Support to human rights defenders and families of political prisoners
In Burma, the EPD has focused on assisting defenders of human rights and families of the victims of political violence. Working with Czech partner People in Need, the EPD has supported two Burmese organizations, based on the Thai-Burma border.
One group specializes in
monitoring the human rights situation in the southern part of Burma
inhabited mainly by the Mon ethnic group. It informs the the Mon public
about human rights, strengthens human rights defenders and provides
reports about rights violations in this area to the campaign
organisations and the international community. The other group monitors
the situation of political prisoners more generally in the country. The
organization is in touch with the families of political prisoners and
former prisoners in the country, providing them with financial and
healthcare assistance, and systematically gathers information about the
situation in prisons and informs the international organizations.
Financial
assistance has been provided to 51 families of political prisoners
inside Burma and 12 people have been trained on human rights and how to
defend them before the authorities. A human rights defence instruction
manual is also to be published in the Mon language as part of the
project.