Independent International Fact Finding Mission on Myanmar concludes visit to Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR - (11 December 2017) – UN human rights experts wrapped up this weekend a five-day visit to Malaysia, during which they focused their inquiries on recent human rights violations and abuses allegedly committed in Myanmar. 

In Malaysia, the experts – members of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar (FFMM) – interviewed persons from Shan and Kachin states, as well as members of the ethnic Rakhine and Rohingya communities.

They talked both with recent arrivals and with those who had been here for some years. They also consulted with government officials, representatives of UN agencies and NGOs, and individual researchers.

While the recent events in Rakhine state have naturally been a significant focus for the FFMM Experts, the Malaysia visit allowed the experts to receive information on situations across Myanmar, including information on recent years from Kachin and Shan states.

“This visit allowed us to examine allegations in various states of Myanmar,” said Marzuki Darusman, former Indonesian Attorney-General and Chair of the FFMM. “We received information about practices and incidents alleging forced labour, abductions, rape and land grabbing.” 

The UN Refugee Agency has registered some 134,000 persons from Myanmar in Malaysia, almost 90 percent of its total caseload in the country. These include Rohingya, Myanmar Muslims, Chin, ethnic Rakhine, Mon, Karen, and various groups from Kachin, Shan among others. The actual number of Myanmar refugees is believed to be much higher.

During the visit, the FFMM experts observed some parallels with information received about Rakhine.

“We were struck by some patterns emerging from the allegations of Shan, Kachin and ethnic Rakhine groups similar to those we heard from the Rohingya we met in Bangladesh,” said FFMM Expert Christopher Sidoti, a former Australian Human Rights Commissioner.

“We heard accounts of events that, if true, would constitute serious human rights violations by the Myanmar military, as well as abuses by armed groups,” Sidoti added. “All those we spoke with said they left Myanmar very suddenly, with little or nothing, which highlights the dramatic nature of what caused them to leave.” 

The use of insults and slurs to refer to ethnic communities was another parallel.

“I’m particularly concerned to hear allegations that, as with the Rohingya, dehumanising language is used to refer to other groups,” Darusman said. “The testimonies point to ingrained prejudices against those who are not from the Bamar majority.” 

Events in Rakhine state remain on the FFMM’s radar. At the special session of the UN Human Rights Council on 5 December, Darusman noted that, while there are signs that the violence has abated in Rakhine, it has not stopped.

“Thanks to fire detection and satellite imagery, we know that villages were still being burned in Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships as recently as 25 November,” he said, cautioning against any plan to repatriate those who had fled until there are guarantees for their protection. 

The Myanmar Government has not yet granted the FFMM access to the country. Nevertheless, according to Darusman, lack of access has not impeded the FFMM’s work. 

Teams of human rights officers have been dispatched by the Fact-Finding Mission to various countries to conduct comprehensive interviews with those who fled Myanmar over recent years. This data, alongside other information sources, will be subjected to verification and legal analysis before being submitted as part of the Fact-Finding Mission’s final report. 

The UN Human Rights Council appointed the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar last March to “establish the facts and circumstances of alleged recent human rights violations by military and security forces, and abuses, in Myanmar, in particular in Rakhine State.” The experts have defined “recent” to mean since 2011. 

The FFMM It is due to submit an interim oral report to the Human Rights Council in March 2018 and a final report in September 2018 to the Council and to the General Assembly. 

ENDS 

For more information and media inquiries: Sylvana Foa +41 22 9179900 / +41 76 6910812 / sfoa@ohchr.org

Published by OHCHR. 

Experts of the Independent International Fact Finding Mission on Myanmar conclude visit to Bangladesh

Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar established by HRC resolution 34/22

-Press Release-

Dhaka, Bangladesh, 27 October 2017 – Three United Nations human rights experts concluded their first fact finding mission in Bangladesh today “deeply disturbed” by accounts of killings, torture, rape, arson and aerial attacks reportedly perpetrated against the Rohingya community in Myanmar.

More than 600,000 Rohingya, a Muslim minority in Myanmar, have fled to Bangladesh since 25 August, when Myanmar forces began the so-called “clearance operations” following alleged armed attacks on security posts. More than half that number are children. Although the total number of deaths is unknown, it may turn out to be extremely high.

The UN Human Rights Council appointed the Fact-Finding Mission last March to “establish the facts and circumstances of alleged human rights violations by military and security forces, and abuses, in Myanmar, in particular in Rakhine State”. If the Mission concludes that there have been violations, it will seek to ensure full accountability for perpetrators and justice for the victims.

“We are deeply disturbed at the end of this visit,” said Marzuki Darusman, former Indonesian Attorney-General and human rights campaigner, who chairs the Fact Finding Mission. “We have heard many accounts from people from many different villages across northern Rakhine state. They point to a consistent, methodical pattern of actions resulting in gross human rights violations affecting hundreds of thousands of people.”

Expert Radhika Coomaraswamy, former Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict, said the misery and despair she witnessed in the camps had left her “shaken and angry. The accounts of sexual violence that I heard from victims are some of the most horrendous I have heard in my long experience in dealing with this issue in many crisis situations,” she said. “One could see the trauma in the eyes of the women I interviewed. When proven, this kind of abuse must never be allowed to go unpunished.”

While in Bangladesh, the experts interviewed Rohingya victims in the Kutapalong, Nayapara and Balukhali camps and held consultations with government officials, diplomats and NGOs. In addition teams of human rights officers, dispatched by the Fact Finding Mission, have been in Bangladesh for many weeks conducting comprehensive interviews with those who fled from Rakhine State.

The Mission has applied to the Myanmar Government for access to Myanmar. It seeks the views of the Government and the military on what has happened and why, and wishes to conduct inquires inside Rakhine State itself. However, access to the country has not yet been granted, without which it becomes more difficult – though not impossible – to establish the facts. For example, whether the armed attacks on military posts actually occurred, as the Government claims, can only be established when the Government presents the information that has led it to draw this conclusion.

The third expert, Christopher Sidoti, an Australian international human rights specialist, said the visit to Bangladesh also focused on the future of the Rohingyas. The United Nations and many Governments have called for their return to Myanmar. “They must be allowed to return home,” Mr Sidoti said. “But any repatriation must be voluntary and can only take place after the establishment of effective mechanisms to ensure their safety and protection. That may require the placement of international human rights monitors in Rakhine State.”

