UN Rights envoy meets diplomats in Rangoon

UN Rights envoy meets diplomats in Rangoon
by -
Solomon
The United Nations Human Rights expert, who is on a six-day visit to Burma, on Tuesday met diplomats in Rangoon, said a UN official. Tomas Ojea Quintana, the UN envoy, on Tuesday met diplomats in Rangoon ...

 
New Delhi - The United Nations Human Rights expert, who is on a six-day visit to Burma, on Tuesday met diplomats in Rangoon, said a UN official.
 
Tomas Ojea Quintana, the UN envoy, on Tuesday met diplomats in Rangoon but it is still uncertain whether he will meet detained Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and leaders of her party the National League for Democracy, said Aye Win, the spokesman for UN Information Centre in Rangoon.
 
On Monday the UN envoy visited Rangoon's notorious Insein prison and met five political prisoners. Earlier on Sunday, he visited Pa-an prisons in Karen State.
 
The UNIC in Rangoon said the envoy held private and confidential interviews with political prisoners Dr. Tin Min Htut, Kyaw Ko Ko, Daw Pone Nami a.k.a. Daw Mya Nyunt, Nyi Nyi Htwe and U Nyi Pu.
 
While in Karen state Quintana also met ceasefire armed groups the Karen National Union/Karen National Liberation Army (KNU/KNLA) Peace Council and the Democratic Buddhist Karen Army (DKBA), both of which are splinter groups of the Karen National Union, one of the major armed resistance group that does not have a peace agreement with the ruling junta.
 
The UN envoy, during his stay in Burma, from February 14 to 19, is expected to will prisons in Myitkyina in Northern Burma's Kachin state and in Arakan state, the UN said.
 
In Myitkyina prison, where there are at least 10 political prisoners including famous comedian Zarganar. Jail authorities were stated to have provided decent meals to prisoners since last month and security has been beefed up in and around the city, sources said.
 
"We heard Quintana will be visiting Myitkyina today or tomorrow and has asked the regime for a meeting with Zarganar," said a relative of Zarganar.
 
However, Aye Win said the UN envoy will not go to Myitkyina on Tuesday and it is still uncertain when he will visit.
 
"He will not go today to Myitkyina. He will be here in Yangon [Rangoon]," said Aye Win. "We don't know about this we have no list of names of his request."
 
According to the UN information centre Tomas Ojea Quintana will meet leaders of political parties and travel to Kayin, Kachin and Arakan State but so far the NLD said they have not receive any notice to meet the visiting envoy.