A/HRC/RES/19/21 2. Also welcomes the engagement of the Government of Myanmar with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and opposition parties, including through the amendment of relevant electoral laws, as an important step towards enabling wider participation of political parties, including the National League for Democracy, in the by-elections of 1 April 2012, and urges the Government to work towards establishing a credible, inclusive and sustained process of close and ongoing dialogue with the democratic opposition and political, ethnic and civil society groups and actors leading to national reconciliation and lasting peace in Myanmar; 3. Expresses grave concern at remaining serious human rights violations, and strongly calls upon the Government of Myanmar to put an end to all violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, to undertake, without delay and with appropriate attention from the United Nations, a full, transparent and independent investigation into all reports of such violations, past and present, and to bring to justice those responsible in order to end impunity for such acts; 4. Welcomes the release of a substantial number of prisoners of conscience, while expressing concern over reports on the conditions attached to some of the releases, and strongly urges the Government of Myanmar to desist from further politically motivated arrests, to establish a dialogue with all relevant stakeholders, including the Special Rapporteur, in order to clarify the status and the number of the remaining prisoners of conscience, and to release such prisoners, without delay or conditions, and allow their full participation in the political process; 5. Urges the Government of Myanmar to ensure that the by-elections of 1 April are free, inclusive, transparent and fair, from the campaign period and the advance voting stage through to vote counting and the announcement of results, including by seeking technical cooperation and the presence of international election observers and drawing lessons from the 2010 elections; 6. Notes with appreciation as a first step the invitation of the Government of Myanmar extended to States members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the secretariat of the Association, the diplomatic corps based in Yangon, the United Nations and regional and international organizations to participate in an observation tour of the byelections of 1 April; 7. Welcomes the increasing space for political activity, assembly, speech and the press and the stated intention of the Government of Myanmar to carry out media reform and open up space for the media, and strongly calls upon the Government to take further steps to ensure the freedom of assembly, association, movement and expression for all people in Myanmar; 8. Also welcomes the invitation extended to the International Committee of the Red Cross to provide technical assistance in three prisons, and urges the Government of Myanmar to allow it to expand activities in accordance with its mandate, in particular by granting access to persons detained and to areas of internal armed conflict; 9. Expresses its serious concern at the continuing discrimination, human rights violations, violence, displacement and economic deprivation affecting numerous ethnic and religious minorities, and calls upon the Government of Myanmar to take immediate action to bring about an improvement in their respective situations, and in particular to recognize the right of members of the Rohingya ethnic minority in Northern Rakhine State to nationality and to protect all of their human rights; 2