Follow up of the Inter-Parliamentar

[pdburma@xxxxxxxxx]

Subject: Follow up of the Inter-Parliamentary Council's resolutions

GRP/99/DSG.8
12 November 1999


HUMAN RIGHTS

FOLLOW-UP TO THE INTER-PARLIAMENTARY COUNCIL'S
RESOLUTIONS ON INDIVIDUAL HUMAN RIGHTS CASES REGARDING
PARLIAMENTARIANS

Madam President,
Mr.President,

At its 87th session, held in conjunction with the 102nd Conference of the
Inter-Parliamentary Union last month in Berlin, the Committee on the Human
Rights of Parliamentarians referred to the Inter-Parliamentary Council 22 cases
regarding 130 former and incumbent parliamentarians in the following 17
countries:  Argentina, Belarus, Bhutan, Burundi, Cambodia, Colombia, Democratic
Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Ecuador, Gambia, Guinea, Honduras, Malaysia,
Myanmar, Nigeria, Republic of Moldova and Turkey.  I hereby wish to draw your
attention to the resolutions which the Council, on the Committee?s proposal,
adopted in Berlin on these cases. 

You will find the text of the resolutions in the document containing the
Results of the Berlin Conference which was recently sent to your National Group
and on the Union?s Web site (http://www.ipu.org).  A short summary of each case
on which a resolution was adopted is annexed hereto.

May I highlight in particular the resolution regarding MPs-elect in Myanmar, a
copy of which you will find attached.  As the Committee?s President stated in
his oral report, their situation is particularly distressing to the
Inter-Parliamentary Union as they have been prevented to date by the military
junta in power from exercising the mandate entrusted to them by the people in
the election of 1990.  Ever since the Committee referred these cases to it, the
Council has condemned the deliberate policy of the Government of the Union of
Myanmar of disregarding the outcome of the 1990 elections and its unwillingness
to hand over power to the democratically elected representatives. 
Consequently, when the MPs-elect established in September 1998 the ?Committee
representing the People?s Parliament?, the Council held that, in doing so, they
were defending the rights of their constituents to take part in the conduct of
public affairs through representatives of their choice and exercising their
right to discharge the mandate entrusted to them.  In Berlin, the Council
reaffirmed this position and called on its member parliaments ?to press for
respect for democratic principles in Myanmar and show, by whatever means they
deem appropriate, particularly through support for the ?Committee representing
the People?s Parliament? their solidarity with their colleagues from the Pyithu
Hluttaw elected in 1990?.  The Council also invited member parliaments to
inform
it of any steps they have taken to that effect.  

I would therefore be grateful if your Parliament could inform me of any action
it has taken in response to the Council?s appeal.  I would like to recall in
this connection the statement that your colleague, Mr. Gjellerod from Denmark,
made in Berlin, inviting his colleagues to ensure that their respective
parliaments adopt a resolution similar to the Council resolution and contribute
by all possible means to the restoration of democracy in Myanmar.  

May I further draw your attention to the resolution regarding the case of
Mr.Lim Guan Eng from Malaysia (copy attached).  The Council has consistently
expressed its strong support for a full pardon for Mr. Lim Guan Eng and even
sent a mission to Kuala Lumpur to that end  all to no avail.  In the light of
the information supplied by the Malaysian Parliament that no further remedy was
henceforth open to Mr. Lim Guan Eng, the Council felt compelled to close his
case while reaffirming its consistent position that he was the victim of a
politically motivated prosecution.  However, the Committee was recently
informed that Mr.Lim Guan Eng has lodged a new pardon petition with H.M. the
King of Malaysia.  In view of this, the Committee?s President requested me to
call again on all member parliaments to express their support for a pardon for
Mr. Lim Guan Eng so that he may continue participating in the political life of
his country and, in particular, be able to stand as a candidate in the
forthcoming parliamentary elections.  

The Committee wishes to thank you in advance for your support in this regard
and would be grateful if you could inform it of any action your Parliament has
taken on behalf of Mr.Lim Guan Eng.  

I would be pleased to send you the Committee's report together with any
up-to-date information relating to developments in cases on which your
Parliament may wish to take action.  The Committee, which will hold its next
session from 23 to 27 January 2000 at the IPU headquarters will examine
confidentially any information you communicate to it and will make no reference
thereto in its public report without your explicit permission.

Thank you in advance for your kind attention in this matter.

Yours sincerely,

Anders B. Johnsson
Secretary General


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