THE United Nations human rights rapporteur, Mr Tomas Ojea Quintana, said last week that the government has reacted positively to his recommendations for improving the country’s human rights situation, including the establishment of an independent judiciary.

Mr Ojea Quintana was speaking last Thursday at the end of a six-day mission to Myanmar, during which he said the government has agreed to cooperate with UN special rapporteurs on matters concerning judiciary independence.

“I came to Myanmar to measure the level of cooperation from the government with regard to my recommendations,” he told reporters at Yangon International Airport before leaving the country.

“I have to say that regarding my recom-mendations to the government, I found positive signs,” Mr Ojea Quintana said.

Furthermore, the envoy said he met with Chief Justice U Aung Toe in Nay Pyi Taw last Wednesday, which resulted in an agreement on increasing cooperation between Myanmar and the UN on promoting independence of the judiciary.

“[U Aung Toe] accepted my recommendation to engage in cooperation with the special rapporteur for the independence of judges and lawyers … in order to start a process of reforming the judiciary, to gain independence and impartiality,” Mr Ojea Quintana said.

The envoy said that during another meeting on Wednesday, he was informed by Attorney General U Aye Maung about a plan by the government to review a number of laws.

He said he also met Home Minister Major General Maung Oo to ask the government to release more political detainees.

“I discussed this issue with the home minister and he said he will consider [the request],” he said.

Mr Ojea Quintana said he also spent four hours at Insein Prison on the outskirts of Yangon on Tuesday, where, according to the UN, the envoy held “private and confidential” interviews with five political detainees.

He also visited the prison at Hpa-an, the capital of Kayin State, on Monday. During his trip to Kayin State, Mr Ojea Quintana met representa-tives from three former insurgent groups that have signed peace deals with the government.
Mr Ojea Quintana is expected to submit a report on the outcome of his mission to Myanmar to the UN Human Rights Council next month.

UN special rapporteurs are independent, unpaid experts mandated to assess rights issues. The latest visit was the second by Mr Ojea Quintana, an Argentinean human rights lawyer who was appointed last May to succeed Mr Paulo Sergio Pinheiro.

Mr Pinheiro had served in the post for eight years, until he resigned in April last year.