UN extends Myanmar rapporteur mandate for another year

Saturday, 23 March 2013 13:45 Mizzima News

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Thursday decided to maintain its monitoring eye on Myanmar by extending the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur for another year.

Tomás Ojea Quintana PHOTO: UN

In a statement, UNHRC said it invited him [current Special Rapporteur Tomás Ojea Quintana] “to include in his next report recommendations with regard to technical assistance and capacity-building.”

Philippe Dam, the HRC advocate for Human Rights Watch (HRW), said on Friday that international attention should now focus on ensuring that the UN is able to open a fully operational human rights office in the country.

He also called on the Myanmar government to ensure: that the remaining political prisoners are released; that all necessary measures are taken to end human rights abuses that continue to be committed by the military, most notably in Kachin State, and hold accountable those responsible for such abuses; and that a clear target date is set for the review of existing laws, decrees and regulations that have been used to prosecute peaceful dissidents.
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