The data derived from all interviews, alongside other information sources, will be subjected to a meticulous verification process and legal analysis before being submitted as part of the Fact-Finding Mission’s final report. The Mission is required to submit an interim report to the Human Rights Council in March 2018 and a final report in September 2018 to the Council and to the General Assembly.

Original here:

Statement by Ms. Yanghee Lee, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar at the 72nd session of the General Assembly

Third Committee, Agenda Item 72 (c), 25 October 2017

New York

Mr. Chair, 

Excellencies, 

Distinguished Delegates,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

A lot has happened between now and from the time I had finalized my report in late August following my visit to Myanmar in July. A lot has been reported on the situation in Rakhine State in the last two months and many allegations have been made of terrible inhuman violent acts.

While much that has happened is still uncertain, some undeniable facts have come out. What is undeniable is that hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh from northern Rakhine and that hundreds of their villages have been torched and burnt down since the alleged attacks by Rohingya militants on 25 August. 

Yet Myanmar's State Counsellor asked us to consider the 50 per cent of Muslim villages that have not been destroyed. The Commander-in-Chief then supposedly suggested the number of those who have fled has been exaggerated and that they must have fled because they felt safer in Bangladesh. And the Minister responsible for the safe return of those who have fled reportedly speculated that the hundreds of thousands of people who fled did so as a ploy to give an appearance of ethnic cleansing.

Mr. Chair,

Before I speak further on the crisis that has unfolded dramatically these last weeks, please allow me to present the main highlights from my latest report as well as some developments since July which cover a range of issues from across the country.

Excellencies,

Earlier this month, Myanmar ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights albeit with a declaration in relation to the right of self-determination. I look forward to the government taking steps towards achievement of the full realization of the rights in the Covenant.

I remain of the view that constitutional reform must proceed to allow for proper operation of therule of law in Myanmar. I take the opportunity to again draw the attention of Myanmar officials and lawmakers to the non-exhaustive list of laws which I have identified to be in contravention of international human rights standards and consider their repeal or amendment. If those laws are not prioritized for review, the legislative reform necessary for Myanmar to transition to democracy will certainly be incomplete.

I have in the past commended Myanmar's flourishing, widening democratic space; however, I find that the protection of reputation in Myanmar's national legislation appears to go beyond what is permissible under international law, effectively resulting in the criminalization of legitimate expression under which people, including journalists, continue to be prosecuted.

Distinguished Delegates,

During my July visit, I met representatives from civil society and communities affected by all threespecial economic zones currently in progress in Myanmar, specifically in Yangon, Dawei and Kyaukphyu. For all three zones, communities reported that initial phases or preparatory work had had a largely negative impact on their lives, with many of those affected still suffering negative consequences. There is a need for these projects to be carried out transparently, with communities receiving continuous information, being genuinely consulted and given the opportunity to suggest alternative options.

Land confiscation remains a major concern for not only communities affected by special economic zones but also thousands of others across the country. Though the government has established bodies to tackle the issue of land compensation, with over 9,000 cases pending, fully addressing all cases remains a big challenge, and communities are frustrated when their attempts to seek redress are unanswered.

Just over a week ago, the two-year anniversary of the signing of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement was commemorated. Yet it is unclear whether the peace process has actually advanced since that time. Additionally, reports of violent clashes between the Tatmadaw and ethnic armed groups continue, including against a group who is party to the ceasefire. I am extremely concerned at not only the ongoing escalation of conflict in Kachin and Shan States, but also continuing and increasing reports of allegations of serious rights violations as well as decreasing humanitarian access.

There appears to be an increasing number of cases of civilians being killed or injured by mortars or artillery shells, including an incident in July in which a two-year old child was killed. The regularity of incidents raises concerns that parties to the conflict, including the Tatmadaw, are either not distinguishing between military and civilian targets or not systematically taking precautions to protect the civilian population. In addition, people continue to be displaced by conflict, and the large numbers of long-term displaced people in Kachin and northern Shan States, and Kayin State remain unchanged. I encourage efforts to address factors preventing returns, including the continued presence of the military in areas of origin, concerns about housing, land and property rights and difficulties in accessing civil and identification documents.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It has been said that dangerous and dehumanizing speech tends to precede incidents of mass atrocities. And the reports that I have received certainly point to widespread use of hate speechdirected against the Rohingya population amounting to incitement to hostility and even violence. Unfortunately, there seems to be little sympathy, let alone empathy, for the Rohingya people in Myanmar. For decades, it has been cultivated in the minds of the Myanmar people that the Rohingya are not indigenous to the country and therefore have no rights whatsoever to which they can apparently claim.

I have also been receiving consistent reports of incidents against Christians and Muslims from across the country. There are reports of villages with signage either to keep Muslims out or to announce that they are Muslim-free. Mosques that have been standing for generations and other religious structures are being shut down ostensibly for administrative reasons though affected communities are rarely informed ahead nor provided with alternative places to practice their religious beliefs in congregation. Christian worshippers participating peacefully in a service commemorating six years since renewed conflict in Kachin were deemed unlawful protestors. Christian converts are threatened to revert back to Buddhism and subject to state sanctioned violence. Local Rakhines are threatened and punished for interacting and trading with Muslims. In one instance, a Rakhine woman was publicly humiliated, had her hair shaved, made to wear a sign saying she is a traitor and walk around her village for allegedly selling food to the Muslim camp community that had been blockaded and running out of food.

In the wake of the exodus of over half a million Rohingya individuals and others from northern Rakhine, much debate and analysis have come out regarding who exactly is responsible and can be made responsible for the violence that has caused this massive number of people to flee in just matter of weeks. It has been highlighted over and again how the Constitution is such that the military remains very much in control over the issue of national security and state law and order, with little oversight possible by the so-called civilian part of the Government. 

Yet I believe that there is much that can be done by the civilian government. Starting with public messaging that embraces the entire make-up of the Myanmar population, of so many ethnic groups, and of various faiths. Use the show of the inter-faith alliance and solidarity from a few weeks back to combat prejudice and bigotry. Take advantage of the majority in Parliament to strike down laws that are discriminatory to show that all groups in Myanmar have equal rights.

