A/HRC/4/14 page 3 committing serious violations of human rights, in particular members of the military, have not been prosecuted. There is also little evidence that these serious crimes have been investigated by relevant authorities. Grave human rights violations are committed by persons within the established structures of the State Peace and Development Council and are not only perpetrated with impunity but authorized by law. In that respect, the Special Rapporteur is also very concerned about the continued misuse of the legal system, which denies the rule of law and represents a major obstacle to securing the effective and meaningful exercise of fundamental freedoms by citizens. He considers the criminalization of the exercise of fundamental freedoms by political opponents, human rights defenders and victims of human rights abuses to be a matter of particular concern. During the course of his mandate, the Special Rapporteur has been very concerned about the 10 years of intensified military campaigns in ethnic areas of eastern Myanmar and its impact on the humanitarian and human rights situation, especially on civilians who have been targeted during the attacks. The situation should be considered in connection with the widespread practice of land confiscation throughout the country, which is seemingly aimed at anchoring military control, especially in ethnic areas. It has led to numerous forced evictions, relocations and resettlements, forced migration and internal displacement. Given the scale of the current military campaign, the situation may lead to a humanitarian crisis if it is not addressed immediately. The Special Rapporteur therefore welcomes the recent appointment of the Resident Coordinator as Humanitarian Coordinator. He believes that the formal engagement of the humanitarian sector of the United Nations Secretariat will provide stronger, essential support in ensuring the integrity and independence of ongoing efforts. The Special Rapporteur takes note with great satisfaction of the recent release of political prisoners, including the five “88 generation” student leaders arrested last September. He expresses the hope that other prominent political prisoners will benefit from the amnesty granted in early January 2007. He therefore welcomes the statement made by the Secretary-General on 8 January 2007 on this issue and commends the work done by the United Nations within the “good offices” mission.