Burma’s new government led by the National League for Democracy (NLD) should signal human rights are a top priority by presenting a plan of action to begin long-needed reforms, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to new president Htin Kyaw.
“The NLD-led government has already set the right tone by releasing many political prisoners and dropping charges against hundreds of activists,” said Brad Adams, Asia director. “But many difficult problems remain, tied to issues such as minority rights, land disputes, and freedom of expression, which require a clear and specific plan of action to tackle successfully.”
The NLD won a landslide victory in the November 8, 2015 elections, but faces serious structural impediments to instituting reforms. These include the deeply flawed 2008 constitution, which allows the military to maintain significant control over the civilian government. The military still controls the Defense, Home Affairs, and Border Affairs Ministries, and is empowered to dismiss the government. It also has a quota of 25 percent of seats in parliament. (Courtesy of Human Rights Watch)
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