Population: 50,020,000
Capital: Rangoon
Political Rights: 7
Civil Liberties: 7
Status: Not Free
| Ten-Year Ratings Timeline for Year under Review (Political Rights, Civil Liberties, Status) | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year Under Review | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
| Rating | 7,7,NF | 7,7,NF | 7,7,NF | 7,7,NF | 7,7,NF | 7,7,NF | 7,7,NF | 7,7,NF | 7,7,NF | 7,7,NF |
2009 Key Developments: The military regime forged ahead in 2009 with its "roadmap to democracy," a plan intended to legitimize its grip on power. The process called for national elections that were expected to be held in 2010, and the junta continued to arrest and imprison political dissidents in 2009, ensuring their marginalization ahead of the voting. Tensions between the military and armed ethnic groups increased in the fall, as the groups refused to incorporate themselves into the military's Border Guard Force, impeding the government's goal of national unity by 2010.
Political Rights: Burma is not an electoral democracy. The State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) rules by decree; it controls all executive, legislative, and judicial powers, suppresses nearly all basic rights, and commits human rights abuses with impunity. Military officers occupy almost all cabinet positions, and active or retired officers hold the top posts in all ministries as well as key positions in the private sector. The SPDC does not tolerate dissent and has a long history of imprisoning anyone who is critical of the government. Given the lack of transparency and accountability, corruption and economic mismanagement are rampant at both the national and local levels.
Civil Liberties: The junta drastically restricts press freedom and owns or controls all newspapers and broadcast media. Media crackdowns continued in 2009, with at least 17 journalists in detention at year's end. The authorities practice surveillance at internet cafes and regularly jail bloggers. The 2008 constitution provides for freedom of religion. It distinguishes Buddhism as the majority religion but also recognizes Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and animism. At times the government interferes with religious assemblies and discriminates against minority religious groups. Buddhist temples and monasteries have been kept under close surveillance since the 2007 protests and crackdown. Academic freedom is severely limited. Teachers are subject to restrictions on freedom of expression and are held accountable for the political activities of their students. Since the 1988 student prodemocracy demonstrations, the junta has sporadically closed universities and relocated many campuses to relatively isolated areas to disperse the student population. The judiciary is not independent. Judges are appointed or approved by the junta and adjudicate cases according to its decrees. Some of the worst human rights abuses take place in areas populated by ethnic minorities, who comprise roughly 35 percent of Burma's population. In these border regions the military arbitrarily detains, beats, rapes, and kills civilians. Burmese women have traditionally enjoyed high social and economic status, but domestic violence and trafficking are growing concerns, and women remain underrepresented in the government and civil service. The Women's League of Burma has accused the military of systematically using rape and forced marriage as a weapon against ethnic minorities.
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