BROUK Welcomes Statement of Tomás Ojea Quintana and Urges International Community to Take Immediate Action

Date: 19 February 2013 

BROUK Welcomes Statement of Tomás Ojea Quintana and Urges International Community to Take Immediate Action 

On 16 February 2013, following a five-day mission to Burma, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Tomás Ojea Quintana expressed his concern about the "profound crisis" in Arakan state. 

He highlighted the lack of adequate health care in the larger Rohingya Muslim camps in Arakan State and that the local and international medical staff are unable to provide medical care to some of the Muslim camps due to the threats and harassment they face from local Rakhine Buddhist communities. Quintana said that Taung Paw camp in Myaybon Township "felt more like a prison than a camp". 

He also warned that IDP camps "cannot become permanent settlements, and if necessary the government needs to allocate land" for the Rohingya communities. This is particularly urgent with the coming rainy season in May, which will flood many of these camps. He said that "People need to be given greater freedom of movement to engage in economic activity, such as trade and fishing, and to access education and obtain healthcare. This is also necessary to begin the process of rebuilding trust between communities through interaction, and to restore the dignity of the people who find themselves trapped in these camps through no fault of their own." 

BROUK welcomes Quintana's call for Parliament to amend the 1982 Citizenship Act "to ensure that all persons in Myanmar have equal access to citizenship and are not discriminated in such access on grounds of ethnicity or religion," and that " in the meantime, the current Act should be applied in a non-discriminatory manner to enable those with a just claim to citizenship, to claim it on an equal basis with others, including those from the Rohingya community." 

He was also concerned by the situation in Buthidaung prison in northern Rakhine State, after receiving serious allegations that Muslim prisoners have been tortured and beaten to death. 

He also raised the case of Dr. Tun Aung, who he regards as a prisoner of conscience who must be released immediately. He said that "Dr. Tun Aung’s case reveals that Muslims being tried and convicted in Rakhine state in relation to the recent violence are not receiving access to legal counsel, which is a violation of their basic human rights." 

BROUK President Tun Khin said, “We welcome Quintana's statement as we have repeatedly called for the international community to take action on these serious human rights abuses and violations. We urge US, UK, EU and ASEAN countries to take immediate action in line with Quintana's recommendations regarding the Rohingya situation in Arakan state. We also urge member states of the United Nations Human Rights Council to place Burma on the agenda during the March session in Geneva with a view to adopting a resolution to establish an independent Commission of Inquiry as a matter of priority.” 

For more information please contact Tun Khin +44 7888 714 866