Statement by the Rohingya Consultative Body
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| Rohingya calling on journalists to visit their village. (Photo: May Wong/Channel NewsAsia) |
Statement by the Rohingya Consultative Body
Date: August 9, 2017
The Rohingya Consultative Body is disappointed but not surprised by the newly released "Maungdaw Investigation Commission Report” released on 6th August, which was commissioned by the government of Myanmar.
It was widely expected that the report would deny the widespread and widely documented human rights violations against the Rohingya by the Tatmadaw and security forces, which began in October 2016. The government of Myanmar had already denied human rights violations had taken place even before the Commission began its investigation.
A report published 3 February this year by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) found that human rights violations committed by the security forces included mass gang-rape, extra judicial killings – including of babies and young children – brutal beatings and disappearances.
Internationally what has happened to the Rohingya is widely known and accepted as fact, and prompted the United Nations Human Rights Council to establish the Fact-Finding Mission. We are confident that as far as the international community is concerned, this whitewash report will carry no credibility, and only does harm to the international reputation of the government of Myanmar.
After denial of OHCHR findings by the commission, we urge Myanmar government to give access to the UN fact-finding Mission and Media to verify their findings.
However, within Myanmar the continued denials of the facts by the government has much more serious implications it will contribute to the military and security forces sense of impunity, that it can continue to violate the rights of the Rohingya without consequences. The report will also be widely believed within Myanmar, contributing to tensions and prejudice against Rohingya in Rakhine state where tensions are already on the rise. This is of great concern to us.
The Rohingya have been subjected to decades of state-sponsored discrimination and persecution, which have been extensively documented by Amnesty International and other human rights groups. As long ago as 1992 the United Nations General Assembly expressed concern of the treatment of the Rohingya. The Rohingya have effectively been stripped of citizenship rights, in particular as a result of the country’s discriminatory 1982 Citizenship Law and its application, and more broadly their civil, political, economic and social rights have been violated.
In this connection, Rohingya Consultative Body call on Burmese Government
1. To abandon its policy of denial of the facts about human rights violations taking place against the Rohingya and other ethnic groups in Myanmar.
2. To allow UN- Fact finding mission to investigate the truth about human rights abuses in Rakhine State, Shan State, Kachin States and other parts of the country.
3. To stop current escalating violence and to protect all minorities in Rakhine State.
4. To allow unrestricted humanitarian aid access all the areas of Rakhine State.
Rohingya Consultative body also call on International Community such as UN, EU, OIC, US and UK
1. To adopt a policy towards the government of Myanmar that it will no longer receive international support if it continues to defy the United Nations by obstructing the Fact-Finding Mission
2. To make it clear to the government of Myanmar that continued support from the international community is also conditional on lifting all restrictions on humanitarian aid in Rakhine State and other parts of the country.
3. To mandate the United Nations Secretary General to personally visit Myanmar to negotiate unrestricted humanitarian access and co-operation with the Fact-Finding Mission.
4. To ensure that when it reports the recommendations of the Fact-Finding Mission are fully implemented, even if this requires taking difficult decisions which change the current approach of the international community towards Myanmar.
For more information, please contact;
Tun Khin +44 7888714866
Nay San Lwin +49 69 2602234
