(Bangkok, 1 October 2007) Human rights organisations from Asia¹ have written to all Asian governments urging action regarding the ongoing situation in Burma/Myanmar, targeting in particular the Asian members of the Human Rights Council (HRC)² who meet in Geneva for a Special Session on Myanmar on Tuesday 2^nd and Wednesday 3^rd October. In addition, two Burmese human rights activists are being sent to Geneva to lobby and speak at the Special Session to help ensure that the HRC comes up with an adequate resolution.

The letter urges the Asian members of the HRC to adopt an action-orientated resolution to establish:

i) A fact finding mission mandated to investigate the human rights violations committed by the SPDC in response to peaceful demonstrations.

 

This mission should be led by the Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights Situation in Myanmar, Mr. Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, and should include other relevant special procedures mandate holders (for example on human rights defenders, freedom of expression, arbitrary detention, extrajudicial execution).

 

The mission would then report back to the HRC, which could then convene another special session to discuss the findings.

 

ii) An independent monitoring team, to monitor the implementation of the recommendations of the fact finding mission, and to assess the broader human rights situation within Burma/Myanmar. 

 

The team should be coordinated by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and should report back to the  HRC via the High Commissioner herself.

The letter concludes by reminding Asian members of the HRC that they have a special responsibility to ensure that the HRC is able to effectively implement its mandate - to prevent human rights violations and to protect the human rights of all peoples.

The two human rights activists being sent to the HRC special session on 2^nd and 3^rd October are: Mr Aung Myo Min, Director of Human Rights Education in Burma (HREIB), Chiangmai, Thailand; and Ms Naw Zipporah Sein (Zipporah), Karen Women's Organisation (KWO), Mae Sok, Thai-Burma border. They will be accompanied by Mr Pokpong Lawansiri (Pong) from FORUM-ASIA

An Appeal Letter (download pdf)

These organisations are the Forum for Democracy in Burma (FDB), the National Coalition of the Union of Burma (NCUB), the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners - Burma (AAPP), the Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma (ALTSEAN-Burma), and the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)

2 The ten Asian members of the HRC are Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Korea and Sri Lanka.