Mr Tomas Ojea Quintana said these include a revision of domestic laws to ensure compliance with international human rights standards, gradual release of all prisoners of conscience, and human rights training for the military.

Presenting his report to a UN General Assembly committee that deals with human rights issues, Mr Quintana said his fourth request was for an independent judiciary necessary to ensure the rule of law.

Mr Quintana, an Argentinian who took over in May as special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, and who visited the South-east Asian nation in August, conceded that 'restoration of full democracy cannot happen overnight'. 'It will take generations,' he said. 'In the meantime, tangible, achievable, step-by-step benchmarks should be fixed.'

He welcomed the Myanmar regime's release of 9,002 prisoners, including seven prisoners of conscience, last September, but deplored that one of the seven was re-arrested shortly after being set free.

He voiced hope he would be allowed to return to Myanmar before the end of the year.

Mr Quintana urged the Myanmar military and non-state armed groups not to use violence against unarmed civilains, to halt recruitment of child soldiers, the displacement of villagers as well as the use of anti-personnel landmines and of forced civilian labour.

Early this month, the new UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Navi Pillay of South Africa, also called for the release of Myanmar's political prisoners.

'We believe that there are still 2,000 political prisoners in Myanmar,' said Mr Pillay. 'We are asking the authorities in Rangoon to free them.'

She described the detention of Myanmar's pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi as 'completely illegal, even in respect of the country's law'. -- AFP