THE LUTHERAN WORLD FEDERATION AND MYANMAR 2019

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About the LWF
With passion for the church and for the world
We are a global communion of churches in the Lutheran tradition on
a common journey of renewal. We strive to put our faith into action
within and beyond the communion, and seek God’s Word and Spirit
to guide us.
The LWF is a global communion of 148 churches in the Lutheran tradition, representing over 75.5 million
Christians in 99 countries.
We strive to put our faith into action within and beyond the communion, and seek God’s Word and Spirit to
guide us.
This action takes a variety of forms from theological reﬂection and dialogue with other churches and faiths, to
deepening relationships, sharing about our faith, serving those in need and advocating for a more just, peaceful
and reconciled world.
We share a vision, purpose and values. We work to strengthen our relationships and build an inclusive, respectful
communion. We are on a common journey of renewal shaped and enriched by the different contexts within which
About the LWF

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we live.
Vision
Liberated by God’s grace, a communion in Christ living and working together for a just, peaceful, and reconciled
world
Our Core Values
Dignity and justice
Compassion and commitment
Respect for diversity
Inclusion and participation
Transparency and accountability
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member churches
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We are a communion
We put our faith into action

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History
The LWF was established in 1947 as a Federation of Lutheran churches. Lutherans worldwide wanted to
confess, reﬂect, reconcile, and to respond together to human suffering in the aftermath of the Second World
War.
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Statement of INGOs in Myanmar on the situation in Rakhine
1 April 2019
As international NGOs supporting communities throughout Rakhine State, we express our deep
concern with the continued fighting between the Myanmar Security and the Arakan Army Forces.
This conflict is causing civilian casualties, displacing communities, and worsening the already
precarious humanitarian situation in central and northern Rakhine State. Echoing our previous
statement from January 2019, we urge all parties to the conflict to ensure the protection of civilians
in compliance with international humanitarian law and human rights law.
Compounding the impact of conflict and displacement on communities, since January 10, 2019, the
Government of Myanmar has imposed restrictions on the access of humanitarian and development
agencies in five key townships (Kyauktaw, Ponnagyun, Buthidaung, Maungdaw and Rathedaung in
Rakhine State). Newly imposed restrictions are also affecting access to rural areas in Mrauk U
township.
At least 95,000 people living in these conflict affected areas, are no longer able to access a number of
basic and essential services. Health care services, education and access to clean water have all been
jeopardized. Livelihood programmes, agricultural support and other development efforts have also
been suspended, impacting the food security and wellbeing of these communities. While some relief
activities targeting newly displaced populations have been permitted to proceed, significant gaps
remain.
We acknowledge the Government’s primary responsibility for ensuring the safety of humanitarian
and development actors. However, the differences in the security situation across Rakhine State
necessitates a differentiated approach – one that ensures access to locations not directly impacted
by fighting and recent security incidents. A blanket security approach for entire townships deprives
populations in need of assistance and basic services.
Local and international organizations should be granted rapid, unfettered and sustained access to all
affected populations to independently assess needs and provide comprehensive assistance and
protection to all communities in accordance with international humanitarian principles.
ACTED
Action Contre la Faim
CARE
Consortium of Dutch NGOs
Danish Refugee Council
Lutheran World Federation
Mercy Corps
Norwegian Refugee Council
Oxfam
Peace Winds Japan
People in Need
Plan International
Relief International
Save the Children
Solidarites International
World Vision

4/3/2019 International Affairs and Human Rights | The Lutheran World Federation
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Department for Theology and Public Witness
Advocacy. Human rights. Justice. Peace. Religious freedom.
Advocacy is an LWF priority. We understand that holistic mission includes proclamation, service, and advocacy.
We aim to be a reliable and effective voice for justice, peace, and human rights. We want our member churches
to have strong capacities for public witness on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed people.
We bring to an international stage the grassroots experiences of our member churches and country programs.
Service and advocacy reinforce each other. Our diaconal experience gives credibility to our advocacy. When our
advocacy is successful, it leads to greater opportunities for service.
The Lutheran World Federation has adopted seven priorities for global advocacy: religious freedom and interfaith
relations; climate change and environmental protection; gender justice; refugees, internally displaced people and
other forced migrants; opppressed minorities and indigenous people; economic justice; and HIV and AIDS. One
International Affairs and Human Rights

body through which the LWF promotes justice and human rights is the United Nations.
UN Human Rights Council
The UN Human Rights Council is the principal United Nations body responsible for promoting and protecting
human rights around the globe. It is made up of 47 UN member states and meets three times a year to discuss
human rights issues and countries that need its attention.
During council meetings, civil society organizations with ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council) status, such as
the LWF, can take part in discussions by delivering oral statements or submitting written statements to raise
human rights concerns. The council also provides space for ECOSOC-accredited civil society organizations to
organize side events during its meetings to discuss in greater depth the issues in focus at the council and
therefore enable the views and concerns of civil society organizations to shape the decisions of the council.
The LWF strives to bring grassroots voices and concerns to the council through oral and written statements, side
events or by lobbying diplomats in Geneva. We work closely with our ecumenical partners and other civil society
organizations in Geneva to ensure the council delivers on its mandate to promote full implementation of human
rights obligations undertaken by states.
LWF oral and written statements to the council:
Myanmar UPR report adoption statement
Nepal UPR report adoption statement
Human rights situation of minority Roma worldwide
Violence against women
Natural resource extraction and human rights
Climate change and human rights
Right to food and right to land
Human rights in northern Iraq
Side events
LWF side events have included panel discussions on the following: Myanmar UPR adoption, Mozambique UPR
debriefing, freedom of religion, harnessing faith, Ebola, and human rights.
Universal Periodic Review
The Universal Periodic Review is one of the mechanisms of the Human Rights Council aimed at improving the
human rights situation in each of the 193 United Nations member states. It includes all UN member states and
deliberates on every human rights issues. Under this mechanism, the UN reviews the human rights situation of
all of its members every 4.5 years. The review is conducted mainly on the basis of three types of reports,
namely: national reports (prepared by the state under review), UN reports (compiled by the Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights), and other stakeholder reports (submitted by civil society and national human
rights institutions).
Since the creation of this mechanism, the LWF, its country programs, member churches and partners have
brought local voices to the attention of the UN and influenced the review in favour of local communities. We do
this by training national civil society organizations and helping create coalitions of national civil society

