GENEVA, Switzerland, Aug. 7 (UPI) -- A U.N. envoy said he plans to review the human rights situation in Myanmar during visits to troubled states set to last more than a week.
U.N. special envoy on the human rights situation in Myanmar announced Wednesday he plans to spend 10 days in the country starting Sunday to assess the situation at the invitation of the government.
"The government's agreement to provide me with such wide-ranging access to different parts of the country will give me an excellent opportunity to assess how the human rights situation is evolving as the reform agenda moves forward," he said in a statement.
In Rakhine, along the country's western coast, Quintana said he would look for any signs of progress in ending the discrimination against the minority Muslim community.
"This will include measures to ensure that the perpetrators of human rights violations, including state officials, are held to account," he said.
In other states, like Kachin, the rights envoy said he would work to determine what, if any, progress was made in brokering peace deals with separatists and armed elements in the region.
Myanmar earned international praise for political reforms that started with general elections in 2010. Its rights record and national stability have remained sources of concern for the global community.
Quintana presents his preliminary findings Aug. 21 from Myanmar. A full report will be handed to the U.N. General Assembly in October.
