UN rights expert arrives in Burma, opposition has little expectations

by Solomon

Saturday, 14 February 2009 19:38

New Delhi (MIzzima)  - As the United Nations Human Rights envoy Tomas Ojea Quintana arrived in Rangoon on Saturday on a second visit, Burma's opposition party and rights activists said they do not have significant expectations from the trip. Quintana, the UN special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights in Burma, is on his second visit to the country to see if there has been any development since his last visit in August 2008, the UN said. During his trip from February 14 to 19, Quintana will meet a number of political prisoners and travel to Kachin, Karen and Arakan states, the UN said in its press release on Friday. The envoy, who had proposed to the Burmese junta to implement four core Human Rights elements during his last trip, will also see if there has been any development since his last trip. During his earlier mission, Quintana had suggested to the Burmese ruling junta to implement four core human rights elements including the revision of domestic laws that limit fundamental rights of the people and to implement a progressive release of an estimated 2,000 prisoners of conscience still in detention in the country. The other two were - to reform and train the military so that it conforms to human rights, and makes changes in the judiciary so that it is fully independent. Quintana, following his first trip to Burma told Mizzima in November that, "One of my goals for the next mission is to establish with the government for implementation of the four core human rights elements." He proposed the four core human rights elements to the junta on his first mission a review of national legislation in accordance with the new constitution and international obligations, the release of political prisoners, and a review of the authority and power of the armed forces and a judicial system review. "The human rights situation [in Burma] is a challenging task for me and for other human rights agencies," said Quintana. Meanwhile, Nyan Win spokesperson of Burma's main opposition party – National League for Democracy - said, they are ready to meet the visiting UN rights envoy and are willing to talk about the Burmese judiciary and the situation of Human Rights. But Nyan Win said they do not have much expectation from the visiting envoy saying, "Because we have been suffering for 20 years and there is no sign of any reforms, but we welcome his [Quintana] visit." The Rapporteur, according to the UN, will also seek meetings with various organizations, and political parties but the NLD said it is so far unaware of any meeting scheduled with them. "We are frustrated with his first visit because he gave us only a short time to talk and we did not have enough time to tell him everything that we know," Nyan Win said. "And after his trip, we see that there are no changes. Everything is the same," he added. Quintana, during his earlier visit from August 3 to 7 2008, met the NLD, pro-junta group the National Unity Party and also several religious leaders, and traveled to the Irrawaddy Division to see the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis. Meanwhile, a Burmese human rights activist Aung Myo Min said, with Burma's ruling junta refusing to follow his recommendations, the mission could be termed unsuccessful but would watch the present trip's effectiveness. "The military junta has not implemented any of the points he [Quintana] had recommended and are continuing with their random repression by arresting and sentencing unlawfully," said Aung Myo Min, the director of Thailand based Human Rights Education Institute of Burma (HREIB). Following his visit in August, the Burmese junta released a few political prisoners including veteran journalist and NLD leader Win Tin along with four other NLD leaders in September. But the junta on the other hand arrested several activists and sentenced at least 250 activists to long prison terms. "With the given political scenario there is nothing much to hope for on his trip," he added. But Aung Myo Min said it is crucial that the junta does not control the UN rights expert's schedules but allows him full access to places and people whom he considers he should meet during his visit. "If he is allowed to meet who ever he wants to meet including political prisoners and various organizations then we can only hope for some positive result," Aung Myo Min said. The Burmese rights activist stressed that Quintana should keep the meeting with political prisoners as his priority during his trip, as several of the political prisoners are reportedly suffering from ill-health and lack of proper support. "He should meet political prisoners including 88 generation student leaders, Gambira [monk], and with women political prisoners who are facing extreme difficulties because of lack of proper health care," he added. But he said, Quintana should not look for reasons to prove if there has been any rights abuses but rather think of how best to go about for a solution. "There is no need for investigation on whether human rights have been abused, since it is already known to everyone. Rather, he should focus on finding a solution to the abuses," Aung Myo Min said. < Prev   Next >