organizations before the review. We also support lobbying in Geneva during the review and help support national
civil society organizations to implement review recommendations.
LWF and its local partners UPR report for the review of Nepal
LWF and its local partners UPR report for the review of Myanmar
LWF and its local partners UPR report for the review of Mozambique
LWF and its local partners UPR report for the review of Uganda
LWF and its local partners UPR report for the review of South Sudan
LWF and its local partners UPR report for the review of Indonesia
Special Procedures
The special procedures of the Human Rights Council are a group of independent human rights experts with
mandate to monitor and report on a wide range of human rights and advocate for their protection. They
undertake country visits, conduct thematic studies, raise public awareness on certain human rights issues, and
engage in advocacy by sending communications to states and others in which they bring alleged violations or
abuses to their attentions. Special procedures are either thematic mandate holders like the special rapporteur on
the right to food or speciﬁc country mandate holders like the special rapporteur for the Central African Republic.
Civil society organizations like the LWF play an important role in the work of the special procedures. In most
cases, they are the main source of information for communications on allegations of human rights violations.
They collaborate on the preparation of country visits, submit information for the preparation of thematic reports,
and organize seminars and conferences to disseminate the work of special procedures. The LWF works closely
with the special procedures mechanisms in all its priority global advocacy areas.
Guatemalan Indigenous Peoples’ Right to Water
Colombian Human Rights Defenders
Human Rights Policy Briefs
LWF human rights policy briefs are short and informative analyses of some of the thematic or country-speciﬁc
human rights issues we engage with either globally or locally through member churches or World Service country
programs. The objective is to create space so human rights issues emanating from our work can be documented
and that we can promote alternative action or policy recommendations. The briefs can take the form of both
objective policy discussions, highlighting the prominence of certain issues and calls for action without
necessarily taking a position, or they can be advocacy briefs, arguing for a particular course of action or adoption
of a particular alternative.
Policy brief - Angola
Get involved
Subscribe to Lutheran World International to keep abreast of LWF advocacy and policy positions
Speak out on justice issues that have arisen in your community

Contact
Dr Ojot Miru Ojulu
Assistant General Secretary for International Affairs and Human Rights
omo@lutheranworld.org
+41 22 791 6366
Mr Emmanuel Gore
Advocacy Ofﬁcer
Emmanuel.Gore@lutheranworld.org
+41 22 791 6365
Global Advocacy Priorities
In keeping with our commitment human rights and human dignity, we focus on advocacy efforts on:
Religious freedom & interfaith relations
Climate change & environmental protection
Gender justice
Refugees, internally displaced persons & other forced migrants
Oppressed minority populations & indigenous people
Economic justice
HIV and AIDS


Oppressed minority populations & indigenous people | Our advocacy focuses on the rights of Dalits and
Roma. We are a member of the International Dalit Solidarity Network and help facilitate UN advocacy.
In India, where most Lutherans are Dalit, freedom of religion and caste-based discrimination
intertwine. Roma issues have been a concern for member churches in Central Eastern Europe in
particular. We support the Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe.

Faith and Protection
LWF participation in the 2012 UNHCR's Dialogue on Faith and Protection offered an example of the potential
for our advocacy. The dialogue brought together faith leaders to consider what faith says about protection of
refugees and other forced migrants. We are representing the Christian voice in the dialogue’s follow-up.
Ofﬁce for International Affairs and Human Rights
OIAHR coordinates LWF public policy development and orchestrates its advocacy. We represent the LWF and
undertake advocacy on behalf of the communion in the United Nations and other international forums. We act as
a focal point on international affairs and human rights for staff, member churches, and partners.
Partners
LWF member churches

LWF World Service country programs
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Ofﬁce of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief
Ecumenical Advocacy Partners
Institutional Partners
Collaboration with other LWF departments
LWF advocacy milestones

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31th Session of the UN Human Rights Council
Lutheran World Federation
Oral Statement: Item-6 UPR Outcomes-Myanmar
17 March, 2016
Mr. President,
The Lutheran World Federation and its partners1
would like to commend the
Government of Myanmar for its constructive engagement with the Universal
Periodic Review mechanism and look forward to concrete implementation
measures of the recommendations that are pending adoption today.
LWF would like to reiterate its support and desire to collaborate with the
Government of Myanmar in implementing accepted recommendations to
improve the human rights situation in the country, particularly but not
exclusively, strengthening the rule of law; improving protection of all;
promoting religious and ethnic harmony and understanding; improving
women’s rights; enhancing access to clean and safe water; improving access to
land and land rights; ensuring all acquire birth registration; and resolving key
issues relating to right to nationality.
LWF and its partners will continue to leverage their respective positions in
providing platforms for key government and non-governmental stakeholders
to come together; discuss key challenges; devise joint solutions to addressing
these challenges; and in collectively implementing these solutions.
Mr. President, in order to carry out these duties and ensure that the UPR
mechanism makes a difference on the ground, we call upon, first the
government of Myanmar to continue working closely with all national
stakeholders in the implementation and monitoring of the UPR
recommendations and secondly, the international community to provide
necessary support for the government of Myanmar in its endeavour to realize
human rights for its citizens.
I thank you Mr. President
1
Human Rights Defender Forum, Akhaya Women, the Land Core Group, Child Fund
Myanmar, Fin Church Aid and Church of Sweden.

