Amnesty International and the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) are calling for proposed new ‘race and religion’ laws in Myanmar to be scrapped, amid fears they could fuel discrimination and violence
Amnesty fear the proposed laws could entrench already widespread discrimination and risk fuelling further violence against religious minorities.
Under the four laws currently being debated in parliament people would need to seek government approval to convert to a different religion or adopt a new religion. Specific obligations would be imposed obligations on non-Buddhist men who marry Buddhist women.
Richard Bennett, Amnesty International’s Asia Pacific Director, said: “Myanmar’s Parliament must reject these grossly discriminatory laws which should never have been tabled in the first place. They play into harmful stereotypes about women and minorities, in particular Muslims, which are often propagated by extremist nationalist groups.
“Myanmar’s Parliament must reject these grossly discriminatory laws which should never have been tabled in the first place. They play into harmful stereotypes about women and minorities, in particular Muslims, which are often propagated by extremist nationalist groups,”
More information: Amnesty International website here
