A/HRC/7/24 page 5 II. METHODOLOGY AND ACTIVITIES OF THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR 6. After the Council adopted resolution 6/33, the Special Rapporteur included in his programme of work a plan for a follow-up visit to Myanmar and a programme to gather updated information regarding developments in the investigations of the disappeared; the reported killings during the crackdown; the depuration of responsibilities as a result of the excessive use of force; and the situation of detainees, including their detention conditions and the fairness of the trials and their outcomes. After evaluating the various constraints encountered during his mission in November 2007, the Special Rapporteur also communicated clearly to the Government the framework that would be required to ensure a constructive visit. 7. The Special Rapporteur wrote to the Government on 8 February 2008 with a detailed programme proposal aimed at continuing to identify the circumstances and obtain the Government’s views on the actions taken during the major incidents reported, including meetings with, among others, the Minister for Home Affairs; the Minister for Foreign Affairs; the Minister for Labour; law enforcement officials, including riot commanders and police battalions; and military and infantry divisions in charge of law and order during the crackdown on the demonstrations in September 2007. He also proposed meetings with the Attorney General and the judicial authorities to gather information regarding the legal conditions of the detainees, the trials and convictions. The Special Rapporteur informed the Government that he also wished to focus on the incidents reported in Mandalay and Sittwe. As was the case during his visit in November 2007, the Special Rapporteur requested further private interviews with detainees, as well as unrestricted private access to the United Nations country team and civil society organizations. 8. Since the presentation of his report to the Council in December 2007, the Special Rapporteur has received and collected updated information from a number of reliable sources on the developments in the country in relation to the crackdown on the demonstrations held in September 2007. The Special Rapporteur has not had the opportunity to engage with the Government in situ on the new findings and to compare updated information gathered since December 2007. The information gathered during the period under review shows that the events in September 2007 and their consequences require systematic engagement and thorough investigation. This will be essential if the efforts of the Government to promote and protect human rights in the context of a democratic transition, as expressed to the Special Rapporteur by his Government interlocutors during his visit to the country in November 2007, are to be realized. 9. The Special Rapporteur would like to express his gratitude to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and in particular to the Regional Office for South-East Asia for the support provided in the implementation of his mandate. III. DEVELOPMENT SINCE THE FIRST MISSION RELATED TO THE EVENTS OF AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER 10. During the period under review, the Special Rapporteur continued to receive information regarding the arrest and detention of human rights activists and individuals in connection with the violent crackdown on the peaceful demonstrations held in September 2007.