Mr. Chair,

I have found events of past weeks devastating. The reports of villages in northern Rakhine that have been torched and destroyed are of villages that I had personally visited. The people reported to have fled must have included those I have met in my past trips, people who had appealed to me to be given the opportunity to live in peace, to be given the opportunity to work, to move freely to visit friends and family, to have access to doctors and medicine, and to help their children get an education or even simply feed them a proper meal regularly.

Already two weeks before 25 August, an army battalion was flown into Rakhine State to help augment the security there. I then issued a statement expressing concerns of a repetition of the alleged violations which followed the 9 October 2016 attacks. About 87,000 people reportedly fled between last October and August. After the 25 August attacks, almost seven times that number have fled inunder two months. 

Excellencies,

I will not go into the details of the alleged violations which led to the exodus but would strongly appeal for there to be an honest and impartial accounting of what has happened and for those responsible to answer for their action. Giving access to the Human Rights Council Fact-Finding Mission would be a good start. 

My main concern is the current situation of the Rohingya community and what will happen to them next. Genuine implementation of the Kofi Annan Commission's all-encompassing set of recommendations would have gone far in addressing not only the root causes to the cycles of violence in Rakhine State that affect all communities there but also the protracted statelessness of the Rohingya population and decades-long persecution of them. 

However with there likely being more of the Rohingya population located in Bangladesh now as compared to Myanmar, I am concerned that only a fraction of them will be allowed back, though all have the right to return. I am also concerned as to how long it might take for the government to ensure that the conditions for their return would be safe and dignified, as well as their being able to rebuild their lives when so much has been destroyed. 

I am informed that the Myanmar government has insisted that UNHCR and IOM – expert entities on the issues of statelessness, refugees and voluntary returns – should be excluded from the bilateral discussions regarding the repatriation process. I find this unreasonable and unacceptable. 

Distinguished Delegates,

The Rohingya population in Cox's Bazar – who have had their food supply blocked and been starving, been shot at while fleeing, walked for weeks to reach safety, lost family members on the way to refuge, and are now living in plastic sheets – should not be made to meet with stringent requirements if they so wish to return to Myanmar. Citizenship verification should be a different process for them to undergo, voluntarily after consultation once they are home, and not be part of repatriation. Once they return, they must be permitted to return to their place of origin, and not made to live in temporary camps as these camps may not turn out to be temporary as those who were displaced in 2012 have learnt.

Most importantly, the Myanmar government must take steps to let the Rohingya population know that they are welcomed back and that necessary steps will be taken to ensure their safety and protection. Their welfare and well-being and that of the other communities in Rakhine State – including the Rakhine, the Kaman, the Mro, the Hindu, and the Daignet – should be assured equally ahead of efforts to reconcile them and advance on economic development of the region.

Given the critical situation of the Rohingya population and its unlikely resolution in the near future, I ask the General Assembly to remain seized of the situation not just in Rakhine State but for the whole of Myanmar. The duality in Myanmar's government structure to which Mr. Kofi Annan has spoken of does not only have impact in Rakhine State but also in the rest of the country.

I also recommend that the Security Council includes Myanmar as an agenda item, and I hope it passes a strong resolution in due recognition that the crisis in Rakhine State had not only been decades in the making – but has been spilling over, and continues to spill over, beyond Myanmar's borders. For a very long time now this issue has not been simply a domestic affair.

***

Friends and Colleagues,

I can say without a moment of hesitation that no one would like to see the democratic process of Myanmar derail. At the same time, I cannot erase from my mind the large bright eyes of a young toddler whom I met in Cox's Bazar. He was rescued by his mother after he was thrown into a fire. His eyes were sparkling with hope and eagerness to meet what life has in store for him.

Shouldn't this little boy be given the opportunity to join with others who are part of Myanmar's democratic transition and be able to enjoy his inherent rights?

Time is of the essence ever more so in Myanmar now!

Thank you for your attention.

Original here.

ST PETERSBURG, Russia -- The global parliamentary community has condemned today the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya minority in the Northern Rakhine state of Myanmar. MPs have called upon the Government of Myanmar to end immediately the violence and forced displacement of the Rohingya and the blatant violations of their human rights.

In a resolution on the emergency item on it agenda, adopted today at the 137th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), MPs expressed grave concern over the unprecedented exodus of one million Rohingya to Bangladesh and the humanitarian and potential security consequences for that country and the region. The Rohingya began fleeing when an insurgent attack led to a massive military response.

"This resolution urges the global parliamentary community to take concrete steps to put an end to the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya from Rakhine state, and to end further human rights violations," explained Saber Chowdhury, the IPU President. "We cannot remain on the sidelines as one million people flee violence and persecution. This crisis is a major threat to regional peace and security."

The resolution strongly recommends the creation of temporary safe zones inside Myanmar under UN supervision to protect all civilians irrespective of religion and ethnicity. MPs have also urged the Parliament of Myanmar to make every effort to stop the violence and to put an end to this tragic situation.

"The resolution on the emergency item at this year's Assembly was adopted by an overwhelming majority of the world's parliamentarians, reflecting the concern of the entire global community over the situation. I believe that this signal will be heard by the authorities and by parliamentarians in Myanmar, and that it will enable them to take effective steps to normalise the situation and avoid a large-scale humanitarian disaster," explained the Assembly President, Valentina Matvienko.

IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong explained, "The situation of the Rohingya is unacceptable. It is vital that parliamentarians from around the world stand together to condemn this atrocity." 

Other issues proposed as an emergency item were the political crisis in Venezuela and the threat to peace and international security posed by the nuclear tests conducted by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Djibouti, which proposed a resolution on the role of parliaments in maintaining international security and peace, withdrew it as a gesture of solidarity to reach consensus on one item.

As the Assembly may only adopt one emergency item, the selection process consists of a vote in the plenary. Requests must receive a two-thirds majority of the votes cast in order to be accepted. Of these, the one that receives the largest number of positive votes will be accepted. For the IPU 137th Assembly, two proposals - the DPRK's nuclear testing and the Rohingya crisis - received a two-thirds majority. The proposal on the Rohinyga crisis received the most votes in the plenary, and was selected as the emergency item.