1
Submission to the UN
Universal Periodic Review
of Myanmar
23rd
Session of the UPR Working Group
2-13 November 2015
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of
Minorities and other Marginalized/Vulnerable
Groups

2
The Lutheran World Federation (LWF): Founded in
Lund, Sweden, in 1947, is a global communion of
145 churches in the Lutheran tradition representing
over 72 million Christians in 98 countries. LWF has
a consultative status with ECOSOC since 1952. The
Lutheran World Federation Myanmar (LWF Myan-
mar) is a country program of LWF Department for
World Service (DWS) that has been working since
2009 with marginalized and disadvantaged commu-
nities. LWF Myanmar focuses its community-based
efforts in the areas of emergency preparedness
and response, livelihoods and food security, water,
sanitation and hygiene, disaster risk reduction and
human rights.
Summary
1. This submission is based on primary data
collected through field surveys, focus group
discussions and individual interviews. 16
consultations took place between November
and December 2014 with women, men,
youth groups, and local government officials,
LWF Myanmar staff, Action by Churches
Together (ACT) Alliance partners and rep-
resentatives from Gender Equality Network
(GEN) and Land Core Group (LCG). A total
of 303 people (134 male, 169 female) from
Yangon, Ayeyarwaddy, Kayin, Chin and Ra-
khine States/Regions were involved in the
development of this report.
2. The report documents key findings and key
recommendations relating to the following
issues: right to land, right to water, right to a
legal identity, right to a nationality and rights
of women.
3. Myanmar has ratified the UN Convention on
the Rights of the Child (CRC), the Optional
Protocol to the Convention on the Rights
of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child
Prostitution and Child Pornography (CRC-
OP-SC), the Convention on Elimination of
All Forms of Discrimination against Women
(CEDAW) and the Convention on the Rights
of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

3
1. Right to land
4. In Myanmar, 70% of the population lives
in rural areas and is engaged in agriculture
related activities. The majority are small-
holder farmers living in the countryside. In
many areas of the country, rural livelihoods
are under threat as smallholder farmers are
being displaced from their land due to large-
scale land confiscations. Myanmar has seen
an increase in land rights violations since
2011.1
The Government, in recognition of
land issues, established two bodies to deal
specifically with land disputes. The Land Al-
lotment and Utilisation Scrutiny Committee
and the Parliaments’s Farmland Investigation
Commission were both established in July
2012;2
between 2011 and November 2014,
more than 26,000 complaints were lodged3
but the executive branches are struggling
to respond to the volume of cases involving
land grabs and disputes.4
5. According to the farmers consulted, the
main concerns relating to land distribution
and utilization lie in the lack of clarity of rel-
evant laws and transparency, and a lack of
enforcement of existing regulations. There
is no consistent application or monitoring
of the rules and procedures for registering
land or resolving cases of land disputes, par-
1
Land Disputes Leading Cause of Human Rights Complaints By
NOBEL ZAW / THE IRRAWADDY| Wednesday, November 12, 2014
2
Myanmar Oil & Gas Sector-Wide Impact Assessment (SWIA)
3
The Eleven, “Handling of thousands of land disputes unsatisfac-
tory: Commission” (27 September 2014)
4
The Irrawaddy, “Parliament Sets Deadlines for Government to
Resolve Land Disputes” (20 February 2014)
ticularly in cases of large scale development
projects or military bases, which is fueling a
general climate of suspicion and widespread
allegations of corruption and irregularities.5
In January 2014, the military reportedly
apologized for previous land confiscations,
pledged to stop the practice, and said it
would begin to return some of the land.6
However, there are still believed to be tens
of thousands of farmers that have not been
compensated or had land returned.
6. To compound these issues, those without
a Citizenship Scrutiny Card (CSC), such as
villagers in Kayin who have been displaced
from their lands7
due to prolonged armed
conflict and have lost documents, face
serious issues in reclaiming land8
and/or
registering land in the first place.
7. The rights of farmers such as those in Chin
State, who practice shifting cultivation, are
further compromised since the existing
farmland law specifies that farmers have to
continuously cultivate the land.
5
Please find the case studies under ISSUES 1: ACCESS TO LAND
section of the LWF Myanmar Summary Report of UPR Consulta-
tions_2015
6
Mizzima, “Vice President defends land seizures by Tatmadaw”
(12 May 2014).
7
The findings from the interview with GEN and Land Core Group;
please find the detail information in LWF Myanmar Summary
Report of UPR Consultations_2015
8
Please find the case studies under ISSUES 1: ACCESS TO LAND
section of the LWF Myanmar Summary Report of UPR Consulta-
tions_2015

