DEPLORING MYANMAR VERDICT, BAN URGES IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF AUNG SAN SUU KYI

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today deplored the decision by a Myanmar court to sentence pro-democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi to an additional 18 months of house arrest, and urged that she be released immediately.

"The Secretary-General is deeply disappointed by the verdict in respect of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi," his spokesperson said in a statement. "The Secretary-General strongly deplores this decision."

Ms. Suu Kyi, who leads the National League for Democracy (NLD), was reportedly convicted of violating state security laws after an uninvited United States citizen gained access to her home. She has already spent over 12 years under house arrest.

Mr. Ban urged the Government to "immediately and unconditionally" release Ms. Suu Kyi and to engage with her without delay as an essential partner in the process of national dialogue and reconciliation

"Unless she and all other political prisoners in Myanmar are released and allowed to participate in free and fair elections, the credibility of the political process will remain in doubt," today's statement added.

The Government had refused Mr. Ban's request to meet with Ms. Suu Kyi when he visited the South-East Asian nation in July, losing what the UN chief called a "unique opportunity" to show its commitment to a new era of political openness.

He added that allowing the visit "would have been an important symbol of the Government's willingness to embark on the kind of meaningful engagement that will be essential if the elections in 2010 are to be seen as credible."

________________

BAN BRIEFS GROUP OF FRIENDS ON MYANMAR ON LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

The international community remains committed to ensuring that authorities in Myanmar release all political prisoners, including opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today after meeting with key nations to brief them on the latest developments in the Asian country.

The Group of Friends on Myanmar, comprising 14 countries and one regional bloc, continue to want to see the country "respond positively and in a timely fashion to our concerns, expectations and encouragements on issues that are of fundamental importance for the future of Myanmar," Mr. Ban told journalists after he met with them at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

He said those issues include the main messages the Secretary-General delivered to Myanmar's leadership during his visit to the country last month – where he was not allowed to meet Ms. Suu Kyi – and during discussions last week with its Permanent Representative to the UN, U Than Swe.

Mr. Ban stressed last week that both he and the wider international community expect that the Government of Myanmar "will give careful consideration to the implications of any verdict in the [current] trial of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and use this opportunity to exercise its responsibility to ensure her immediate release."

The verdict in the trial of Ms. Suu Kyi was expected to be delivered last Friday, but was delayed following the Secretary-General's encounter with the Permanent Representative of Myanmar.

Today Mr. Ban also emphasized that the "active and united support of the international community is as important and necessary as ever before" so that Myanmar's Government can tackle the major challenges facing the nation.

Next month, on the sidelines of the annual opening of the General Assembly at UN Headquarters, another meeting of the Group of Friends will be held.

The Group of Friends, founded in December 2007, represents a balanced range of views on Myanmar and was established to hold informal discussions and develop shared approaches to support UN efforts. Its members are Australia, China, the European Union, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Norway, Russia, Singapore, the Republic of Korea, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States and Viet Nam.
________________

SECRETARY-GENERAL MEETS WITH TOP OFFICIALS IN MYANMAR

Secretary-General has held talks with top officials in Myanmar on key issues, including the release of political prisoners such as Nobel laureate and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

In the capital Nay Pyi Taw, Mr. Ban met with Senior General Than Shwe yesterday and this morning, and he has also held talks with Prime Minister Thein Sein.

Ahead of his two-day visit, the Secretary-General told reporters in Japan that he understood there were concerns about the timing of his visit given that the trial of Ms. Suu Kyi is pending.

"It may be the case that the trial may happen during my visit in Myanmar. I am very much conscious of that. At the same time, to find the most appropriate timing has been a challenge for me, too," he said, adding that he would use the visit to try to "raise in the strongest possible terms" the concerns of the international community about the situation inside Myanmar.

Mr. Ban said stressed in Japan that Myanmar's authorities should release all political prisoners, including Ms. Suu Kyi, immediately resume dialogue between the Government and opposition leaders, and create both a political atmosphere and a legal framework conducive to the holding of credible elections next year.

"This is the commitment and concerns and aspiration of the international community. I am going to convey this strongly to Senior General Than Shwe and other leaders," he said, adding that he also hopes to have dialogue with grassroots groups during his visit.

The Secretary-General last visited Myanmar in May 2008 in the wake of the catastrophic impact of Cyclone Nargis, which killed almost 150,000 people, and he has said that he considers building on the joint humanitarian efforts that emerged following that disaster to be essential.

