ARU Warmly Welcomes The Report Of The United Nations Special Rapporteur, Yanghee Lee

PRESS STATEMENT

Arakan Rohingya Union warmly welcomes the Report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur, Yanghee Lee, on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, including that in Arakan/Rakhine state. 

The report summarizes: The important transition and far-reaching reforms in Myanmar must be commended. Yet, possible signs of backtracking should be addressed so as not to undermine the progress achieved. The present report sets out the Special Rapporteur’s preliminary key areas of focus and recommendations aimed at contributing to Myanmar’s efforts towards respecting, protecting and promoting human rights and achieving democratization, national reconciliation and development.

Arakan Rohingya Union urgently appeals the Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the members of the global community of nations to demand the Government of Myanmar to abide by the international rule of law, permanently cease the hostility toward Rohingya ethnic minority, and immediately address the following recommendations made by the Special Rapporteur to Myanmar in the report (UNGA A/69/398; Section VI. 82):

(a) Immediately address the critical health situation in camps for internally displaced person and isolated locations, in particular for those comparatively underserved, namely, the Rohingya, including by increasing the authorities’ capacity to provide adequate health services;

(b) Provide adequate basic services, including in camps for internally displaced persons, and remove any restrictions against the Rohingya on freedom of movement and other rights so as to ensure access to livelihoods, food, water and sanitation, and education;

(c) Investigate and prosecute those responsible for human rights violations perpetrated against the Rohingya community;

(d) Respect the Rohingyas’ as well as other minorities’ right to self-identification in compliance with international human rights standards, including by refraining from directing international actors to adopt positions that run counter to such standards;

(e) Immediately release the international NGO staff members imprisoned in connection with the violence of June 2012;

(f) Address the long-standing social and economic development challenges in Rakhine State through a human-rights-based approach, ensuring the participation of affected communities, including through greater cooperation with the international community;

(g) Develop reconciliation measures as a necessary step to rebuild integrated communities for inclusion in the Rakhine State Action Plan.