4
2. Right to water
8. Though 69.4% of the population of Myanmar
has access to safe water total utilization of
the nation’s water resources remains at a
mere 5%.9
Ambiguous laws and their incon-
sistent application, managing and monitoring
water supply systems and sources remain
serious barriers to access and availability of
safe water for all communities consulted.
9. The lack of an efficient governmental mecha-
nismtomonitorandassessgroundwaterquality
poses serious threats to the health of com-
munity members. The field survey conducted
showsthatwaterqualityisendangeredbyexist-
ing practices and violations, such as factories
discharging waste into water sources such as
9
WATER MANAGEMENT IN MYANMAR Presentation at ASIA WA-
TER MANAGEMENT FORUM on 29th October, 2012 in Seoul,
Korea by Bo Ni, Director Watershed Management Division, Forest
Department, Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry
rivers,whichcausespollutionandthreatensthe
well-being of neighboring communities.10
10. Existingreservoirsinsomevillagesdonotprovide
enoughwatertocovertheneedsofcommunities
overthedryseason,whichforcesthemtorelyon
water sources outside the community. The field
surveyconductedwithlocalcommunitiesreveals
thelackofmechanismsorinfrastructureinplace
toaddressthisissue.Communitymembersmust
resorttocopingmechanismssuchas:collecting
water themselves by small boat or motorcycle
and sharing the cost, and sometimes paying
bribes to the authorities to get additional access
to available water.
11. In addition, Myanmar currently has no
functioning system to process complaints
about the discriminatory legal frameworks,
policies and practices that actively prevent
equal access to safe water.
10
Please find the case studies under ISSUES 2: ACCESS TO SAFE
WATER section of the LWF Myanmar Summary Report of UPR
Consultations_2015
3. Right to a Legal Identity
12. According to UNICEF, 3 out of 10 children
under 5 in Myanmar had no birth certificate.11
While most children in Yangon are registered,
76% of children in Chin State do not possess
a birth certificate and 35% of children af-
fected by armed conflict are unregistered.12
11
Myanmar’sfirstBirthRegistrationWeekLaunched: www.unicef.org/
myanmar
12
Article 7 CRC deals with birth registration in strong terms “shall be
registered immediately after birth”. The importance of this registra-
tion cannot be underestimated and major campaigns have been
conducted and are carried out to promote immediate registration
at birth. This registration is crucial for the other rights mentioned in
article 7: the right to a name and the right to acquire a nationality.
The wording of art.7 in this regard is similar to art.15 (1) UDHR and
art.24 (3) ICCPR, but article 7 contains a second paragraph explicitly
requiring States Parties to ensure the implementation of this right.
Among other things, this has major implica-
tions for obtaining a Citizen Scrutiny Card
(CSC) which is the main document confirming
the legal identity of an individual.
13. Although the government has taken some
key steps since 2014 to address this issue
and improve the birth registration system at
all levels, challenges still remain. The field
survey conducted showed that major barri-
ers to birth registration are: poor awareness
of the importance of birth registration and
a birth certificate; limited government ca-
pacity; time and cost implications and the
inconsistent management of the registry sys-
tem by the Government Health Department

5
and other responsible departments.13
Fur-
thermore, community members consulted
13
Please find the case studies under ISSUES 3: ACCESS TO BIRTH
REGISTRATION section of the LWF Myanmar Summary Report
of UPR Consultations_2015
reported that many midwives, even where
the system is functioning, refuse to issue a
birth certificate to children delivered without
their direct support or when a child is born
outside their assigned area.
4. Right to Nationality
14. Due mainly to the issues relating to birth
registration, a large number of Myanmar’s
population do not possess the CSC even
when they are legally entitled to one under
the Citizenship Law.14
This includes, but is
not limited to, those who live in remote and
non-government-controlled areas.15
15. The Immigration and National Registration
Department launched its “Moe Pwint” proj-
ect in 2011, which aims to provide a CSC
to all individuals that are entitled to one so
that they can participate in the 2015 general
elections. Challenges still remain to achieve
this, particularly due to poor awareness of
the importance of having a CSC; lack of clear
procedures on how to obtain CSC; limited
14
The 1982 Citizenship Law which is still in effect contains special
provisions for ethic groups who came into the country after the
beginning of the first Anglo-Burmese War. Citizenship Report
Council of State can determine whether an ethnic group is na-
tional or not. Under the 1982 Citizenship Law there are two types
of citizenship: (1) Native Citizenship and (2) Legal Citizenship
15
In line with, and as an elaboration of art.5 UDHR (everyone’s right
to a nationality + no arbitrary deprivation nor denial of national-
ity) and art. 24,3 ICCPR (every child has the right to acquire a
nationality) the UN Convention on the rights of the child (CRC)
contains specific provisions in article 7 and 8.
government capacity; time and cost implica-
tions (despite the government advertising it
as a one-stop service with no cost16
); the lack
of information about the campaigns; and
inconsistent application and management of
the legal registry system by the Immigration
Department.
16. The field survey also revealed cases of di-
rect discrimination based on ethnicity and
religion, as well as cases of corruption and/
or manipulation by government officials of
key data. One immigration staff member was
reported to have refused to issue a CSC to
a Bamar girl with all necessary documenta-
tion because she looked Indian. Another
interviewee reported concerns among non-
Buddhist and non-Bamar minorities over
incorrect information printed in the ‘race’
and ‘religion’ sections of their CSCs. This
has serious implications on census data,
as it misrepresents identities, and could
ultimately limit opportunities for political
representation.
16
The interview answers of the Government’s Immigration Minister,
U Khin Yee at Karen News karennews.org/2012/09/id-card-
program-begins-in-eastern-burma.html

