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VOL. 79 PART 3 MAY 2021
pation in decision-making, legal certainty, avoidance of arbitrariness,
and procedural and legal transparency.44
Despite the limitations discussed in this case study, the interventions of
international human rights advocates can (and do) make a positive difference.
Reports of advocacy, including international human rights legal
analysis, demonstrate solidarity with people suffering human rights violations.
Joint advocacy by human rights groups assists in persuading some
states45 and key corporations46 to improve their own human rights performance
or cut economic ties with human rights violators. Finally, reports of
advocacy, including international human rights legal analysis, call attention
to the gaps between law, rhetoric and action. Human rights research
and advocacy reports clarify the obligations and remedies required of
states, corporations and individuals under international law and limit the
rhetorical power of lies and propaganda to mask human rights abuses and
atrocity crimes.
ENDNOTES
1. The term “atrocity crimes” refers to three international
crimes: crimes against humanity, war crimes
and genocide. see United Nations, Framework of
Analysis for Atrocity Crimes: A Tool for Prevention
(2014) at 1, online: <www.un.org/en/genocide
prevention/documents/atrocity-crimes/Doc.49_
Framework%20of%20Analysis%20for%20Atrocity%
20Crimes_EN. pdf>.
2. Human Rights Council, “Report of the Special Rapporteur
on the situation of human rights in Myanmar,
Thomas H Andrews”, A/HRC/46/56, 4 March
2021, online: <www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC
/RegularSessions/Session46/Documents/A_HRC_
46_56.pdf>.
3. International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs,
“Indigenous Peoples in Myanmar”, online: <www.
iwgia.org/en/myanmar.html>.
4. For updates of confirmed detentions, arrests, charges
and fatalities in relation to the military coup, see
Assistance Association of Political Prisoners, “AAPP
Blog”, online: <aappb.org/?cat=7>.
5. LRWC, “Myanmar: The Situation of Lawyers in the
Context of Ongoing Atrocity Crimes” (22 March
2021), online: <www.lrwc.org/myanmar-the-situation
-of-lawyers-in-the-context-of-ongoing-atrocity-crimes
-statement/>.
6. Aljazeera, “Families Plan Funerals, Children
Reported Among Myanmar Dead” (16 March
2021), online: <www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/
3/16/at-least-20-dead-in-myanmar-violencemobile
internet-cut-off>; United Nations International
Children’s Emergency Fund, “UNICEF
Condemns Killings and Arbitrary Detentions of Children
by Security Forces During Ongoing Crisis in
Myanmar” (4 March 2021), online: <www.unicef.
org/press-releases/unicef-condemns-killings-andarbitrary
detentions-children-security-forces-during>.
7. United Nations International Children’s Emergency
Fund, ibid.
8. Assistance Association of Political Prisoners, supra
note 4.
9. Physicians for Human Rights, “Myanmar Military
Must Cease Occupation of Hospitals and Excessive
Force Against Civilians” (7 March 2021), online:
<phr.org/news/myanmar-military-must-ceaseoccupation
of-hospitals-and-excessive-forceagainst
civilians-phr/>.
10. For a timeline, see BBC, “Myanmar Profile - Timeline:
A Chronology of Key Events” (updated to February
2021), online: <www.bbc.com/news/world-asiapacific
12992883>.
11. Constitution of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar
(2008), online: <www.wipo.int/edocs/lexdocs/
laws/en/mm/mm009en.pdf>. For more on the concerns
about the 2008 Constitution, see Jeremy Webber’s
“UVic Law Faculty News” starting at page 409
of this edition of the Advocate.
12. Human Rights Watch, Vote to Nowhere: The May
2008 Constitutional Referendum in Burma (30 April
2008), online: <www.hrw.org/report/2008/04/
30/vote-nowhere/may-2008-constitutional-referen
dum-burma>.
13. Carlos Sardiña Galache, The Burmese Labyrinth
(London: Verso, 2020).
14. Catherine Morris, “Rohingya Refugees from Myanmar
at the ‘Gates of Hell’: International Law Duties of
Neighbouring States to Refugees and Asylum Seekers”
(Briefing Note), Peacemakers Trust and LRWC
(November 2017), online: <www.lrwc.org/myan
mar-international-law-duties-of-neighbouring-
/unicef-condemns-killings-and-arbitrary-detentions-children-security-forces-during
/Doc.49_Framework of Analysis for Atrocity Crimes_EN.pdf
/Doc.49_Framework of Analysis for Atrocity Crimes_EN.pdf
/Doc.49_Framework of Analysis for Atrocity Crimes_EN.pdf
/A_HRC_46_56.pdf
/A_HRC_46_56.pdf
/A_HRC_46_56.pdf
/myanmar.html
/myanmar.html
/
/
/
/at-least-20-dead-in-myanmar-violence-mobile-internet-cut-off
/at-least-20-dead-in-myanmar-violence-mobile-internet-cut-off
/at-least-20-dead-in-myanmar-violence-mobile-internet-cut-off
/at-least-20-dead-in-myanmar-violence-mobile-internet-cut-off
/Doc.49_Framework of Analysis for Atrocity Crimes_EN.pdf
/unicef-condemns-killings-and-arbitrary-detentions-children-security-forces-during
/unicef-condemns-killings-and-arbitrary-detentions-children-security-forces-during
/unicef-condemns-killings-and-arbitrary-detentions-children-security-forces-during
/world-asia-pacific-12992883
/world-asia-pacific-12992883
/world-asia-pacific-12992883
/mm009en.pdf
/mm009en.pdf
/may-2008-constitutional-referendum-burma
/may-2008-constitutional-referendum-burma
/may-2008-constitutional-referendum-burma
/?cat=7
/myanmar-military-must-cease-occupation-of-hospitals-and-excessive-force-against-civilians-phr
/
/myanmar.html