Treatment of ethnic minorities in Myanmar limiting path to democracy – UN expert

Tomas Ojea Quintana, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar

23 May 2011 – A United Nations human rights expert on Myanmar said today that the continued treatment and condition of ethnic minority groups in the country’s border areas were seriously restricting the Government’s intended transition to democracy. “Violence continues in many of these areas, while systematic militarization contributes to human rights abuses,” said Tomás Ojea Quintana, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, in a statement.
“These abuses include land confiscation, forced labour, internal displacement, extrajudicial killings and sexual violence. They are widespread, they continue today, and they remain essentially unaddressed by the authorities.”
Mr. Ojea Quintana, who was not able to visit Myanmar, spoke after wrapping up an eight-day visit to neighbouring Thailand.
He said he saw “positive signs” in the elections of new national and regional legislatures earlier, but added that “it is too early for them to function effectively and to manage this important and complex issue that has a direct impact on ongoing human rights abuses and compromises stability. ”
He said the electoral process excluded several significant ethnic and opposition groups, “so their voices are not being heard in these fora.”
Regarding a recently announced release of prisoners, the independent expert said most prisoners of conscience remain in jail. “I would like to see a concrete and time-bound plan announced by the Government for the systematic release of all prisoners of conscience.”
Last week Vijay Nambiar, the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser for Myanmar, told the Security Council that the prisoner release was short of expectation and insufficient.
Mr. Ojea Quintana said: “Through this mission, I see some positive signs in the developments. In the first and only sitting of the Parliament so far, MPs, despite limitations, were able to raise some important questions from the human rights perspective.”
The Special Rapporteur also noted the beginning of discussions about economic, social and cultural rights and some participation by ethnic minority parties in the legislatures.
“The new President’s speeches have led to some expectations for positive change. He provides some interesting ideas that could be developed into benchmarks for progress. We will have to watch closely to see how this is translated into action.”
President Thein Sein was elected by Parliament in February.
“It is my hope to be able to visit Myanmar as soon as possible to continue discussions with the authorities and other stakeholders about progress being made towards the transition to democracy and concerns about the ongoing serious human rights situation in the country.”
Mr. Ojea Quintana, who has served in an unpaid and independent capacity since May 2008, reports to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva

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UN drafts plan to improve maternal and child health through better nutrition

23 May 2011 – The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) has drafted a plan committing Member States and development partners to implement priority nutrition interventions and policies on health care, education and agriculture to improve the health of mothers and their children.

The measures, which will be included in a WHO report to be entitled Maternal, infant and young child nutrition: implementation plan, were discussed today at WHO’s ongoing 64th World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva.

The draft plan outlines priorities to confront child under-nutrition, low birth weight, growing rates of child overweight, both maternal under-nutrition and overweight, and the consequences of vitamin and mineral deficiencies for mothers and children.

More than 100 million children under the age of five were underweight in 2010, and at least 170 million were stunted, according to WHO figures. Micronutrient deficiencies, including anaemia and vitamin A, are of increasing concern worldwide.

Some 43 million children were estimated to be overweight and obese in 2010. More mothers are becoming overweight, increasing the risk of birth complications.

Countries need help to scale up effective actions to combat nutrition problems, said Francesco Branca, the director of WHO’s Nutrition for Health and Development department, at a news conference in Geneva.

Malnutrition, in all its forms, impairs health, cognitive and physical development, reproductive health and immune systems. It threatens child and infant survival, according to WHO, which also noted that with growing rates of overweight in many middle- and low-income countries, non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, compromise health and are very difficult to treat with limited resources.

Last year’s 63rd World Health Assembly had urged Member States to increase their political commitment to better nutrition and asked WHO to provide countries with support and strategic advice.

The draft implementation plan for maternal, young child and infant nutrition was presented to Member States for their comments at the current Assembly as part of a two-year consultative process to finalize the measures.

The draft plan was unveiled as Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spotlighted the issue of maternal health during an official visit to Nigeria, touring a hospital and another health-care centre.