6
5. Rights of Women
17. In October 2013, the Myanmar government
published the “National Strategic Plan for the
Advancement of Women (NSPAW), 2013-
2022.” However little progress has been
made to implement this strategy, largely due
to the lack of financial and human resources
as well as poor coordination and coopera-
tion between Government Departments to
overcome the practical difficulties of imple-
menting the 12 areas17
of the NSPAW.
18. Social and cultural norms traditionally con-
sider men as the decision-makers and still
prevent women from having equal access to
land, education, property, employment and
decision-making.18
This also has implications
for women’s participation in public and politi-
cal life. Women account for only 4.42% of
the members of Myanmar’s National Parlia-
ment. At the subnational level, with women
accounting for only 2.83% of MPs at state
and regional levels, 0% of administrators at
township level and 0.11% of village heads.19
17
Women and Livelihood, Women Education and Training, Women
and Health, Violence Against Women, Women and Emergencies,
Women and the Economy, Women and Decision-Making, Institu-
tional Mechanisms for the Advancement of Women, Women and
Human Rights, Women and the Media, Women and Environment
and The Girl Child)
18
Please find the case studies under ISSUES 5: ACCESS TO
GENDER EQUALITY section of the LWF Myanmar Summary
Report of UPR Consultations_2015
19
Women’s Participation in Subnational Government of Myanmar
by Paul Minoletti, June 2014
19. Additionally, concerns have been raised that
new bills on interfaith marriage, religious
conversion, polygamy and population control
will violate women’s rights to choose their
own marital partner, impinge on religious
freedom, and could lead to further violence
against non-Buddhist minorities, especially
women, in the country,20
thereby contraven-
ing CEDAW and other international commit-
ments of the country.21
20. Myanmar is lacking legal instruments to pre-
vent and address the issue of gender-based
violence. Marital rape is only criminalized
if the wife is younger than fourteen years
of age.22 No specific laws exist to prevent
domestic violence or sexual harassment
in the workplace, and women are unable
to seek restraining orders against violent
men23. Gender Based Violence (GBV) is still
widely regarded as a personal matter within
a family by the authorities, and as a result
intervening action is seldom taken.
20
Statement of Women’s Groups and CSOs on preparation of draft
Interfaith Marriage Law on 9th
May 2014
21
Sixty-ninth session Agenda item 68 (c) Promotion and
protection of human rights: human rights situations and re-
ports of special rapporteurs and representatives , Distr: General
23 September 2014
22
Myanmar Laws And CEDAW : The Case for Anti-Violence Against
Women Laws by GEN, January 2013
23
“If they had hope, they would speak” by Women’s League of
Burma, November 2014

7
Recommendations for Action by the State under Review
Based upon the above analysis, we call upon the
government of Myanmar to consider the following
recommendations:
Legal Framework
• Ratify the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights (ICCPR) and the international
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights (ICESCR) as promised in the 2010 UPR.
• Make necessary amendments to the Constitu-
tion to guarantee equality for all and bring it in
line with the human rights commitments of the
country, refraining from using the word ‘citizen’
but rather ‘all people living in Myanmar’.
• Amend or abolish laws that run counter to the
human rights obligations of Myanmar.
• Request international technical support in the
area of protection and promotion of human rights
and the establishment of the rule of law and an
independent judiciary system.
• Make social and environmental impact assess-
ments a prerequisite legal requirement for all
development projects.
Right to land
• Develop a national land reform system and
redistribute vacant lands to landless farming
communities.
• Develop a more simplified, effective land regis-
tration system with a clear complaints handling
mechanism.
• Conduct awareness raising campaigns in villages
on the importance of land registration and cer-
tification. The information should include what
it should cost; who is responsible for issuing
documentation; and what to do in the event of a
dispute. This could be done in collaboration with
civil society organizations, village administrators
and the agricultural department.
• Start the processing of returning lands that have
been confiscated by the military to the respective
farmers as already agreed by the military.24
• Urgently resolve current land disputes; and for
cases where farmers can produce official docu-
mentation of their land ownership, give their land
back or provide appropriate compensation.
Right to water
• Provide land for the construction of reservoirs,
improve infrastructure in communities and pro-
vide safe drinking water alternatives for villages
with contaminated water sources including rain
water collection tanks, piping systems, and water
filtration systems.
• Adopt a national water policy and legal instru-
ments so as to better ensure the provision of
safe water to the public, and effective water
quality control, including a complaints handling
mechanism.
• Promote awareness and understanding of
protection of water sources, reduction of water
waste, and preservation of forests; ensure the
dissemination of information to all communities
on water management systems, as well as laws
and regulations related to water.
• Decentralize water management system to village
administrators and provide them with necessary
technical capacity to effectively run and protect
public water sources.
24
In January 2014, the military reportedly apologized for previous
land confiscations, pledged to stop the practice, and said it would
begin to return some of the land.

8
Right to a Legal Identity
• Develop a simplified, effective birth registration
system through which all can access a birth
certificate, including a complaints handling
mechanism.
• Raise awareness on the importance of birth
certificates (including the link with the CSC) and
promote understanding of laws and procedures
relating to birth registration.
• Ensure all efforts to address birth registration and
CSC include children with disabilities; children
in and out of school; children in camps; and
children in remote areas.
Right to Nationality
• Develop a simplified, effective system through
which all can access a CSC, including a com-
plaints handling mechanism.
• Work together with non-government actors in-
cluding religious leaders to promote understand-
ing and awareness of the importance of having
a CSC; laws and procedures relating to birth
registration and CSC, including what it should
cost; who is responsible for issuing them; and
what to do in an event of a dispute or problem.
• Make necessary provision to ensure everyone
knows about and can take part in related cam-
paigns, such as the Moe Pwint project.
Rights of women
• Develop a national action plan against harmful
cultural, social norms and practices that prevent
women from fully enjoying their human rights.
This should include adoption and promotion of
policies that combat gender-based violence.
• Work together with non-governmental stakehold-
ers to identify key barriers to women’s participa-
tion in political and public spheres.
• Implement a quota system that mandates a mini-
mum of 30% of decision making positions, in the
sub-national and national governance bodies, are
women; and develop a monitoring mechanism to
ensurefollowupandcompliancewiththisregulation.
• Adopt and implement anti human-trafficking laws
for both men and women.
• Revise all legal instruments related to equal ac-
cess to employment to include equal pay for
women.
Submitted by: The Lutheran World Federation (LWF)
Contacts
Dr Ojot Miru Ojulu (ojot.ojulu@lutheranworld.org)
Advocacy Officer, LWF Office for International Affairs and Human Rights
150 Route de Ferney, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
www.lutheranworld.org
Ms Francesca Paola Traglia (dpc.mmr@lwfdws.org)
Deputy Program Coordinator, LWF Myanmar, 44 Pyay Road, Bishop’s Home, Dagon
Township, P.O.Box 329, Yangon, Myanmar
Organization website: myanmar.lutheranworld.org
Photo
LWF Myanmar

