BURMA (MYANMAR) COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service 17 June 2011 BURMA (MYANMAR) 17 JUNE 2011 Contents Preface Latest News EVENTS IN BURMA FROM 16 MAY TO 17 JUNE 2011 Useful news sources for further information REPORTS ON BURMA PUBLISHED OR ACCESSED BETWEEN 16 MAY AND 17 JUNE 2011 Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................ 1.01 Map ........................................................................................................................ 1.07 2. ECONOMY ................................................................................................................ 2.01 3. HISTORY (INDEPENDENCE (1948) – NOVEMBER 2010) ................................................ 3.01 Constitutional referendum – 2008....................................................................... 3.03 Build up to 2010 elections ................................................................................... 3.05 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS (NOVEMBER 2010 – MARCH 2011)....................................... 4.01 November 2010 elections .................................................................................... 4.01 Release of Aung San Suu Kyi ............................................................................. 4.13 Opening of Parliament ......................................................................................... 4.16 5. CONSTITUTION.......................................................................................................... 5.01 6. POLITICAL SYSTEM ................................................................................................... 6.01 Human Rights 7. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 7.01 8. SECURITY FORCES .................................................................................................... 8.01 Police..................................................................................................................... 8.02 Armed forces ........................................................................................................ 8.04 Other government forces..................................................................................... 8.09 Intelligence agencies.......................................................................................... 8.11 Human rights violations by government forces ................................................ 8.14 Arbitrary arrest and detention............................................................................. 8.21 Torture................................................................................................................ 8.24 Extra-judicial killings and ‘disappearances’ ........................................................ 8.33 Avenues of complaint .......................................................................................... 8.37 9. MILITARY SERVICE .................................................................................................... 9.01 10. ABUSES BY NON-GOVERNMENT ARMED FORCES .......................................................... 10.01 Forced conscription............................................................................................. 10.06 11. JUDICIARY................................................................................................................ 11.01 Organisation ......................................................................................................... 11.01 Independence ....................................................................................................... 11.02 Fair trial ................................................................................................................. 11.07 Penal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure .................................................... 11.12 12. ARREST AND DETENTION – LEGAL RIGHTS .................................................................. 12.01 Arrest warrants..................................................................................................... 12.08 13. PRISON CONDITIONS ................................................................................................. 13.01 14. DEATH PENALTY ....................................................................................................... 14.01 ii The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 15 May 2011. Further brief information on recent events and reports has been provided in the Latest News section to 17 June 2011. 17 JUNE 2011 BURMA (MYANMAR) 15. POLITICAL AFFILIATION ............................................................................................. 15.01 Freedom of political expression.......................................................................... 15.04 Political prisoners ............................................................................................... 15.06 Freedom of association and assembly............................................................... 15.13 Demonstrations outside of Burma ...................................................................... 15.17 Opposition groups and political activists .......................................................... 15.23 National League for Democracy (NLD) .............................................................. 15.24 National Democratic Force (NDF) ...................................................................... 15.29 Dissident groups .................................................................................................. 15.32 All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU)............................................. 15.33 All Burma Monks Alliance (ABMA) ..................................................................... 15.35 88 Generation Students ..................................................................................... 15.38 Generation Wave ............................................................................................... 15.43 16. FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MEDIA............................................................................... 16.01 Internet usage....................................................................................................... 16.07 Journalists ............................................................................................................ 16.16 17. HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS AND ACTIVISTS .................................... 17.01 18. CORRUPTION............................................................................................................ 18.01 19. FREEDOM OF RELIGION.............................................................................................. 19.01 Overview ............................................................................................................... 19.01 Demography ......................................................................................................... 19.09 Constitution and legislation ................................................................................ 19.11 Buddhism.............................................................................................................. 19.14 Christians.............................................................................................................. 19.19 Muslims ................................................................................................................. 19.26 20. ETHNIC GROUPS ....................................................................................................... 20.01 Chin (Zomi) ........................................................................................................... 20.18 Kachin (Jinghpaw)................................................................................................ 20.21 Shan....................................................................................................................... 20.24 Karen And Karenni (Red Karen Or Kayah)......................................................... 20.27 Mon........................................................................................................................ 20.30 Rohingya ............................................................................................................... 20.32 21. LESBIAN, GAY AND BISEXUAL (LGB) PERSONS ........................................................... 21.01 Legal rights ........................................................................................................... 21.01 Treatment by, and attitude of, state authorities................................................. 21.06 Societal treatment and attitudes ......................................................................... 21.08 22. TRANSGENDER PERSONS .......................................................................................... 22.01 23. DISABILITY ............................................................................................................... 23.01 24. WOMEN ................................................................................................................... 24.01 Overview ............................................................................................................... 24.01 Legal rights ..........................................................................................................