Appeal to UN Following Attack on Burmese Rights Activists

A prominent Burmese civil rights activist has lodged a formal complaint with senior UN officials about last week’s attack on two human rights workers by members of a regime-backed organisation.

In his complaint, Aung Din, a policy director at the US Campaign for Burma, urged Hina Jilani, UN Special Representative for Human Rights Defenders, and Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Situation in Burma, to investigate the incident. He called for condemnation of the brutal attack on human rights activists Myint Naing, 40, and 37-year-old Maung Maung Lay by members of the government-backed Union Solidarity and Development Association.

Myint Naing and Maung Maung Lay are members of a group known as the Human Rights Defenders and Promoters. In a statement issued on Monday in Washington DC, Aung Din said:

"If the Burmese regime can get away with brutal attacks on peaceful, non-violent activists in broad daylight, no one is safe in Burma."

The office of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon told The Irrawaddy that it was not aware of the incident, but was looking into the complaint before issuing any statement. The UN spokesperson, however, reiterated a statement by the UN Secretary-General appealing to all governments to respect and protect human rights of the people.

In a letter to Jilani and Pinheiro, Aung Din said:

"We request you to call for the SPDC and USDA to end violence and stop terrorizing the Burmese people. Without significant action from the United Nations, the military regime will continue its use of USDA members to attack democracy activists and human rights defenders."

His letter continued:

"We would like to request you to help protect democracy activists and human rights defenders in Burma by issuing a statement calling for the SPDC to investigate this incident and other incidents, including the Depayin massacre, in which democracy activists and human rights defenders were attacked by members of USDA and take action against those who are responsible for the attacks.

In his account of last week's attack, supported by photographs, Aung Din said Myint Naing and Maung Maung Lay were attacked in Hinthada township, near Rangoon, on April 18. He alleged they were pulled from their motorcycle and brutally attacked by USDA members.

Aung Din said:

"The local leader of the USDA stood nearby, issuing orders to the attackers with a loudspeaker. Luckily, some Buddhist monks intervened to stop the attack and brought the victims to a hospital...They remain in intensive care."

Source: The Irrawaddy

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Last Modified: Saturday, 12-May-2007 10:26:53 EST
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