4/3/2019 The joys and challenges of thousands across the LWF | The Lutheran World Federation
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The joys and challenges of thousands
across the LWF
YANGON, Myanmar/GENEVA | 22/4/2016
Evangelists take part in a training session in Yangon through a program run by the Myanmar Lutheran
Church to provide its village congregations with lay leaders. This support is critical “for a young church
with many small congregations in the villages,” says Ilona Dorji, LWF secretary for Project Coordination
and Monitoring. Photo: LWF/I. Dorji
LWF committee to discuss funding for member church projects

(LWI) – The joys and challenges faced by Lutheran churches across the global communion will come to
the fore at a Lutheran World Federation (LWF) meeting to discuss funding for church diaconal projects
next week.
The LWF has invited church representatives from Honduras, Hungary, Myanmar and Zimbabwe to the 25-
27 April meeting of the Sub-Committee for Mission and Development in Hanover, Germany. They will
share how LWF-supported projects transform not only churches but the communities they serve.
Rev. James San Aung, mission director of the Myanmar Lutheran Church (MLC), will present its training
program for lay leaders in a church that many doubted would last. “We have encountered several
obstacles and problems and many people felt we would not survive for more than three years,” he
remarked.
When the MLC was officially established as a religious community in Myanmar in March 1998, it had
only five members, including its sole ordained pastor and leader Rev. Andrew Mang Lone. A military junta
still governed the country, which was experiencing civil conflicts and human rights violations.
By 2010, the same year it joined LWF, the MLC church had 2,150 members including six ordained
pastors and 14 evangelists. Today, the Lutheran church has 3,127 members in 14 congregations in the
districts of Yangon, Paletwa and Miza. Its leader, Bishop Dr Andrew Mang Lone works alongside 17 other
pastors and 25 evangelists.
A holistic approach
At the Hanover meeting, Aung will elaborate on MLC’s request for support to train 27 lay leaders in
Myanmar and India for work in village congregations in 2017-2019. The extra funding will sustain the
eight-month Bible study training program started in 2014 to enhance skills of evangelists without formal
theological education. As the church’s work is structured around a holistic approach, the trainees also
learn modern agricultural methods to help small-scale farmers increase yields and improve household
incomes.
Ilona Dorji, LWF secretary for Project Coordination and Monitoring, underlines the fact that this is “much-
needed support for a young church with many small congregations in the villages.” Sharing impressions
from her recent visits, she adds, “The villagers cannot afford to engage full time pastors so they rely on
lay leaders. Many young people wish to study theology and mission but their parents cannot afford the
cost for studies.”
Challenges
Rev. Dr Philip Lok, a former bishop of the Lutheran Church in Malaysia and Singapore, who is the new
LWF area secretary for Asia, has been involved with the MLC since its inception. “I look back with great
joy and gratitude at the ministry of this church in a challenging social, economic and political
atmosphere,” he says. Lok presided at the ordination of several MLC pastors and evangelists between
2007 and 2011, and installed its first bishop in 2013.

Not only have we survived, but…we are gradually
growing in numbers by the grace of God and
through the unity and communion of leaders and
congregations of this church, and support from
Lutherans around the world.
— Rev. James San Aung, mission director, Myanmar Lutheran Church
The Ministry of Religious Affairs regulates the activities of faith groups in the country of 51 million
people, 80 percent of whom are Buddhist. Restrictions against conversion into Islam or Christianity
“create some fear” Aung says.
Christians, including the 30,000 members of all four LWF member churches in the country, represent
around seven percent of the population. The LWF World Service country program there also provides
development and humanitarian assistance through community-based organizations.
EUR 2.2 million for 23 church projects around the world
The Hanover meeting will discuss 23 project applications from Africa, Asia, Central Eastern Europe and
Latin America and the Caribbean, with a total budget of more than EUR 2.2 million for the period 2017
to 2019.
The SMD is made up of seven members of the LWF Council, and representatives of church-related
organizations, and LWF staff participate in its annual sessions. The Council will receive the committee’s
recommendations this June in Wittenberg, Germany.

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Optimism amid increasing challenges
in Myanmar
By Marcus Busch | 6/3/2019
Mr Marcus Busch, past president, Canadian Lutheran World Relief. Photo: Margaret Sadler
Between 1 and 7 February 2019, I had the privilege, along with Margaret Sadler, to visit the LWF country
program in Myanmar, where we were hosted by David Mueller, the country representative.

