Briefing note, 21 August 1998

José Luis Diaz, media and information officer for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities was continuing its fiftieth session this morning. Over the last two days, the Subcommission had adopted a number of resolutions, including on the situations in Belarus, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and Mexico, as well as on human-rights defenders. There had also been a Chairman's statement on ethnic Nepalese refugees in Bhutan. This morning, the Subcommission was looking at the human rights of detainees and a Chairman's statement on Kosovo. He had copies of the draft statement for correspondents.

Mr. Diaz said the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination was ending its three-week summer session today after having examined reports from Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Gabon, Jordan, Morocoo, Nepal, Niger and Tonga. Today, the Chairman of the Committee was holding a press conference at noon. All the concluding observations for this session would also be available at the press conference.

Mr. Diaz said he had made available the latest report compiled by the human rights office in Cambodia on election-related intimidation and violence. The report said, among other things, that the elections on July 26 marked a change in the types of incidents reported since the beginning of the electoral campaign. Since that time, the office had not received a single report of killing showing possible political motives. This contrasted highly with the pre-election period during which the office reported over 30 deaths described by political parties or other sources as political. The report goes on to say that the immediate post-election period had been characterized by widespread verbal intimidation and threats against opposition party candidates, activists, and representatives at various levels.

Mr. Diaz said the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Burundi, Paulo Pinheiro, was starting his fifth mission to that country today. The visit was expected to last until 4 September. He hoped to have a note on the mission later in the day.

A correspondent asked if there was any response to the grenade attack against Sam Rainsy, an opposition politician in Cambodia, which had gone beyond verbal threats as at least one person was killed. Mr. Diaz said he would try to get in touch with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on human rights in Cambodia, Thomas Hammarberg, to see if he had a statement on this issue.

A reporter asked whether, in view of developments in the past week and, in particular, over the past 24 hours, the Subcommission had any intention of looking at the question of terrorism and unilateral action by Governments to rectify what they saw as "a bad situation." Also, did the Special Rapporteurs on Sudan and Afghanistan have anything to say on the question of terrorism.

Mr. Diaz said there had been no statement from the Special Rapporteur on Sudan, Leonardo Franco, who had just been named to replace Gaspar Biro. There had been no statement regarding Afghanistan, either. He recalled there was supposed to be a report examined at this session by the Subcommission on terrorism and human rights, but it had not been prepared in time. However, the experts had been looking at the issue for a number of sessions.

Asked when the Subcommission was expected to vote on the Chairman's statement on Kosovo, Mr. Diaz said it was possible that they would act on it today, as early as this morning. So far, they had not done so, but as soon as they did, he would announce it and provide copies of the final statement.