UN Human Rights Envoy Visits Myanmar as Opposition Leader Freed

Tomas Ojea Quintana, the special envoy for human rights in the country formerly known as Burma, begins a four-day visit today and says he wants to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the National League for Democracy, who remains in detention.

The junta two days ago freed Tin Oo, the 82-year-old vice chairman of the NLD, ago after seven years in detention. “It is not enough to release me alone,” Agence France-Presse cited him as saying in Yangon yesterday when he visited a Buddhist temple.

Myanmar’s military, which has ruled the country since 1962, plans to hold elections this year under a new constitution. The U.S. and UN are leading calls on the junta to make progress toward democracy and ensure the ballot is not used as a way for the military to maintain power.

This year is “a critical time for the people of Myanmar,” Quintana said last week. “These elections should be fair and transparent. Freedom of speech, movement and association should be guaranteed” and all prisoners of conscience should be released before the ballot, he said.

The U.S. says an estimated 2,100 political prisoners in Maynmar should be released before the election.