Burma
Partners: Women's League of Burma (www.womenofburma.org) and the Burma Lawyers Council (www.blc-burma.org)
The effort to achieve peace, security and democracy in Burma is an on-going struggle against the SPDC, a repressive and brutal military regime. The pro-democracy movement, which mainly operates in exile—primarily in Thailand, is led by the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB), the democratically elected government officials who had fled the country following the 1988 military regime's crackdown. A critical component within the pro-democratic movement is the struggle of the women of Burma to change cultural norms about women's role in society, including the belief held by many that women do not belong in political leadership and should be subordinate to men. This effort is led by the Women's League of Burma (WLB).
The Global Justice Center partners with the WLB to come up with new strategic uses of international law to promote women's access to the political process within the Burma exile community, as well as to address the human rights violations perpetrated by the SPDC. The SPDC ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in July 1997. Nonetheless, protections of women under CEDAW have not been enforced in Burma.
The United Nations General Assembly has passed 22 resolutions condemning the SPDC, yet there has been no action. In June 2006, Burma was added to the Security Council agenda and thus may be discussed by the Council this term. In addition, as a country in conflict, UN Security Council Resolution 1325 applies to the situation in Burma, both to the SPDC, the ethnic groups and armies, and all parties involved in the conflict over Burma and the struggle for peace and democracy.
View additional treaties ratified by the government of Burma.