UN RIGHTS EXPERT COMPLETES FACT-FINDING MISSION TO MYANMAR

HR/4625

29 October 2002

UN RIGHTS EXPERT COMPLETES FACT-FINDING MISSION TO MYANMAR

Urges Ruling Council to Allow "Adequate Presence"

Of International Committee of Red Cross in All Conflict Areas

(Reissued as received.)

GENEVA, 28 October (UN Information Service) -- The following statement was issued today by Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar:

Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the situation in Myanmar, today completed his third fact-finding mission to that country.

During the visit, which started on 17 October, the Special Rapporteur met in Yangon with the Secretary of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC); the Foreign Minister and his Deputy; the Home Minister; the head of Department of the Office of the Military Intelligence; the Chief of the Bureau of Special Investigation; the Directors-General of the Prisons and the Police Departments; the Chiefs of the Special Branch and the Criminal Investigation Departments; and members of the governmental Human Rights Committee. 

Mr. Pinheiro visited the Insein Central Prison, where he interviewed confidentially 17 prisoners, among them recent political prisoners and those whom he had met during his previous visit in February 2002.  He also had meetings with the General Secretary and members of the Central Executive Committee of the National League for Democracy (NLD), representatives of ethnic and other political parties, the United Nations country team, the diplomatic community, international civil society organizations, international and local business community, as well as religious leaders and recently released political prisoners.

The Special Rapporteur travelled to Hpa-an (capital) and Kya-in-seikkyi township in Kayin (Karen) State from 23 to 25 October, where he met with local civilian and military authorities and visited the State court and district and township level police offices, including lock-ups.  He also met with representatives of two ceasefire groups and with Buddhist and Christian religious leaders.

- 2 - Press Release

On his way to Yangon, the Special Rapporteur stopped in Mawlawmyane, capital of Mon State, where he met with the Commander of the South-Eastern Command responsible for Mon and Kayin States and visited the local NLD office.

Finally, on 27 October, the Special Rapporteur travelled to Bagodivision to visit Thayarwaddy prison, where he interviewed a dozen prisoners.

During this mission, the Special Rapporteur looked at, among other issues, the possibility of investigating allegations of widespread human rights violations attributed to the military and armed groups operating in ethnic minority areas, including those relating to sexual violence in Shan State.  In this context, he also began to look into the allegations of forced conscription of child soldiers.

The Special Rapporteur declined an invitation to travel to Shan State as a short visit would have been inappropriate to conduct a comprehensive assessment.  Rather, he proposed to the SPDC to explore several options for credible investigation of these allegations.

As an immediate step, the Special Rapporteur has urged the SPDC to consider allowing an adequate presence of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in all conflict areas of the country.  The ICRC could then assess the humanitarian situation on an ongoing basis, report confidentially to the authorities and work out with them appropriate measures to ensure the security and protection of the civilian population wherever needed.

On his way to Myanmar, Mr. Pinheiro stopped in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to have consultations with the Special Envoy of the Secretary General to Myanmar, Razali Ismail.

The Special Rapporteur said before leaving Yangon on 28 October that, as in the past, he had received full cooperation from the Myanmar Government.  He will introduce an interim report and present his observations from this mission to the United Nations General Assembly on 6 November 2002.

* *** *