Rohingya Representative meets Special Rapporteur Yanghee Lee at the UN Human Rights Council

Media release from Burmese Rohingya Organization UK (BROUK)

Tuesday 15th March 2016

Rohingya Representative meets Special Rapporteur Yanghee Lee at the UN Human Rights Council

Tun Khin, President of Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK), met with Ms. Yanghee Lee, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Burma in Geneva today. She presented her new report to UN Human Rights Council yesterday afternoon.

BROUK welcome her new report in which she calls upon the new Government “to take steps to put an end to highly discriminatory policies and practices against the Rohingya and other Muslim communities in Rakhine State. In practice, these policies deny affected populations some of their most fundamental rights. Of particular importance is the need to restore freedom of movement for all, which in turn could facilitate the process of return and reintegration of communities. On-going discriminatory restrictions to freedom of movement are largely used to control the Rohingya population.” 

Tun Khin discussed the four key steps proposed by BROUK to the incoming NLD-led government to start addressing the Rohingya crisis. These are: action against hate-speech and extremists, ensure humanitarian access, reform or repeal of the 1982 Citizenship Law, and justice and accountability, including an investigation into human rights violations against Rohingya in Rakhine State.

Tun Khin also spoke at a side event at the UN Human Rights Council, along with Chris Lewa, Director of the Arakan Project. The event was attended by diplomats, UN officials, Burmese civil society representatives and other NGOs.

President of BROUK told at the meeting: “The international community is not doing enough as repression and discrimination has got worse for us. We were excluded from the 2014 census and we were disenfranchised in the 2015 elections. The international community must call on the new NLD-led government to immediately start implementing the four steps proposed by BROUK in order to address the ongoing crisis.”

Chris Lewa, Director of Arakan Project added: “Humanitarian conditions in the IDP camps are unacceptable. Access to services such as health, education, adequate shelter and means of livelihood should be guaranteed until a return is made possible. This requires political will from all stakeholders as well as support from the international community.”

For more information contact Tun Khin on +44 (0) 7888714866

A briefing with full details on the steps BROUK is proposing that the NLD led government take is available at: http://brouk.org.uk/?p=546