SOURCE: Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)

The Council adopted the following conclusions on Myanmar/Burma:

"1. The humanitarian and human rights situation in Rakhine State is extremely serious. There are deeply worrying reports of continuing arson and violence against people and serious human rights violations, including indiscriminate firing of weapons, the presence of landmines and sexual and gender based violence. This is not acceptable and must end immediately. More than 500 000 people, mostly Rohingya, have fled their homes and sought refuge in Bangladesh, as a result of violence and fear. When so many people are displaced so quickly this strongly indicates a deliberate action to expel a minority. Therefore it is of utmost importance that refugees can return in safety and dignity. Access for humanitarian assistance and the media is severely restricted in Rakhine State. Needs can therefore not be fully assessed nor addressed.

2. The EU has called on all sides to bring an immediate end to all violence. It urges the Myanmar/Burma military to end its operations and to ensure the protection of all civilians without discrimination and to fully observe international human rights law. The EU also reiterates its call on the Myanmar/Burma government to take all measures to defuse tensions between communities; grant full, safe and unconditional humanitarian access without delay, including for UN, ICRC, and international NGOs; and establish a credible and practical process to enable the safe, voluntary, dignified, and sustainable return of all those who fled their homes to their places of origin. The EU has stepped up its humanitarian assistance for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and stands ready to extend its activities in Rakhine State in favour of all people in need once access is granted.

3. The EU and its Member States reconfirm their strong engagement underlined in its Strategy on Myanmar (June 2016) to support the country's democratic transition, peace, national reconciliation and socio-economic development. In this context, the EU stands ready to support the government of Myanmar/Burma in order to ensure the swift and full implementation of the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, including the crucial issue of citizenship for the stateless Rohingya population. The EU welcomes that the government has set-up an Inter-Ministerial Committee for the implementation of these recommendations.

4. The EU welcomes the State Counsellor's commitment to bringing all the perpetrators of human rights violations and other criminal acts to justice, in accordance with the rule of law to avoid all impunity, and her statement on 19 September that Myanmar/Burma does not fear international scrutiny. Credible allegations of serious human rights violations and abuses, including brutal attacks on children, must be thoroughly investigated. In this context the EU urges Myanmar/Burma to cooperate fully with the Human Rights Council's independent international Fact-Finding Mission and to allow it full, safe and unhindered access to the country without delay. The EU welcomes that the UN Human Rights Council recently extended the mandate of the Fact-Finding Mission.

5. Furthermore, the EU encourages Myanmar/Burma to enter into a dialogue with its neighbouring countries, in particular Bangladesh, on finding solutions to common concerns, notably the repatriation of refugees to their place of origin, in the spirit of good neighbourly relations. The EU appreciates the constructive role played by Bangladesh under difficult circumstances.

6. In the light of the disproportionate use of force carried out by the security forces, the EU and its Member States will suspend invitations to the Commander-in-chief of the Myanmar/Burma armed forces and other senior military officers and review all practical defence cooperation. The EU confirms the relevance of the current EU restrictive measures which consist of an embargo on arms and on equipment that can be used for internal repression. The Council may consider additional measures if the situation does not improve but also stands ready to respond accordingly to positive developments.

7. The humanitarian situation of populations affected by conflict in Kachin and Shan States, including 100.000 internally displaced people, is also of great concern. Humanitarian assistance has also been severely curtailed there and the EU calls on the government of Myanmar/Burma to restore humanitarian access to all communities affected in these areas.

8. The EU will continue to address these vital issues and all challenges linked to the process of democratic transition in the framework of its continuing engagement with the government of Myanmar/Burma and in all relevant international fora, notably the UN. The EU also intends to seize the opportunity of the forthcoming ASEM Foreign Ministerial Meeting (Nay Pyi Taw, 20/21 November 2017) to engage, in the margins thereof, in a constructive dialogue with the government and will also continue to liaise with all Asian partners in this regard. The EU also encourages its partners in ASEAN and the region to engage in this process."

Original here.

October 11, 2017

GENEVA – Brutal attacks against Rohingya in northern Rakhine State have been well-organised, coordinated and systematic, with the intent of not only driving the population out of Myanmar but preventing them from returning to their homes, a new UN report based on interviews conducted in Bangladesh has found.

The report by a team from the UN Human Rights Office, who met with the newly arrived Rohingya in Cox’s Bazar from 14 to 24 September 2017, states that human rights violations committed against the Rohingya population were carried out by Myanmar security forces often in concert with armed Rakhine Buddhist individuals. The report, released on Wednesday, is based on some 65 interviews with individuals and groups.

It also highlights a strategy to “instil deep and widespread fear and trauma – physical, emotional and psychological” among the Rohingya population.

More than 500,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since the Myanmar security forces launched an operation in response to alleged attacks by militants on 25 August against 30 police posts and a regimental headquarters. The report states the “clearance operations” started before 25 August 2017, and as early as the beginning of August.

The UN Human Rights Office is gravely concerned for the safety of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya who remain in northern Rakhine State amid reports the violence is still ongoing, and calls on authorities to immediately allow humanitarian and human rights actors unfettered access to the stricken areas.

The report cites testimony from witnesses that security forces scorched dwellings and entire villages, were responsible for extrajudicial and summary executions, rape and other forms of sexual violence, torture and attacks on places of worship. Eyewitnesses reported numerous killings, saying some victims were deliberately targeted and others were killed through explosions, fire and stray bullets.

A 12-year old girl from Rathedaung township described how “the [Myanmar security forces and Rakhine Buddhist individuals] surrounded our house and started to shoot. It was a situation of panic – they shot my sister in front of me, she was only seven years old. She cried and told me to run. I tried to protect her and care for her, but we had no medical assistance on the hillside and she was bleeding so much that after one day she died. I buried her myself.”

The report states that in some cases, before and during the attacks, megaphones were used to announce: “You do not belong here – go to Bangladesh. If you do not leave, we will torch your houses and kill you.”

Credible information indicates that the Myanmar security forces purposely destroyed the property of the Rohingyas, targeting their houses, fields, food-stocks, crops, livestock and even trees, to render the possibility of the Rohingya returning to normal lives and livelihoods in the future in northern Rakhine almost impossible.

