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MYANMAR

CASE N° MYN/01 - Ohn Kyaing
CASE N° MYN/04 - Khin Maung Swe
CASE N°/MYN/09 - Sein Hla Oo
CASE N° MYN/36 - Myint Naing
CASE N° MYN/60 - Zaw Myint Maung
CASE N° MYN/64 - David Hla Myint
CASE N° MYN/68 - Aung Khin Sint
CASE N° MYN/71 - Kyi Myint
CASE N° MYN/84 - Soe Thein
CASE N° MYN/85 - Khun Myint Htun
CASE N° MYN/86 - Aye San
CASE N° MYN/87 - Do Htaung
CASE N° MYN/88 - Chit Htwe
CASE N° MYN/89 - Myo Nyunt
CASE N° MYN/100 - Hla Myint
CASE N° MYN/101 - Saw Oo Reh
CASE N° MYN/102 - Hla Min
CASE N° MYN/104 - Kyaw Khin
CASE N° MYN/105 - Kyin Thein
CASE N° MYN/108 - Min Swe
CASE N° MYN/109 - Than Aung
CASE N° MYN/110 - Tin Min Htut
CASE N° MYN/113 - Aye Than
CASE N° MYN/114 - Ohn Naing
CASE N° MYN/115 - Thein Zan
CASE N° MYN/116 - Nyunt Hlaing
CASE N° MYN/118 - Than Nyein
CASE N° MYN/119 - May Win Myint
CASE N° MYN/120 - San San
CASE N° MYN/122 - Min Soe Lin
CASE N° MYN/123 - Nan Khin Htwe Myint
CASE N° MYN/124 - Ohn Maung
CASE N° MYN/133 - Yaw Hsi
CASE N° MYN/134 - Min Kyi Win
CASE N° MYN/135 - Nai Tun Thein
CASE N° MYN/136 - Saw Mra Aung
CASE N° MYN/137 - Khin Maung Kyi
CASE N° MYN/138 - Toe Po
CASE N° MYN/139 - Soe Myint
CASE N° MYN/140 - Khin Htay Kywe
CASE N° MYN/141 - May Hnin Kyi
CASE N° MYN/142 - San San Win
 
Parliamentarians reportedly released after serving their sentences:
CASE N° MYN/10 - Win Hlaing
CASE N° MYN/13 - Naing Naing
CASE N° MYN/26 - Hla Tun
CASE N° MYN/28 - Tin Aung Aung
CASE N° MYN/41 - Zaw Myint
CASE N° MYN/42 - Mya Win
CASE N° MYN/73 - Fazal Ahmed
CASE N° MYN/103 - Tin Aung
CASE N° MYN/106 - Kyaw Tin
CASE N° MYN/107 - San Myint
CASE N° MYN/111 - Saw Lwin
CASE N° MYN/112 - Hla Win
CASE N° MYN/117 - Kyaw Myint
CASE N° MYN/121 - Tin Oo
CASE N° MYN/125 - Mahn Kyaw Ni
CASE N° MYN/126 - Tun Win
CASE N° MYN/127 - Bo Htway
CASE N° MYN/128 - Tha Aung
CASE N° MYN/130 - Tin Win
 
Parliamentarians deceased:
CASE N° MYN/53 - Hla Than
CASE N° MYN/55 - Tin Maung Win
CASE N° MYN/66 - Win Ko
CASE N° MYN/67 - Hla Pe
CASE N° MYN/72 - Saw Win
CASE N° MYN/83 - Kyaw Min
CASE N° MYN/131 - Hla Khin
CASE N° MYN/132 - Aung Min

Resolution adopted without a vote by the Inter-Parliamentary Council
at its 168th session (Havana, 7 April 2001)


The Inter-Parliamentary Council,

Referring to the outline of the case of the above-mentioned members-elect of the Pyithu Hluttaw (People's Assembly) of the Union of Myanmar, as contained in the report of the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians (CL/168/13(c)-R.1), and to the relevant resolution adopted at its 167th session (October 2000),

Recalling that on 27 May 1990 a national election called by the then State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) was held to constitute a new Parliament (Pyithu Hluttaw); that, however, the military authorities have prevented it from convening, setting up instead a National Convention to draft a constitution,

