United Nations
General Assembly
Distr. GENERAL
20 December 1993
ORIGINAL:
ENGLISH
ENGLISH
A/RES/48/150
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A/RES/48/150
85th plenary meeting
20
December 1993
Situation of human
rights in Myanmar
The
General Assembly,
Reaffirming that all Member States have an obligation to promote and
protect human rights and fundamental freedoms as
stated in the Charter of the
United Nations and elaborated in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights,
the International Covenants on Human Rights and
other applicable human rights
Aware
that, in accordance with the Charter, the Organization promotes
and encourages respect for human rights and
fundamental freedoms for all and
that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
states that "the will of the
people shall be the basis of the authority of
government",
Recalling
its resolution 47/144 of 18 December 1992,
Recalling also Commission on Human Rights resolution 1992/58 of 3 March
1992, in which the Commission, inter alia, decided
to nominate a special
rapporteur to establish direct contacts with the
Government and with the
people of Myanmar, including political leaders
deprived of their liberty,
their families and their lawyers, with a view to
examining the situation of
human rights in Myanmar and following any progress
made towards the transfer
of power to a civilian Government and the drafting
of a new Constitution, the
lifting of restrictions on personal freedoms and
the restoration of human
rights in Myanmar,
Taking
note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 1993/73 of 10 March
1993, in which the Commission decided to extend for
one year the mandate of
the Special Rapporteur,
Gravely
concerned that the Government of Myanmar still has not
implemented its commitments to take all necessary
steps towards democracy in
the light of the results of the elections held in
1990,
Gravely
concerned also at the continued violations of human rights in
Myanmar, as reported by the Special Rapporteur, in
particular summary and
arbitrary executions, torture, forced labour, abuse
of women, restrictions on
fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of
expression and assembly, and
the imposition of oppressive measures directed in
particular at ethnic and
religious minorities,
Noting
that the human rights situation in Myanmar has consequently
resulted in flows of refugees to neighbouring
countries, thus creating
problems for the countries concerned,
Noting
the measures taken by the Government of Myanmar, including its
accession to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August
1949 for the protection of
victims of war, and the release of a number of
political prisoners in response
to the concerns expressed by the international
community, including the
General Assembly and the Commission on Human
Rights,
Welcoming the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the
Government of Myanmar and the Office of the United
Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees on 5 November 1993 on the voluntary
repatriation of refugees from
Bangladesh to Myanmar,
Noting
the cease-fire that has been reached between the Government of
Myanmar and several groups of ethnic and religious
minorities in Myanmar,
1. Expresses its appreciation to the Special
Rapporteur of the
Commission on Human Rights for his interim report
and the conclusions and
recommendations contained therein;
2. Deplores the continued violations of human
rights in Myanmar;
3. Again urges the Government of Myanmar, in
conformity with its
assurances given at various times, to take all
necessary steps towards the
restoration of democracy in accordance with the
will of the people as
expressed in the democratic elections held in 1990,
and to ensure that
political parties can function freely;
4. Notes with concern the observation of the
Special Rapporteur, with
regard to the National Convention, that no evident
progress has been made
towards turning over power to a freely elected
civilian Government;
5. Also notes with concern in this respect
that most of the
representatives duly elected in 1990 have been
excluded from participating in
the meetings of the National Convention, created to
prepare basic elements for
the drafting of a new Constitution, and that one of
the objectives of the
National Convention is to maintain the
participation of the armed forces in a
leading role in the future political life of the
State;
6. Strongly urges the Government of Myanmar to
take all appropriate
measures to allow all citizens to participate
freely in the political process
in accordance with the principles of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights
and to accelerate the process of transition to
democracy, in particular
through the transfer of power to the democratically
elected representatives;
7. Urges the Government of Myanmar to ensure
full respect for human
rights and fundamental freedoms, including freedom
of expression and assembly,
and the protection of the rights of persons
belonging to ethnic and religious
minorities and to put an end to violations of the
right to life and integrity
of the human being, to the practices of torture,
abuse of women and forced
labour and to enforced disappearances and summary
executions;
8. Appeals to the Government of Myanmar to
consider becoming a party
to the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights and the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights and to the
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman
or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment;
9. Stresses the importance of free and
confidential access to
prisoners by international humanitarian agencies;
10. Regrets the recent harsh
sentences meted out to a number of
dissidents, including persons voicing dissent in
regard to the procedures of
the National Convention;
11. Regrets also that, while a
certain number of political prisoners
have been released, many political leaders are
still deprived of their freedom
and their fundamental rights;
12. Strongly urges the
Government of Myanmar to release
unconditionally and immediately the Nobel Peace
Prize Laureate Aung San Suu
Kyi, who is now in her fifth year of detention
without trial, and other
political leaders and remaining political
prisoners;
13. Calls upon the Government of
Myanmar to respect fully the
obligations of the Geneva Conventions of 12 August
1949, in particular the
obligations in article 3 common to the Conventions,
and to make use of such
services as may be offered by impartial
humanitarian bodies;
14. Encourages the Government of
Myanmar fully to implement the
Memorandum of Understanding between the Government
of Myanmar and the Office
of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees of 5 November 1993 and to
create the necessary conditions to ensure an end to
the flows of refugees to
neighbouring countries and to facilitate their
speedy repatriation and their
full reintegration, in conditions of safety and
dignity;
15. Requests the
Secretary-General to assist in the implementation of
the present resolution and to report to the General
Assembly at its
forty-ninth session;
16. Decides to continue its
consideration of this question at its
forty-ninth session.
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