UN Human Rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, who has described the Government operations in northern Rakhine State as “a textbook example of ethnic cleansing,” has also urged the Government to immediately end its “cruel" security operation. By denying the Rohingya population their political, civil, economic and cultural rights, including the right to citizenship, he said, the Government’s actions appear to be “a cynical ploy to forcibly transfer large numbers of people without possibility of return.”

The report indicates that efforts were taken to effectively erase signs of memorable landmarks in the geography of the Rohingya landscape and memory in such a way that a return to their lands would yield nothing but a desolate and unrecognizable terrain.

Information received also indicates that the Myanmar security forces targeted teachers, the cultural and religious leadership, and other people of influence of the Rohingya community in an effort to diminish Rohingya history, culture and knowledge.

ENDS

Original here.

Media Release from Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK

For Immediate Release 

Saturday 7th October 2017

Starvation Causing Thousands of Rohingya to Flee to Bangladesh - Security Council Ignored

Starvation caused by military and government restrictions on aid, movement, as well as new human rights violations and security concerns, are triggering a new wave of Rohingya people fleeing to Bangladesh. Without immediate action to lift these restrictions, tens of thousands of Rohingya will leave their villages and homes in the coming days and possibly hundreds of thousands in the coming weeks.

Thousands of Rohingya have already been arriving in Bangladesh because of lack of food in their home villages, as the government and military use starvation as another way of enforcing their ethnic cleansing campaign. Based on interviews we have conducted with refugees arriving in Bangladesh today, and with Rohingya still in Burma, the food crisis has now reached a tipping point where it has become impossible for people to stay.

In addition, military attacks and burning of villages has not ceased since UN Security Council called for an end to the violence against Rohingya. Nor has aid been restored.

The quarter of a million Rohingya now left in Burma are being subject to a range of different human rights violations depending on where they live. Forced labour is being used, and there are fears of this increasing as crops become ready for harvest but many Rohingya farmers have fled. Extortion is also being used with Rohingya in some places being forced by the military to buy livestock taken from Rohingya who have fled at triple the market value. Harassment and extortion through threat of arrest is also increasing. In one village called Oolaphay many houses were destroyed near police posts. Rakhine mobs accompanied by the military burned homes in Maungdaw Town three days ago.

Yesterday at 8pm Kyauklaykha market in Maungdaw was burnt down by soldiers and security forces. Also at about yesterday midnight Kakyaba Market in Buthidaung, where shop owners were Rohingya, was burnt down.

“Rohingya are now being starved out of Burma and unless real pressure is put on the government and military to lift aid and movement restrictions most of the Rohingya left in Burma will be forced out within weeks,” said Tun Khin, President of the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK. “The military and government have ignored the United Nations Security Council. Starvation is the new tool to commit Genocide of Rohingya.”

For more information, contact Tun Khin on +44(0)7888714866 or +88 01723549740.

Arakan Rohingya National Organisation (ARNO)

Press release 

5 October 2017

Repatriation proposal is trickery, Myanmar authorities are not trustworthy

During recent weeks more than half a million Rohingya refugees have taken refuge in Bangladesh due to genocide by Suu Kyi-army regime in Myanmar.

The governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar agreed, on 2nd October, to work on a repatriation plan. State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said that verified refugees will be accepted. But the question is how the terrified and traumatized refugees would be repatriated to Arakan/Rakhine State where they experienced, witnessed and fled the genocidal brutality of Myanmar troops, Rakhine terrorists and other vigilantes. Despite assurance by the Myanmar government the violence and brutality continue. There were arson attacks on Quarter No.5 of Maungdaw town even today. 

As usual, the Myanmar government’s policy is obscure and its offer for repatriation is trickery. From time to time, Myanmar has had seized, destroyed any proof of documentation or issued no documentation at all to a large number of Rohingya. Now the Rohingyas lack documents for verification and resettlement as their houses were burned down. Myanmar government has already claimed state-ownership of Rohingyas’ land within the affected region of Northern Arakan/Rakhine state and has planned to confine the repatriated refugees in displacement camps like Sittwe, which were described by New York Times as 21st century concentration camps. In fact, the so-called verification process itself is an instrument of persecution since the Rohingyas are not only natural born citizens but also a recognized ethnic group of Burma/Myanmar.

Myanmar never kept their word in the past; it disregarded all previous repatriation agreements and stopped cooperating with Bangladesh. With the fresh exodus, the total number of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh now is estimated to be more than 850,000. Myanmar must change its attitude towards Rohingya and it must accept all refugees unconditionally.

When the Suu Kyi-army government itself is carrying genocide of Rohingya, now the responsibility to protect these helpless and defenceless people weighs on the international community. Those Rohingyas who are still at home remain trapped in Northern Rakhine’s vast open prison -- without access to food and medicine, in some places even drinking water -- facing starvation and diseases. The dire situation warrants humanitarian intervention to prevent further death and destruction and to ensure peace and security of the people. It is imperative to involve the international community with relevant UN agencies and refugee representatives in all stages of repatriation process.

It is noteworthy that the two previous bilateral identical repatriation agreements signed between the governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar in 1978 and 1992 that described the refugees as “Burmese residents” were proved ineffective. Upon their return to Arakan the Rohingyas/refugees were and are treated as illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and have continued to face mass atrocity crimes. The refugees should be able to go back to their ancestral homeland as “full citizens” of Myanmar.

The repatriation proposal is a tactical move by the regime, in the face of international condemnations and pressures, whose ultimate strategic scheme is to destroy the Rohingyas’ existence, history, identity and legality. Refugees are too terrified and feel extremely unsafe to return to Myanmar precisely because they experienced, witnessed and fled the genocidal brutality of Myanmar troops, Buddhist extremists and Rakhine vigilantes.

The repatriation proposal must not obscure the need for the international prosecution of those military, Rakhine and NLD leaders, who were directly involved in commanding the latest events resulting in the massive death, destruction and expulsion of more than half a million Rohingyas.

Repatriation is a question of life and death for the entire Rohingya population. With regard to safe and honourable repatriation the following measures, inter alia, are imperative.

