Oral Intervention made by Dr. Sein Win
Worldview International Foundation
Mr. Chairman,
I am Dr. Sein Win, an elected representative of the 1990 general elections from Paukkaung Constituency of Burma. I usually take this floor at each session of the UN Commission on Human Rights since 1991 to present the case of 1990 general elections in Burma with the hope that the commission could help accelerate the process of democratization which is vital for the improvement of overall human rights situation in my country. I fully agree with the concluding remark of former UN Human Rights Special Rapporteur, Judge Rajsoomer Lallah, who said, "The lack of respect to the rights pertaining to democratic governance is the root cause of various forms of human rights violations in Burma".
Indeed, a democratic state is a precondition for the exercise of human rights, and for a democracy to function it requires the consent of the people. Concepts such as inclusivity, participation, consensus, ownership, and sustainability are essential for the advancement of democracy. These concepts come together in the idea of dialogue as the foundation on which to promote democratic development.
Since the inception of the Burmese democracy movement, we have upheld dialogue as an integral part of the democratization process; both as an objective and an instrument at the same time. Consecutive UN resolutions affirm that the best means of promoting national reconciliation and the full and early restoration of democracy in Burma is through a Tripartite Dialogue between the democracy forces led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, true representatives of the non-Burman ethnic peoples, and the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) representing the military. Given the urgency to address the needs of the people, it is time for all political actors in Burma to put the interests of the people and the country above all other interests and seek a workable solution for the process of nation rebuilding.
In that sense, we welcome the talks between SPDC and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, which started in October 2000. We fully appreciate the efforts of the UN Special Envoy and all other countries, especially our neighbors to bring about such a significant breakthrough. We note with appreciation some positive steps taken by SPDC in releasing some political prisoners, the suspension of attacks on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the leadership of the National League for Democracy (NLD) in the State-controlled media, and the implicit expression of tolerance through provision of space in some regions for the NLD to reorganize its township level organizing committees, the NLD Youth wing, and the reopening of offices.
The beginning of what we hope is a process of national reconciliation is indeed a rare opportunity for the people of Burma and we urge SPDC to take additional steps to build confidence in the current talks by further relaxing the restrictions placed on the people of Burma.
Though these positive developments are encouraging, human rights conditions nationally are still a concern for us. Even as talks are going on between Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the SPDC leaders, a situation that is totally incompatible with that atmosphere still prevails in the country. Thirty-four elected Members of Parliament remain in prison and 36 other MPs are being detained without trial in government guesthouses since 1996. Leaders of non-Burman ethnic nationalities who were arrested because of their support for the NLD and the establishment of the Committee Representing Peoples’ Parliament are still under detention, and more than one thousand political prisoners remain in Burmese prisons. Being exposed to harsh prison conditions, lack of medical care, and proper nutrition, serious health problems plague these political prisoners, particularly those in Thayet Prison. We strongly urge the SPDC authorities to release all political prisoners immediately and to avoid obstructing their right to freely participate in the political process according to the mandate given them by the people.
We are also seriously concerned about the ongoing military operations in the Shan, Karen and Karenni areas. In the course of the ongoing civil war, various forms of human rights violations are continuing unabated. People are being subjected to torture, rape, forced labor, arbitrary killings, extortion, and arbitrary seizure of their property and livestock. The systematic forced relocation of villages by the Burmese Army in Shan, Karen, and Karenni States has led to a massive displacement of people who have lost means of earning a living as well as the destruction of crops and livestock. Starvation, malnutrition, and death from contagious diseases are common among the one million internally displaced persons in non-Burman ethnic areas.
Another serious matter for concern is the lack of improvement in alleviating forced labor in Burma, particularly in areas where the Burmese army is deployed in strength. Quoting an analysis by the Federation of Trade Unions-Burma, ICFTU estimates that at least 80,000 individuals, men, women, children, and elderly persons from approximately 60 villages in four districts of Karen States were forced to perform hard labor between November 2000 and January 2001. The report on conscription for military porterage and forced labor for plantations owned by Army units came from Ye Township in Tenasserim Division, Southern tail of Burma.
As a gesture of demonstrating confidence in the current talks and with the aim of alleviating the suffering of the people, we strongly urge SPDC authorities to cease all hostilities, anti-religious activities, and human rights abuses, including forced relocations and forced labor. We propose creating "peace corridors" in areas of armed conflicts so that humanitarian assistance can be delivered directly without any political interference to those in most urgent need, especially in the non-Burma ethnic states.
Mr. Chairman:
Time is of the essence for the people of Burma and they need the good Offices of the UN Secretary-General and the UN Commission on Human Rights to help develop the current dialogue between Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and SPDC into an irreversible process towards a democratic transition. We appeal to the Commission to call on the SPDC to accept the visit of the newly appointed human rights Special Rapporteur for Burma and further cooperate with the UN Special Envoy.
Thank you.