Search
Displaying results 21 - 30 of 76
April 14, 2016
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 to start the New Year by protecting the freedom of religion or belief. USCIRF also urges the international community to continue its support for improving the overall human rights situation in Burma. Burma’s government, now headed by the first elected civilian president in more than five decades, must demonstrate to the international community its commitment to democracy, human rights, and rule of law, including religious freedom.
“It’s a new day for the people of Burma. Many have struggled their entire lives for freedom for their country, their families, and themselves. Under the leadership of President U Htin Kyaw and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the government now must guarantee to them the rights and freedoms enshrined in international human rights covenants, including the fundamental right to freedom of religion or belief for all. The season of the Thingyan Water Festival and New Year celebration, emblematic of the deep religious and spiritual traditions that enrich Burma’s history, is an auspicious time for Burma’s new government to take these steps,” said USCIRF Chairman Robert P. George.
One such step is Burma’s government radically changing its abusive policies and practices in Rakhine State, which have harmed members of the ethnic communities who live there, especially Rohingya Muslims. The government denies them citizenship, freedom of movement, access to health care, and other basic services, and in 2015 revoked their voting rights and denied them and other Muslims the ability to contest elections. Also in 2015, the government implemented a package of “race and religion laws” which some nationalist Buddhists had advanced. Each of these laws discriminates against and restricts the religious freedom of non-Buddhists, particularly Muslims.
USCIRF commends the government of Burma for its plans to release political prisoners and withdraw charges against individuals awaiting trial, and eagerly awaits their full implementation. But Burma must do more to demonstrate its commitment to international human rights standards, including by: signing and ratifying the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; improving access to humanitarian aid in areas where religious and ethnic minorities are displaced, have their movement restricted, or cannot access basic services; inviting a visit by the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief and allowing the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to open a country office; ceasing criminalizing the peaceful exercise or expression of religion or belief; and doing away with discriminatory laws – especially the 1982 Citizenship Law, policies, and practices that unfairly treat ethnic and religious minorities, including Christians and Rohingya and other Muslims.
For more information, please see USCIRF’s Burma chapter in the 2015 Annual Report (in English and Burmese), and refer to USCIRF’s website for news about the release of the 2016 Annual Report coming soon. Refer also to the following press releases: USCIRF Calls for the Protection of Religious and Ethnic Minorities During Post-Election Period and Beyond; and USCIRF Condemns Passage of Religious Conversion Bill.
To interview a USCIRF Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at media@uscirf.gov or 202-786-0615.
January 22, 2015
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 considering. These bills would further restrict religious freedom and discriminate against all non-Buddhists, particularly male Muslims, in religious conversions and marriages. USCIRF criticized a May draft of one of these bills, the religious conversion law, as “irreparably flawed” and in contravention of “Burma’s international commitments to protect freedom of religion or belief.”
“Discrimination against non-Buddhists through law, regulation and practice already is pervasive in Burma. Instead of countering prejudices, these bills would further entrench and legalize discrimination,” said Katrina Lantos Swett, USCIRF Chair. “The bills risk fanning the flames of intolerance and violence against Muslims and other religious minorities. If they become law, Burma will be taking a major step backward.”
During USCIRF’s August trip to Burma (read the report), Commissioners M. Zuhdi Jasser and Eric P. Schwartz raised concerns about these bills in meetings with Burmese parliamentarians and representatives of the Union government.
“Rather than protecting individuals’ rights to peacefully practice their faiths, the government of Burma is promoting restrictive, discriminatory measures that violate religious freedoms,” said Lantos Swett. “The right to change your beliefs and marry a partner of your own choosing are personal decisions not in the scope of government.”
Specific concerns include:
- The Religious Conversion Bill would force those seeking to convert to give to the newly created Registration Boards an extensive list of personal information, answer intrusive questions, and wait 90 days for approval.
- The Interfaith Marriage Bill imposes restrictions on marriages between non-Buddhist men and Buddhist women, including a 14-day waiting period during which time anyone can object to the marriage, and the court reviewing the objections has the power to deny the marriage. Non-Buddhist men are denied numerous rights in the case of divorce and face criminal penalties if they ask their Buddhist wife to convert. Under the bill, non-Buddhist men also bear most of the financial and/or criminal penalties, including prison sentences.
November 13, 2015
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-election period and beyond. Although Election Day largely was peaceful, the underlying electoral process was deeply flawed given the disturbing interjection of religion, the 25 percent reservation for the military of unelected seats, and the disenfranchisement of Rohingya Muslims.
“While political transitions can spur positive transformations, uncertainty during times of change also can lead to unrest and instability. The government of Burma must do everything in its power to stave off violence and protect those who could become targets, particularly religious and ethnic minorities,” said USCIRF Chairman Robert P. George.