As our host said, the reality of modern-day Myanmar is “complicated.” Pre- and post-colonial history,
ethnic diversity (including religious differences), and evolving quasi-democratic institutions overlap to
account for the complex picture that is contemporary Myanmar.
Of course, the forced ﬂight of the 700,000 predominantly Muslim Rohingya in 2017 from northern
Rakhine State to the no man’s land between Myanmar and Bangladesh is what has recently catapulted
Myanmar onto the world stage. However, LWF’s role in the country’s humanitarian sector goes back to
2008 when Cyclone Nargis devastated the southern delta region, and an emergency team from LWF
Cambodia went to the capital Yangon to assist in aid efforts. The program has since grown to include
support to internally displaced people (IDPs) primarily in the westernmost state of Rakhine. The IDPs
consist of citizens of Myanmar (mostly Buddhist) and Rohingyas who are considered as outsiders. At the
local level the two communities live side by side in relative harmony, but divisions and antipathy increase
between them as one ascends the sociopolitical ladder.
Women’s group meeting in one of the camps for internally displaced people in Myanmar. Photo: Phyo
Aung Hein
While LWF Myanmar continues to offer emergency assistance to IDPs in collaboration with the
government and other international non-governmental organizations, it is also involved in development
activities given the long-term displacement of thousands of families. The IDPs in Rakhine live in host and
settlement villages and in Rohingya camps. While all three levels of settlement may look similar, each
one is subject to increasing levels of security control by the government, which increasingly faces
challenges from a secessionist movement.

Through funding from Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR), LWF Myanmar provides the host
communities and IDPs with training skills and kits for beauty salons and dressmaking, cookery, vegetable
and ﬁsh farming. I remain very impressed with the LWF staff—local and international—as they work in
this extremely stressful environment. From what I could observe, the support offered to date has been
conscientiously and actively engaged in improving the lives of IDPs in Rakhine State.
Marcus Busch is a former president of the Winnipeg-based Canadian Lutheran World Relief, a long-
standing partner of the LWF.
In 2018, the LWF country program work in Rakhine State supported nearly 95,500 IDPs and vulnerable
host communities in mitigating the risks posed by disaster, improving food security and access to clean
water, sanitation and hygiene, and promoting human rights and education.
Themes
Canadian Lutheran World Relief | DWS Myanmar | IDP
Programs
LWF Myanmar
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Disclaimer: The views expressed in this blog are those of the author, and not necessarily representative of
Lutheran World Federation policy.

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World Service
Possibilities for peace
The marked political progress witnessed in Myanmar over the past several years has created new opportunities
for a more open and democratic society. Yet such progress must be balanced against the reality of 60 years of
military rule still shaping the mindset of the government and the country’s citizens.
In addition, long-standing ethnic tensions continue to erupt in violence, and hundreds of thousands of political
and economic refugees remain outside the country.
What we’re doing in Myanmar
As the people of Myanmar rebuild and strengthen their country, the LWF focuses our community-based efforts on
emergency response, livelihood and food security, water sanitation and hygiene, disaster risk reduction, and
human rights.
When natural and human-made disasters strike, we rely on participatory processes to address vulnerable
communities’ basic needs. As we partner with communities to sustainably develop, we help them learn new
skills and advocate for improved services and livelihood opportunities.
Community-based ﬁeld staff helps facilitate interest groups around common concerns including community
organization, health, education, agriculture, natural resources, and climate change adaptation. We also partner
ith lik i d d g i ti t d t f d ight b d li h g
Myanmar

with like-minded organizations to advocate for pro-poor and rights-based policy change.
Contact
Mr Allan Calma
Regional Program Coordinator
Allan.Calma@lutheranworld.org
+41 (0)22 791 6436
Mr David H. Mueller
Country Representative
David.Mueller@lutheranworld.org

Homepage
myanmar.lutheranworld.org
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Working in a high-risk area
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FROM OUR BLOG
Optimism amid increasing challenges in Myanmar
6 MARCH 2019
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15 AUGUST 2014
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Myanmar Violence: LWF Suspends Some Activities
28 MARCH 2014
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RELATED RESOURCES
Photo essay: School books among
the relief goods arriving in
Myanmar
21 August 2015

LWF World Service Myanmar
Annual | Report 2012
17 September 2013
Support LWF World Service

4/3/2019 International NGOs call for unrestricted access to affected populations in Myanmar’s Rakhine state | The Lutheran World Federation
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International NGOs call for
unrestricted access to affected
populations in Myanmar’s Rakhine
state
SITTWE, Myanmar/GENEVA | 22/1/2019
An LWF-run child-friendly space in Thi Kyar village, Mrauk U township, Rakhine state, Myanmar.
Photo:C/Kästner

LWF signs statement calling for protection of conflict-affected
communities
(LWI) - The Lutheran World Federation is among 18 international non-governmental organizations (INGOs)
calling for “rapid, unfettered and sustained access” to all populations affected by the renewed fighting
between two armed sides in Myanmar’s Rhakine province.
“We express deep concern for displaced communities and others affected by the upsurge in fighting. […]
Fighting, attacks, and reports of abuse have invoked fear and anxiety among local communities and
displaced an estimated 5,000 men, women, and children,” the humanitarian actors say in a statement
issued today.
Without effective and ongoing access, the ability of
local and international organizations to provide life-
saving assistance to all conflict-affected
communities in central and northern Rakhine is
seriously compromised.
— International non-governmental organizations in Myanmar
Appealing to all sides, that they show restraint and ensure protection of civilians, the organizations argue
unrestricted access would allow for an independent needs’ assessment, comprehensive assistance and
protection in accordance with the international and humanitarian and human rights law. “Without
effective and ongoing access, the ability of local and international organizations to provide life-saving
assistance to all conflict-affected communities in central and northern Rakhine is seriously
compromised,” they state.
Ready to support all conflict-affected communities
Fighting between the government’s military forces and the Arakan Army militia over the latter’s push for
greater autonomy of the western state of Rhakine flared in December. The conflict compounds instability
in the state which is still dealing with the unresolved conflict pitting the government against the Muslim
ethnic Rohingya community.
The NGOs say humanitarian access “is now extremely restricted” in five key townships where violence
and resulting displacement have been most pronounced. They commend local civil society organizations
for responding to the urgent needs of the people affected but express grave concern that this response
will not be sufficient to meet the pressing humanitarian needs.

