U.N. human rights expert on Myanmar

[darnott@xxxxxxxxxxx]

U.N. human rights expert on Myanmar resigns

AP, Geneva,  3 November 2000.The United Nations human rights
expert on Myanmar has resigned, citing lack of assistance from
the world body, a spokesman said Friday.

Rajsoomer Lallah had sent a letter of resignation Thursday, said Jose
Diaz, spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.

''I believe he expressed some frustration with the secretarial support
that he was getting and also he seems to have expressed frustration
as well with the little change that he has seen in the country that he
follows,'' Diaz said.

Lallah, the former Chief Justice of Mauritius, was appointed to the post
in June 1996 to replace Japanese Yozo Yokota, who left claiming he did
not have the resources to carry out his work.

U.N. rights experts do not receive salaries, but the United Nations pays
for expenses and provides help with translation and preparing reports.

In a report to the U.N. General Assembly last month, Lallah said that
the human rights situation in Myanmar continues to deteriorate with the
military government suppressing all opposition political activity and
engaging in ''inhuman treatment'' of opposition members and ethnic
minorities.

Myanmar, also known as Burma, has never allowed Lallah to visit.

(nk-gm)