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UNCHR: EXECUTIONS (BURMA)



EXTRACTS ON BURMA FROM THE 1998 REPORT OF THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON
EXTRAJUDICIAL, SUMMARY OR ARBITRARY EXECUTIONS


Economic and Social Council 
Distr. GENERAL 
E/CN.4/1998/68 
23 December 1997 
Original: ENGLISH 

COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS 
Fifty-fourth session 
Item 10 of the provisional agenda 

QUESTION OF THE VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS IN ANY
PART OF THE WORLD, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO COLONIAL AND OTHER
DEPENDANT COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES 

Extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions 

Report of the Special Rapporteur, Mr. Bacre Waly Ndiaye, submitted pursuant
to Commission on Human Rights resolution 1997/61 

C. The right to life and mass exoduses 

   1....In addition, the Special Rapporteur was informed of violations of
the right to life of refugees from Myanmar in Thailand. According to the
source of the information, attacks by government troops and/or members of
the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, a Karen militia allegedly backed by the
Government, on several camps of Myanmar refugees in Thailand led to several
deaths. 


G. Violations of the right to life of persons belonging to national,
ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities

   2.In addition, the Special Rapporteur acted on behalf of the following
persons belonging to national, ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities
whose right to life was reportedly violated: .... several persons belonging
to the Karen ethnic minority and 1 person belonging to the Karenni ethnic
minority, all having fled from Myanmar to Thailand; 2 villagers belonging
to the Shan ethnic minority in Myanmar.

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Economic and Social Council 
Distr. GENERAL 
E/CN.4/1998/68/Add.1 
19 December 1997 
ENGLISH 
Original: ENGLISH/FRENCH/SPANISH

COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS 
Fifty-fourth session 
Item 10 of the provisional agenda 


QUESTION OF THE VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS IN ANY
PART OF THE WORLD, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO COLONIAL AND OTHER
DEPENDENT COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES 

Extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions 

Report of the Special Rapporteur, Mr. Bacre Waly Ndiaye, 
submitted pursuant to Commission on Human Rights resolution 1997/61 

Addendum 

Country situations 


Myanmar 

Information received and communications sent 

283. For an in-depth analysis of the human rights situation in the country,
the Special Rapporteur refers to the reports submitted by the Special
Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar to the General
Assembly at its fifty-second session (A/52/484) and to the Commission on
Human Rights at its fifty-fourth session (E/CN.4/1998/50). 

284. The Special Rapporteur transmitted to the Government of Myanmar
allegations regarding the violation of the right to life of the following
persons: 

(a) Reportedly killed by members of the armed forces in attacks on refugee
camps in Thailand: Ei Pyin, Ai Pon and U Baw Ga, in or as a result of the
attack on Karenni refugee camp No. 2 on 3 January 1997; 

(b) Reportedly killed in attacks on refugee camps in Thailand by members of
the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), a Karen militia group alleged to
be backed by the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC): one
unidentified person, reportedly a Thai trader, during the attack on Don Pa
Kiang refugee camp on 28 January 1997; one unidentified person in the
attack on Hway Kaloke refugee camp on 28 January 1997; Naw Eh G'Lu Pi alias
Maw Ywek Mo, during the attack on Mae La (Beh Klaw) refugee camp on 29
January 1997; 

(c) Reportedly killed by members of the armed forces: Zai Nyunt, a Shan
villager, on 13 November 1996 near Wan Lauy village in Murngkerng township;
and Loong Sa, a Shan villager, on 30 October 1996 in Khai Yern village, Wan
Keng Tract, Murngkerng township. 

Communications received 

285. The Government of Myanmar provided a reply to the allegations
transmitted by the Special Rapporteur during 1997. With regard to the cases
of Ei Pyin, Ai Pon and U Baw Ga, the Government stated that the armed
forces of Myanmar never violated the territorial integrity of the
neighbouring countries. 

286. Regarding the above-mentioned persons who died in attacks by the DKBA
on Karen refugee camps in Thailand, the Government referred to a reply of
13 March 1995 in which it described in some detail the situation prevailing
in certain areas of the Karen state near the border and in particular the
Government's efforts for national reconciliation. The Special
Rapporteur was also informed that the Government cannot be held accountable
for the behaviour and activities of the Karen National Union (KNU) or its
splinter group, the Democratic Kayin Buddhist Organization, armed groups
which remain outside the framework of the law. 

287. The Special Rapporteur was also informed that the other cases were
referred to the authorities in Myanmar (9 July 1997). 

Observations 

288. The Special Rapporteur thanks the Government for the reply but regrets
that it does not address all his concerns. The Special Rapporteur continues
to be distressed by the persistent reports of violations of the right to
life in the context of attacks on refugee camps in Thailand. The Special
Rapporteur urges the authorities to make every effort to ensure that those
responsible for these deaths are brought to justice.

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