Description:
CEDAW Committee
64th
session
CSW?Stakeholder Submission,
Myanmar
June 2016.....
"Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is a human rights advocacy organisation promoting
freedom of religion or belief for people of all faiths and none. In this submission, CSW would
like to bring to the committee?s attention
the
situation of human rights,
particularly
freedom of religion or belief, for women in Myanmar with a specific focus on the package of
?Race and Religion” laws and violence against women. Whilst there has been some
significant progress in recent years towards democracy and human rights
protection in
Myanmar, there remain grave concerns both in areas of freedom of religion or belief and
women?s rights.
In
2015,
a
set
of
four
laws
focusing
on
the
?protection
of
race
and
religion?
were
implemented.
This
legislation
aims
to
restrict
religious
conversion,
inter-‐faith
marriage,
polygamy
and
population
control,
effectively
embedding
gender
bias
into
the
legal
system.
Under
the
new
?Buddhist
Women?s
Special
Marriage
Law”
interfaith
marriage
between
Buddhist
women
and
Muslim
men
is
restricted
and
the
law
requires
interfaith
couples
to
obtain
a
permit
from
local
authorities
to
marry.
In
addition,
anyone
wishing
to
change
their
religion
will
be
required
to
apply
for
permission
to
an
11-member
committee,
consisting
of
officials
responsible
for
religious
affairs,
immigration,
women?s
affairs
and
education.
The
new
law
violates
Article
2
(non-‐discrimination),
Article
15
(equality
before
the
law)
and
Article
16
(non-‐discrimination
in
matters
relating
to
marriage
and
family)
of
CEDAW.
It
also
discriminates
against
religious
minorities
and
undermines
women?s
right
to
freedom
of
religion
or
belief
in
Myanmar.
The
?protection
of
race
and
religion?
laws
have
been
opposed
by
civil
society
in
Burma
and
the
international
community.
The
UN
Special
Rapporteur
on
Human
Rights
in
Myanmar
(Burma),
Yanghee
Lee,
has
highlighted
?significant
human
rights
concerns”
relating
to
the
legislation
on
religious
conversions
and
inter-‐faith
marriage,
saying
it
would
?legalise
discrimination,
in
particular
against
religious
and
ethnic
minorities
and
against
women”..."
Source/publisher:
Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW)
Date of Publication:
2016-06-00
Date of entry:
2016-07-19
Grouping:
- Individual Documents
Category:
Language:
English
Local URL:
Format:
pdf
Size:
115.11 KB