Burma: Campaign Groups Call For Citizenship Law Reform

London, 10 July, (Asiantribune.com):



       
Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) joins 30 other Burma campaign groups in calling for Burma’s controversial 1982 Citizenship Law to be repealed and replaced with a new law that is compatible with Burma’s obligations under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
A joint statement released today states: “The Citizenship Law introduced by General Ne Win in 1982 is not compatible with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights or with Burma’s legal obligations under international treaties. It arbitrarily stripped many people in Burma of the right to citizenship.”

“The 1982 Citizenship Law should be repealed, and replaced with a new law founded on basic principles of human rights. The new law should honor equality and non-discrimination, and help create an inclusive and tolerant Burma.”
The question of citizenship is one of the many issues fuelling recent violence between the majority Buddhist Rakhine people and the predominantly Muslim Rohingyas in Burma’s Rakhine (Arakan) State.




Benedict Rogers, CSW's East Asia Team Leader, said, "We are very pleased that so many organizations, both Burmese and international, have united in calling on the Burmese government to examine seriously the question of citizenship and ensure that all the peoples of Burma are treated with equal rights in accordance with international norms.
He added, “This is an urgent and serious subject, given the recent crisis in Arakan State and the statelessness of the Rohingya people. We simply call for basic human rights for all people to be observed and respected, and for the citizenship of all people born in Burma to be properly considered and recognised."
- Asian Tribune –