Chronology of UN Visits to Burma
A duty to investigate arises as soon as a UN member state or a designated global monitor such as the ICRC receives verifiable information that heinous crimes are occurring. Since 1990, eight envoys have been appointed by the United Nations system to facilitate dialogue between the junta and the pro-democracy forces, and to carry out fact-finding missions in Burma. The timeline below, created by ALTSEAN, chronicles the visits and reports of UN envoys to Burma, all of which have been met with silence.
Download the full PDF version of the Chronology of UN Visits and Reports compiled by the Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma (ALTSEAN)
On 4 April, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed Razali Ismail as UN Special Envoy for Burma. His mandate was to facilitate the implementation of the UN General Assembly resolution 54/186.
On 24 August, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and a dozen other NLD leaders were stopped near Dala, on the outskirts of Rangoon. On 2 September, after a nine-day standoff, SPDC authorities brought Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD leaders back to Rangoon and confined them to their homes. On 14 September, SPDC authorities lifted the restrictions. However, on 21 September, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other NLD leaders attempted to travel to Mandalay. The regime brought Daw Aung San Suu Kyi back from the Rangoon train station and again confined her to her home.
In his October report to the General Assembly, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan expressed hopes that Razali's discussions with the SPDC's top leadership and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi would result in "a new momentum for a resumption of the process of dialogue between the two sides" in the following months.
On 26 October, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Burma Rajsoomer Lallah said that the policy of SPDC over the past several years still continued to "privilege the repression of all political activity over the engagement in a genuine political dialogue." Lallah concluded that it was an "unfortunate and regrettable duty" to address the UN General Assembly year after year to report on a human right situation that showed no improvement and discarded the repeated resolutions of this Assembly and the Commission on Human Rights.
On 2 November, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Burma Rajsoomer Lallah resigned, citing lack of logistical and administrative support from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. "I see very little changing, year after year the General Assembly and the Commission pass resolutions, I feel rather disappointed," he said following his resignation. Lallah was never allowed to enter Burma during his four-year mandate.
CHR, 56th session, 24 January 2000, E/CN.4/2000/38
UNGA, 55th session, 22 August 2000, A/55/359
UNGA, 55th session, 20 October 2000, A/55/509