AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL WEB FEATURE

Date: 02 October 2007

Index: ASA 16/021/2007 (Public)

Human Rights Council adopts Myanmar resolution

The UN Human Rights Council today (Tuesday) adopted a resolution strongly deploring the violent repression of peaceful demonstrations in Myanmar. The resolution, which was supported by all 47 members of the Council, urges the Government of Myanmar to ensure full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.

The Council called on the Government of Myanmar to release without delay all political detainees and those arrested or detained as part of the recent repression. It urged the Government to ensure full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access throughout the country.

The Council has asked the Council's Special Rapporteur on Myanmar to assess the current situation and monitor the implementation of its resolution. He is to report to the resumed sixth session of the Human Rights Council in early December and the UN General Assembly at its current session.

A spokesperson for Amnesty International addressed the meeting of the Council. Tim Parritt, Deputy Director of the organization's Asia-Pacific Programme, stressed that "it is the duty of the Myanmar government to account for all those detained by its law enforcement agents, military and other security forces.

"Detainees should not be held in secret places of detention, and must be granted access to independent lawyers, medical personnel and to family members. Those detained for participation in peaceful assemblies must be released immediately, including at least 150 persons arrested in August at an early stage of the current crisis, unless they are charged with a recognisably criminal offence."

Amnesty International also calls for the release of all prisoners of conscience among the 1,150 political prisoners detained before the current crisis.

Video:

Watch footage from the Human Rights Council session http://www.un.org/webcast/unhrc/archive.asp?go=015

Watch Amnesty International's speech to the session

rtsp://webcast.un.org/ondemand/conferences/unhrc/special/5th/hrc071002pm-eng.rm?start=01:35:31&end=01:39:01

Read more:

Myanmar: Amnesty International statement for UN Human Rights Council Special Session (2 October 2007) http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA160182007

Myanmar: Human Rights Council must pressure authorities to release detainees (Press Release, 2 October 2007) http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA160172007

Military stamps out mass protests (News, 1 October 2007) http://web.amnesty.org/pages/mmr-011007-news-eng

UN must impose arms embargo on Myanmar (Feature, 1 October) http://web.amnesty.org/pages/arms-011007-feature-eng********