Mr. Ban commended the Nigerian Government for its leadership in passing new laws designed to facilitate the provision of basic health care in the West African country.

In a meeting with Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan in the capital, Abuja, Mr. Ban said he hoped other countries would follow the country’s example.

At a separate meeting with Nigeria’s Presidential Committee on the Status of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Secretary-General stressed that improving women’s and children’s health is one of the keys to progress.

“Healthy women give birth to healthy children who can grow up to contribute to their healthy country. They are also the best guarantee of healthy, educated and prosperous families. That is why we must tackle the terrible loss of women’s and children’s lives in Nigeria,” said Mr. Ban.

He also praised Nigerian plans to allocate a portion of its oil wealth to support health initiatives for women and children. “This is a ground-breaking initiative where success has far-reaching implications,” he added.

The World Health Assembly is the decision-making body of WHO and brings together delegations from all Member States to determine the policies of the Organization and approve its proposed programme budget.

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Nepal: Ban urges end to stalemate, days before deadline for new constitution

Cantonment in Surkhet, Nepal, provides temporary shelter for People's Liberation Army (Maoist combatants)

23 May 2011 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today voiced concern that despite the fast-approaching deadline for Nepal’s Constituent Assembly to complete its work, there is still no agreement on the contentious issues of the integration and rehabilitation of former Maoist combatants and the key elements of a new constitution. A constitution is supposed to be adopted by Nepal’s parliamentarians by 28 May as part of the peace process introduced after the civil war between Government forces and Maoists ended in 2007 and the monarchy was abolished.
Mr. Ban recently discussed the situation in Nepal with Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal, while the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, B. Lynn Pascoe, spoke by telephone with the leaders of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal–Maoist (UCPN-M) and the Nepali Congress (NC) to urge the Nepalese leaders to act effectively.
“The Secretary-General underlines that it is now more than ever incumbent upon the key political actors to show leadership and carry out the necessary compromises to preserve the peace process and complete the drafting of the new constitution,” said a statement issued by his spokesperson

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Sudan: UN strongly condemns looting and burning of town of Abyei

Homes set on fire by armed elements in Abyei following the seizure of the town by Northern Sudanese troops

23 May 2011 – The United Nations peacekeeping operation in Sudan has strongly condemned today’s looting and burning of the town of Abyei by armed men, which has forced large numbers of civilians to flee to the south of the disputed area. The mission (UNMIS) reported that looting and burning began this morning in Abyei, two days after the wider area – disputed by north and south – was taken over by Sudanese Government forces.
That move was condemned by the Security Council, which described it as a serious breach of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended the long-running north-south civil war in Sudan.
In a press statement UNMIS said “armed elements” had carried out the looting and burning and noted that the Sudanese armed forces are responsible for maintaining law and order in the areas they control
“UNMIS calls upon the Government of Sudan to urgently ensure that the Sudan Armed Forces fulfil their responsibility and intervene to stop these criminal acts.”
Kouider Zerrouk, a spokesperson for UNMIS, said most of the residents have fled towards the town of Agok in Southern Sudan.
“We can’t ascertain the exact number,” he said, but added that hundreds of thousands of people may have been displaced by today’s attacks and the recent clashes in the wider Abyei area.
Mr. Zerrouk said the identity of the armed groups conducting the looting and burning was not clear, but they were likely to be pro-northern.
“We don’t know who they are in terms of whether they are organized militias or just a group of civilians taking the opportunity of having an empty town and looting and burning the place.”
He stressed that it was the responsibility of the Sudanese armed forces to ensure law and order in Abyei.
The recent violence and deteriorating security in Abyei has also sparked concern from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who has urged all sides to cease military operations, withdraw their forces and refrain from acts of antagonism.
Deadly clashes have claimed dozens of lives since the start of the year, when a referendum on Abyei's status that was supposed to have been held never took place amid disagreement on voter eligibility. Southern Sudan will formally secede from the rest of the country on 9 July as a result of a separate referendum.

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