Notwithstanding their eventual outcome, Burma’s elections took place in an environment of diminished rights and protections for religious and ethnic minorities. For example, along with the many voters from the beleaguered Rohingya Muslim community who were disenfranchised and Rohingya candidates disqualified, polls were postponed or canceled in several villages throughout ethnic areas, including Kachin, Karen, Mon, and Shan states.
Additionally, a group of revered Buddhist monks manipulated religion for political ends, thereby flagrantly violating a constitutional ban on such actions. In the weeks and months ahead of the elections, these monks, known by their local acronym Ma Ba Tha, orchestrated the passage of four discriminatory “race and religion bills” that diminish the rights of all non-Buddhists and women. Ma Ba Tha used these laws, including those that regulate interfaith marriage and religious conversions, to promote fear and hatred against Muslims, seeking to unduly influence the political debate. USCIRF publicly criticized these actions in August and January of this year.
“Burma cannot expect to build a democracy while sowing religious and ethnic hatred and divisions. With these elections, the country moved the needle in its political transition, but it has not yet become a rights-respecting nation that genuinely adheres to international standards for religious freedom and related human rights,” said Chairman George. “While we congratulate Burma on this first step, we also urge the Burmese government to begin healing deep-seated divisions by protecting vulnerable religious and ethnic communities.”
USCIRF again recommended in 2015 that Burma be designated as a “country of particular concern,” or CPC, under the International Religious Freedom Act for its particularly severe violations of religious freedom. The State Department has designated Burma as a CPC since 1999, most recently in July 2014. For more information, see the Burma Chapter (in English and Burmese) in USCIRF’s 2015 Annual Report.
To interview a USCIRF Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at media@uscirf.gov or 202-786-0613.
December 03, 2018
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 anniversary of the signing of the UN Genocide Convention
WASHINGTON, DC -- The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today called on the U.S. government and the international community to pursue strong policy responses, including the continued use of targeted sanctions, to hold accountable members of Burma’s military, security forces, and some nonstate actors for severe human rights and religious freedom violations against Burma’s Rohingya Muslims and other religious and ethnic communities. These abuses against Rohingya and others, including Buddhists, Hindus, and Christians, as well as ethnic Kachin, Shan, Karen, have been committed, and in some cases continue to be committed, for decades, largely with impunity.
“Rohingya Muslims and other religious and ethnic groups have suffered terribly at the hands of Burma’s military and security forces, with some calling the abuses ‘ethnic cleansing,’ ‘crimes against humanity,’ or even ‘genocide’,” said Chair Tenzin Dorjee. “And yet those responsible for these abuses have largely escaped accountability for their actions. The U.S. government and other international actors have various tools at their disposal, among them targeted sanctions, that they can and should continue to use to bring justice to the perpetrators. We must send the message that horrific abuses like these will not be tolerated and will not go unanswered.”
In September, a United Nations-commissioned fact-finding mission tasked with investigating the situation in Rakhine, Kachin, and Shan States, issued a report concluding that Burma’s top military leaders should be investigated and prosecuted for genocide, noting circumstances suggesting their “genocidal intent.”
Based on its travel to Burma and Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh and regular reporting—such as the 2018 Annual Report—USCIRF has called on the State Department to redesignate Burma as a “country of particular concern” and to continue to impose targeted sanctions, such as visa bans and asset freezes, on specific abusers in the Burmese military and among nonstate actors. Also, USCIRF recently warned that conditions are not yet safe for Rohingya Muslim refugees currently residing in Bangladesh to return to Burma and urges the parties involved to facilitate a process for refugees and internally displaced persons from all religious and ethnic communities that is voluntary and dignified.
###
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze and report on threats to religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion or belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at Media@USCIRF.gov or Kellie Boyle at kboyle@uscirf.gov or +1-703-898-6554.
December 11, 2019
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 Department of Treasury’s designation of senior Burmese military officials for sanctions under Executive Order 13818 and the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, due to their individual roles in mass atrocities in Rakhine, Kachin, and Shan states. Designated individuals include Min Aung Hlaing, the Commander-in-Chief of the Burmese military; Soe Win, the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Burmese military; Than Oo, a leader of the 99th Light Infantry Division in Rakhine State; and Aung Aung, a leader of the 33rd Light Infantry Division in Rakhine State.
“USCIRF has long highlighted the Burmese military’s violations of religious freedom and mass violence against vulnerable communities and the importance of holding those responsible to account. These designations, which USCIRF had recommended, represent an important step forward in finding justice for the Rohingya and other persecuted groups,” said USCIRF Vice Chair Nadine Maenza.
“We applaud the Department of Treasury for sanctioning Burmese military leaders on International Human Rights Day for atrocities that USCIRF believes constitute crimes against humanity and genocide. Under their command, Burmese military forces committed egregious acts of violence – including extrajudicial killings, rape, and forced disappearances – and displaced millions from their homeland,” stated USCIRF Commissioner Anurima Bhargava.
