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UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar re
- Subject: UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar re
- From: darnott@xxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 03 Nov 2000 06:55:00
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UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar resigns
Burma Peace Foundation, Geneva, 3 November 2000
Judge Rajsoomer Lallah, who has been the Commission on Human Rights'
Special Rapporteur on Myanmar since 1996, resigned on 2 November, citing
lack of support from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The last straw may have been the recent "unfortunate administrative
misunderstanding" which prevented him from travelling from Geneva to New
York to present his report to the General Assembly and conduct important
meetings related to his mandate.
Judge Lallah's predecessor as Special Rapporteur, Professor Yozo Yokota,
resigned for similar reasons.
Lack of funding is one important factor. Funding for the Special Rapporteur's
mandate, as for other Special Procedures, comes out of the core funding of
the High Commissioner's Office, and though governments can earmark extra
funds for Special Procedures, they have clearly not given enough.
Judge Lallah, who sits on the UN Human Rights Committee, is a former Chief
Justice of Mauritius. He has been an exemplary Rapporteur, delivering
firm, well-
written and legally meticulous reports on the human rights situation in
Burma.
He has consistently maintained that "the absence of respect for the
rights pertaining
to democratic governance is at the root of all the major violations of
human rights
in Myanmar". On the Administration of Justice he states in his
current report to
the General Assembly that "Not only are the courts not independent but they
are also
powerless in protecting the rights of victims of violations of their basic
rights. The
lack of full respect for due process, judicial control over detention or
absence of an
effective remedy and a culture of impunity for transgressions by officials
are some
of the effects of a judicial system which is effectively used as an
instrument of
oppression. And in his conclusions: "The Special Rapporteur notes with deep
concern the continuing deterioration of the human rights situation
in Myanmar
since his last report. The suppression of all opposition political
activity, inhuman
treatment towards members of the opposition and ethnic minorities, and the
absence of respect and protection for the liberty, health, education and
human
development of its population remain matters of rave concern, and urgent
and
meaningful measures to halt and reverse the downward spiral of this
situation are
called for".
Such statements have not endeared Judge Lallah to the Burmese junta, which
has never allowed him to enter the country. The generals will no doubt be
very happy
that they are no longer in Judge Lallah's sights, and be hoping that the
next Special
Rapporteur appointed by the Commission on Human Rights will be more
accommodating.
The Special Rapporteur's recent oral statement to the GA (read out in his
absence by Mr Bacre Ndiaye) is on the UN Human rights website at:
http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/8CB571AD2B38BB23C1256983004F1E91?opendocument
His written report to the GA is in the excruciatingly slow pdf on the UN
website at:
http://www.un.org/documents/ga/docs/55/a55359.pdf
Individuals and organisations may like to express
their views on Judge Lallah's resignation to
Mary Robinson, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights,
OHCHR - Palais des Nations
8-4, Av de la Paix
CH-1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland
and urge their governments to give more financial support to her Office,
particularly funds earmarked for Special Procedures.
For more information on Special Procedures etc, see the UN Human Rights
website www.unhchr.ch
Documents on Burma are on the website at:
http://www.unhchr.ch/html_tmp/html/menu2/7/a/mmya.htm
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Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii"
<html>
UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar resigns<br>
<br>
Burma Peace Foundation, Geneva, 3 November 2000<br>
<br>
Judge Rajsoomer Lallah, who has been the Commission on Human
Rights' <br>
Special Rapporteur on Myanmar since 1996, resigned on 2 November, citing
<br>
lack of support from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human
Rights. <br>
The last straw may have been the recent "unfortunate administrative
<br>
misunderstanding" which prevented him from travelling from
Geneva to New <br>
York to present his report to the General Assembly and conduct
important<br>
meetings related to his mandate. <br>
<br>
Judge Lallah's predecessor as Special Rapporteur, Professor Yozo
Yokota, <br>
resigned for similar reasons.<br>
<br>
Lack of funding is one important factor. Funding for the Special
Rapporteur's <br>
mandate, as for other Special Procedures, comes out of the core funding
of <br>
the High Commissioner's Office, and though governments can earmark
extra <br>
funds for Special Procedures, they have clearly not given
enough.<br>
<br>
Judge Lallah, who sits on the UN Human Rights Committee, is a former
Chief <br>
Justice of Mauritius. He has been an exemplary Rapporteur,
delivering firm, well-<br>
written and legally meticulous reports on the human rights situation in
Burma. <br>
He has consistently maintained that "the absence of
respect for the rights pertaining <br>
to democratic governance is at the root of all the major violations
of human rights <br>
in Myanmar". On the Administration of Justice he states in his
current report to <br>
the General Assembly that "Not only are the courts not independent
but they are also <br>
powerless in protecting the rights of victims of violations of their
basic rights. The <br>
lack of full respect for due process, judicial control over
detention or absence of an <br>
effective remedy and a culture of impunity for transgressions by
officials are some <br>
of the effects of a judicial system which is effectively used as an
instrument of <br>
oppression. And in his conclusions: "The Special
Rapporteur notes with deep <br>
concern the continuing deterioration of the human rights
situation in Myanmar <br>
since his last report. The suppression of all opposition political
activity, inhuman <br>
treatment towards members of the opposition and ethnic minorities,
and the <br>
absence of respect and protection for the liberty, health,
education and human <br>
development of its population remain matters of rave
concern, and urgent and <br>
meaningful measures to halt and reverse the downward spiral of this
situation are <br>
called for". <br>
<br>
Such statements have not endeared Judge Lallah to the Burmese junta,
which <br>
has never allowed him to enter the country. The generals will no doubt be
very happy <br>
that they are no longer in Judge Lallah's sights, and be
hoping that the next Special <br>
Rapporteur appointed by the Commission on Human Rights will
be more <br>
accommodating. <br>
<br>
The Special Rapporteur's recent oral statement to the GA (read out in his
<br>
absence by Mr Bacre Ndiaye) is on the UN Human rights website
at:<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/8CB571AD2B38BB23C1256983004F1E91?opendocument" eudora="autourl">http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/8CB571AD2B38BB23C1256983004F1E91?</a><a href="http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/8CB571AD2B38BB23C1256983004F1E91?opendocument" eudora="autourl">opendocument<br>
<br>
</a>His written report to the GA is in the excruciatingly slow pdf on the
UN website at:<br>
<font color="#0000FF"><u><a href="http://www.un.org/documents/ga/docs/55/a55359.pdf" eudora="autourl">http://www.un.org/documents/ga/docs/55/a55359.</a><a href="http://www.un.org/documents/ga/docs/55/a55359.pdf" eudora="autourl">pdf</a></u></font>
<br>
<br>
Individuals and organisations may like to express <br>
their views on Judge Lallah's resignation to <br>
<br>
Mary Robinson, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights,<br>
OHCHR - Palais des Nations<br>
8-4, Av de la Paix<br>
CH-1211 Geneva 10<br>
Switzerland<br>
<br>
and urge their governments to give more financial support to her Office,<br>
particularly funds earmarked for Special Procedures.<br>
<br>
For more information on Special Procedures etc, see the UN Human Rights <br>
website <a href="http://www.unhchr.ch/" eudora="autourl">www.</a>unhchr<a href="http://www.unhchr.ch/" eudora="autourl">.ch</a><br>
<br>
Documents on Burma are on the website at:<br>
<a href="http://www.unhchr.ch/html_tmp/html/menu2/7/a/mmya.htm" eudora="autourl">http://www.unhchr.ch/html_tmp/html/menu2/7/a/mmya.htm</a></html>
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