Press Briefing Note, 1 September 1998

José Luis Diaz, media and information officer for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the programme for Mrs. Mary Robinson's China visit was taking shape. The High Commissioner would arrive in Beijing on 6 September. In the morning of 7 September, she would address the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and would then take part in a workshop on the two human rights covenants. Then, the High Commissioner and the Chinese Foreign Minister were expected to discuss cooperation between China and the United Nations in the field of human rights. On 8 September, Mrs. Robinson was scheduled to have meetings with officials from the Supreme People's Court, the State Commission on Ethnic Affairs, the All-China Women's Federation and the Ministry of Justice. In the evening, she would meet representatives of United Nations agencies in China. On 9 September, the High Commissioner would participate in the launch of the 1998 human development report by the United Nations Development Programme. On 10 September, she was expected to arrive in Lhasa, Tibet, for a two-day stay. She would meet there with a wide range of representatives of the authorities and of civil society. Upon her return to Beijing, the High Commissioner was expected to meet with President Jiang Zemin and and Vice Premier Qian Qichen. Before leaving China on 15 September, Mrs. Robinson would hold a press conference in Beijing. The High Commissioner would meet correspondents for a short briefing on the China trip on Friday just after the regular briefing

Mr. Diaz said the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burundi, Sergio Paulo Pinheiro, was involved in a car accident yesterday in Burundi. The accident, in which the car Mr. Pinheiro was traveling in was hit by a truck, occurred as the Special Rapporteur was returning from a visit to Kayanza in the north of the country. His arm was broken but his life was not in danger. He would none the less have to cut short his fifth mission to the country. He was being flown to Nairobi this morning and then to Geneva.

Also this afternoon, he continued, Mrs. Robinson would go to Strasbourg to participate in the Council of Europe's commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Her statement would be available later this afternoon.

Still on the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration, Mr. Diaz said tomorrow at 11 a.m., there would be a press briefing by a Brazilian cyclist who intended to travel 23,000 kilometres to commemorate the Universal Declaration. He had already met Mrs. Robinson and would meet tomorrow with the Deputy High Commissioner, Enrique ter Horst. The briefing could be held either in room III or in the press room. This could be a nice human interest story.

A correspondent asked if Mrs. Robinson was concerned about the alleged killing of Tutsis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Mr. Diaz said the High Commissioner had issued a statement along with Under-Secretary-General Sergio Vieira de Mello and on behalf of the Secretary-General about 10 days ago on the situation in the DRC. She was also closely following the situation, but that was difficult to do as the personnel of the human rights office had been evacuated from Kinshasa following the outbreak of the war. It was hard therefore to obtain first-hand information. She was aware of the statement issued yesterday by the Security Council and was looking at further action that could be taken at her level. The Office of the High Commissioner was getting the same reports that correspondents were getting and which were very worrying. There were reports of killings, not only of Tutsis, but also of other people because of their ethnic origin. This was very worrying.

Asked if Mrs. Robinson was planning to meet any dissidents in Tibet or throughout the China visit, Mr. Diaz said the High Commissioner would be meeting with representatives of Chinese civil society, including the All-Women Federation, groups of disabled people and other groups with many different concerns.

In response to another question, Mr. Diaz said the Brazilian cyclist intended to travel 23,000 kilometres on bicycle.

A correspondent asked if Mrs. Robinson or anyone else from the Office had reacted to the uncovering of the graves of 22 Serbs killed and burned near Pristina. Mr. Diaz said that although the Office had not been able to establish a permanent presence in Pristina, personnel from the office in Belgrade working in Pristina were looking into the situation. He could not say when there would be a report on this but if there was he would make its results available.

A reporter asked for reaction to the rejection by the Yugoslav authorities of a visa request from the United States Ambassador for investigating war crimes, David Scheffer. Mr. Diaz said this was a question that should be put to the American authorities.

Asked if the High Commissioner would take along an independent translator for the Tibet section of her visit, Mr. Diaz said the logistical arrangements for the Tibet visit had not been concluded yet. He agreed that would have to be finalized before the High Commissioner left Geneva.