UN rights commission hears reports of mixed progress in Myanmar, DR of Congo

The Geneva-based United Nations Commission on Human Rights today heard reports from experts on the mixed progress achieved by Myanmar and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) over the past year.

Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, called for the country's authorities to release all those detained since deadly clashes last May, including opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi of the National League for Democracy (NLD).

He also stressed the need for Myanmar to fulfil a number of fundamental human rights requirements, including lifting all restrictions on freedoms of expression, movement, information, assembly and association. Related "security" legislation must be repealed, he said, calling also for the reopening of the NLD offices.

While recognizing that Myanmar had cooperated with his mandate, Mr. Pinheiro noted that the implementation of his recommendations had been limited. He acknowledged that transitioning from a long military regime to a democratic one would be difficult, but warned that a political transition towards democracy that did not respect human rights risked failure.

Myanmar's delegate, U Mya Than, said the Rapporteur had highlighted a number of very important positive developments in his presentation, but his treatment of the unfortunate 30 May incident was out of proportion. Had Daw Aung San Suu Kyi acted in good faith and cooperated with the authorities, the incident could have been avoided, the representative said.

Iulia-Antoanella Motoc, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the DRC, hailed the political progress made there over the past year, including the adoption of a transition constitution. But despite these gains, the process still remained fragile, particularly concerning the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of the former fighters into society. Massive human rights violations persisted. She condemned attacks that had been perpetrated against members of the UN Organization Mission in the country (MONUC) and paid tribute to its activities.

The Special Rapporteur also stressed the need to address impunity in the DRC, noting that the process of reconciliation had encountered difficulties with regard to the adoption of a draft law on the establishment of truth and reconciliation commission. That legislation, which had been passed without consulting civil society, did not fulfil the conditions concerning independence, equity and transparency.

The DRC representative, Sebastien Mutomb Mujing, hailed Ms. Motoc's report as positive and balanced. The country had progressed remarkably in several areas that impacted on the protection of human rights. The transitional government had done all it could with regard to the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of former fighters, and hoped for aid from the international community to speed up the process. The mass violations of human rights noted in the report had taken place mainly in territories where the authority of the State had not yet been totally re-established, he said, blaming them on the presence of uncontrolled armed militias.