The report mentioned that the Shan State National Army (SSNA) has withdrawn from the ceasefire agreement.

The same was true of the Shan people, whose members lived not only in the state of Shan the largest in Myanmar, which also had multi ethnic representation but also in the country's other states and territories.

While the ceasefire agreements between the Government and 16 ethnic nationality groups seem to be holding, the arrests of several Shan leaders, including the President of the Shan State Peace Council (SSPC) and the Chairman of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy in early 2005, have reportedly led to the withdrawal of the Shan State National Army (SSNA) from its ceasefire agreement with the Government and to a surge of violence in various parts of Shan State.

The two remaining legal ethnic parties, the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) and the Shan State Kokang Democratic Party, did not participate.

PM Shake the Dust.

Others who are particularly affected are the Shan in the south eastern part of Shan state and the Mon in southern Ye township in Mon state.

He is similarly concerned at the fact that several Shan leaders, including the President of the Shan State Peace Council and the Chairman of the Shan NLD, were arrested or detained in early 2005, leading to the boycotting of the opening ceremony of the National Convention by the Shan State Army (North) on 17 February 2005.

U Shwe Ohn (82), a Shan leader, remains under house arrest since being detained following a meeting of Shan politicians on 7 February 2005.

Following the renunciation by the Shan State National Army of its ceasefire agreement in April 2005, there has been increased military activity and increased deployment of Government forces to restrict contact with the Shan State Army (South).

The report stressed the importance of inclusiveness and regretted that the National Convention does not include representatives from the National League for Democracy (NLD) and the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy.

Prior to the National Convention, at least 10 political activists were arrested for participating in a meeting of senior representatives of the Shan ethnic nationality on Shan National Day, 7 February 2005.

Regrettably, the National Convention, which met from May to July 2004 and again from February to March 2005, did not include representatives from either the National League for Democracy (NLD) or several other ethnic nationality political parties, including the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), which had won the second largest number of seats in the 1990 elections.

On the contrary, all (5) component brigades of the SSNA remain within the legal fold.

Systematic sexual violence became visible in Burma when the Shan Women s Action Network (SWAN) and the Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF) published Licence to Rape , which documents 625 cases of rape committed by the military in eastern Burma between 1996 and 2001. The report noted that nobody had been prosecuted.

On 8 April 2005, a Member of Parliament elect of Shan State, U Kyaw Khin, was sentenced, for the second time, to 14 years' imprisonment.

(h) To release all political prisoners immediately and unconditionally, including National League for Democracy leaders Aung San Suu Kyi and Tin Oo, and Shan Nationalities League for Democracy leader Khun Htun Oo and other Shan leaders, and to allow their full participation in a genuinely inclusive process of national reconciliation

(h) To release all political prisoners immediately and unconditionally, including National League for Democracy leaders Aung San Suu Kyi and Tin Oo, and Shan Nationalities League for Democracy leader Khun Htun Oo and other Shan leaders, and to allow their full participation in an inclusive and credible process of national reconciliation

On 7 February 2005, at least 10 political activists were arrested for participating in a meeting of senior representatives of the Shan ethnic nationality.

As a result, it is understood that over 10,000 civilians have been displaced by conflict in southern Shan state between March and June 2005.

It is understood that all those arrested, including Khun Htun Oo, Chairperson of SNLD, are still being arbitrarily detained and that U Shwe Ohn, the 82 year old author and lawyer, remains under house arrest.

As noted above, it is reported that those arrested, including Khun Htun Oo (SNLD Chairman), are still being arbitrarily detained and that U Shwe Ohn, the 82 year old author and lawyer, remains under house arrest.

(c) To facilitate and cooperate fully with an independent international investigation of charges of rape and other abuse of civilians carried out by members of the armed forces in Shan and other states

It has been reported that as of the end of 2004, there were at least 526,000 internally displaced persons in eastern Myanmar alone, in Mon, Kayin, Kayah, southern Shan states and Tanintharyi and eastern Bago divisions.

The arrested SNLD Member of Parliament elect U Khun Htun Oo and others detained with him in February 2005 were denied access to lawyers of their own choosing, but were given Government appointed lawyers.

SNLD, which won the second largest number of seats in the 1990 election but was prevented from taking them up, has, along with NLD, stayed away from the National Convention because of the lack of adherence to minimum democratic standards.

The Special Rapporteur reiterates that the General Secretary of NLD, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the Vice Chairman of NLD, U Tin Oo, ethnic leaders such as Khun Htun Oo, Chairperson of SNLD, and elderly prisoners such as the poet and journalist U Win Tin, should be released.

(l) Without further delay, to cooperate fully with the Special Rapporteur to facilitate an independent international investigation of continuing reports of sexual violence and other abuse of civilians carried out by members of the armed forces in Shan, Karen, Mon and other states

(ii) To facilitate a genuinely independent investigation of continuing reports of sexual violence, in particular against women belonging to ethnic nationalities, and other abuse of civilians carried out by members of the armed forces in Shan, Karen, Mon and other States

In his statements of 17 August 2004 and 18 February 2005, the Secretary General elaborated the expectations of the United Nations for the Government's road map process beginning with the reconvening of the National Convention process. These were as follows

(l) Without further delay to cooperate fully with the Special Rapporteur to facilitate an independent international investigation of continuing reports of sexual violence and other abuse of civilians carried out by members of the armed forces in Shan, Karen, Mon and other States

There remain a number of ethnic minority based armed groups and factions, such as the Karen National Union, the Karenni National Progressive Party and the Shan State Army (South), located primarily in the border areas, which have either no peace agreements or failed peace agreements with the Government and are thereby excluded from the National Convention process.

The Special Rapporteur is dismayed that no action has yet been brought against the perpetrators of the fatal attacks on NLD supporters in a car convoy at Depayin in May 2003, or an investigation launched into the alleged systematic rape of Shan, Karen and other ethnic minority women by Government forces.

With its industry now dominating the global hydropower equipment market, China has also emerged as the largest dam builder overseas. From Pakistani held Kashmir to Burma s troubled Kachin and Shan states, China has widened its dam building to disputed or insurgency torn areas, despite local backlashes.

(b) To immediately facilitate and cooperate fully with the proposed investigation by the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Myanmar into charges of rape and other abuse of civilians carried out by members of the armed forces in Shan and other states, including unhindered access to the region, and to guarantee the safety of those cooperating with and covered by the investigation