UN’s Human Rights Envoy Meets Community Groups
The United Nations special envoy on human rights in Myanmar, Mr. Tomas Ojea Quintana, met with community-based-organization’s in Mae Sot on Feb 10, as part of a fact-finding mission.
A source at the meeting told Karen News that the topics discussed included religious discrimination, political reform and the pro-democracy movement in Burma.
Mr. Quintana is preparing a report on Burma to be submitted to the United Nations general secretary on March 17.
The meeting was attended by a large number of community groups including, Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), the Karen Women Organization (KWO), the Backpack Health Worker Team (BPHWT), the Assistance Association for Political Prisoner (AAPP), the Students and Youth Congress of Burma (SYCB), Mae Tao clinic.
The community-based-organization’s attending the meeting canvassed a broad range of issues inside Burma with Mr. Quintana, including media freedoms, law enforcement, women’s rights, discrimination, land confiscations and freedom of association, the Karen News source added.
Also attending the meeting were nine refugee representatives from three camps on the Thai Burma border – Umpiem Mai, Mae Ra Moe and Mae La Oo– who raised concerns about the hardships they are facing, the source said.
One of the refugee representatives, who asked to remain anonymous, told Karen News, “I explained [to Mr. Quintana] about how I had arrived at the refugee camp because of fleeing conflict. Now, we are facing difficulties, as we have no income, no jobs, and our rations have been reduced. Mr. Tomas Ojea Quintana said he would review these issues and try to do his best.”
Mr. Quintana has made similar visits to the Thai Burma border in the past. In 2013, he met with Thai-Burma border CBO’s before submitting a report regarding the plight of ethnic minorities and human rights violations in Burma. The latest meeting comes before the UN’s special rapporteur on human rights is scheduled to visit Burma from the 14th of Febuary to the19th February, to assess the human rights situation in Burma. Mr Quintana’s visit will include trips to Kachin State, Karen State and Arakan State as well as to Yangon and to the country’s capital, Naypyidaw.