1. The refugees in Bangladesh camps are required to be recognized as refugees by UNHCR, which is a mandated UN protection agency.
2. The Refugees should be allowed to put down their identity as “Rohingya”, the UN-recognized name to self-identify.
3. Repatriation must be fully voluntary.
4. The refuges must be rehabilitated in their original places and properties with full compensation under the supervision of the UN with peace-keeping force. 
5. Demilitarized UN safe zones shall be created in Northern Rakhine State, as an interim measure, in order to guarantee security of life, property and dignity of the persecuted people, as well as to ensure confidence, faith and understanding in the minds of the heavily traumatized refugees. 
6. The Myanmar government must restore their full Myanmar citizenship ensuring all rights and freedoms -- security of life, property, honour, dignity, freedom of religion, movement, education, marriage, employment etc. -- without any infringement, restriction, and discrimination in all affairs of their national activities. 
7. The Myanmar government shall recognize the “Rohingya ethnicity” allowing them to peacefully co-exist in Arakan/Rakhine State as equals with their “collective rights” on par with other ethnic nationalities of the country.
8. The Myanmar Citizenship Law of 1982 must be scrapped or amended aligning it with international standards and treaties to which Myanmar is State Party, including articles 7 and 8 of the Convention on the Rights of Child as recommended by the Commission of former UN Secretary General Dr. Kofi Annan.
9. Land is asset and means of making living. All previous land and landed properties of the refugees must be given back to them immediately.
10. Necessary arrangement shall be made to try and punish all perpetrators by an international independent tribunal.
11. The Myanmar government shall stop and prohibit all forms of racism, incitement, propaganda, hate speech, Islamophobia, decrees and directives against the Rohingyas and other Muslims.
12. The Myanmar government must allow unimpeded humanitarian aids to all needy and unfettered access to the media and rights groups to Northern Arakan/Rakhine state. 
13. The welfare of the offspring of rapes and raped women must be ensured.

For more details, please contact:

Australia: Dr. Hla Myint + 61-423381904

Bangladesh: Ko Ko Linn: + 880-1726068413

Canada: Nur Hasim +1-519-5725359

Japan: Zaw Min Htut + 81-8030835327

U.K. Ronnie: +44-7783118354

U.S.A: Dr. Habibullah: +1-4438158609

Email: info@rohingya.org

www.rohingya.org

Arakan Rohingya National Organisation (ARNO)

Press release 

21 September 2017

Aung San Suu Kyi’s disingenuous speech fails to address Rohingya genocide 

The Rohingya people are outraged by the highly contentious and ambiguous speech of the Myanmar State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi delivered before the diplomatic community on 19 September in Naypyidaw. She made numerous disingenuous excuses that fail to address the crisis, the untold sufferings of the Rohingya people, that the U.N stated a “textbook case of ethnic cleansing.” 

Without condemning the Myanmar military and collaborators, Suu Kyi tried to deflect the blame for the mass atrocity crimes and told the diplomats that she was unaware the facts why Muslims (Rohingyas) fled to Bangladesh and that “while many villages had been destroyed, more than half were still intact.” It is a hypocritical statement that suggests that she is a morally bankrupt to take a moral stand on “Rohingya genocide”. 

Invoking the UN Charter, she called for a “kinder and more compassionate for all mankind” – just apparently not for the helpless, weakest, poorest and most hated Rohingya minority. Unsurprisingly, throughout the speech, she declined to use the term Rohingya and thereby she rejects in practice the basic international norms and standards which respect physical integrity, self-identification, existence as a community, maintenance of identity and effective participation in governance. She is denying the ethnic Rohingya their “right to exist” in Myanmar.

It is an absurd excuse to talk of “equal rights to higher education” for the Rohingya people who have just been subjected to genocide, who are denied basic rights and freedoms -- freedom of movement, right to education, right to marry, right to vote, right to recognition before the law and as a community. For decades Rohingya students have been barred from studying in country’s colleges and universities, not to speak of equal opportunity. 

Her commitments to implement a “strategy and national verification process” for the Rohingya -- including those possibly returning refugees who fled for their lives and lost almost everything -- are simply ridiculous. Rohingya are natural born citizens of Arakan/Myanmar, they do not require cooperating with such unworthy “verification” scheme, a dirty trick of the perpetrators of genocide. 

It is a groundless excuse to talk those 18 months in power is a very short time for her new government to speak out for the Rohingya. Whereas Suu Kyi did not hesitate to voice for other communities, she did not even visit northern Rakhine State to see the Rohingya victims of deadly violence. In no time she could condemn the perpetrators, demand cessation of violations, insist upon the protection of the vulnerable and facilitate relief, allow the international media and accept the UN Fact-Finding Commission to investigate crimes against humanity. On top of that, in a relatively short time, she could have restored the citizenship of the Rohingya population that has been unjustly stripped of. Instead, by evading her government’s ‘responsibility to protect’ the Rohingya, she is trying to hoodwink the international community.

The plight of Rohingya is well-known as the most serious of all problems in Myanmar. Although their outcry reaches far and wide it does not get the ear of Aung San Suu Kyi and Myanmar leaders. There is no need to investigate “what the real problems are” or, strangely, to ask the half a million or so who did not flee what calculation they made in staying. 

It is not the time for double-dealing, but to act on the universal principle of justice and equality! 

For more details, please contact:

Australia: Dr. Hla Myint + 61-423381904

Bangladesh: Ko Ko Linn: + 880-1726068413

Canada: Nur Hasim +1-519-5725359

Japan: Zaw Min Htut + 81-8030835327

U.K. Ronnie: +44-7783118354

U.S.A: Dr. Habibullah: +1-4438158609

Email: info@rohingya.org

www.rohingya.org

Press Release 

17 September 2017 

Rohingya Solidarity Rally in The Hague 

Since 25th August 2017, Myanmar security armed forces launched an “ethnic cleansing operation” against Rohingya civilians in the name of counter insurgency operations. Over the last two weeks, Myanmar armed forces together with Rakhine mobs killed or burnt more than 5, 000 Rohingya civilians, most of them are children and women. A considerable number of Rohingya have died from starvation, sickness and drowning while trying to escape atrocity crimes committed by the security forces. Nearly 200 Rohingya hamlets were burnt down to the ground. According to the United Nations, more than 400, 000 Rohingya were forced to flee to Bangladesh while many were internally displaced. Several thousand Rohingya are on their way to Bangladesh. Myanmar security forces buried land mines along the way Rohingya are fleeing. Some Rohingya were affected by the land mines recently. United Nations has described Myanmar’s operation against Rohingya as “textbook example of ethnic cleansing.”

