Briefing Paper: The legacy of mass torture and the challenge for reform in Myanmar
Torture has a long history in Myanmar and has been widely employed by the military regimes in power after 1962. State security forces and government officials committed torture with impunity in prisons, interrogation centers, police cells, immigration and detention facilities, and throughout conflict-affected ethnic areas. Authorities used torture not only to extract information and false confessions, but also to punish, degrade, humiliate, and instill fear among political dissidents, journalists, human rights activists, and anyone suspected of criticizing the state. Even after a shift to a pseudo-civilian government in 2010, civil society organizations continued to document the same practices by police and military, and the UN Human Rights Council continues to call on the government to end such violations.
Download the full briefing paper in English here.
Announcements
28 February 2025
Asian NGO Network on National Human Rights Institutions , CSO Working Group on Independent National Human Rights Institution (Burma/Myanmar)
Open letter: Removal of the membership of the dis-accredited Myanmar National Human Rights Commission from the Southeast Asia National Human Rights Institution Forum
Progressive Voice is a participatory rights-based policy research and advocacy organization rooted in civil society, that maintains strong networks and relationships with grassroots organizations and community-based organizations throughout Myanmar. It acts as a bridge to the international community and international policymakers by amplifying voices from the ground, and advocating for a rights-based policy narrative.