By ELIANE ENGELER,

AP news

Posted: 2008-03-28 13:39:57

GENEVA - The U.N. Human Rights Council on Friday strongly condemned systematic abuses of human rights in Myanmar by the Asian nation’s military rulers, including the holding of a high number of political prisoners.

The 47-nation body also passed a separate resolution extending for another year the mandate of the U.N. investigator for Myanmar.

The council expressed “deep concern at the situation of human rights in Myanmar, including the violent repression of the peaceful demonstrations of September 2007, and the failure of the government of Myanmar to investigate and bring to justice the perpetrators of these violations.”

Although the document was adopted by consensus, several countries said the criticism was one-sided and failed to take into account recent progress made by the military government.

Pakistan said the activities cited leaned toward political aspects of rule rather than human rights issues. India said the resolution was discriminatory, and China said the international community should acknowledge positive steps taken by the junta to improve the rights situation.

But Slovenia, which introduced the resolution, took a harder line.

“The European Union particularly deplores the continuous imposition of restrictions on the freedom of movement, expression, assembly and association; the prevailing culture of impunity, ongoing summary executions, torture and forced labor practices, recruitment of child soldiers and sexual violence,” it said.

Slovenia said Myanmar’s military rulers had not obeyed a demand from the rights council that the violent crackdown on the September protests be investigated and political prisoners be let go. The demand was issued at an emergency meeting of the body in October.

Dissident groups say the junta’s crackdown on opposition marches led by Buddhist monks ended with up to 200 dead and 6,000 in jail. The junta claims only 10 people were killed.

The resolution also said Myanmar government’s effort to draft a new constitution should be “inclusive, participatory and transparent in order to ensure that the constitution is broadly representative of the views of all people of Myanmar.”

Myanmar’s leaders have announced plans to hold a referendum on a new constitution later this year, to be followed by long-awaited national elections in 2010.

Critics have denounced the draft constitution as designed to cement military rule. The drafting process did not include detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Myanmar’s delegation to the human rights council said the resolution completely disregarded the political progress in the country and interfered in domestic affairs.

“This politicized approach will set a dangerous precedent for all developing countries like Myanmar,” it said.