Since 1978, successive military and quasi-civilian governments of Myanmar have been persecuting the Rohingya in Western Myanmar. Myanmar military has viewed Rohingya Muslims, who are pre-nation state borderlands people living along the present-day Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan) and present-day Myanmar as a ‘threat to national security’ because they are the only Muslim community with their own historical ancestral land, which is adjacent to one of the largest Muslim countries. This is a manufactured claim by the military institution which is neither based on the facts nor reality. 

The persecution is commonly acknowledged as genocidal by various human rights organizations and investigators or researchers including the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, International State Crime Institute, Genocide Watch, former UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar (2008-2014) Mr Tomas Ojea Quintana, leading scholars of genocide George Stanton and William Schabas, anti-apartheid leader Desmond Tutu and Amartya Sen. 

Despite international outrage and call on Myanmar government to stop atrocity crimes against Rohingya, Myanmar pays no heeds so far and continues inflicting massive suffering on Rohingya.

Therefore we call upon: 

· Dutch government to put direct diplomatic pressure on Myanmar government to stop atrocity crimes against Rohingya civilians; and to initiate necessary measures through European Union, and United Nations to stop Myanmar committing atrocity crimes; and to bring all those who have been committing “ethnic cleansing of Rohingya” into justice.

· International Court of Justice to initiate process to bring perpetrators of “ethnic cleansing of Rohingya” into justice. 

· Dutch media to bring Myanmar’s “ethnic cleansing of Rohingya” into public attention and to inform Dutch public with what have been unfolding against Rohingya people. 

Signatories:

• The European Rohingya Council 
• Care 4 Humanity 
• Dialoog – Sociaal Cultureel Centrum Moskee Noeroel Islam
• Raad van Oelama Nederland (RON)
• Kashmir Peace Council
• Pakistan Wefare Association The Haque
• Pak Islamic & Culture Centre The Haque Netherlands
• Dastak International Organization
• Palestine Huis in Nederland
• Stichting Welzijn voor Moslim te Den Haag omstreken
• Het Turks Platform Den Haag
• Moskee Mescid-i Kuba
• Moskee Mescid -i Aksa
• Moskee Ahi Evran
• Stichting Islamitische Centrum Den Haag (Moskee Delfselaan)
• Turkse Vereniging Escamp Den Haag
• Turkse Islamitische Culturele Vereniging
• Stichting Solidariteit Erzurum
• Stichting Dialooghuis
• Stichting Yozgat
• Vadercentrum Adam
• Stichting Sanatolia
• Demet TV
• Dabdar Stichting
• Turkse Museum
• Turkse Huis
• Turks Vereniging Molenwijk
• Muraqba Hall Holland
• Foundation Noorani Islamic Research Institute
• Stichting Noor Ul Huda
• Stichting vereniging Roekoen Islam Den Haag
• Darga Ajmer Sharif India
• Chishty Foundation Ajmer Sharief
• Chishitya Ribaat Sufi Studie center Pakistan
• Al Karam Moskee Amsterdam
• Al Ghausia Moskee Amsterdam
• Al Ghausia Moskee Rotterdam 
• Al Kurtaba Moskee Rotterdam
• Taqwa Moskee Zoetermeer
• Bangladesh Foundation Netherlands
• Buurtvaders Schilderswijk West
• Stichting Dalmar Den Haag
• Stichting Soneco Den Haag
• Naqshidandi Al Haqqani Tarikat (stated by Shaykh Ahmad Dede Netherlands)
• Stichting SOS Shaam
• Moskee Taibah Amsterdam
• World Islamic Mission (WIM)
• Stichting Welzijn voor Moslim Amsterdam en omstreken
• Djamia Medinatul Islam
• Moskee Al Firduas Lelystad
• Moskee Anware Medina Eindhoven
• Moskee Fariedul Islam Amsterdam
• Minhaj Ul Quran Den Haag
• Federatie Somalische Landelijke organisatie FSAN
• Global Security Institute USA Amerika

Media contact:

Dr. Hla Kyaw: +31 652358202

Arakan Rohingya National Organisation (ARNO)

Joint Press release: 16th September 2017

ICC declines to protect Stateless Rohingya from Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity

We the undersigned organisations would like to stress that, with the initiative of the Arakan Rohingya National Organisation (ARNO), the Rohingya Intellectual Community Association of Australia filed through their Counsel, a communication with the International Criminal Court (“the ICC”) in December 2015 and filed a follow up communication in August 2017, with the support of the Rohingya Community Worldwide. 

Counsel representing our organizations submitted that the ICC should exercise jurisdiction on the grounds that the Rohingya are a stateless minority and no legal recourse exists for them in Myanmar as a result of their statelessness. The ICC finally responded in August 2017 that it does not have jurisdiction on the mass atrocity crimes committed against the Rohingyas. The Rohingya continue to have no access to justice and therefore do not have any redress in Myanmar if they are persecuted. 

Acts of mass atrocity and genocide against the defenseless Rohingya and other minority civilians can never be a purely internal matter of Myanmar. These acts have been ongoing for over thirty-nine years. The UN and international community have a ‘responsibility to protect’ and should intervene to save thousands of lives and protect human security. 

We, therefore, appeal to the UN Security Council, international community, OIC, ASEAN and Myanmar’s neighbours to intervene immediately in the matter to protect helpless Rohingya people and similarly situated minorities in the region from Myanmar’s state sponsored genocide and crimes against humanity. In addition, we thank and plead to the international community to continue providing humanitarian assistance both in Arakan and in Bangladesh on humanitarian grounds. 

The Following organizations are the signatories of this press release.

