Right to housing violated in Myanmar

Right to housing violated in Myanmar
Brown wooden house near green trees during daytime, Te Pania via Unsplash, 2020

Aysu Amaha Öztürk

Myanmar and Human Rights Researcher 

Global Human Rights Defence

On November 14th, the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) released its weekly overview of the human rights situation in Myanmar. It highlighted the destruction of civilian properties by the current regime, showing one of the many ways that the military harms the lives of civilians (HURFOM, 2022). 

It has been reported that junta forces attacked and destroyed houses by setting them on fire on November 8th. A local villager told HURFOM that soldiers use force to go into their property and destroy it. They have raided at least 12 houses in the last week (Mizzima, 2022).  Furthermore, it has been stated that the houses of these local villagers have been destroyed because they have allegedly supported local resistance forces. This excuse has been common to justify the harm done by the junta (Mizzima, 2022). 

It can be understood that the rights and lives of citizens are continuously threatened by the current regime in Myanmar. Myanmar ratified the Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) in 2017 (Ratification Status for Myanmar). Article 11 of the CESCR provides that state parties are to ensure the right to housing and continue improving the living conditions of its citizens. Since Myanmar is actively violating this right to housing by raiding houses and setting properties on fire, it is breaching the agreement it has made under Article 11. 

Sources and further reading:

The Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM). (2022, November 14). ‘Weekly Overview: Human Rights Situation in Mon State, Karen State, and Tanintharyi Region

Second Week of November 2022’. The Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM)

https://rehmonnya.org/archives/7711

Mizzima. (2022, November 15). ‘Ongoing abuse by junta in southeastern Myanmar’. Mizzima, News From Myanmar. https://mizzima.com/article/ongoing-abuse-junta-southeastern-myanmar

Ratification Status for Myanmar. United Nations Human Rights Treaty Bodies Database. 

https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/TreatyBodyExternal/Treaty.aspx?CountryID=119&Lang=EN