From the Website of United Nations
links: https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/07/1041812
Grievous violations continue against Myanmar civilians, Human Rights Council hears
Marginalized
communities in Myanmar still face “grievous human rights violations” at
the hands of security forces, a UN-appointed independent expert said
this week, while repeating her call for an international and independent
probe into the 2017 exodus from Rakhine state.
Addressing the
Human Rights Council in Geneva, Yanghee Lee warned that the
international community is “beginning to overlook” the plight of
hundreds of thousands of people who fled the country amid violence
described as ethnic cleansing.
“So
long as impunity for alleged atrocity crimes prevails, we will continue
to bear witness to flagrant violations of rights perpetrated against
ethnic minority populations in the name of counterinsurgency,
entrenching grievances and prolonging insecurity and instability,” she
said.
In a wide-ranging update to the 47-Member forum in Geneva
on Tuesday, the Special Rapporteur implored the Council to maintain
pressure on Myanmar’s Government, amid concerns about possible war
crimes in Rakhine State, the treatment of minorities, the environment
and freedom of expression.
Less than two years ago, more than
700,000 ethnic Rohingya – who are mainly Muslim – were driven from
Rakhine State, seeking shelter in neighbouring Bangladesh, Ms. Lee
explained.
At the time, former UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights Zeid Ra‘ad al-Hussein told the Human Rights Council that the
episode was a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing”.
Today,
around one million Rohingya refugees live in Cox’s Bazar where they “are
subject to a human rights crisis, responsibility for which lies with
Myanmar”, Ms. Lee insisted.
While maintaining that it was also
Myanmar’s responsibility “to bring about all necessary conditions for
all the people they forcibly drove out to return…they are entirely
failing to do so”, she said.
At the same time, the remaining
Rohingya in Myanmar “continue to be denied their rights and are
persecuted by authorities” the Special Rapporteur continued, “making
returns from Bangladesh impossible”.
Repeated her call that the
situation of Myanmar’s Rohingya exiles be referred to the International
Criminal Court, or that an independent tribunal be set up in which
perpetrators of international crimes can be tried, she appealed to the
UN Security Council to put their “differences” aside and unite in
relation to Myanmar by coming out with “a strong resolution”.
“The situation is not improving, and serious violations continue to take place on a regular basis.”
Myanmar ambassador says allegations 'groundless'
Speaking
at the Council, Myanmar's Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun insisted that the
Rakhine situation had been an “utmost priority…since day one”.
The
country had been ready to take refugees back from Bangladesh since
January 2018, he said, appealing for recognition of the Government’s
“genuine and concerted efforts for enabling repatriation”, instead of
“naming, shaming and pressuring the country based on groundless
allegations”.
On other issues, including the freedom of
expression, the Ambassador maintained that there was no restriction on
the use of internet and social media – as reported by the Special
Rapporteur just last week in a Rohingya township - “but we need to
strike a balance between security and freedom, rights and
responsibilities”.
He added: “Democracy, and respect individual
rights, together with the rule of law are the vehicles by which Myanmar
will escape poverty and achieve the prosperity our people seek and
desire.”
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