Human rights in Myanmar: Oral State

[darnott@xxxxxxxxxxx]

Statement by Mr. Rajsmoor Lallah, 
Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar

[4 November 1999]

Mr. Chairman,

This is the fourth interim report that, as Special Rapporteur, I am presenting 
to the General Assembly on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. In spite 
of my persistent efforts, supported by those of the Secretary-General and of
the 
High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Government of Myanmar has not so 
far acceded to my request for a visit to Myanmar in the discharge of my
mandate.  
In this respect, Myanmar continues to disregard the successive resolutions of
the 
General Assembly and of the Commission on Human Rights.

Mr. Chairman,

There is a welcome development in the co-operation between the Government of 
Myanmar and the ICRC which I highlight in paragraphs 19 and 20 of my report.  
Indeed, the resumption of its most valuable work by the ICRC is particularly 
important in a situation where those expressing political dissent or simply 
participating in normal political activities are singled out for
disproportionate 
and extravagantly long prison sentences, giving rise to serious humanitarian
concerns.

Mr. Chairman,

Again the humanitarian programmes put in place by several UN Agencies which I 
deal with in Chapter V of my report no doubt alleviate in some measure the
condition 
of significant numbers of people who have been subject to the policies and
practices 
of the regime.  As I recommend in paragraph 51 of my report, these programmes
should 
be intensified and co-ordinated to ensure that they focus on humanitarian
assistance and 
should have regard to the resolutions adopted by the General Assembly and the
Commission 
on the situation of human rights in Myanmar.

Mr. Chairman,

Except for the two developments which I have referred to, the situation of
human 
rights continues to raise most serious concerns.  Political repression keeps
growing 
and all means appear to be exerted to compel members of the NLD, in particular
to 
abandon their party or, at least, to abandon political activities.  Towards
this end, 
their liberty, physical integrity and their basic freedoms are violated in a
routine 
manner on the strength of repressive laws and a compliant justice
administration 
system.  There has so far been no real engagement in a genuine political
dialogue 
as has been urged by the General Assembly and the Commission on Human Rights.

Mr. Chairman,

In the ethnic areas on which I have reported, the forcible and large scale
displacement 
of the population would appear to remain a constant policy of the Government of

Myanmar.  This  policy is accompanied by many violations of basic rights from
which 
the old, the weak, women and children are not immune.  Further, this policy has
resulted 
in a flow of people taking to the jungles, living in precarious conditions, or
else across the 
frontier.

Mr. Chairman,

I must draw the attention of the General Assembly to the action which the
International 
Labour Conference has felt bound to take in the face of the failure of Myanmar
to take 
appropriate measures to put an end to forced labour.  I give an account of this
in Chapter 
III of my report.  I must recall that forced labour has been a subject which
both my 
predecessor and myself have extensively dealt with in our reports to the
General 
Assembly and the Commission on Human Rights.  I must also note that the
conclusions 
reached by the ILO coincide with those which my predecessor and I had
previously reached 
on the basis of extensive information which we had been able to gather.  All I
wish to say is 
that the practice of forced labour cannot be justified by recourse to notions
of culture or 
tradition and is totally unacceptable under the generally accepted
international norms and 
the ILO instruments by which Myanmar is bound.

Mr. Chairman,

My experience over the last four years has convinced me of the very sad fact.
In a manner 
of speaking, and at the very worst, we are faced with a country which is at war
with its 
own people. At the very best, it is a country which is holding its people in
hostage. 
The time for hostility towards the duly elected representatives of the people
has clearly 
gone for too long. However bleak the situation now is, there must always be
room for hope. 
I greatly hope that the Government of Myanmar will abandon its hostile
policies, and engage 
in a genuine political dialogue with the legitimate representatives whom the
people have elected 
in no uncertain terms. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman


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