Leading Burma dissident to meet William Hague and address hearing

One of Burma’s most prominent human rights activists will address a hearing on Burma in Westminster, organised by the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission on April 25, and will share a platform at an event with Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague the same day.

Charm Tong, a 24 year-old Shan woman and author of a major report on sexual violence committed by the Burma Army, called Licence to Rape, has received numerous international awards, including the Reebok Human Rights Award. She has been nominated one of TIME magazine’s “Asian Heroes”, and won the Maire Claire Woman of the World Award in 2004.

In October last year, Charm Tong rose to prominence after she had a 50-minute meeting with President Bush in the White House to bring the gross human rights violations in Burma to his attention.

Charm Tong will be in London to meet with senior politicians of all parties.

The Conservative Party Human Rights Commission Hearing on Burma will take place on April 25th, from 3-5pm in Portcullis House. Other speakers include Guy Horton, author of Dying Alive: A Legal Assessment of Human Rights Violations in Burma, and Nurul Islam, President of the Arakan Rohingya National Organisation. Members of the public are welcome to attend.