500 legislators meeting in Geneva at the 117th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) yesterday unanimously adopted a resolution in which they strongly deplore the repression of peaceful demonstrations by monks and civilians in Myanmar.
The legislators urge the Government of Myanmar to refrain from acting ruthlessly against people who are fully entitled to exercise their right to freedom of expression. They demand that the Government of Myanmar immediately and unconditionally release the jailed parliamentarians-elect, Aung San Suu Kyi and other National League for Democracy (NLD) leaders, and all other political prisoners.
They also demand that the Government of Myanmar cooperate fully with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar and urge the military authorities in Myanmar to embark on democratization and political reform without delay.
The IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians also highlighted the plight of legislators in Myanmar, recalling that in addition to the 11 NLD parliamentarians-elect arrested during the crackdown, 12 others voted into office in the 1990 elections were still in jail. The Committee urged the IPU Member Parliaments, in particular those of China, India and Thailand, to strengthen their national, regional and international initiatives in favour of the parliamentarians-elect and in support of respect for democratic principles in Myanmar. It recommended that ASEAN Member Countries demand that the military junta end its repression of the peoples of Myanmar.
During its session in Geneva, the Human Rights Committee examined 62 cases relating to parliamentarians in 32 countries and held 10 meetings with delegations or representatives of the parliamentarians concerned. Resolutions were adopted on the public cases of 206 legislators in Bangladesh, Belarus, Burundi, Colombia, Ecuador, Eritrea, Honduras, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Palestine/Israel, Philippines, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Zimbabwe.
The Committee expressed particular concern about the conditions of detention and state of health of the Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Dr. Aziz Dweik, who was detained in August 2006 by the Israeli military authorities together with 40 other legislators elected in January 2006.
An IPU on-site mission to Ecuador did not dispel the Committee's concern at the fact that 57 members of Congress dismissed in March 2007 for a vote cast in parliament have to date been denied legal redress.
Challenges to democracy
The Governing Council adopted a declaration to mark the 10th anniversary of the IPU Universal Declaration on Democracy adopted in Cairo in 1997. Legislators hailed ten years of progress worldwide in strengthening democracy and welcomed the rise in the overall number of parliaments, but they remained concerned at the crisis of legitimacy experienced by parliament in many countries. In the face of the serious challenges confronting democracy, including the adverse effects of globalization, poverty, violations of human rights, corruption and terrorism, they reaffirmed the principles and values enshrined in the Universal Declaration on Democracy and invited the world parliamentary community to redouble its efforts to promote and defend them.
IPU Committee on UN Affairs
The Governing Council also adopted the report of the new IPU Committee on United Nations Affairs. The Committee will examine how the United Nations is organizing its work in relation to a number of broad issues that include financing for development, human rights and the functioning of the new Human Rights Council, the sources of United Nations funding and the use of those funds, and the organization of peace-building operations. It will pay particular attention to the key role of parliament in the establishment of sound democracies.
Next IPU Assembly in South Africa
The next IPU Assembly will be held in Cape Town from 13 to 18 April 2008.
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