New Delhi (Mizzima) - Burma's state-run newspaper on Monday said United Nations Human Rights expert Tomas Ojea Quintana's visit to Burma, had been a success, as it immediately resulted in the release of over 6,000 prisoners across the country.
The author of an article titled, "Positive results of trips to Myanmar", run in the New Light of Myanmar, on Monday said, Burma's military government had fully cooperated with Quintana, who was on a six-day visit to the country, last week, making the trip successful.
"The release of 6,313 prisoners resulted in the success of the trip," said the author, who uses the pseudonym of Kyaw Min Lu (Shwepyitha).
The article said, during Quintana's visit, the government had cooperated with him by arranging all the meetings, which he wished to have including Burma's Chief Justice and Attorney General in Naypyitaw.
Quintana, who for the second time visited Burma from February 14–19, visited Karen state in eastern Burma and met Karen splinter groups, including the Karen National Union/Karen National Liberation Army Peace Council and Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA).
However, he did not meet the main Karen rebel group – Karen National Union – which has waged the longest insurgent war in Burma, for almost 60 years.
Quintana, also met several junta officials, including Foreign Minister Nyan Win, but did not meet detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and representatives of her party – National League for Democracy.
But the envoy did request a meeting with Win Tin, a veteran politician and Central Executive Committee member of the NLD, who in last September was released from a long period of imprisonment.
However, Win Tin turned down the request for a meeting saying, it was not fair to meet the envoy alone, while the NLD as a political party, was not officially invited for a meeting.
The NLD, meanwhile, said it was still too early to comment on the envoy's trip or to dub it as a success or failure. But Nyan Win, spokesperson of the NLD, said so far they had not seen any progress as yet resulting from the trip.
Win Tin, who spoke of his personal views, said the trip had been manipulated by the ruling junta and the envoy had been used to ease-off pressure mounting against them.
"Whoever comes to Burma, should try to stop the suffering of the people and not investigate on human rights abuse, because abuse is already here," Win Tin told Mizzima over the telephone.
