'Myanmar human rights situation challenging'
United Nations (PTI): Terming the human rights situation in Myanmar as challenging, a UN envoy has called upon the military junta to conduct the 2010 general elections in a "credible" manner.
"Respect for international human rights standards is indispensable in paving the road to democracy," Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Toms Ojea Quintana wrote in a report released on Wednesday.
"The next step in the road map for national reconciliation and democratic transition is the election in 2010," the UN human rights envoy to the country said.
"Myanmar is going through a unique moment in its political history," he said, noting that the country's new Constitution was finalised in February and adopted through a referendum in May.
He stressed that if those general elections are prepared and conducted in an atmosphere in which human rights were fully respected, "the process will be credible, resulting in progressive achievement of democratic values."