From: =?shift_jis?B?V2luZG93cyBJbnRlcm5ldCBFeHBsb3JlciA3IILFlduRtoKzguqCxIKi?= =?shift_jis?B?gtyCtw==?= Subject: Open Letter to the President of Human Rights Counsel Date: Sun, 7 Jun 2009 19:29:41 +0900 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="shift_jis" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.ngo-hrn.org/active/openletter070928.html X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.0.6000.16669 Open Letter to = the President of Human Rights Counsel

Open=20 Letter to the President of Human Rights Counsel

28=20 September 2007=20  

Ambassador=20 Doru-Romulus Costea,=20

President=20 of Human Rights Council

cc.=20 Members of the Human Rights Council in Asia=20

Your=20 Excellency,

 

The=20 present ongoing political and human rights crisis in=20 Myanmar=20 is of great concern to the international community today.   As this = situation requires immediate international concerns and actions, we are = asking=20 you to convene a special session to examine the deteriorating human = rights=20 situation in Myanmar.=20 After the demonstrations by the Burmese people and Buddhist monks from=20 19=20 August 2007=20 onward, the Myanmar=20 government yesterday (26=20 September 2007)=20 responded by forcefully dispersing the demonstrators and monks who have = been=20 demonstrating peacefully in Rangoon=20 for the ninth consecutive day. As this letter is written, the = deteriorating=20 situation includes:

  • In=20 Rangoon:=20 At Shwedagon pagoda, the holiest Buddhist = place in=20 Rangoon,=20 the Burmese soldiers today used baton and tear gas against the = Buddhist monks=20 and civilian protesters. Some of the demonstrators were reportedly = beaten up=20 while hundreds were arrested and taken away in trucks. At least one = Buddhist=20 monk was killed
  • More=20 than 200 human rights defenders have been arrested, while four persons = have=20 reportedly been killed. Large numbers of army and riot police = personnel have=20 been deployed around a number of monasteries in=20 Rangoon.=20 In the morning of 27 September, monks were beaten in morning raid at=20 monasteries by the soldiers.
  • Mandalay,=20 Central=20 Burma;=20 On 26 September, Eight National League for = Democracy=20 (NLD) members were arrested in the township across=20 Mandalay=20 division. One famous comedian, Par Par Lay = was also=20 arrested. In the afternoon of 26 September, military troops fired = shots and=20 used tear gas in an effort to disperse tens of thousands of monks = gathering=20 peacefully.  
  • Kachin=20 State; Early morning of 26 September —At least 90 monks from = several=20 monasteries in Moe Nyin Township were = arrested by=20 the authorities at 10 p.m. Five NLD members were also arrested. =

It=20 has also been reported that Aung San Suu Kyi, the = pro-democracy leader=20 who has been under house arrest for 15 years have been sent to = high-security=20 Insein Prison for detention, reflecting the=20 Myanmar=20 government's denial of international community's calls to release her. = The=20 detention of Ms Suu Kyi in=20 this prison is unacceptable and in contravention of theexisiting standards, both domestic in=20 Myanmar=20 and international.

 

In=20 1988 at a similar mass demonstration, the government responded brutally = firing=20 into the crowd – leading to about 3,000 killed. The 1990 election = where the=20 opposition National League for Democracy won the most seats was not = upheld, and=20 the military continued its undemocratic rule to the present. Since then = there=20 have been tremendous cases of violence against women, human rights = abuses, and=20 cases of political dissidents being harassed, tortured, killed, or = disappeared.=20 Currently there are more than 3 million refugees and asylum seekers = around the=20 world from Myanmar=20 – from the massive massacre in 1990 onward – not to mention = 27,000 Internally=20 Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the=20 Karen=20 State.=20 As a result from the possible crackdown, million will flee=20 Myanmar=20 as refugees making them vulnerable to further human rights abuses. =

 

This=20 special session is, in addition, especially called for, in light of the = current=20 serious deterioration of the situation, to examine the persistent=20 non-cooperation of the government = Myanmar=20 with the United Nations. The UN Human Rights Council's Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in=20 Myanmar,=20 Mr. Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, appointed by the = former=20 Commission on Human Rights, has been denied visits to the country since = 2004 –=20 reflecting the setbacks and untruthfulness to bring national = reconciliation and=20 genuine democracy to the country.

 

We,=20 consider that the situation in = Myanmar=20 of possible massive human rights violations is in its most critical = period. The=20 Resolution 60/251 emphasize on the responsibilities of all states, = including the=20 Government of Myanmar, to respect the human rights and fundamental = freedom of=20 all (PP 5), therefore we urge the Human Rights Council:

 

·=20 The=20 Presidency of the United Nations Human Rights Council to issue his = concern on=20 the human rights situation in=20 Myanmar=20 due to the urgency of the situation.=20

·The=20 UN Human Rights Council to take immediate response to the Human Rights = Situation=20 in Myanmar=20 in its 6 th=20 Session.

·=20 The=20  UN Human Rights Council to convene a Special Session on the urgent = human=20 rights Situation in Myanmar, with the view to prevent further human = rights=20 violations in Myanmar   and the establishment of an appropriate = preventive=20 mechanism with the involvement of the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Situation in Myanmar.=20

·=20 To=20 urge the Government of Myanmar=20 to implement all the decisions and resolutions by the former Commission = on Human=20 Rights regarding Myanmar.=20

We=20 remain at your disposal for any further information or consultation on = this=20 urgent matter.

