YANGON, July 2 (Xinhua) -- A United Nations human rights expert has in talks with media highlighted problems faced by internally displaced persons (IDPs) across Myanmar.
The IDPs have limited access to education and healthcare, said United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar Yanghee Lee on Friday evening, noting education at the secondary and tertiary levels were hardly available, while quality of primary school education is low.
They are afraid to return to their villages due to the presence of soldiers and the risks posed by landmines, said Lee.
She said that violence, which continued in the country's Rakhine, Kachin and northern Shan states, has severely affected the lives of civilians.
"The communities affected by conflicts saw the recent election as a sign of hope but they are still awaiting. Durable peace must be achieved to allow these areas of the country and others to see the change they have been waiting for," she said.
She also called for respect of the human rights of political prisoners.
Myanmar Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi met with Lee in Nay Pyi Taw, discussing issues concerning human rights in Myanmar.
The pair discussed issues including measures undertaken by Myanmar to protect and improve human rights, situation in the Rakhine state, and the country's peace process.
A full report of Myanmar's human right situations is due to be submitted to the 71st session of the UN General Assembly in New York, in September this year.
Lee arrived in Yangon on June 19 as part of her mission to compile the report. This is her fourth visit to Myanmar but the first since the new government took office in Myanmar. During her visit, she visited Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw, Sittwe, Myitkyina and Lashio.
