Mizzima: Envoy got full cooperation

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            Envoy got full cooperation from Burmese govt.: UN

Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com)

Oct. 18: The United Nations today said that its Special Envoy on Human
Rights in Burma received full cooperation from the Burmese government
during his recent mission to the military-run Burma. But the opposition
political quarters in the country had criticized the envoy that he did
not spend enough time with them.

?(T)he Special Rapporteur said he had received full and unhindered
cooperation on the part of the Myanmar Government during this mission?,
said the United Nations press release today.

The special envoy Prof. Paulo Sergio Pinheiro arrived Burma on October 9
on his first fact-finding mission and planned to stay there until
Saturday. However he cut short his visit for health reasons and returned
to his native Brazil on Wednesday.

In the press release, the United Nations said that the Brazilian
academic hoped to return to Burma as soon as his health condition
allows. ?He said he hoped to be able to return to Myanmar as soon as his
health permits to pursue his fact-finding mission and efforts to develop
partnership with all interested parties towards improving the human
rights situation in the country?.

Prof. Pinheiro first visited Burma in April this year as an ?exploratory
visit? after being appointed as special envoy in February by U.N.
Secretary-General Kofi Annan. His predecessor, Rajsoomer Lallah, was
never allowed to visit Burma by the military regime.

During his visit, the Special Rapporteur met with military government
officials, ethnic minority leaders and leaders of National League for
Democracy (NLD), including Aung San Suu Kyi who remains under house
arrest in Rangoon. The NLD won a landslide victory in the 1990 elections
but never handed over power by the military junta.

The United Nations said that Prof. Pinheiro and his team also visited
prisons in Mandalay and Shan State and a university in Sagaing Division.
Due to an ailment, his planned visits to Kachin State, Insein prison,
and a labour camp near the capital Rangoon had to be cancelled.

While he was still in Burma, a spokesman for the opposition National
League for Democracy (NLD) Party criticized him for ?not spending enough
time consulting with local communities?.



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<center><font color="#3333FF"><font size=+2>Envoy got full cooperation
from Burmese govt.: UN</font></font></center>

<p><i><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>Mizzima News <a href="http://www.mizzima.com";>(www.mizzima.com)</a></font></font></i>
<p><font size=+1><b><i><font color="#FF6666">Oct. 18: </font></i></b>The
United Nations today said that its Special Envoy on Human Rights in Burma
received full cooperation from the Burmese government during his recent
mission to the military-run Burma. But the opposition political quarters
in the country had criticized the envoy that he did not spend enough time
with them.</font>
<p><font size=+1>?(T)he Special Rapporteur said he had received full and
unhindered cooperation on the part of the Myanmar Government during this
mission?, said the United Nations press release today.</font>
<p><font size=+1>The special envoy Prof. Paulo Sergio Pinheiro arrived
Burma on October 9 on his first fact-finding mission and planned to stay
there until Saturday. However he cut short his visit for health reasons
and returned to his native Brazil on Wednesday.</font>
<p><font size=+1>In the press release, the United Nations said that the
Brazilian academic hoped to return to Burma as soon as his health condition
allows. ?He said he hoped to be able to return to Myanmar as soon as his
health permits to pursue his fact-finding mission and efforts to develop
partnership with all interested parties towards improving the human rights
situation in the country?.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Prof. Pinheiro first visited Burma in April this year
as an ?exploratory visit? after being appointed as special envoy in February
by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. His predecessor, Rajsoomer Lallah,
was never allowed to visit Burma by the military regime.</font>
<p><font size=+1>During his visit, the Special Rapporteur met with military
government officials, ethnic minority leaders and leaders of National League
for Democracy (NLD), including Aung San Suu Kyi who remains under house
arrest in Rangoon. The NLD won a landslide victory in the 1990 elections
but never handed over power by the military junta.</font>
<p><font size=+1>The United Nations said that Prof. Pinheiro and his team
also visited prisons in Mandalay and Shan State and a university in Sagaing
Division. Due to an ailment, his planned visits to Kachin State, Insein
prison, and a labour camp near the capital Rangoon had to be cancelled.</font>
<p><font size=+1>While he was still in Burma, a spokesman for the opposition
National League for Democracy (NLD) Party criticized him for ?not spending
enough time consulting with local communities?.</font>
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