From Myanmar, the UN chief is scheduled to travel to Switzerland, Ireland and Italy.
________________

50,000TH MYANMAR REFUGEE LEAVES THAILAND FOR NEW LIFE IN US, UN REPORTS

An ethnic Karenni schoolteacher is the 50,000th refugee from Myanmar sheltering in Thailand who has left to begin a new life in the United States, marking a milestone for the world's largest resettlement operation, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee announced today.

Since 1996, Plu Reh had been living in the Ban Mai Nai Soi camp – where he had taught primary school – in northern Thailand since 1996. Along with his wife and 2-year-old daughter, he left Bangkok this morning on a 28-hour journey that will ultimately take him to Camden, New Jersey.

Before departing, he "spoke optimistically to our staff about the opportunities in the United States for a good education for his daughter and for further education for himself and his wife," UNHCR spokesperson William Spindler said.

Resettlement from the nine refugee camps along the Thai-Myanmar border began in 2004, but picked up pace in early 2005 when the US offered homes to the uprooted.

"For refugees around the world, return to their home country is usually the preferred option," Mr. Spindler said.

But most of the Myanmar refugees, most of whom had been for over two decades in Thailand where they are not allowed to settle permanently, do not see any chance of returning to their home country.

"So for them, resettlement in a third country is the best option," the UNHCR spokesperson said, expressing gratitude to countries such as the US, Canada, Australia, Finland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden for offering refugees a chance to restart their lives.

Currently, 112,000 registered Myanmar refugees live in the nine camps, and the agency expects to resettle a further 6,000-7,000 this year.
________________

UN RIGHTS EXPERTS PRESS MYANMAR TO GIVE AUNG SAN SUU KYI FAIR TRIAL

A group of independent United Nations human rights experts today called on the authorities of Myanmar to ensure an "open and fair" trial for opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and her two aides.

"So far, the trial of Aung San Suu Kyi and her aides has been marred by flagrant violations of substantive and procedural rights," said Leandro Despouy, the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers.

The trial has mostly been conducted behind closed doors and the media have been denied access to defence lawyers. "Transparency in the administration of justice is a pre-requisite of any State governed by the rule of law," stressed Mr. Despouy.

In addition, the defence team has only been allowed to present one witness and one more was granted permission to testify, compared with the prosecution which has called 14 witnesses.

"The court must ensure that all witnesses who may have relevant evidence are able to testify," said Mr. Despouy.

Security forces arrested Ms. Suu Kyi, who leads the National League for Democracy (NLD), and two aides on 14 May and took them to Insein Prison, where they were charged by a special court. They are said to have been charged with violating the terms of her house arrest, after an uninvited United States citizen gained access to their home.

She has been under house arrest for more than 13 of the past 19 years, according to a news release issued by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva.

After being rearrested in 2003, her period of detention was extended until it reached the maximum term permitted under Myanmar's own laws in May 2008. It was then illegally extended for another year by the authorities, the human rights experts said.

"The five experts called upon the authorities of Myanmar to allow the justice system to function in an independent and impartial manner, so as to guarantee an open and fair trial for the defendants, and to grant unfettered media access," stated the news release.

The group of experts also include Chairperson-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Manuela Carmena Castrilo; the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Tomas Ojea Quintana; the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Margaret Sekaggya; and the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Frank La Rue.

They all report to the Geneva-based Human Rights Council in an independent and unpaid capacity.
________________

THAILAND: UN WORKING TO ASSIST 2,000 RECENTLY-ARRIVED MYANMAR REFUGEES

THAILAND: UN WORKING TO ASSIST 2,000 RECENTLY-ARRIVED MYANMAR REFUGEES
New York, Jun 12 2009 11:00AM
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home">UNHCR) said today it is working with the Thai Government to help meet the needs of some 2,000 Karen villagers who fled Myanmar in early June.

UNHCR staff have now verified the number of recent arrivals after visiting five sites in northern Thailand where Karen villagers are taking shelter.

"Although we cannot absolutely say this is the total number who have crossed the Moei River to Thailand in this period, we have not seen evidence of significantly higher numbers," UNHCR spokesperson William Spindler <"http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/media?page=home&id=4a3229012">told reporters in Geneva.

He said that by and large, the Karen villagers say they fled in fear of conscription by armed forces or of forced labour as porters for armed forces. "Those who mentioned military action mostly said they fled in anticipation of fighting as the Myanmar army and their allies, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, approached rebel Karen National Union bases and villages.

"Only a few said their villages had actually been shelled, but while our staff interviewed the recent arrivals on the Thai side of the border on Tuesday and Thursday, they heard shelling on the Myanmar side," he added.

