CPTC2

UN human rights expert Paulo Sergio Pinheiro speaks to the media as he arrives at
his hotel in Burma's biggest city of Rangoon. [Photo: AFP]

UN Human Rights Rapporteur Visits
Insein Prison, Monastery
By Wai Moe November 12, 2007
The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Burma visited infamous Insein Prison and the Ngwe Kyar Yan monastery on Monday, the scene of a bloody crackdown by security forces during the pro-democracy demonstrations.
UN human rights expert Paulo Sergio Pinheiro speaks to the media as he arrives at his hotel in Burma's biggest city of Rangoon. [Photo: AFP]
The monastery's abbot, U Yawata, told special rapporteur Paulo Sergio Pinheiro that when troops raided the monastery in late September as many as 70 monks were detained. Many were badly beaten.
Tate Naing, the secretary of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma), told The Irrawaddy the AAPP does not expect too much from Pinheiro's trip because the junta has carefully prepared for his visit. But he added, “Pinheiro has years of experience in dealing with the Burma issue, so he might see through the junta’s lies.”
Tate Naing said: “We [AAPP] got information that Burmese prisons had been prepared before Pinheiro's arrival. The recent detainees from the September crackdowns were transferred from Insein Prison to undisclosed locations.”
A spokesperson of the 88 Generation Students group, Soe Tun, said that if Pinheiro wanted to understand the reality of the September crackdowns, he should visit to the monasteries that were raided by troops in September.
“Pinheiro should visit not only government-approved places, but also sites of the crackdown throughout the country,” said Soe Tun. “Even after Gambari’s trip, there was a raid on dissidents over the weekend in Hlaing Thar Yar Township.”
Nyan Win, a spokesperson of the National League for Democracy, said the NLD hopes the UN human rights rapporteur can conduct a thorough investigation on the crackdown. However, he said the NLD has received no word that Pinheiro would visit with its officers.
Pinheiro arrived to Burma on Sunday. After his arrival, the ruling junta took him to Kya Khat Waing monastery in Pegu Town north of Rangoon. Later, he met with officials of Shwedagon Pagoda.
Before his trip, Pinheiro said he would investigate the crackdown on the monk-led demonstrations and try to determine the death toll and number of arrests. He said if he could not meet with the people he wishes to talk to, he would immediately leave the country.
Pinheiro’s last visit to Burma was in 2003, when he found a secret tape recorder in the room he was using to interview political prisoners in Insein Prison. He immediately cancelled his inspection tour and left Burma.
Since that trip, the Burmese junta has rejected Pinheiro’s requests to revisit Burma for the past four years.