A/54/303 authorities and/or, which have chosen to accommodate their concerns. Consequently, the unofficial organizations are prohibited from carrying out any religious activities, subject to penalties by the authorities in the form of various measures, including surveillance, harassment, house arrest, administrative detention, prison, re-education camp, and confiscation of religious property. 22. The Special Rapporteur, in his report, drew the attention of the international community to the fact that all of the religious communities are prevented from conducting their religious activities freely and are therefore subject to interference from authorities. For example, the training of the clergy of the religious communities is subject to a numerus clausus and their candidatures must be approved by the authorities. The appointment of the clergy and the inauguration of the highest religious dignitaries must be approved by the authorities. The movement of clergy from different communities in order to attend religious functions in geographical areas not usually under their jurisdiction is subject to approval by the authorities, and the building and renovation of the places of worship of religious communities is subject to approval by the authorities. The Special Rapporteur also expressed concern that the religious prisoners belonging to the various religious communities (to the Special Rapporteur’s knowledge, Buddhist, Catholics, Cao Dais, Hoa Haos and Protestants) were deprived of their religious freedom in that they were prevented from practising their religion. 23. In his conclusions, the Special Rapporteur was of the view that there should be no controls of the religious communities in Viet Nam, whatever their official status, which could potentially undermine the right to freedom of religion and belief and its manifestations, in particular through limitations, constraints, prohibitions and sanctions against religious leaders, individuals, organizations, places of worship and other religious property, publications and other activities. Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions 24. The Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Asma Jahangir, in her report (E/CN.4/1999/39 and Add.1) continued to: examine situations of extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; respond effectively to information received; and follow up recommendations made in reports after visits to particular countries. The Commission on Human Rights requested the Special Rapporteur to pay special attention to violations of the right to life, inter alia, of persons belonging to ethnic minorities. In that regard, the Special Rapporteur acted on behalf of persons considered to belong to national, ethnic, religious and/or linguistic minorities in their countries. 25. During the period under review, both urgent appeals and individual allegations concerning violations of the right to life of persons belonging to minorities were transmitted to relevant Governments, including the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, on behalf of 80 ethnic Albanians in the province of Kosovo; Sri Lanka, on behalf of more than 20 persons belonging to the Tamil minority; Iraq, on behalf of four Shia Muslims; Nepal, concerning the alleged death of a Tibetan monk; and China, where one Buddhist monk was said to have died as a result of torture. In addition, communications were sent to: Brazil, on behalf of an indigenous activist from the Xucuru population; Colombia, regarding death threats received by four indigenous activists and for the alleged killings of two other indigenous activists; Guatemala, where four individuals working for the Mayan Defence of Guatemala reportedly received death threats; Honduras, on behalf of two members of the Garifunas group; Myanmar, regarding the reports of 168 deaths of people of Karen ethnicity; and Indonesia, concerning the death of an East Timorese woman and the situation facing the ethnic Chinese minority. Special Representative on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran 26. The Special Representative on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Maurice Danby Copithorne, in his report (E/CN.4/1999/32) drew attention to the fact that while the Iranian Constitution assures minorities equal status, the ordinary laws contain numerous discriminatory provisions. 27. With regard to the promotion and protection of the rights of minorities, the Special Representative recommended that the Government declare a commitment to the implementation of both the Iranian Constitution with its relevant equality provisions (arts. 14, 15, 19 and 20) and of international standards, including the application of the principles contained in the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. 28. He noted that some situations might require special attention, in particular the reported occasional clashes in areas of mixed population of Sunni and Shiites, chiefly in the western part of Azerbaijan, along the Persian Gulf and in 5