BROUK Joined UN Human Rights Council Session Side Event

March 24, 2014

A side event took place at the 25th UN Human Rights Council Session on the 17th of March, 2014. The event was organized by the International Peace Bureau. The speakers are Mr Tomas Ojea Quintana, Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights Situation in Burma, Maung Tun Khin President of Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK, Chris Lewa, Director of Arakan Project and Melanie Teff Senior Advocate and European Representative of Refugees International. The event was hosted by Me Colin Archer, Secretary General of International Peace Bureau. Diplomatics, INGOs and officials from UK, USA, OIC and Norway joined the event. 

BROUK President Tun Khin mainly spoke about the Rohingya people’s urgent demand for urgent safety and security in Arakan State. He also raised the mission at the meeting to support an International independent investigation. The Burmese government is allowing mass protests against the Rohingya being able to register as Rohingya, and then attempting to use these protests as justification for its own pre-planned discriminatory and illegal policies against the Rohingya. 

Moreover Tun Khin informed about current census to the mission. “I believed that it is critical for Rohingyas to put our ethnicity name Rohingya. I pinpointed discrimination against the Rohingya, and is triggering a new wave of anti-Rohingya protests which are likely to lead to more violence against the Rohingya. Why are the United Nations and international donors helping the Burmese government conduct a census which discriminates against the Rohingya and could lead to more Rohingya people being killed?” Tun Khin told RB News.

Quintana joined the event and he mentioned that the Rohingya situation is totally opposite from other parts of Burma. Quintana said that "The pattern of widespread and systematic human rights violations in Rakhine State may constitute crimes against humanity as defined under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court."

Chris Lewa and Melanie Teff talked about current situation of Rohingyas in camps and others parts of Arakan. Both of the speakers pushed international community in a strong way to handle to reach aid and to pressure President Thein Sein to lift up restrictions on movement, marriage and education. 

After the event all the speakers joined with Quitana at UN Human Rights Council hall to listen to Quintana's presentation. Many countries including US, UK and EU countries supported Quintana’s report and comments that it is important to call for credible investigation recent Du Chee Yar Tan Massacre in Arakan State.