They note the current violence reconﬁrms the need to address the key drivers of insecurity and violence in
the province as recommended by the 2017 Advisory Commission on Rhakine State.
“We stand ready to support all conﬂict-affected communities and complement ongoing response efforts
as needed,” they add.

STATEMENT BY INTERNATIONAL NGOS
ADVISORY COMMISSION ON RHAKINE STATE
LWF Myanmar
LWF began working in Myanmar in 2008, responding to the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis. The
country program currently implements humanitarian and development work centered on displaced
populations and host communities. This includes greater access to quality education, water, sanitation
and hygiene. Using an approach that strengthens people’s capacity to advocate for their own rights, the
LWF also caters to health needs, sustainable livelihood opportunities and other social services, and
promotes close collaboration between government agencies and the community. In 2018, the country
program assisted over 150,000 people.
The LWF is also present in the country through four member churches.
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2 APRIL 2019
RAKHINE, Myanmar /GENEVA
International NGOs call for unrestricted access to affected populations in Myanmar’s Rakhine state
22 JANUARY 2019
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18 JULY 2018

4/3/2019 World Humanitarian Day: LWF calls for protection of humanitarian space | The Lutheran World Federation
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World Humanitarian Day: LWF calls
for protection of humanitarian space
GENEVA, Switzerland | 17/8/2018
Messages of peace in a school run by LWF in Upper Nile State, South Sudan. Photo: LWF/ C: Kästner
“Humanitarian workers have become soft targets for warring
parties”

(LWI) - On World Humanitarian Day, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) calls for a better protection of
humanitarian space. “Humanitarian workers are not targets and must be protected in carrying out their
legitimate duties in helping those who need assistance,” says Maria Immonen, director of the LWF
humanitarian arm, World Service. “Parties to the conflict need to respect international law and the
Geneva Conventions.”
Humanitarian workers are no targets and must be
protected in carrying out their legitimate duties in
helping those who need assistance. Parties to the
conflict need to respect international law and the
Geneva Conventions.
— Maria Immonen, director of LWF World Service
Since August 2017, LWF again has witnessed an increase of security incidents in its humanitarian
operations. The security situation is especially challenging in South Sudan, but also the Central African
Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia. LWF has been working in all of these countries
for many years, in often hard-to access-locations and with teams of predominantly local staff.
More incidents threatening staff
While the need for humanitarian support has increased, the respect for humanitarian workers has not,
Immonen says: “The working environment for LWF as a humanitarian actor has become increasingly
insecure. Humanitarian workers have become soft targets for warring parties.” This is especially true for
national staff, who work at the front lines and come into regular contact with armed groups. Female aid
workers also face additional risks, Immonen adds.
The LWF World Service director is especially concerned about the high number of traumatising incidents,
where aid workers have been threatened, intimidated, or even detained. “The psychological impact of
those incidents can be very serious,” she says. “Of course car accidents remain the most common
security threat, but somehow those kinds of incidents are not usually as difficult to handle emotionally,
either by the staff member themselves or colleagues around.”
More resources needed for security
LWF has increased security measures, Immonen says, and worked on preparedness and mitigations plans
to provide the best possible protection for staff. The situation however has an impact on operational costs
and the ability of humanitarian organizations to provide aid to civilians in conflict areas. “Investing in

security costs money which, if we worked in safer environments, we would perhaps be able to spend
otherwise, “ Immonen says. “We need to put resources into training, psychosocial care, evacuations,
infrastructure etc.” It is also difficult to recruit competent staff for some high-risk locations.
The safety of humanitarian workers, however, is key to being able to provide aid: “We need to keep our
staff safe to ensure that we can continue to operate in extremely difficult working environments and reach
the communities and victims of war and conflict who continue to live in these conditions.”
LWF World Service is the humanitarian and development arm of the Lutheran World federation (LWF), a
communion of 148 churches world wide. LWF has humanitarian and development operations in 28
countries, among them South Sudan, Myanmar, Iraq, CAR, DRC and Colombia. 8,000 mostly national
staff provide relief goods, water and sanitation, protection, peace-building and education services to
forcibly displaced people and vulnerable communities.
The World Humanitarian Day commemorates a suicide bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq,
on 19 August 2003. 22 people were killed in the attack, which marked a turning point in how the UN
and aid groups operate in the field. It was the first time that a neutral international humanitarian
organization had been deliberately targeted in such a way.
Join the petition of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) for
the protection of aid workers:
CIVILIANS ARE #NOTATARGET

Themes
notatarget | Humanitarian Heroes | humanitarian aid | aid worker security | humanitarian worker security |
emergency | security | Advocacy | Peace
Programs
Refugees, IDP, Forced Migrants | DMD | DMD Asia | DMD Africa | DWS | DWS Regional Programs | LWF
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Angola | LWF Burundi | LWF Chad | LWF Colombia | LWF Democratic Republic of the Congo | LWF
Ethiopia | LWF Iraq | LWF Jerusalem | LWF Jordan | LWF Kenya/Djibouti | LWF Laos | LWF Mauritania |
LWF Mozambique | LWF Myanmar | LWF Nepal | LWF South Sudan | ECHO Children of Peace South
Sudan | LWF Uganda | Humanitarian response
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