Dear Ms Arbour,
RE: SUSPEND MYANMAR FROM THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
On this international Human Rights Day, December 10, 2005, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) calls upon you to initiate action to suspend Myanmar from participating in the UN Commission on Human Rights in 2006.
It is public knowledge that the situation of human rights in Myanmar is among the worst in the world. Virtually all human rights are routinely, systemically and flagrantly violated by the authorities in Myanmar. Many pages would be needed to list them all. The AHRC has in particular received detailed reports that speak to the “un-rule of law” in every part of the country. It has also for many years asserted that state policies contrive to deny the right to food to millions there, an assertion recently backed by the World Food Programme director.
The situation of human rights in Myanmar has been amply documented by the Special Rapporteurs of the Commission on Human Rights appointed for this purpose. The Government of Myanmar has shown no sincerity in its dealings with any of the Special Rapporteurs. It has played charades. It has treated one after the next with polite contempt.
The current Special Rapporteur is due to complete his term in office. The Asian Human Rights Commission urges you today to take steps so that the post is not renewed. Instead, we call upon you to take see that Myanmar is suspended from participating in the Commission on Human Rights, and any subsequent Human Rights Council, until its government is prepared to take seriously its obligations under international human rights law. The presence of the Government of Myanmar at the Commission is nothing more than a cruel joke on the global community, and most of all, on its own people. It serves no good purpose. The government deserves less respect; its people deserve more.
Yours sincerely,
Basil Fernando
Executive Director
Link to the Burma report: http://www.ahrchk.net/hrday/2005/pdf/HRDay-Burma.pdf
Link to AHRC’s 2005 International Human Rights Day page: http://www.ahrchk.net/hrday2005/
Link to AHRC’s Human Rights Day Message: http://www.ahrchk.net/hrday2005/05message.htm