According to UNHCR, Thai authorities have responded "quickly and sympathetically" to the needs of the new arrivals. The agency is working with the Government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to meet the needs of the Karen villagers, who are taking shelter mostly in temples, in a communal hall and in private Thai homes in four villages.

A large group at a fifth place called Mae Usu who were reported to be sheltering in a cave are actually in a large field that was once the site of a refugee camp many years ago, Mr. Spindler noted. "This group, estimated at between 700 and 900 people, is living in seasonal agricultural houses that farmers use when they are harvesting crops, but which are normally empty at this time of year."

UNHCR said that the new arrivals at this location have some possessions they brought with them, and also have received rice, blankets and other relief items from the Thai-Burma Border Consortium, a NGO that has been serving Karen refugees along the border since the 1980s.

"Although some of the Karen villagers, who are mostly farmers, managed to bring some possessions with them, others said they fled with only the clothes on their back," said Mr. Spindler.

Among the most urgently needed items are clothes, especially baby clothes, as well as soap, and bamboo pallets to keep from having to sleep in the mud amid heavy rains. UNHCR has already distributed 200 plastic sheets to help with emergency shelter.
________________

MYANMAR: STEPPED UP EFFORTS TO PREVENT CHILD SOLDIERS’ RECRUITMENT – BAN

In spite of some positive steps, greater efforts are crucial in Myanmar to prevent the recruitment of child soldiers and to release all children associated with South-East Asian nation's armed forces, according to a new report by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Mr. Ban called on the Government to engage with the country task force to finalize an action plan – ensuring the security and safety of monitors, witness and victims, among other measures – which conforms to international standards.

In the report to the Security Council on children and armed conflict in Myanmar, he urged authorities, "as a matter of priority," to "redress the prevailing culture of impunity, to launch investigations into all incidents of recruitment and use of children, and to prosecute people responsible for such acts under the Penal Code."

"Building on the limited progress thus far, the Government should, with immediate effect, cease the arrest, harassment and imprisonment of children under the age of 18 for desertion and/or attempting to leave the army, and continue to work with the country task force to monitor such cases and to ensure the swift and unconditional surrender of children," Mr. Ban said.

He also pointed to the "continued lack of humanitarian access" in Myanmar, especially in contested and ceasefire areas, as an obstacle to providing much-needed assistance."

The Secretary-General cited the "best interest of the child" principle in calling on authorities to ensure full, unimpeded and safe access for children and to allow the UN and other humanitarian organizations to deliver relief supplies to all parts of the country, "without exception."

________________

MYANMAR: SECURITY COUNCIL VOICES CONCERN OVER DETENTION OF PRO-DEMOCRACY LEADER

MYANMAR: SECURITY COUNCIL VOICES CONCERN OVER DETENTION OF PRO-DEMOCRACY LEADER
New York, May 22 2009 7:00PM
The Security Council today expressed its concern over the political impact in Myanmar of the detention of opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

In a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2009/sc9662.doc.htm">press statement, the 15-member body reiterated "the importance of the release of all political prisoners," repeating the need for Myanmar's Government to "create the necessary conditions for a genuine dialogue with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all concerned parties and ethnic groups in order to achieve an inclusive national reconciliation with the support of the United Nations."

Security forces arrested Aung San Suu Kyi, who leads the National League for Democracy (NLD), and two aides on 14 May and took them to Insein Prison, where they were charged by a special court. They are said to have been charged with violating the terms of her house arrest, after an uninvited United States citizen gained access to their home, and her trial is currently under way.

Last week, High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said that "her continued detention, and now this latest trial, breach international standards of due process and fair trial."

It had been hoped that she would be released when her current detention order, which has already continued for one year longer than the maximum of five years permitted under Myanmar's laws, expires at the end of this month.

"The Myanmar authorities might claim Aung San Suu Kyi has breached the conditions of her detention, but they have broken both their own laws and their international human rights obligations," Ms. Pillay said. "She should not be detained in the first place."

She has spent over 12 years under house arrest. On 30 May 2003, she was re-arrested under a law which states that a person "suspected of having committed or believed to be about to commit, any act which endangers the sovereignty and security of the state" can be detained.