In its 2019 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the State Department continue to designate Burma as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act due to systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom. Among its policy recommendations, USCIRF urged the U.S. government “to impose targeted sanctions on members of Burma’s military, security forces, and non-state actors for severe human rights and religious freedom violations.”
###
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze and report on threats to religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at Media@USCIRF.gov or call 202-523-3240.
August 23, 2014
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 country. We have had meetings with Union and state government officials, Rangoon-based representatives of ethnic and religious groups, representatives of non-governmental organizations, representatives of political parties, including Aung San Suu Kyi, and religious leaders. We traveled to Rangoon, Mandalay, Meiktila, and Naypyidaw. In Meiktila, we welcomed the chance to visit camps for persons from both the Muslim and Buddhist communities who were displaced by spasms of violence in March 2013.
We visited Burma to promote tolerance and inclusion in light of violations of religious freedom and violence and discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities. After our return, we expect to issue a report of our findings. Our comments today represent preliminary observations.
We were deeply impressed by the conviction of so many Burmese about the importance of religious freedom and human rights and by their recognition that equal treatment, in law and in practice, for all of Burma’s ethnic and religious communities is critical to the process of reform. We also met with officials who echoed President Thein Sein’s stated goal of “securing equal rights for each and every citizen.”
The Commission has followed this country for more than a decade, expressing concern about limitations on religious freedom for everyone – Buddhists and non-Buddhists. And we have very much welcomed the release of prisoners of conscience, easing of restrictions on freedom of expression and other encouraging developments in recent years. Nonetheless, this visit has confirmed our concerns about serious and substantial discrimination against minority religious faiths, imposed by law, regulation and practice. As a result, members of these faiths have unequal personal status, reflected, for example, in their identification documents and rights associated with citizenship. Other restrictions prevent the construction of religious institutions and impose obstacles to the practice of faith by Christians; we are also concerned by the failure to adequately hold accountable perpetrators of violence against religious minorities.
We are deeply troubled by reports we received of abuses against the Rohingya Muslim community in Rakhine State. No impartial observers question reports of systematic, large-scale and egregious abuses of human rights of this community involving acts and omissions resulting in deaths, injuries, displacement, denial of basic health and other services, denial of freedom of movement, and denial of the right to a nationality, among other violations. While Rakhine State is among the poorest states in Burma and all its communities merit attention and concern, government action is urgently needed to address the horrible circumstances confronting the Rohingya.
We are disappointed that the overall political reform effort has yet to address seriously these concerns. At a time when we’d hope to see reform that addresses these issues, we are also concerned by actions that are in contrast to a reform commitment, such as the draft anti-conversion law and other race and religion bills.
Finally, we encourage the efforts of the United States and other governments to accelerate the process of reform in Burma. Governments should communicate solidarity with activists who have worked so diligently, and often at great personal sacrifice, to promote respect for human rights, tolerance and religious freedom. Governments should seize opportunities to signal ongoing support for human rights and religious freedom – the rights of those, like Rohingya Muslims, who are the victims of the most serious of abuses.
To interview a USCIRF Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at media@uscirf.gov or 202-786-0613.
October 11, 2017
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"
WASHINGTON, D.C. – This morning, Kristina Arriaga, the Vice Chairwoman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), testified before the National Security Subcommittee of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
Speaking on the “government’s role in protecting international religious freedom,” Arriaga advised the Members that “we ignore religious freedom violations at our peril and must address challenges proactively.”
Ms. Arriaga stated that “some governments view religion as competition, an alternate source of authority, which they must control. However, in so doing, they create more instability, not enhanced authority.” Governments seek this control by: using national security concerns as an excuse for violating religious freedom; pitting groups against each other to enhance the government’s power; allowing violators to act with impunity; and inciting vigilante groups and others to violence.
Vice Chairwoman Arriaga reminded the subcommittee members that non-state actors, especially in failed or failing states, are among the primary perpetrators of egregious religious freedom violations, and reviewed some of the tools the U.S. government can use to address international religious freedom violations. These tools include the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act, the 2016 Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act, and the Global Magnitsky Act. She also underscored that our government “must have the political will to use” these and other tools, and “that is where we can fall short.”
She also noted the key role women play in building lasting peace and security. “Especially during conflicts,” she warned, “women often are targeted for violence and discrimination, with religion used to disempower them.” She also stressed that it is a “betrayal of the very foundations of freedom of religion or belief whenever it is misused to justify inexcusable, harmful practices such as female genital mutilation, child marriage, and forced conversion.”
Ms. Arriaga called for greater focus on religious prisoners of conscience unjustly imprisoned for their religious beliefs, activities, and advocacy and the impact of unjust laws and practices. “To do our part,” she added, “Each Commissioner is advocating for a prisoner as part of USCIRF’s Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project. I would encourage each Member of this subcommittee to adopt a prisoner as well.”
