The process leading to elections in Myanmar, planned for 7 November, could not be called inclusive or independent, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the South-East Asian country said at a Headquarters press conference this afternoon.
?It is clear that the process is flawed,? said Tomás Ojea Quintana, following his presentation of his report yesterday to the General Assembly?s Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) and an interactive dialogue on the forthcoming landmark elections, during which he welcomed the active involvement of 22 delegations. (See Press Release GA/SHC/3984)
Because of the non-inclusive framework, it appeared that the elections themselves would neither be free nor fair, Mr. Quintana told correspondents, although he said he could not predict what would happen in the next few weeks.
What was clear was that key stakeholders were not being heard, minorities were not being encouraged to participate, registration of candidates was expensive, domestic media was restricted, foreign media was banned and the Government was campaigning in a way that discouraged opposition, he said, adding that there had been no improvement since his August report. No prisoners of conscience had been released.
He called for a genuine dialogue among all stakeholders in the country. For that purpose, and to send a signal that the Government was serious about holding genuine elections, he called on the Government to release all prisoners of conscience, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD), who has been under house arrest for much of the past two decades.
Also critical for the democratic transition, which he stressed did not end with the elections, were justice and accountability. He said those factors were the keys to national reconciliation in all post-conflict situations, and it was the responsibility of the Government to address them.
If the Government failed in that responsibility, the international community had the right to become involved, he maintained. It was for that reason, he explained, he had called for a commission of inquiry on possible crimes against humanity in the country, which had stirred up controversy. Such a commission, he emphasized, should not be seen as a way to punish the Government but to prevent impunity and help prevent further abuses.
Asked by several correspondents what kind of pressure the Government might respond to, he said he was working for consensus and a coordinated strategy between United Nations officials and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), to ensure genuine elections as well as justice and accountability.
It was particularly important for the United Nations to have a unified message, he said. To that end, he had met with the Secretary-General?s Special Adviser on
Fonte: UN