Rohingya call on the Japanese Government to back International Independent Investigation Commission on Atrocities in Myanmar

RB News

February 15, 2017

The Rohingya Advocacy Network in Japan (RANJ) along with Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Human Rights Now (HRN) held a meeting Japanese Foreign Ministry Officials at the Japanese Parliament Building, Upper House Building on 13 February, 2017 from 9:30 to 11 am in Tokyo. The Social Democratic Party Leader & Upper House Member Ms. Mizuho Fukushima presided over the meeting while the Japanese Foreign Ministry Officials’ Principal Deputy Director Mr. Kensuke NAGASE, First Southeast Asian Affairs Department, Deputy Director Ms. Yoko Takushima,First Southeast Asia Division, Deputy Directors Mr. Suzuki Risoko and Ms. Nakagawa Tomohiro from Human Rights Department and Deputy Director Ms. Kawamura Maki from Humanitarian Assistance Department attended. Human Rights Watch Tokyo Office Director Ms. Kanei Doi and Human Rights Now Director Attorney Ito Kazuko briefed those attending on the HRW reports and UN reports on atrocities against the Rohingya in Myanmar by the government’s armed forces. Prof. Muranushi Michimi of Gakkushuin University asked for humanitarian assistance for Rohingya victims in Myanmar and Rohingya refugee in Bangladesh. 

The Rohingya Advocacy Network in Japan (RANJ) Executive Director Zaw Min Htut and other Rohingya participants explained the overall situation in Rakhine to the Foreign Ministry Officials in detail and further detailed the ongoing government scheme of issuing National Verification Cards to Rohingya, mass arrests, torture, looting, sexual violence, extortion and other human rights violations. 

At the end of the meeting all the participants including Ms. Mizuho Fukushima, officially asked the Japanese government to call for an International Independent Investigation Commission, to raise the Rohingya issue at the UNSC official agenda by Japanese government, as Japan is a current UNSC member State, and asked them to send humanitarian assistance to Rohingya victims in Myanmar and Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. 

The Rohingya Advocacy Network in Japan (RANJ) presented an appeal letter to Japanese Foreign Minister with the relevant documents as below: