
Jun 11, 2014 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 11, 2014 | USCIRF  Washington, D.C. – The draft of the ill-advised “Religious Conversion Law” which Burma’s parliament released for public comment would further restrict religious…
Aug 23, 2014 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEAugust 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…
Click here to view the September 2014 Factsheet: Burma: USCIRF Examines Religious Freedom Violations During Fact-finding Trip to Burma
USCIRF’s report, “Burma: Religious Freedom and Related Human Rights Violations are Hindering Broader Reforms,” reflects findings from a Commissioner-level visit in August 2014.  In the report released in November, USCIRF urges the U.S.…
Oct 6, 2014 FOR YOUR INFORMATIONOctober 6, 2014 | By M. Zuhdi Jasser and Hannah Rosenthal The following op-ed appeared in The Detroit News on October 4, 2014. On Saturday we will witness a confluence of two holy days of…
Click here to view USCIRF's report, Burma: USCIRF Issues Report on Religious Freedom and Related Human Rights Violations.
Nov 10, 2014 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENovember 10, 2014  | USCIRF WASHINGTON, D.C. –  In the face of escalating violations worldwide of religious freedom, an initiative that the U.S. Commission on International…
Jan 22, 2015 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…
Sep 28, 2015 FOR YOUR INFORMATION September 28, 2015 | Daniel I. Mark and Katrina Lantos Swett The following op-ed appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer on September 27, 2015 Washington hosted two dramatically…
Oct 21, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEOctober 21, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomed the October 14 release by the U.S. State Department of its International Religious…
Nov 13, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENovember 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-…
Nov 30, 2015 FOR YOUR INFORMATIONNovember 30, 2015 | M. Zuhdi Jasser and Katrina Lantos Swett The following op-ed appeared in The Christian Science Monitor on November 30, 2015 Pope Francis arrived yesterday in the troubled…
Apr 14, 2016 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 14, 2016   WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) sends warm New Year’s greetings to the people of Burma and urges the new government…
Apr 20, 2016 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 20, 2016   WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomes Secretary of State John Kerry’s re-designation on April 15, 2016 of Burma,…
USCIRF Chair Thomas J. Reese, S.J. testified on July 15, 2016 before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission at a hearing titled "Blasphemy Laws and Censorship by States and Non-State Actors: Examining Global Threats to Freedom of Expression." From the…
Dec 9, 2016 The following op-ed appeared in Religion New Service on December 9, 2016 By former USCIRF Commissioners Kristina Arriaga and John Ruskay   Pwint Phyu Latt is a Muslim peace activist in Burma who sought to…
Click here to view the English versionClick here to view the Burmese version The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has monitored religious freedom conditions in Burma (also known as Myanmar) since the Commission first began…
English version Burmese version Each year since 1999, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate Burma as a “country of particular concern” (CPC) for its systematic,…
Dec 13, 2016 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 13, 2016                      WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released…
 December 13, 2016 USCIRF at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. publicly released two reports highlighting Burma’s serious religious freedom challenges: Hidden Plight: Christian Minorities in Burma and Suspended in Time: The…
Burma Chapter - 2017 Annual Report Burmese Translation
Sep 18, 2017 The following op-ed appeared in The Hill on September 18, 2017 By former USCIRF Commissioners Sandra Jolley and Jackie Wolcott   Addressing religious freedom violations is always hard, but when…
The report documents ASEAN’s and the Member States’ approaches to the freedom of religion or belief, underscores the religious freedom-related chal­lenges in the region that transcend country borders, and emphasizes the strategic importance of robust U.S…
Oct 11, 2017  USCIRF Vice Chairwoman Kristina Arriaga Testifies Before the House Oversight Committee Arriaga tells Members that religious freedom violations “have security implications for the United States"  …
Nov 16, 2017 The following originally op-ed appeared in The Hill on November 16, 2017   By former USCIRF Commissioners Daniel Mark and Sandra Jolley   People love lists. And when those lists are in the news,…
Click here to view the April 2018 Country Update, Burma: Insights from USCIRF’s Visits to Burma and Bangladesh
Jul 30, 2018 This op-ed originally appeared in The Hill on July 27, 2018. By former USCIRF Commissioners Tenzin Dorjee and Kristina Arriaga To the surprise of many, there is a foreign policy issue on which…
Oct 9, 2018 This op-ed originally appeared in The Christian Post on September 18, 2018. By Tenzin Dorjee and Nadine Maenza It has been more than a year since Burmese authorities began a brutal campaign…
Oct 31, 2018  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 31, 2018   Burma Not Safe for Returning Rohingyas, Warns USCIRF WASHINGTON, DC — Responding to the recent announcement by the governments of Burma and Bangladesh that…
Dec 3, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 3, 2018   USCIRF Presses for Targeted Sanctions for Atrocities Committed Against Burma’s Rohingya Muslims and Other Religious and Ethnic Communities Call comes days before…
Dec 12, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 12, 2018   State Department Names the World’s Worst Violators of Religious Freedom USCIRF Praises CPC Designation of Pakistan WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Commission on…
 Burma Chapter - 2019 Annual Report Burmese Translation
Host: Anurima Bhargava, Commissioner Country Expert: Tina Mufford, Deputy Director of Research and Policy
On June 27, 2019, Vice Chair Nadine Maenza testified at a Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission hearing on violations of the right to freedom of religion of Christian communities around the world.Written Testimony Hearing Webpage
Jul 18, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 18, 2019   USCIRF Responds to Travel Ban on Burmese Military Officials   WASHINGTON, DC – On Tuesday, the State Department designated four Burmese military leaders as…
Aug 23, 2019 USCIRF Statement on UN Report of “Genocidal Intent” by Burmese Military in Sexual Violence Against Rohingya Muslims and Others WASHINGTON, DC -- In response to a report released yesterday by United…
Aug 23, 2019 This op-ed was originally published by Inter Press Service, on August 26, 2019. By Nadine Maenza and Anurima Bhargava Monsoon season is currently wreaking havoc on the more than 911,000 Rohingya refugees displaced…
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Dec 9, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 9, 2019 USCIRF Raises Alarm about Speech Laws that Restrict Religious Freedom in More than Half of African Countries Briefing Tomorrow to Feature New Report and Recommendations  …
Dec 11, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 11, 2019 USCIRF Applauds Sanctions against Senior Burmese Military Officials WASHINGTON, DC—The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomes the…
Jan 23, 2020 USCIRF Applauds International Court’s Ruling on Measures to Protect Rohingya in Burma WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) applauds today’s ruling by the…
Mar 12, 2020 USCIRF Releases New Factsheet on International Crimes Against the Rohingya of Burma Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new factsheet on accountability for…
This factsheet provides an overview of the legal accountability processes for alleged international crimes – including genocide and crimes against humanity – committed against the Rohingya in Burma, implications of these actions, and possible outcomes.…
Mar 27, 2020 USCIRF Alarmed by Worsening Conditions in Rakhine State Following International Court Ruling Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) expressed its alarm over the…
Apr 17, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 17, 2020 USCIRF Welcomes Release of Hundreds of Imprisoned Rohingya in Burma, Calls for More to be Released Washington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF…
Jul 20, 2020 This op-ed was originally published by The Washington Examiner, on July 20, 2020. By USCIRF Chair Gayle Manchin and USCIRF Vice Chair Tony Perkins In Iraq, the 50th Brigade of the Popular Mobilization Forces has…
Jul 28, 2020 This op-ed originally appeared in The Diplomat, on July 28, 2020. By USCIRF Chair Gayle Manchin and Commissioner James W. Carr Several airlines offer direct flights from Burma to Malaysia, but many Rohingya…
USCIRF ADVOCATE: Daniel Mark Advocacy: Press Release: BURMA: Interfaith Prisoners of Conscience Pwint Phyu Latt and…
Aug 14, 2020 This op-ed originally appeared in The Globe Post, on August 14, 2020. By USCIRF Vice Chairs Anurima Bhargava and Tony Perkins Over half-a-million Central Africans remain displaced outside of their country,…
Title 2023 Annual Report - Central African Republic Chapter File Upload Central African Republic (CAR).pdf Language English Year…
Title 2026 Annual Report - Burma Chapter File Upload USCIRF 2026 Annual Report Burma.pdf Language English Year 2026…
May 7, 2013 USCIRF Chair Katrina Lantos Swett gave the following remarks at a conference, cosponsored by USCIRF and the National Endowment for Democracy on May 7, 2013 Introduction Thank you for that kind introduction. It…
Aug 25, 2020 USCIRF Urges Justice for the Rohingya People on Third Anniversary of Genocidal Campaign Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today marked the third anniversary of…
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This factsheet explores the role that religion plays in escalating violence committed by and against Fulani communities in west and central Africa. Predominantly Muslim and historically associated with cattle herding and livestock rearing, Fulani…
Oct 1, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE USCIRF Releases New Report about Religious Tensions and Fulani Communities in West and Central Africa Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)…
Click here to view the Rohingya Refugees Factsheet.   This factsheet highlights the conditions of Rohingya refugees in Southeast Asia. While the majority of Rohingya refugees have fled from Burma to Bangladesh, a significant number have escaped to…
Oct 8, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   USCIRF Releases Factsheet on Rohingya Refugees in Southeast Asia Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released a new report on…
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Dec 28, 2020 USCIRF Troubled with the Relocation of Rohingya Refugees to Bhasan Char Island Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today expressed its concern over reports that…
Feb 2, 2021 USCIRF Worried about Violence against Rohingya and other Religious Communities Following Military Coup in Burma The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is concerned about the…
Feb 4, 2021   As the Biden administration begins to formulate its broader human rights policy, USCIRF highlights several priority countries when it comes to international religious freedom. Condemning and preventing…
Feb 25, 2021 On February 1, 2021, the Burmese military declared the results of the November 2020 democratic elections to be invalid, enacted a one-year state of emergency, and detained State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and…
Apr 19, 2021 Read full article This op-ed was originally published by Washington Examiner, on April 15, 2021. Written by Commissioners Frederick A. Davie and James W. Carr. 
Apr 21, 2021 USCIRF Releases 2021 Annual Report with Recommendations for U.S. Policy No Longer Recommends Three Countries for Special Watch List Washington, D.C. – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom…
View the 2021 Annual Report          
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Apr 30, 2021 The program to resettle refugees to the United States has existed since 1980, with strong bipartisan support. Earlier this month, President Biden signed an emergency declaration to speed up refugee admissions into…
Nonbelievers in Africa Factsheet – This factsheet assesses conditions for nonbelievers in Africa, which includes those who identify as atheist, agnostic, freethinker, humanist, secularist, and individuals who do not identify with any religion. Evidence…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Central African Republic Recommended To: State Department Source: 2020 Annual Report Recommendation:Include on the Special Watch List
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Central African Republic Recommended To: State Department Source: 2020 Annual Report Recommendation:Establish high-level panel on human rights protection with international stakeholders and CAR authorities…
Status: implemented Year: Country: Central African Republic Recommended To: State Department Source: 2020 Annual Report Recommendation:Fund justice programs, including the SCC
Status: partially_implemented Year: Country: Central African Republic Recommended To: State Department Source: 2020 Annual Report Recommendation:Assist CAR government in ensuring Muslims have a future in the country
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Central African Republic Recommended To: State Department Source: 2020 Annual Report Recommendation:Increase humanitarian assistance
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Central African Republic Recommended To: State Department Source: 2019 Annual Report Recommendation:Increase engagement with CAR authorities, the United Nations (UN), and international donors to ensure that…
Status: implemented Year: Country: Central African Republic Recommended To: State Department Source: 2019 Annual Report Recommendation:Assisting the UN Security Council in sanctioning armed actors responsible for organizing and/or engaging in…
Status: implemented Year: Country: Central African Republic Recommended To: State Department Source: 2019 Annual Report Recommendation:Funding programs to reestablish and professionalize CAR’s judiciary and to support the Special Criminal Court (…
Status: implemented Year: Country: Central African Republic Recommended To: State Department Source: 2019 Annual Report Recommendation:Press CAR authorities to undertake initiatives to ensure that Muslims have a future in the country by:…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Central African Republic Recommended To: State Department Source: 2019 Annual Report Recommendation:Increase funding for peace and security initiatives; bolster humanitarian assistance for refugees, IDPs,…
This country update examines recent progress made and ongoing challenges in CAR. Due to peacebuilding and conflict prevention efforts, sectarian violence and religious targeting reduced in CAR in 2020. However, Central African religious minorities…
Jun 28, 2021 USCIRF Releases New Report on Religious Freedom Conditions in Central African Republic Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Burma Recommended To: White House Source: 2019 Annual Report Recommendation:Reinstate the designation of a National Emergency with respect to Burma—terminated by executive order in October 2016—pursuant to…
Status: not_implemented Year: Country: Burma Recommended To: State Department Source: 2019 Annual Report Recommendation:Support efforts to collect, preserve, and analyze evidence of the crimes and atrocities committed in Rakhine State, Kachin…