Myanmar National Human Rights

Commission
(MNHRC)
Establishment of MNHRC
Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (Parliament) enacted the “Myanmar
National Human Rights Commission Law” on 28 March 2014
MNHRC was established on 24 September 2014 with 11
Members with the aim of :
 promoting and protecting the fundamental rights of citizens
enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of the Union of
Myanmar;
 the human rights contained in the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights;
 the human rights contained in the international human rights
instruments applicable to the State.
 Mandate (salient features)
Promoting public awareness of human rights;
Verifying and conducting inquiries in respect of complaints
of human rights violations;
Visiting the scene of human rights violations and conducting
inquiries;
Inspecting prisons, jails, detention centres and public or
private places of confinement;
Recommending to the Government the international human
rights instruments to which Myanmar should become a
party;
Reviewing existing laws and proposed bills for consistency
with the international human rights instruments to which the
State is a party;
Consulting, engaging and cooperating with other national,
regional, international human rights mechanisms including
the Universal Periodic Review as appropriate;
Responding to any matter referred to the Commission by the
Parliament
Responding to specific matters referred by the President
Submitting annual report on the situation of human rights in
the country, the activities and functions of the Commission
with such recommendations as are appropriate to the
President and Parliament.
Promotional Activities
Has conducted human rights training workshops for police
officials, government officials and MNHRC’s staff
Has conducted human rights talks
Has conducted human rights training workshops for grass
root levels
Has conducted human rights talks at training courses held by
Central Institutes of Civil Services in Upper and Lower
Myanmar for a total of 49 times
Has conducted human rights talks at the National Defense
College yearly (3 times) and the Military Staff College at
Kalaw, Shan State twice
Has celebrated International Human Rights Day
Protection Activities
 In 2016, from January to August, MNHRC received 408
complaints
 75 meetings were held to examine 399 complaints out of
408
 Received 343 replies from concerned Ministries from
January to August 2016
 field visits were made on the complaints in Kyaik-Hto
Township and Ye Township in Mon State and Waw Township
in Bago Region from January to August 2016
 Developing computerized complaint-handling mechanism
with the facilitation of Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human
Rights and Humanitarian Law (RWI)
 Inspected prisons, jails, detention centres and police lock-
ups for a total of 7 times from January to August 2016,
submitted recommendations to the authorities concerned
and also issued statements for public information
Human Rights Policy and Legal Affairs
Recommended the government to ratify the ASEAN
Convention Against Trafficking in Persons, Especially
Women and Children
Gave comments and recommendations on the Older
Persons Law (Bill) to the Parliament
Recommended the government to ratify International
Covenant on Economics, Social and Cultural Rights
Gave comments and recommendations on the Bill on
Personal Freedom and Security of Citizens to the
Parliament
International Relations
 Became Member of South East Asia National Human
Rights Institutions Forum (SEANF) in September 2012
 Became associate member of Asia Pacific Forum of
National Human Rights Institutions (APF) in November
2012
 Accorded “B” status by Global Alliance of National Human
Rights Institutions (GANHRI) in 2016
 Submitted own report to the Second cycle of UPR on Myanmar
in 2015
 Submitted own report to CEDAW Committee on Myanmar’s 4th
and 5th combined report
 Assumed the Chairmanship of the SEANF for 2016 and
organized two technical working group meetings and two
special meetings
 Convened 13th Annual Meeting of SEANF in Nay Pyi Taw in
September and at the conclusion of the meeting issued a
Statement on the Rights of Older Persons
 Has conducted the following workshops in 2016 among others:-
 In cooperation with the United Nations Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights, the Workshop on the Rights of
Minorities
 In cooperation with the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) , the
Workshop on Universal Periodic Review - Myanmar
 In cooperation with the UN Women, Workshop on the United
Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 and related resolutions
 Has established yearly program of cooperation for promotion
and protection of human rights with Raoul Wallenberg
Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (RWI) since
2012
Issue of particular significance
 In accordance with Section 43 of the MNHRC Law which
empowered the Commission to inspect prisons, jails,
detention centres and places of confinement, the
Commission visited these places for a total of 7 times from
January to August 2016.
 The most common problem of the prisons was
overcrowdedness
 The Commission recommended to the authorities to take
necessary measures to redress the problem. The Ministry of
Home Affairs has taken the recommendations into serious
consideration and has responded to the Commission that
they would take appropriate actions to remedy the
overcrowdedness of the prisons
 This is the first time that the Commission has ever been
responded positively by the authorities on such a serious
matter
Thank You