In May 2007, the Government extended her arrest for another year, bringing her detention to the five-year limit, and her detention was prolonged for sixth year last May.
________________

MYANMAR: UNESCO CHIEF DEPLORES ARREST OF PRO-DEMOCRACY LEADER

MYANMAR: UNESCO CHIEF DEPLORES ARREST OF PRO-DEMOCRACY LEADER
New York, May 20 2009 10:00AM
The head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (<"http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=29008&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">UNESCO) has expressed his grave concern over the arrest and trial of opposition leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, coinciding with when her house arrest was due to end, to the leader ofruling military junta.

In a letter sent today to General Than Shwe, UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura did not pass judgment on the validity of the charges against her, but underscored that Aung San Suu Kyi – who received the 2002 UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence – plays a very important role in the country's national reconciliation process.

Aung San Suu Kyi, who leads the National League for Democracy (NLD) and two aides were taken by security forces on 14 May to Insein Prison, where they were charged by a special court. They are said to have been charged with violating the terms of her house arrest, after an uninvited United States citizen gained access to their home, and her trial is currently under way.

Mr. Matsuura added his voice to the chorus of UN officials, including Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in calling for her immediate and unconditional release.

Last week, High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay emphasized that "her continued detention, and now this latest trial, breach international standards of due process and fair trial."

It had been hoped that Aung San Suu Kyi would be released when her current detention order, which has already continued for one year longer than the maximum of five years permitted under Myanmar's laws, expires at the end of this month.

"The Myanmar authorities might claim Aung San Suu Kyi has breached the conditions of her detention, but they have broken both their own laws and their international human rights obligations," Ms. Pillay stressed. "She should not be detained in the first place."

Ms. Suu Kyi has spent over 12 years under house arrest. On 30 May 2003, she was re-arrested under a law which states that a person "suspected of having committed or believed to be about to commit, any act which endangers the sovereignty and security of the state" can be detained.

In May 2007, the Government extended her arrest for another year, bringing her detention to the five-year limit, and her detention was prolonged for sixth year last May.
________________

UN RIGHTS CHIEF CALLS FOR AUNG SAN SUU KYI’S IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UN RIGHTS CHIEF CALLS FOR AUNG SAN SUU KYI'S IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New York, May 15 2009 2:00PM
Calling on Myanmar's Government to drop all charges against pro-democracy leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, the top United Nations human rights official today <"http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/E75E3FB7591BA2FBC12575B7004CA9A7?opendocument">appealed to authorities for her immediate and unconditional release.

According to reports, Ms. Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest for several years, and two aides were escorted yesterday morning by security forces to Insein Prison, where they were charged by a special court. They are said to have been charged with violating the terms of her house arrest, after an uninvited United States citizen gained access to their home.

Ms. Suu Kyi, who leads the National League for Democracy (NLD), and her two aides are currently detained in the Insein compound and her trial has been scheduled for 18 May.

"Her continued detention, and now this latest trial, breach international standards of due process and fair trial," High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said.

It had been hoped that the Nobel Peace Prize winner would be released when her current detention order, which has already continued for one year longer than the maximum of five years permitted under Myanmar's laws, expires at the end of this month.

"The Myanmar authorities might claim Aung San Suu Kyi has breached the conditions of her detention, but they have broken both their own laws and their international human rights obligations," Ms. Pillay stressed. "She should not be detained in the first place."

Ms. Suu Kyi has spent over 12 years under house arrest. On 30 May 2003, she was re-arrested under a law which states that a person "suspected of having committed or believed to be about to commit, any act which endangers the sovereignty and security of the state" can be detained.

In May 2007, the Government extended her arrest for another year, bringing her detention to the five-year limit, and her detention was prolonged for sixth year last May.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention and guarantees the right to fair trial and to freedom of opinion and expression, which, according to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Suu Kyi has exercised peacefully and courageously over many years.

Yesterday, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that he is "gravely concerned" about the news of her detention.

"The Secretary-General believes that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is an essential partner for dialogue in Myanmar's national reconciliation and calls on the Government not to take any further action that could undermine this important process," according to a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=3848">statement issued by his spokesperson.

Ms. Suu Kyi and all those who have a contribution to make to the future of their country "must be free to be able to do so to ensure that the political process is credible," the statement added.

Also yesterday, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar Tomás Ojea Quintana, who reports to the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council, called for her unconditional release.

"Since her house is well guarded by security forces, the responsibility for preventing such intrusions, and alerting the authorities, lies with the security forces and not with Aung San Suu Kyi and her aides," he said.
________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/news/dh/latest/subscribe.shtml

INDEPENDENT UN HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERT CALLS FOR RELEASE OF AUNG SAN SUU KYI

INDEPENDENT UN HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERT CALLS FOR RELEASE OF AUNG SAN SUU KYI
New York, May 14 2009 1:00PM
The independent United Nations human rights expert on Myanmar today called for the unconditional release of detained pro-democracy leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who was reportedly taken to a special court this morning and now faces new charges.

