AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

PRESS RELEASE

AI Index: IOR 41/023/2007 (Public)

News Service No: 191

5 October 2007

Myanmar: Security Council must follow up the recent visit by Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari

(New York) Amnesty International welcomes today's expressions of concern by the UN Secretary-General, the UN's Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari and by many members of the Security Council about the grave human rights situation in Myanmar.

"The Security Council must now follow up this crucial open debate with a strong statement expressing its deep concern about continuing human rights violations and calling on the Myanmar authorities to take immediate concrete action to protect human rights including steps just recommended by Mr Gambari," said Yvonne Terlingen, the Head of Amnesty International's Office at the UN.

"The Security Council must now press for drastic change in Myanmar's appalling human rights policies and keep the human rights situation under close and constant review as resolving the human rights crisis is key to addressing peace and security and advancing national reconciliation in Myanmar."

As the UN Special Envoy told the Security Council, concrete steps must include an end to night raids and arrests, releasing all those arrested during demonstrations, allowing medical access to the wounded, allowing access by the ICRC to all those detained and tracing the missing. He also called for withdrawal of military forces from the street and ensuring respect for human rights and the rule of law by law enforcement officials.

"Gambari's visit is of crucial importance. But it is only the beginning of a process that must involve close monitoring of progress on human rights through additional visits by the Special Envoy and regular review by the Security Council. The authorities must also facilitate an early visit from the UN's human rights expert, Mr Sergio Pinheiro, as the Human Right s Council recently called for," said Yvonne Terlingen.

"The Myanmar Representative told the Security Council that his country will cooperate with the UN. A key test will now be whether the government will release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other prisoners of conscience and whether it will allow Mr Pinheiro prompt and unhindered access to the country. An indicator of the Security Council's resolve will be whether it will keep the Myanmar situation under the closest review and whether it will invite Mr. Pinheiro to brief it to complement the briefing it has just received from Mr. Gambari"

The Security Council must also consider visiting the country for itself to engage in dialogue to improve justice and human rights.

"The Council must also ensure that those responsible for human rights violations are held accountable and that the Myanmar authorities deal with the country's long-standing human rights concerns, which have helped fuel the recent crisis," said Amnesty International.

For more information, please call the Amnesty International UN Office on +1212 867 8878.

Public Document

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