U.N. rights envoy Paulo Sergio Pinheiro (2nd R) looks at food prepared for inmates at Insein Prison during his visit to the facility in Rangoon, 12 Nov 2007A U.N. human rights investigator who recently returned from Burma says he believes the government there is holding more political prisoners than it admits.
Paulo Sergio Pinheiro told an audience at a U.S. university, Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island that he doubts the official claim that only 93 people remain in detention following the crackdown on protesters.
Pinheiro will present the findings from his five-day fact-finding mission to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva next month.
Burmese officials say 15 people were killed and nearly three-thousand detained in the September crackdown. Diplomats and human rights groups say the figures are much higher.
Amnesty International says the arrests continue, despite Prime Minister Thein Sein's pledge to visiting U.N. envoy Ibrahim Gambari in early November that they would stop.
U.N. officials say Gambari will arrive in Cambodia Thursday for talks on Burma's political crisis. There has been no announcement of a meeting with Burma's prime minister, who will arrive in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh the following day.
Friday, 30 November 2007
Thursday, 29 November 2007
Sunday, 25 November 2007
Mr Gambari visits Vietnam
Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari is now in Vietnam for a five-day visit as part of the UN's plan to exchange views with ASEAN member countries in dealing with the Burma issue.
The envoy said that the UN wants to cooperate with Vietnam as well as with other Southeast Asian countries so that the Burmese issue can be solved completely.
The UN envoy also highlighted Vietnam's role and position in Southeast Asia and the country's non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council, which will take effect as of 1 January 2008.
Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Kheim reaffirmed Vietnam’s support for national reconciliation process in Burma while he met Mr Gambari on 24 November.
Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari is now in Vietnam for a five-day visit as part of the UN's plan to exchange views with ASEAN member countries in dealing with the Burma issue.
The envoy said that the UN wants to cooperate with Vietnam as well as with other Southeast Asian countries so that the Burmese issue can be solved completely.
The UN envoy also highlighted Vietnam's role and position in Southeast Asia and the country's non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council, which will take effect as of 1 January 2008.
Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Kheim reaffirmed Vietnam’s support for national reconciliation process in Burma while he met Mr Gambari on 24 November.
UN Rights Expert Urges Continued International Pressure on Burma
The United Nations human rights expert for Burma has urged the international community to keep up pressure on Burmese military rulers toward reform.
Paulo Sergio Pinheiro said after his recent trip to Burma that a good opportunity for a real transition in the country might be lost, if the world's pressure weakens. He said the international community must talk less and act more.
Pinheiro confirmed that Burmese authorities allowed him to meet privately with five prisoners, but declined to give details. He is next due to deliver a comprehensive report on his findings to the U.N. Human rights commission in December.
Earlier, U.N. envoy to Burma, Ibrahim Gambari, said his role in helping resolve Burma's political crisis needs to be bolstered.
Speaking with some Asian leaders, Gambari said that he needs to test Burma's willingness to live up to its pledge to work with the world body.
Gambari was originally scheduled to deliver a formal briefing on his efforts to resolve the crisis at a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other Asian leaders this week. But that briefing was called off amid opposition from Burma, which is a member of ASEAN.
Gambari has visited Burma twice since the military government's violent September crackdown on pro democracy and anti-government protesters that killed at least 15 people.
Paulo Sergio Pinheiro said after his recent trip to Burma that a good opportunity for a real transition in the country might be lost, if the world's pressure weakens. He said the international community must talk less and act more.
Pinheiro confirmed that Burmese authorities allowed him to meet privately with five prisoners, but declined to give details. He is next due to deliver a comprehensive report on his findings to the U.N. Human rights commission in December.
Earlier, U.N. envoy to Burma, Ibrahim Gambari, said his role in helping resolve Burma's political crisis needs to be bolstered.
Speaking with some Asian leaders, Gambari said that he needs to test Burma's willingness to live up to its pledge to work with the world body.
Gambari was originally scheduled to deliver a formal briefing on his efforts to resolve the crisis at a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other Asian leaders this week. But that briefing was called off amid opposition from Burma, which is a member of ASEAN.
Gambari has visited Burma twice since the military government's violent September crackdown on pro democracy and anti-government protesters that killed at least 15 people.
Saturday, 10 November 2007
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