UN Special Rapporteur Tomás Ojea Quintana voiced serious concern regarding the unlawful detention of Ms. Suu Kyi, leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD), who has been under house arrest for the past six years.

The new charges, according to a news release issued in Geneva, are said to be in connection with the recent intrusion of an American citizen into the home of Ms. Suu Kyi.

"Since her house is well guarded by security forces, the responsibility for preventing such intrusions, and alerting the authorities, lies with the security forces and not with Aung San Suu Kyi and her aides," Mr. Ojea Quintana said.

According to information received by the Special Rapporteur, Ms. Suu Kyi and two aides were escorted this morning by security forces to Insein prison, where they were charged by a special court. They are currently detained in the Insein compound and their trial has been scheduled for 18 May.

"I call on the Government of Myanmar to release Aung San Suu Kyi and her aides unconditionally," Mr. Ojea Quintana said.

He added that in order to ensure national reconciliation and democratic transition, to which the Myanmar leadership has committed itself, all 2,156 prisoners of conscience currently detained by the authorities should be released before the 2010 elections.

Mr. Ojea Quintana, who reports to the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council in an independent and unpaid capacity, has visited Myanmar twice since he was appointed to his post in May 2008, most recently this past February.
________________

MYANMAR: INTERNATIONAL HELP STILL URGENTLY NEEDED FOR POST-CYCLONE REBUILDING – UN

People in Myanmar affected by last year's devastating Cyclone Nargis need considerable help in restoring their lives, the United Nations-backed group assisting the reconstruction of the South-East Asian nation said today, appealing to the international community for continued support.

"Experience from natural disasters of similar scale of destruction has shown that recovery support will be required for years to come," said Bishow Parajuli, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Myanmar.

He added that recovery efforts in the wake of the massive 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami are only beginning to be phased out now.

International assistance, therefore, is urgently required for early- and medium-term recovery efforts outlined in the three-year Post-Nargis Response and Preparedness Plan (PONREPP), which was launched earlier this year by the Tripartite Core Group (TCG), comprising the Myanmar Government, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the UN.

That plan, which has a price tag of nearly $700 million, provides the blueprint for the reconstruction of communities devastated by the cyclone, which battered the country last May, leaving around 140,000 dead or missing and displacing 800,000 from their homes.

The need for funds – particularly for the shelter and agriculture sectors – is especially acute since the monsoon season will begin in just four weeks.

Over 1,000 families are still taking shelter in vulnerable buildings that provide minimal protection from possibly severe weather conditions, while small, poultry and draught animals must be re-stocked to assist vulnerable and landless households.

Assistance to farmers is essential to jump-start the local economy and restore agriculture-based livelihoods. Other areas needing boosts include education, especially for girls, and health.

The UN is currently arranging for another donor meeting to discuss needs in Yangon this week.
________________

MANDATE OF UN-BACKED GROUP SUPPORTING MYANMAR CYCLONE RECOVERY EXTENDED

MANDATE OF UN-BACKED GROUP SUPPORTING MYANMAR CYCLONE RECOVERY EXTENDED
New York, Mar 4 2009 2:00PM

The United Nations-backed group assisting the reconstruction of Myanmar after it was devastated by Cyclone Nargis, which left around 140,000 dead or missing and uprooted 800,000 from their homes, has been given a another year in its role facilitating the recovery work in the South Asian country.

The mandate of the Tripartite Core Group (TCG) – which consists of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Government of Myanmar and the UN – has been extended until next July to allow it to continue its efforts in supporting Myanmar in its recovery efforts.

The TCG developed the three-year Post-Nargis Response and Preparedness Plan (PONREPP), which was launched last month and provides a blueprint for the reconstruction of communities devastated by the Cyclone Nargis.

The medium-term recovery needs identified in the PONREPP amount to $691 million over the next three called for the extension of the TCG as a basis for providing continued funding.

"The results on the ground which have been achieved during the past ten months since Nargis struck prove that the assistance is reaching the people and that the joint humanitarian response at large has been successful," said Bishow Parajuli, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, said today.

"At the same time, challenges remain and the affected population will need continued support as outlined in the three-year recovery plan. With the extension of the TCG, the UN in Myanmar appeals to the international donor community to continue supporting the affected people," he added.
________________