27.11.96: U.N. Press Release (excer

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Subject: 27.11.96: U.N. Press Release (excerpts)

UN PRESS RELEASE ON 27 NOVEMBER 1996
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Full texts of following press release can be found at the
Home page of the U.N. (http://www.un.org).
Regards, U Ne Oo.
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[27 Nov 1996] GA/SHC/3406 :
STATES CALLED ON TO REVOKE UNILATERAL COERCIVE MEASURES 
IN THIRD COMMITTEE APPROVED TEXT (54-44-49)    </title>

<P>                    
Among Other Drafts Approved, Action Taken          
On Human Rights in Kosovo (102-3-45) and Cuba (59-26-71), Culture of Peace 
The General Assembly would call on Member States to revoke unilateral
coercive measures which created obstacles to trade and which were not in
accordance with international law and the United Nations Charter, according to
the terms of a draft resolution approved this morning by the Third Committee
(Social, Humanitarian and Cultural).  The text was approved by a recorded vote
of 54 in favour, to 44 against with 49 abstentions.  (See Annex I.)   <P>
The Assembly would reject the use of such measures as tools for           
political or economic pressure against any country, particularly developing
ones, because of the negative effects on populations, including women,
children and the elderly. <P>              

The representative of the United States said the draft resolution           
provided a pretext for countries to ignore the human rights of their citizens
by placing responsibility on external factors.  Ireland, speaking on behalf of
the European Union, reiterated its rejection of attempts to apply national
legislation on an extraterritorial basis.  However, it had voted against the
text because a similar one was being considered by the Plenary. <P>

</* BEGIN-MYANMAR */>
The Assembly would deplore the continued violations of human rights in
Myanmar and ask the Government to permit unrestricted communication access to
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and other political leaders,
according to the terms of a draft resolution approved without a vote.  It
would strongly urge the Government to allow citizens to participate freely in
the political process and accelerate the transition to democracy, particularly
through the transfer of power to democratically elected representatives.
</* END-MYANMAR */>

</* BEGIN-MYANMAR */>
According to a draft resolution on the human rights situation in Myanmar
(document A/C.3/51/L.69), the Assembly would deplore the continued violations
of human rights there and ask the Government to permit unrestricted           
communication with and physical access to Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Aung San
Suu Kyi and other political leaders by members and supporters of the National
League for Democracy and to protect their physical well-being; it would 
strongly urge the Government to release, immediately and unconditionally,
detained political prisoners; and urge it to engage, at the earliest possible
date, a substantive dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi and other political
leaders, including representatives of ethnic groups as the best way to promote
national reconciliation and full restoration of democracy. <P>              

The Assembly would strongly urge the Government to allow citizens to           
participate freely in the political process and accelerate the transition to
democracy, particularly through the transfer of power to democratically
elected representatives.  The Government would also be strongly urged to put
an end to violations of the right to life, integrity of the human being,
torture, abuse of women, forced labour, forced relocations and enforced 
disappearances and summary executions. <P>              

The Assembly would call on the Government and other parties to           
hostilities in the country to respect international humanitarian law, to halt
the use of weapons against the civilian population and protect all civilians,
including women, children and persons belonging to ethnic or religious
minorities, from violations of humanitarian law, and to avail itself of the
services offered by impartial humanitarian bodies.  It would ask the           
Secretary-General to continue his discussions with the Government of Myanmar
in order to help implement the current resolution. <P>              

The draft resolution is sponsored by Andorra, Argentina, Austria,           
Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, 
Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Republic of
Moldova, Romania, San Marino, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, and the
United States. <P>              
</* END-MYANMAR */>

</* BEGIN-MYANMAR */> 
The Committee Secretary read out the following oral amendments to a
draft resolution on the human rights situation in Myanmar: <P>
-- operative paragraph 17, lines 2 and 3, after the words "in order to
assist in" add the following: "in the implementation of the present resolution
and in its efforts for national reconciliation"; also, delete the phrase "its
efforts for national reconciliation and in the implementation of the present
 resolution". <P>              

The representative of Sweden read out the following oral amendments to
the text: <P>              
-- ninth preambular paragraph, line 5, delete the phrase "recent           
aggression committed against" and replace it with "attack, on 9 November 1996,
on"; <P>              
-- operative paragraph 7, lines 2 and 3, delete the phrase "cooperate
fully with the Secretary-General" and replace it with "allow a visit by the
representative of the Secretary-General as soon as possible". <P>              
The representative of Sweden also said that Lithuania, Australia, Canada 
and the United Kingdom should be added to the list of co-sponsors. <P>
              
The representative of Myanmar said his Government was greatly dismayed
and disturbed by the text before the Committee, which was thoroughly negative
and based on unsubstantiated allegations.  The co-sponsors deliberately
omitted any positive elements, including cooperation between the Government
and the UNHCR on the voluntary repatriation of refugees from Bangladesh to
Myanmar.  This demonstrated that the co-sponsors did not wish to concede the
slightest achievement of which Myanmar could justifiably be proud after four
decades of insurgency.  The new paragraphs, and all the other new elements,
reveal that the co-sponsors had only taken into account the interests of a
single party.  The apparent rationale of incorporating these new ideas was the
assumption that pressure must be maintained on the Government of Myanmar. 
However, this assumption was seriously flawed because the Government would
never yield to any outside pressure. <P>              

The draft resolution stood in contrast to last year's text in the           
overall thrust and focus, and it was more intrusive this year even though the
situation in Myanmar was a far cry from what it was in 1990, when the Myanmar
situation was first considered by the Third Committee, he continued.  The
present situation in Myanmar was not reflected in the negative elements of the
draft resolution.  The country was enjoying unprecedented peace, and the
economy had witnessed steady high growth rates over the past several years.

The Government firmly believed in its capability to sustain the economic 
growth, yet these achievements were not mentioned in the text.  The Government
of Myanmar dissociated itself from the thrust, tone and tenor of the
resolution and totally rejected all its negative elements  <P> 

The Committee then approved the draft resolution, as orally amended,
 without a vote. 

The representative of the Netherlands said his Government had closely
followed the human rights situation in Myanmar, and it was a subject of
significant concern.  The human rights situation in Myanmar had worsened
markedly, and the reasons for this deterioration were detailed in the Special
Rapporteur's report.  There had also been clear set-backs between the Special
Rapporteur and the Myanmar Government, and the Netherlands hoped cooperation
would resume promptly.   <P>              

The representative of Japan said her Government welcomed the adoption of
the draft resolution without a vote and appreciated the work done by the
coordinators.  The resolution not only crystallized the shared concern of the
international community but it also clearly articulated the goals it wished to
achieve.  Her Government shared the concerns and the goals contained in the
resolution.  It hoped that the Government of Myanmar would take further
measures to improve its human rights situation and expedite the           
democratization process.  It also urged Myanmar to cooperate with the United
Nations in implementing the resolution's recommendations and goals. <P> 
             
</* END-MYANMAR */>
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