緬甸人權不容國際妥協
國際特赦組織呼籲：正當聯合國緬甸人權狀況特別報告員即將在人權理事會第十六會期提交報告之際，各國政府應該一致譴責緬甸當局長期漠視其國內人權遭受普遍而有系統侵害的事實。（11 March 2011） 如同特派調查員在聯合國人權理事會會議上針對緬甸人權狀況提出的報告，各國政府應一致譴責緬甸政府長期漠視境內人權遭受廣泛且系統性之侵犯的事實。 緬甸在大選後有了新的政府團隊，可是境內的人權狀況不但沒有改善，而且沒有任何跡象顯示短期內將出現任何改變。將近2,200名政治犯仍被監禁，其中多數為和平行使言論自由、結社與集會權利的良心犯。審查制度與其他嚴苛的言論自由禁令仍然延續，侵犯少數族群而違反國際人權與人道法規的作為──包括針對平民而構成違反人道罪的罪行──也持續不斷。 更有甚者，緬甸政府仍無意接受國際社會的建議，改善其人權狀況。聯合國人權理事會於2011年1月在普遍定期審查中提出緬甸的人權紀錄後，緬甸政府仍不承認其境內人權狀況之嚴重性，也不承諾展開廣泛的改善行動。 例如，緬甸政府斷然否認有監禁政治犯之情事，並表示境內的少數族群羅興亞族（Rohingya）為「非法移民」；緬甸政府長久以來接不賦予這支民族任何公民權利。而儘管數十年來有充分的證據顯示緬甸嚴重且系統性的人權侵犯缺乏糾正，緬甸政府仍堅稱境內沒有免責（impunity）之情形。 緬甸政府拒絕接受普遍定期審查會議中總共高達70條的建議，這些建議中最重要的包括釋放政治犯，廢除讓侵犯人權或刑罰和平異議份子之政府官員得以免責的國家立法，終結對少數族群之歧視性政策，調查脅迫、刑求與強迫失蹤之案件並予以懲處，容許國際紅十字會進入監獄，以及改革司法系統以確保其獨立與公正。 緬甸的負面回應在在顯示其缺乏承認其嚴重侵犯人權之政治意願，並強烈地暗示緬甸政府不願採取任何有效的行動來改善境內的人權狀況。 國際特赦組織在此呼應特派調查員提出的建議，呼籲聯合國人權理事會所有會員國及觀察員政府共同敦促緬甸政府： ‧立即且無條件釋放所有良心政治犯； ‧終止所有違反國際人權與人道法規的罪行； ‧廢除憲法中所有豁免國家官員侵犯人權之刑責的立法，並提供調查所有人權侵 犯所需之資訊； ‧對所有嚴重人權侵犯之指控進行獨立、公正且徹底的調查，不受位階、地位影響地起訴涉嫌犯罪者並公平訴訟，且根據國際標準對受害者支付適當的賠償金； ‧修正或廢除所有違反國際人權標準之立法，包括否決羅興亞族公民權利的1982年公民法。 國際特赦組織也呼籲所有聯合國人權理事會成員國與觀察員政府： ‧支持該特派調查員的授權期限延長； ‧推動該特派調查員先前的建議，成立一國際調查委員會調查緬甸境內嚴重的跨國犯罪。 背景 2001年3月14日，聯合國人權理事會將與緬甸人權狀況之特派調查員進行互動對談，討論其A/HRC/16/59號報告。該會議中該理事會也將草擬延長該員授權期限一年之決議。
資料來源：國際特赦組織台灣總會 http://www.amnesty.tw/?p=1133
翻譯：王詩菱／TOPS專案志工
原文轉載：
AMNESTY INTERNATIONALPUBLIC STATEMENT
AI Index: ASA 16/001/201111 March 2011
No international compromise on human rights in Myanmar
As the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar presents his report to the 16th session of United Nations Human Rights Council, governments should speak with one voice on Myanmar’s long-standing failure to address widespread and systematic human rights violations in the country.
While a new administration has been appointed following elections, not only has the human rights situation in Myanmar not improved, it shows no signs of changing in the foreseeable future. Nearly 2,200 political prisoners remain behind bars, most of whom are prisoners of conscience, imprisoned solely for the peaceful exercise of their rights to freedom of expression, association, and assembly. Censorship and other serious restrictions on freedom of expression remain, and violations of international human rights and humanitarian law against ethnic minorities – including acts against the civilian population which constitute crimes against humanity – continue.
Moreover, the government continues to demonstrate an unwillingness to accept, much less take forward, key recommendations by the international community to improve the human rights situation. In response to the Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Myanmar’s human rights record in January 2011, the government failed to acknowledge the gravity of the human rights situation in the country or commit to taking any comprehensive remedial action.
For example, the government flatly denied that it holds political prisoners in the country, and stated that the Rohingya ethnic minority, to whom it does not grant the right to citizenship in Myanmar, were “illegal immigrants”. It maintained that there is no impunity in the country, despite the fact that lack of redress for grave and systematic violations over the past decades has been extensively documented.
The government rejected a massive total of 70 recommendations made during the UPR session, which urged Myanmar, among other things, to release political prisoners; to repeal national legislation that grants impunity to state officials for human rights violations or penalizes peaceful dissent; to end discrimination against ethnic minorities; to investigate and punish cases of intimidation, torture and enforced disappearance; to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross access to detention facilities; and to reform the judiciary to ensure its independence and impartiality.
Myanmar’s negative response to these recommendations starkly illustrated the government’s absence of political will to acknowledge its serious human rights failings, and strongly suggested its unwillingness to provide effective redress for human rights violations.
Echoing key recommendations made by the Special Rapporteur, Amnesty International calls on all Human Rights Council member and observer states to urge the Myanmar government to:· immediately and unconditionally release all prisoners of conscience;· halt all violations of international human rights and humanitarian law;· remove all provisions in the Constitution that exempt state officials from prosecution for past human rights violations, and provide full information on measures taken to investigate allegations of human rights violations;· facilitate independent, impartial, and thorough investigations of all allegations of serious human rights violations; prosecute alleged perpetrators, irrespective of rank or status, in fair proceedings; and provide adequate reparations to victims in accordance with international standards; and· amend or repeal all legislation which fails to meet international human rights standards, including the 1982 Law on Citizenship, which denies the Rohingyas the right to citizenship.
Amnesty International also calls on all Human Rights Council member and observer states to:· support the renewal of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur;· advance the Special Rapporteur’s previous recommendation that an international Commission of Inquiry be established to investigate credible allegations of grave international crimes in Myanmar.
Background
On 14 March 2011, the Human Rights Council will hold an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar based on his report A/HRC/16/59. Later in the session, the Council will also take action on a draft resolution that, among other things, would renew the mandate of the Special Rapporteur for another year.