Recalling that, under severe pressure from the SLORC, the National League for Democracy (NLD), which had won 392 of the 485 seats, took part in the initial work of the National Convention but withdrew in November 1995, thus severing whatever link there might have been between the National Convention and the popular will as expressed in the 1990 elections,

Recalling that, since 1990, the SLORC and subsequently the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) not only systematically impeded the functioning of the National League for Democracy, but eliminated from the political process the MPs elected in 1990, first by invalidating election results, dismissing them from Parliament and banning them from future elections, then by forcing them to resign, orchestrating no-confidence motions against them and finally by arresting, detaining and sentencing them under laws (such as the Emergency Provision Act, State Protection Act, Official Secrets Act, Printers and Publishers Registration Act, Unlawful Associations Act, etc.) considered by the appropriate United Nations human rights bodies to be in breach of international civil and political rights standards,

Considering that according to the information at its disposal:

  • Several MPs-elect died while in detention: Saw Win was serving a prison sentence with hard labour and was reportedly cremated even before his family had been informed of his death; Hla Than was serving a heavy sentence and it is alleged that his death was due to medical negligence or even ill-treatment; Aung Min died in a government "guest house" and Hla Khin, according to the authorities, committed suicide;
  • Two other MPs-elect, Win Ko and Hla Pe, were reportedly assassinated in China in June 1993 and in Thailand in November 1995, respectively; in neither case has any progress been made in investigating the murders, which were allegedly politically motivated;
  • Forty-two MPs-elect are serving heavy sentences for acts deemed to be seditious or face proceedings for various acts of political opposition;
  • Win Hlaing, Naing Naing, Hla Tun, Tin Aung Aung, Zaw Myint, Mya Win, Fazal Ahmed, Tin Aung, Kyaw Tin, San Myint, Saw Lwin, Hla Win, Kyaw Myint, Tin Oo, Mahn Kyaw Ni, Tun Win, Bo Htway, Tha Aung and Tin Win were reportedly released after serving their sentences,

Bearing in mind the allegations before it, namely that the conditions of detention in Myanmar are very harsh, that the detainees may be subject to cruel disciplinary practices or even torture, lack of proper medical care and insufficient food and are moreover generally forced to engage in hard labour,

Noting, however, that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) now has access to the detainees,

  1. Notes that the Secretary General met the Deputy Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the United Nations Office at Geneva on 23 March 2001, and hopes that this meeting will usher in the much-needed dialogue for progress in resolving the cases of the Myanmar MPs-elect;

  2. Notes furthermore that there have recently been encouraging signs of a thaw in the political climate in Myanmar and an increased level of diplomatic activity, including a number of visits to the country by high-profile delegations, even though for the time being there have been no positive developments in the institutional situation;

  3. Reaffirms in this light that the Inter-Parliamentary Union is prepared to send an on-site mission to Myanmar to conduct a dialogue both with the authorities of that country and with the MPs-elect; hopes that this suggestion will draw a favourable response from the authorities in the very near future;

  4. Strongly reiterates nevertheless its concerns in the belief that the only way for Myanmar to break out of its political and institutional stalemate will be through the immediate and unconditional release of all the detained MPs-elect, the removal of the ban on political activities and the establishment of institutions genuinely representative of the people's will;

  5. Therefore calls again on its member Parliaments to press for the respect of democratic principles in Myanmar and to show their solidarity with their elected colleagues from the Pyithu Hluttaw by whatever means they deem appropriate, in particular by supporting the "Committee Representing the People's Parliament", by forming parliamentary caucuses to promote awareness of the situation of their colleagues in Myanmar among fellow MPs, and to make appropriate Myanmar-related policy recommendations to their governments; invites member Parliaments to inform it of any steps they may take to that end;

  6. Asks the Secretary General to bring this resolution to the attention of the authorities of Myanmar, and looks forward to receiving information on the current situation of each of the MPs-elect, which the Deputy Permanent Representative undertook to provide;

  7. Requests the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians to continue examining this case and report to it at its next session (September 2001).

Note: you can download a complete electronic version of the brochure "Results of the 105th Conference and related meetings of the Inter-Parliamentary Union" in PDF format (file size approximately 442K). This version requires Adobe Acrobat Reader, which you can download free of charge.Get Acrobat Reader

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