缅甸：联合国专家：“改革继续大步迈进，而关键人权问题仍待解决”

曼谷/日内瓦（2013年2月20日）- 联合国缅甸人权状况特别报告员托马斯·奥赫亚·金塔纳称赞缅甸改革至今取得的成就，但呼吁政府要立即处理多项人权问题。

金塔纳结束了对缅甸的第七次访问，考察了内比都、仰光、克钦邦和若开邦等地，他说：“缅甸的改革继续大步迈进，这对国内人权状况的改善是一个好兆头。”不过他也发出警告：“有一些人权方面的重要缺陷尚待解决。”

他强调：“随着时间推移，情况愈加紧迫，要在这些问题深化之前将其解决掉。”他承认弥补上层改革、现实和实地执行情况之间的差距还需要时间。

特别报告员再次呼吁缅甸当局和人民通过成立真相委员会解决真相、司法和问责制的问题。他提到：“前军事政府期间发生的事情仍无人过问。我相信这是国家和解进程的关键，也是吸取前车之鉴、防止人权侵犯再度发生的关键。”

金塔纳还呼吁国际社会认识已有改革的意义，但同时促请关注落实改革的情况，特别是在警察、军队、法官和律师的人权能力建设领域。他还提醒，当涉及与缅甸的工商业和投资关系等双边关系时，国际社会在以人权为重这一点上发挥着重要作用。

Rakhine State
Mr. Ojea Quintana noted that Rakhine State is going through a profound crisis that threatens to spread to other parts of the country and has the potential to undermine the entire reform process in Myanmar. “Both Muslim and Buddhist Rakhine communities continue to suffer the consequences of violence that the Government has finally been able to control, though question marks remain over the extent to which excessive force has been used,” he said.

The Special Rapporteur expressed concern about the situation of 120,000 people in internally displaced camps, with particular regard to the lack of adequate health care in the larger Muslim camps.

“This is not just a matter of lack of resources, but requires the safe passage of humanitarian assistance to these camps. Currently, local and international medical staff are unable to provide medical care to some of the Muslim camps due to the threats and harassment they face from local Rakhine Buddhist communities,” the expert said. “I urge the local authorities to send a clear message through their networks that this harassment of staff is not acceptable.”

“Feelings of fear, distrust, hatred and anger remain high between communities. To address this requires education, responsible local journalism, as well as mutually respectful dialogue between community leaders. Time does not heal wounds unless measures are taken to repair relations,” he said. “The facts of what has happened need to be established and those responsible for human rights violations held to account, which I hope the Investigation Committee established by the President will help to do in its upcoming report which should be made public.”

During his five-day visit, Mr. Ojea Quintana met with Government officials, members of Parliament and the judiciary in Naypyitaw. In Yangon he held meetings with the National Human Rights Commission, civil society and former prisoners of conscience, among other stakeholders. He also met with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and discussed a broad range of human rights issues.

In Rakhine State, Mr. Ojea Quintana visited Muslim and Buddhist IDP camps in Sittwe, Myaybon and Pauk Taw, and the Sittwe Prison. In Kachin State, he visited IDP camps in Myitkyina and Waingmaw and the Myitkyina Prison.

The Special Rapporteur will present a full report on the visit to the 22nd session of the Human Rights Council on 11 March 2013.

Mr. Tomás Ojea Quintana (Argentina) was appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council in May 2008. As Special Rapporteur, he is independent from any government or organization and serves in his individual capacity. Learn more, log on to: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/countries/mm/mandate/index.htm

(*) Check the full end-of-mission statement: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=13004&LangID=E

See the latest progress report on Myanmar by the Special Rapporteur: http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N12/520/48/PDF/N1252048.pdf?OpenElement

UN Human Rights, country page – Myanmar: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/countries/AsiaRegion/Pages/MMIndex.aspx

For more information and media requests, please contact Daniel Collinge (+41 22 928 9173 / dcollinge@ohchr.org) or write to sr-myanmar@ohchr.org

For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts:
Xabier Celaya, UN Human Rights – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9383 / xcelaya@ohchr.org)

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