Burma: Make Ban's visit meaningful;
labour
Burma: Make Ban's visit meaningful; UN leader should stand firm on
prisoners, election, political dialogue, minorities
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during his trip to Burma
should press the ruling generals to publicly commit to the release of all
political prisoners and to engage in a dialogue with the opposition that
leads to genuine political reforms, Human Rights Watch said today. Ban
should not accept the return of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to
house arrest or vague statements about political reform as signs of a
successful visit.
Ban arrives in Burma on July 3, 2009, the same day that Aung San Suu Kyi's
trial on politically motivated charges is set to resume. Speaking from
Tokyo on July 1, Ban rightly noted that three of most important benchmarks
are the release of all political prisoners, the immediate resumption of
national reconciliation dialogue between Burma's military government and
opposition leaders, and the creation of conditions for credible elections
"which needs to be taken next year in a most objective, transparent and
democratic manner."
"Ban Ki-moon has offered Burma's generals a roadmap to ending their
international isolation," said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human
Rights Watch. "He should make it clear that the time for stalling and
playing games is over and that real change is needed now."
Human Rights Watch said that human rights conditions in Burma are
deteriorating. Arbitrary arrests, intimidation, and mistreatment of
political activists have intensified. In the last two years, the number of
political prisoners has doubled to 2,100. Armed attacks on ethnic minority
populations continue to lead to large-scale displacement. Basic freedoms
of expression, association, and assembly remain almost nonexistent.
Ban has recognized Aung San Suu Kyi as an "essential partner" in political
reforms and called her recent detention and trial "completely
unacceptable." She was transferred from house arrest to prison on
politically motivated charges in mid-May. She has spent more than 14 of
the past 20 years under house arrest.
Other human rights defenders in prison include labor activist Su Su Nway,
former student leader Min Ko Naing, and activist monk U Gambira. The
military government has also unfairly tried and imprisoned at least 21
community aid workers who sought to help survivors of Cyclone Nargis,
including Burma's most famous comedian, Zargana, who received a 35-year
sentence, reduced from 59 years.
"Time and again, the UN has politely requested Aung San Suu Kyi's release,
but her 'release' back to house arrest would be a huge failure," said
Roth. "Secretary-General Ban's last visit followed Cyclone Nargis, yet the
aid workers, including the comedian Zargana, who were jailed for
criticizing the government's handling of the crisis, are still not free."
Burma's military government has announced elections for 2010 as the next
step in a sham political process that has dragged on for more than 15
years. Yet under current conditions credible elections are impossible, as
many opposition leaders are in prison, many offices of Aung San Suu Kyi's
National League for Democracy have been forcibly closed, and freedoms of
expression, assembly, and association have been sharply curtailed.
Human Rights Watch said that Ban should press the military government to
lift immediately the restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly, and
association in order for there to be any possibility that the 2010
elections could be considered credible. He should insist on a genuine
process in which all political parties and ethnic groups can freely
participate.
Human Rights Watch also urged Ban to express deep concern about rising
ethnic tensions in border areas in the lead-up to the elections and to
remind the government firmly of its responsibility to respect
international human rights and humanitarian law. In recent weeks, Burmese
military offensives have driven more than 4,000 ethnic Karen civilians
into neighboring Thailand. Increasing tensions between the Burmese army
and armed ethnic groups are evidence of the overall failure of the
national reform process.
The Burmese government should make a public commitment to end the
continued persecution of Burma's ethnic Rohingya Muslim minority, whose
members the government has long refused to recognize as Burmese citizens.
The UN's recent efforts at mediation between the government and the
National League for Democracy have not produced any concrete results.
Ibrahim Gambari, the current special adviser on Burma for the UN
secretary-general, has visited Burma several times, and his most recent
trip was to organize Ban's visit.
"There is a real danger that Burma's generals will try to use Ban's visit
to legitimize the 2010 elections," said Roth. "If no commitments for
reform are made, Ban should clearly and publicly state that a process that
mocks the very idea of fundamental freedoms and democracy will have no
legitimacy. His voice could be a real call to action for the UN Security
Council and regional bodies that have thus far failed the Burmese people."
For more information, please contact:
In London, Brad Adams (English): +44-20-7713-2767; or +44-790-872-8333
(mobile)
In Bangkok, Dave Mathieson (English): +66-87-176-2205 (mobile)
In New York, Steve Crawshaw (English, French, German): +1-212-216-1217
In New York, Elaine Pearson (English): +1-212-216-1825; +1-646-291-7169
(mobile)