###
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission, the first of its kind in the world. USCIRF reviews the facts and circumstances of religious freedom violations abroad and makes policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress. USCIRF Commissioners are appointed by the President and the Congressional leadership of both political parties. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at Media@USCIRF.gov or John D. Lawrence, Director of Communications (JLawrence@USCIRF.gov/ +1-202-786-0611).
July 18, 2019
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 responsible for gross human rights violations against Rohingya Muslims, including extrajudicial killings within Burma’s Rakhine State, banning their and their immediate families’ travel to the United States. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) issued the following statement:
“This is a welcome step toward holding these individuals accountable,” said USCIRF Chair Tony Perkins. “However, given the level of government-tolerated abuse, we urge the Departments of State and Treasury to consider using additional targeted tools on the military and other responsible parties, such as economic sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.”
Said Commissioner Anurima Bhargava, “We urge the Administration and Congress to make a definitive and public declaration that the military’s atrocities towards Rohingya Muslims and other religious and ethnic minorities meet the legal definition of crimes against humanity and/or genocide. This horrific chapter in Burma’s history must end with justice and the safe and dignified return of Rohingya Muslims and other displaced families to their homeland.”
The four military officials banned by the State Department are Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing, Deputy Commander-in-Chief Soe Win, Brigadier General Than Oo and Brigadier General Aung Aung. USCIRF has repeatedly called for targeted sanctions against military units in Burma following its disproportionate and indiscriminate crackdown on Rohingya Muslims in October 2016, and the mass displacement and violence towards Rohingya Muslims in the years since. USCIRF has recommended that Burma be designated a “country of particular concern” in every year since 2000, including in its most recent annual report.
Commissioner Bhargava, Commissioner Nadine Maenza and Deputy Director for Research and Policy Tina Mufford visited Burma last month and met with government and military officials, civil society and members of the Rohingya community.
###
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze and report on threats to religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at Media@USCIRF.gov or Kellie Boyle at kboyle@uscirf.gov or +1-703-898-6554.
December 12, 2018
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 International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) welcomed the State Department’s announcement that it had named 10 “Countries of Particular Concern” (CPCs) for particularly severe religious freedom violations, including, for the first time, Pakistan. The naming of Russia and Uzbekistan to a “Special Watch List” elicited a mixed response, said USCIRF Chair Tenzin Dorjee.
“We are gratified that, after years of reporting systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom in Pakistan, the State Department has finally added that country to the list of the world’s worst violators,” said Dorjee. “While we welcome the addition of Russia as a severe violator on the Special Watch List, USCIRF recommended in April 2018 that Russia be named a CPC. USCIRF made the same recommendation for Uzbekistan. We question whether Uzbekistan has sufficiently improved to be moved from the CPC list to the Special Watch List.”
The other nations designated as CPCs by the State Department were Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. In its 2018 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that, in addition to Russia and Uzbekistan, the State Department name Vietnam, Syria, Central African Republic, and Nigeria as CPCs.
Congress created the Special Watch List in 2016 for countries that engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom but may not rise to the level of CPC. While the State Department named Pakistan to the Special Watch List last year, the Pakistani government continued to harass its religious minorities, carry out state-sanctioned discrimination against groups such as the Ahmadis, and tolerate extrajudicial violence in the guise of opposing blasphemy. Today, approximately 40 individuals in Pakistan are incarcerated on charges of blasphemy.
###
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze and report on threats to religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion or belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at Media@USCIRF.gov or Kellie Boyle at kboyle@uscirf.gov or +1-703-898-6554.
October 31, 2018
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 repatriation efforts for Rohingya Muslim refugees will begin next month, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Vice Chair Kristina Arriaga, who visited Burma last year, cited evidence of continued atrocities committed by the Buddhist-majority Burma as one of several reasons the announcement is premature. An estimated 921,000 Rohingya refugees currently reside in overcrowded camps in Bangladesh, many of whom fled brutal violence in Burma at the hands of Burma’s military and other nonstate actors.
“Not only have Rohingya Muslims received no assurance of their physical safety when they return to Burma,” said Arriaga, “but there have been no guarantees of protection for their properties, livelihoods or basic human rights, including religious freedom. While we support continued negotiations between the two countries, there is still much to be done before it is safe for these refugees to return to their homeland in a manner that is both dignified and voluntary.”
USCIRF has called on the State Department to redesignate Burma as a “country of particular concern” and to continue to impose targeted sanctions, such as visa bans and asset freezes, on specific abusers in the Burmese military and among nonstate actors.
###
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze and report on threats to religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion or belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at Media@USCIRF.gov or Kellie Boyle at kboyle@uscirf.gov or +1-703-898-6554.