UN human rights rapporteur visits Myanmar amid political changes

Yangon - United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar arrived in the once-pariah state Tuesday on a six-day assessment mission that will include visits to rebel territories.

'This mission will take place at an important moment in the country's history,' Tomas Ojea Quintana said in Geneva prior to his departure.

Myanmar, a pariah state among Western democracies for the past two decades, has taken dramatic steps towards reform in the past 10 months under President Thein Sein.

Since coming to power in March, Thein Sein has opened a political dialogue with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, freed more than 600 political prisoners and initiated peace talks with four of the dozen insurgencies.

'My main objective is to assess the country's human rights situation in light of these developments and as a follow-up to my last mission in August 2011,' Quintana said.

The special envoy is scheduled to fly to Naypyitaw on Wednesday where he will meet representatives of the foreign, defence, health, education, interior, information and transportation ministries as well as the speaker of parliament.

Over the weekend he will travel to Pa-an, the capital of the Karen State, and Mawlamyaing, capital of the Mon State, to meet with representatives of the ethnic minority insurgencies, who have been fighting for autonomy for decades, but recently signed ceasefire agreements with the government.

Myanmar's worst human rights atrocities have been perpetrated against its ethnic minorities.

Quintana's full report on the Myanmar visit will be presented to the upcoming 19th session of the Human Rights Council.

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