Rohingyas and Their Japanese Supporters demanded Japanese Government urge Myanmar to allow Fact -Finding Mission

RB News

August 8, 2017

Tokyo, Japan -- Rohingya Advocacy Network in Japan (RANJ) together with Human Rights Watch’s Tokyo Office visited the Japanese Upper House Parliament building to meet with a delegation of Japan’s Foreign Ministry Officials on 3rd August 2017 in Tokyo while Myanmar’s military Chief, Sr. General Min Aung Hlaing, was paying a goodwill visit to Japan.

The Rohingya delegation, led by RANJ Executive Director Zaw Min Htut, included HRW’s Tokyo Office Director, Attorney Kanei Doi, long time Rohingya supporter Attorney Shogo Watanabe, Myanmar expert Hisao Tanabe, Mr. Abul Kalam and a Myanmar Muslim community member. The Foreign Ministry Officials from several departments including Southeast Asia Division, Human Rights Department, Humanitarian Departments, A representative to UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, a representative to UN Headquarters in New York. The one and half hour long meeting was presided by Japan Social Democratic Party Leader and Upper House Member Mrs. Mizuho Fukushima.

At the meeting, the RANJ Executive Director mainly focused on the UN mandated Fact - Finding Mission into human rights abuses in Rakhine Shan and Kachin States, the Kofi Annan led Rakhine Commission’s upcoming report, Ms. Yanghee Lee’s latest visit to Myanmar & her end of mission report, UNHCR Chief Mr. Fillippo Grandi’s and WFP’s latest statements on Rohingya suffering, upcoming UN General Assembly and Japan’s role on Rohingya in September- October. The current situation in Rakhine was also detailed with video clips, pictures, reports from various human rights organisations including HRW and Amnesty International, killing, sexual violence, mass arrest, torture, extortion, demolition of dwellings and crops by giving the examples of July 4, Sittwe incident, July 30 Rethedaung incidents and other daily atrocities in Maungdaw, Buthidaung, Rathedaung and Sittwe.

The HRW Director highlighted the human rights situation of Rohingya and strongly demanded the Japanese Government take action to stop it. Attorney Shogo Watanabe raised the issue of Myanmar’s refusal to cooperation with FFM, and said it is unacceptable and Japanese government must urge Myanmar to cooperate in order to find out the truth.

Before concluding the meeting, Upper House member Mrs. Mizuho Fukushima who organized the meeting and RANJ Executive Director Zaw Min Htut strongly demanded from the MOFA officials that the Japanese Prime Minister or Foreign Minister should directly urge Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s government and Military Chief Min Aung Hlaing to immediately stop all human rights violations against the Rohingya and cooperate with the UN mandated Fact-Finding Mission.

RANJ presented the following letter and other relevant UN, HRW, AI reports, as well as other information.