UK criticized over decision to train Myanmar army

A prominent human rights advocacy group has criticized the United Kingdom over its decision to fund military training for Myanmar's army that is accused of human rights violations.

In a report titled 'Training War Criminals? – British Training of the Burmese Army', Burma Campaign UK said the decision to spend at least £87,850 on the project was deeply flawed, as there were no preconditions on improving human rights and supporting democratic reform in the Southeast Asian country.

"If the British government were serious about reforming the Burmese military and ending their human rights abuses, they could have used this training to elicit practical action and commitments to reforms," Mark Farmaner, Director of Burma Campaign UK, said.

He further noted that London is moving as close as possible to Myanmar's government in order to secure the current and future trade and investment opportunities.

Myanmar's government refuses to recognize Rohingya Muslims as citizens and labels them as "illegal" immigrants.

Rohingya Muslims have been denied citizenship since a new citizenship law was enacted in 1982.

Violence originally targeted Rohingya Muslims in western Myanmar, and then spread to other parts of the country, where Muslims who have been granted citizenship are also being attacked.

The Myanmar government has so far refused to release the stateless Rohingyas from their citizenship limbo, despite international pressure to give them a legal status.

Hundreds of Rohingyas are believed to have been killed and thousands displaced in attacks by Buddhist extremists.

The extremists frequently attack Rohingyas and set fire to their homes in several villages in the western state of Rakhine.

MP/NN

 

http://www.information.myanmaronlinecentre.com/uk-criticized-over-decision-to-train-myanmar-army/