Burma Issues - Human Rights

Burma has one of the worst human rights records in the world. Since the country fell under military dictatorship in the late 1980s, the people of Burma have suffered a long list of abuses, including forced labor and portering, human trafficking, sexual violence, forced evictions, displacement, lack of freedom of expression, arbitrary arrest and detention, recruitment of child soldiers, torture, killings and disappearances. In a culturally and linguistically diverse country, ethnic minorities along Burma's borders are a frequent target of these abuses, and democratic protests and opposition movements have been forcefully silenced.

Moreover, Burma's richness in natural resources has made it attractive to foreign investment, leading to increased military and armed security presence around project sites, and an escalation of human rights abuses and conflict in these areas. International organizations, exiled groups, as well as people working underground inside Burma continue to investigate, document and these abuses committed at the hands of the Burmese military dictatorship.