Quintana to assess human rights situation in Burma

06 February 2013: Mr. Tomás Ojea Quintana, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Burma, is to make his first visit in the year 2013 from 11 to 16 February.

His official visit at the invitation of the government of Burma will include gathering information on the current situation in Kachin and Rakhine States, according to the UN source.

Mr. Quintana said: “As Myanmar continues to undergo wide-ranging reforms, it is important to assess the current human rights situation and to reflect on positive developments and remaining challenges.”

“A particular concern is the escalation of the conflict in Kachin State, and I hope my visit will give me a clearer picture of the situation there and the impact it has had on civilians,” said the rights expert, who is preparing for his seventh mission to Burma.

Mr. Quintana said he would also visit the camps for the internally displaced persons following violence between Rakhine Buddhist and Muslim Rohingya communities.

He made a trip to Rakhine State last August meeting with community leaders as well as victims of the communal clashes in Burma’s western state.

The Special Rapporteur is scheduled to hold meetings with government officials, members of Parliament and the judiciary, the National Human Rights Commission, and civil society in Rangoon and Naypyitaw.

“I look forward to constructive discussion, at both senior and grassroots levels, with the aim of encouraging continuing progress in human rights protection, democratic transition and national reconciliation, while also advising on remaining gaps,” said Mr. Quintana.

At the end of his mission to Burma, Mr. Quinta will hold a press conference at Rangoon International Airport at 6:15pm on 16 February 2013.

Mr. Tomás Ojea Quintana, from Argentina, was appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council in May 2008 as a Special Rapporteur, independent from any government or organization, to serve in his individual capacity.

Van Biak Thang
[email protected]