Human rights researchers contribute to democratic transition in Myanmar

In 2016, Myanmar's first civilian government in more than 50 years took office. Soon after its victory, the government pledged its commitment to implement reforms to foster peace, national reconciliation, security and good governance, including strengthening institutions’ adherence to the rule of law and human rights. 

In education, the government pledged to improve the quality and relevance of higher education with a key outcome being that “academic staff can deliver effective teaching and undertake quality research”. 

Four years later an increasing number of academic researchers are undertaking quality research on human rights and rule of law issues.  In 2020, 22 researchers from law departments across Myanmar have researched and developed 13 researched papers on human rights and rule of law issues. On Human Rights Day, 10 December some of the research publications were officially launched during a virtual conference.

The research publications focus on a variety of issues such as ‘Prevention of Violence against Children in Primary Schools in Myanmar’ ‘Enhancing Access to Education of Minority Groups through the Teaching of Ethnic Languages as a Subject in Primary School: A case study of Kayin Minority Group in Kayin State, Myanmar’ and ‘The Right to Education in a Conflict Affected Area: A Case Study of Access to Basic Education in Rakhine.

The research projects have been developed under the Denmark - Myanmar Programme on Rule of Law and Human Rights, and the researchers have received supervision and guidance by the Danish Institute for Human Rights; Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies (IHRP) - Mahidol University, and international senior researchers from academic institutions in Australia, UK, Denmark and Myanmar.

A valuable contribution to the people of Myanmar

“Enhanced human rights research and human rights education which contributes to form the next generation of legal professionals is one of the most valuable contributions that law departments can offer to the government and people of Myanmar,” Dr. May Thida Aung, the Institute's legal adviser and human rights research projects coordinator says.

For some of the researchers this was their very first experience with human rights research and they witnessed up close how their research significantly deepens understandings of human rights and legal issues as well as of their practical implementation in Myanmar and enabled exploration of solutions to these.

“Exciting opportunities lie ahead for the academic human rights community in Myanmar, building on the significant advancements in 2020. Through strategic prioritisation, and organisational and administrative reforms, Myanmar-led human rights research can become a driving force towards achieving both the desired academic levels within law departments and contributing to academically informed policy and decision making that can strengthen rule of law and peacebuilding in Myanmar,” says Louise Aaen, the Institute's senior legal adviser and deputy team leader to the Denmark-Myanmar Programme on Rule of Law and Human Rights.