INTERVIEW-U.N. envoy urges more aid for Burma ( Reuters ) October 30, 2002


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INTERVIEW-U.N. envoy urges more aid for Burma

BANGKOK, Oct 30 (Reuters)

A U.N. envoy to Burma urged the international community on Wednesday to put money into the military-ruled country despite allegations of rights abuses, including the forced conscription of child soldiers and rape by troops.

United Nations human rights rapporteur Paulo Sergio Pinheiro said the international community should encourage political change in Burma by giving humanitarian aid and engaging the ruling junta more.

But in return, Burma must allow an investigation into allegations of human rights violations and be prepared to work with pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi on humanitarian issues, he said.

"For this cooperation...the (government) needs to have a professional, independent and credible investigation of human rights violations in border areas where you have conflict," Pinheiro told Reuters in an interview after an 11-day mission to Burma.

"An important thing I did was to encourage the government to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross to be present in the hot areas where you have armed conflict."

But Pinheiro said he turned down a government invitation to visit Shan state in eastern Burma, citing a lack of time for a proper investigation into allegations by human rights groups that the army is using systematic rape and child soldiers in a war against ethnic minority separatist groups.

Pinheiro said he planned to go to Shan State during future visits to Burma, the next being in February.

Many Western countries, including the United States and the European Union, impose political and economic sanctions on Burma, a country diplomats say has been impoverished by decades of economic mismanagement.

JUNTA NOT READY FOR TALKS

But Pinheiro suggested isolating Burma was wrong.

"It's important that the international community does not wait for the end of political transition before engaging," Pinheiro told a news conference. "Every political transition in the world is a process. Don't expect instant regime change in Myanmar."

The military has raised hopes for political change in the last two years by releasing around 400 political prisoners and freeing Suu Kyi from 19 months of house arrest in May.

Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) won national elections in 1990, but has never been allowed to rule by the military, which has held power for the last four decades.

Pinheiro, who met Suu Kyi and powerful military intelligence chief Khin Nyunt during his visit, said the junta and the NLD were in regular contact but substantive talks on political change had not begun.

He said the military appeared reluctant to work with Suu Kyi, even on humanitarian aid. Diplomats say NLD cooperation with the junta could persuade donors to open their wallets.

"The NLD is ready to participate in monitoring and assessment of humanitarian aid," Pinheiro said. "But it seems to me the government is not yet prepared to have this engagement." Pinheiro called for the immediate, unconditional release of all political prisoners, who he thought numbered between 1,200 and 1,300, as the next step towards political change.

He said treatment of the prisoners had improved since the Red Cross began prison visits nearly three years ago. But political repression, including sporadic arrests of pro-democracy activists, continued, he said.

"There is no torture, no misconduct by agents in prison facilities," Pinheiro told Reuters.

"But the basic political freedoms for political parties are limited. They don't have the right for instance to print materials, which will be very necessary in political dialogue."

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