 

Thank=20 you very much.

Yours=20 sincerely,

  

Anselmo=20 LEE

Executive=20 Director

FORUM-ASIA=20

 

For=20 more information, please contact:

 

Anselmo=20 Lee, Executive Director, The Asian Forum for Human Rights and = Development=20 (FORUM-ASIA), +66 (02) 391 8801, anselmo@forum-asia.org,=20 or Pokpong Lawansiri, Programme Officer on Southeast Asia, at = pong@forum-asia.org,=20 +66 (0) 86 603 8844.

 

This=20 letter is endorsed by 62 organizations in Asia,=20 South, Southeast and Northeast=20 Asia. 

  1. Activists=20 Society for Change (ACS), Thailand=20
  2. ADHIKAR,=20 India=20
  3. Ain=20 O Salish Kendra (ASK), Bangladesh=20
  4. Aliansi=20 Jurnalis Independen (AJI),=20 Indonesia=20
  5. All=20 Rabha Students'=20 Union,=20 India=20
  6. Asia-Pacific=20 People's Partnership for Burma=20 (APPPB)
  7. Asian=20 Legal=20 Resource=20 Center=20 (ALRC)
  8. Boro=20 Peoples' Welfare Society, India=20 Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) =
  9. Cambodia=20 League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights = (LICADHO)=20
  10. Center=20 for Human Rights and Development (CHRD),=20 Mongolia=20
  11. Centre=20 for Organisation Research & Education = (CORE),=20 India=20  
  12. Citizens'=20 Council for Human Rights (CCHR), = Philippines=20
  13. Commission=20 for the "Disappeared" and Victims of Violence (KONTRAS),=20 Indonesia=20
  14. Community=20 Trust Fund (CTF), Sri=20 Lanka=20
  15. Education=20 and Research Association for Consumer (ERA Consumer),=20 Malaysia=20
  16. Friend's=20 Association for Rural Reconstruction (FARR),=20 India=20
  17. Globe=20 International (GI), Mongolia=20
  18. HAK=20 Association, Timor=20 Leste
  19. Human=20 Rights Commission of Pakistan=20 (HRCP), Pakistan=20
  20. Human=20 Rights Education Institute of = Burma=20 (HREIB)
  21. Human=20 Rights Now (Japan)
  22. Human=20 Rights Working Group (HRWG) = Indonesia=20
  23. Indian=20 Confederation of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples North East Zone = (ICITP-NEZ),=20 India=20
  24. Indonesian=20 Human Rights Monitor (IMPARSIAL)
  25. Indonesian=20 Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI),=20 Indonesia=20
  26. Information=20 Monitor (INFORM), Sri=20 Lanka=20
  27. Informal=20 Sector Service Centre (INSEC), = Nepal=20
  28. International=20 Federation of Indigenous Youths' Associations
  29. International=20 Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination (IMADR)
  30. International=20 NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (INFID)
  31. Jaintia=20 Students' Federation, India=20
  32. Judicial=20 System Monitoring Programme (JSMP),=20 Timor=20 Leste
  33. Korean=20 House for International Solidarity (KHIS),=20 South=20 Korea=20
  34. Law=20 and Society Trust (LST), Sri=20 Lanka=20
  35. Legal=20 Resources for Social Action (LRSA),=20 India=20
  36. Mainao=20 Welfare Society,=20 India=20
  37. Madaripur=20 Legal Aid Association (MLAA), = Bangladesh=20
  38. Migrant=20 Forum in Asia=20
  39. Paglingkod=20 Batas Pangkapapatiran Foundation (PBPF),=20 Philippines=20
  40. Paralegal=20 Training and Services Center=20 (PTSC), Philippines=20
  41. People's=20 Empowerment for Strong Civil Society,=20 Thailand=20
  42. People's=20 Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD),=20 South=20 Korea=20
  43. People's=20 Watch,=20 India=20
  44. Philippines=20 Alliance=20 for Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA),=20 Philippines=20
  45. PILIPINA=20 Legal Resources Center (PLRC),=20 Philippines=20
  46. Odhikar,=20 Bangladesh=20
  47. Rege-Regang,=20 India=20
  48. Resource=20 Integration Centre (RIC), Bangladesh=20
  49. Sekretariat=20 Anak Merdeka=20 Indonesia=20 (SAMIN), Indonesia=20
  50. Self=20 Employed Bodo Women's Association,=20 India=20
  51. Society=20 for Aie=20 Valley=20 and Manash=20 Area Road=20 Communication Development, India=20
  52. Students=20 Federation of Thailand=20 (SFT)
  53. Suara=20 Rakyat Malaysia=20 (SUARAM)
  54. Taiwan=20 Alliance=20 to End Death Penalty (TAEDP)
  55. Taiwan=20 Association for Human Rights (TAHR)
  56. Taiwan=20 Association for Rights Advancement for Ping Pu Plans=20 Aborigine Peoples (TARA-Ping Pu) =
  57. Taiwan=20 Aung San Suu = Kyi Network (TASSKN)
  58. Tanggol-Kalikasan-Public=20 Interest Environmental Law Office,=20 Philippines=20
  59. Task=20 Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP),=20 Philippines=20
  60. Think=20 Centre,=20 Singapore=20
  61. Women's=20 Welfare Society (WWS), Nepal=20
  62. Yayasan=20 Lembaga Bantuan Hukum = Indonesia=20 (YLBHI)