Myanmar still detaining 1,100 political prisoners, UN investigator reports
More than 1,100 political prisoners continue to be held by the military government in Myanmar , despite pledges by the government to release dissidents as part of democratic reforms, the UN Special Rapporteur to Myanmar Paulo Sergio Pinheiro...
UN envoy arrives in Myanmar to push for release of opposition leader
Ali Alatas, former Indonesian foreign minister, went to Myanmar Thursday as a special envoy of the UN to help push for the release of jailed opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi . Alatas was appointed to...
UN votes to monitor child soldiers and abuses during armed conflict
The UN Security Council Tuesday unanimously adopted a resoluton to closely scrutinize and keep track of all countries and rebel organizations that abuse children in any way or recruit children as soldiers . Resolution 1612...
Myanmar will not seek ASEAN chair after objections to rights record
Myanmar's military-led government announced Sunday that it will not seek the rotating chairmanship of the regional Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) security organization as it was entitled to do. The announcement was made during ASEAN's Ministerial...
Former Myanmar prime minister Khin Nyunt received a 44-year suspended sentence Friday after he was convicted on eight charges including bribery and corruption, according to a legal source in Yangon. The secret tribunal at Insein prison also...
Myanmar's military government announced Thursday that it had released 400 prisoners but refused to name them. The majority of those released are believed to be political prisoners, many of whom are tied to the National League of Democracy party...
UN rights commission condemns Israel, to vote on abuses in Sudan, Cuba
The UN Human Rights Commission passed a resolution Thursday condemning Israel's settlements on Palestinian territories by 39-2, with 12 abstentions. The resolution called for the Israeli government to reverse the policy and to take measures meant to...
Myanmar's military junta announced Thursday that it has adjourned talks to draw up a new democratic constitution for the country. Military officials blamed high temperatures and the upcoming monsoon season for the closing of the National Convention, suggesting the...
The United Nations' Commission on Human Rights began its annual six-week session on Monday. This year's meeting may produce significant criticism of human rights abuses committed by the US against prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan. Activist groups,...
Authorities in Thailand have dispatched hundreds of additional police to coastal provinces hardest hit by Sunday's tsunami in an effort to stem an apparent tide of looting. Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has issued stern warnings to would-be looters,...
