Aung San Suu Kyi, special rapporteur to Burma in 1998...

Aung San Suu Kyi, special rapporteur to Burma in 1998 and head of the National League for Democracy, Myanmar's main opposition party, said that "extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, the practice of torture and forced labour" are commonplace violations in Burma. Members of ethnic minorities are forced to serve as porters for the army and any person who cannot carry the required load is allegedly beaten with bamboo sticks or rifle butts. Deprivation of food, water, rest and medical care is also reportedly a common method of punishment. Other punishments include 14 years labour for talking to certain journalists and 15 years labour for sending a report to the UN.