Our Focus Areas

Human rights sit at the center of our work. We focus on the following three areas to advance the rights of the people of Myanmar and make lasting, impactful change by bringing people together, coordinating actions and strategies with those directly impacted by conflict, atrocities, and injustice.

International Engagement

We facilitate coordinated, strategic engagement and advocacy among local and international partners, engaging with relevant regional and international bodies, including the United Nations, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and international accountability mechanisms, for the recognition of local agency and locally centered solutions to the problems and challenges facing local communities in Myanmar. Through our long-term local and international communication strategy and engagement—with a focus on bringing up pressing human rights issues, ground realities, and the voices of local communities in Myanmar—we call on the international community to cut the legitimacy, money, weapons, and impunity of the military junta while urging increased, flexible support for Myanmar people. We also utilize our various robust communication channels to facilitate information, concerns, and recommendations based on the lived experiences of those on the ground to domestic, regional, and international platforms, while equipping people with the knowledge and information to advocate for human rights in their respective local areas through our weekly commentaries, website, and social media platforms.

Minorities and Displacement

We work to ensure that the voices and concerns of vulnerable and marginalized communities are heard; their calls are placed at the center; and their participation is included in domestic, regional, and international processes. Our aims are to address the political, human rights, and humanitarian crisis with long-term solutions and build a federal democratic Myanmar, while advocating for a locally led humanitarian response through cross-border channels. We also address the needs of displaced communities that strengthen their safety, harmony, resilience, and sustainability through close collaboration with our local partners.

Democratic Civic Space

We strive to strengthen the work of human rights defenders, civil society organizations, community-based organizations, and grassroots networks to protect and promote human rights and democratic civic space. We do this by providing support for their ongoing work and initiatives, enhancing their physical and digital security, connecting them with available resources and networks, coordinating action plans, and collectively advocating increased flexibility, inclusivity, equality, justice, and accountability, as well as long-term solutions for Myanmar. In addition, we, as the convener of the CSO Working Group on Independent National Human Rights Institution (Burma/Myanmar) (“Working Group”), lead and support the work of the Working Group to advocate the establishment of a new national human rights institution that is impartial, independent, and effective, in accordance with the Paris Principles; we also advocate the abolition of the military-controlled Myanmar National Human Rights Commission and the removal of its membership in all human rights networks.