GENEVA (15 November 2022) – The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, will carry out a mission to the Republic of Korea from 16 to 21 November.
“The military junta’s attacks on civilians and suppression of the democratic aspirations of the people of Myanmar demand a concerted and coordinated response from the international community. The Republic of Korea is well-placed to provide regional leadership on the crisis given its strong condemnation of the junta and outspoken support for democracy and human rights in Myanmar,” said Andrews.
“I hope to discuss the role that the Republic of Korea can play in resolving the crisis in Myanmar in light of its status as a leading democracy in the Asia-Pacific region and a member of ASEAN-Plus Three,” said Andrews.
The Special Rapporteur will visit Seoul where he will meet representatives of national and local Governments, UN officials, foreign policy experts, civil society organisations, members of the Myanmar diaspora and representatives of companies that have invested or have ongoing interest in Myanmar. He will also visit Gwangju city, a city that has shown strong solidarity with Myanmar.
The Special Rapporteur will hold a press conference to share his preliminary observations with the media. It will take place at 11h00 local time on 21 November 2022 at the Maehwa Hall 19Fl, Korea Press Center, 124 Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, , Seoul. Access will be strictly limited to journalists.
ENDS
Mr. Thomas Andrews (United States of America) is the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. A former member of the US Congress from Maine, Andrews is a Robina Senior Human Rights Fellow at Yale Law School and an Associate of Harvard University’s Asia Center. He has worked with the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and parliamentarians, NGOs and political parties in Cambodia, Indonesia, Algeria, Croatia, Serbia, Ukraine and Yemen. He has been a consultant for the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma and the Euro-Burma Network and has run advocacy NGOs including Win Without War and United to End Genocide.
The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Comprising the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, Special Procedures is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.
Source: UN Human Rights Council