• Arakan Rohingya National Organisation, 
• Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK, 
• Bradford Rohingya Community UK, 
• Burmese Rohingys Community Denmark,
• Burmese Rohingya Community Australia, 
• Burmese Rohingya Community Japan, 
• Canadian Burmese Rohingya Organisation, 
• Rohingya Advocacy Network Japan, 
• Rohingya Arakanese Refugee Committee,
• Rohingya Blogger,
• Rohingya Community Germany, 
• Rohingya Community Switzerland, 
• Rohingya Community Finland, 
• Rohingya community Italy, 
• Rohingya community Sweden, 
• Rohingya Organisation Norway, 
• Rohingya Society Netherlands, 
• Rohingya Society Malaysia, 
• The European Rohingya Council

For more details, please contact:

Dr. Hla Myint: +61-423381904

Ronnie: +44-7783118354

Email: info@rohingya.org

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the reports of excesses during the security operations conducted by Myanmar's security forces in Rakhine State and urges restraint and calm to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe.

The Secretary-General underlines the responsibility of the Government of Myanmar to provide security and assistance to all those in need and to enable the United Nations and its partners to extend the humanitarian support they are ready to provide.

The current situation underlines the urgency of seeking holistic approaches to addressing the complex root causes of violence. The Secretary-General urges the Government of Myanmar to implement the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine.

The Secretary-General appreciates the efforts of the Bangladesh authorities and communities to meet the dire needs of recent arrivals. He encourages the Government to ensure refugees are able to avail themselves of the support the United Nations and partners are mobilized to provide.

Original here.

Media Release from Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK

1st September 2017

160,000 Newly Displaced Rohingya Creates New Humanitarian Crisis – Attacks Ongoing

Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK sources indicate that around 160,000 Rohingya have been displaced by the new military offensive which began on August 25th.The government and military are only assisting displaced Rakhine people. Where Rohingya populations live or have fled to, no humanitarian access is allowed. 

Aid is also being blocked to Rohingya displaced by previous violence and attacks. 

At least 10,000 Rohingya are trapped in Buthidaung and Rathaedaung mountain area without food, water or medicine. Children, the injured and elderly are already dying. 

“For many thousands it’s now a week since they were forced to run from their homes, they don’t have food, water, medicine or shelter,” said Tun Khin President of Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK. “Unless international action is taken to ensure aid access, there is a risk that more people will die from hunger and disease as by direct attacks by the military.”

Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK is shocked by the lack of a strong international response to the new military offensive, given the scale of human rights violations taking place. 

“One week into this major military offensive, the international community has done nothing, despite knowing crimes against humanity are being committed, said Tun Khin.“Our history is one of suffering but even for us we are now witnessing the most horrific situation in our history. We need action from international community, but we aren’t even getting strong statements. No wonder the attacks carry on.”

For more information please contact, Tun Khin +44 7888714866.

Myanmar: Worsening cycle of violence in Rakhine must be broken urgently, UN expert warns

August 31, 2017

GENEVA – A United Nations human rights expert has expressed alarm at the deteriorating situation in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, affecting not just the Rakhine and Muslim populations but also other communities. Tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims are now reported to be fleeing towards Bangladesh. 

“The humanitarian situation is deteriorating rapidly and I am concerned that many thousands of people are increasingly at risk of grave violations of their human rights,” said the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, Yanghee Lee.

“The worsening cycle of violence is of grave concern and must be broken urgently.”

Ms. Lee said the suffering of the Rohingya was particularly poignant this week, while the world’s Muslim communities celebrated Eid al-Adha on 1 September but the Rohingya remained in a precarious situation, not knowing their future or the fate of their relatives. 

Latest estimates from UN sources suggest more than 27,000 people have crossed into Bangladesh in the area around Cox’s Bazar, while 20,000 more remain stranded between the two countries. The number continues to grow.

The Special Rapporteur noted concerns over both the extremist attacks which followed the release of the final report by the Rakhine Advisory Commission, led by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, and the major security operations undertaken in response to the attacks.

“I am concerned that these events will derail efforts to address the root causes of the systematic discrimination and recurrent violence in Rakhine State,” said the Special Rapporteur.

“If human rights concerns are not properly addressed, and if people remain politically and economically marginalized, then northern Rakhine may provide fertile ground for radicalization, with people becoming increasingly vulnerable to recruitment by extremists,” said Ms. Lee. “These concerns were raised by the Advisory Commission and I share them fully.”

“I am saddened to receive reports that, while the authorities are helping Rakhine and other communities living in affected townships evacuate to safer locations, this assistance is not being extended to the Rohingya Muslims,” she added.

The situation had worsened considerably since extremist attacks on 25 August, with credible multiple sources reporting violations which include Rohingyas being indiscriminately killed and injured by military gunfire, even while fleeing, and helicopters and rocket-propelled grenades being used against the civilian population.

Ms. Lee reminded the authorities of their human rights obligations to give equal protection to people from all communities, whether from attacks by extremists or excessive action from the security forces. She has previously expressed concern over the military build-up in Rakhine State, urging the security forces to exercise restraint in all circumstances and to respect human rights.

“I express the strongest condemnation of the attacks carried out by militant extremists and urge them to immediately halt further violence against the innocent civilian population.

“I call on the Government to ensure the immediate provision of assistance to all affected communities in Rakhine State, and grant unfettered access to the United Nations to provide humanitarian assistance, including to address protection concerns, and to monitor the situation. Even before last Friday’s attacks, access for humanitarian actors had been very limited in northern Rakhine, negatively impacting the support they provide.”

This statement has been endorsed by the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Ahmed Shaheed, and the Special Rapporteur on minority issues, Fernand de Varennes.

Ref: NL20170827 27.08.2017

Press Release

URGENT APPEAL FOR PROTECTION AND SAFETY IN RAKHINE STATE

We, the undersigned Rohingya organizations and communities worldwide are deeply concerned with the recent developments following clashes in northern Rakhine State, Myanmar on August 25, 2017. We appeal the international community to exercise “the Responsibility to Protect” as the Rohingya civilian population plunges into another episode of widespread “crimes against humanity” under the hands of Myanmar Armed Forces.

Less than a year after “clearance operations” in the volatile region where U.N. and several human rights organizations have documented strong evidence which they described as “crimes against humanity”, and “ethnic cleansing” of Rohingya, Myanmar military has ramped up the security forces again and is using disproportionate force against the Rohingya civilians following the clashes in Maungdaw, Buthidaung, and Rathedaung townships.

The reports that have emerged from the ground since August 25, point to the severe human rights violations being committed. The use of excessive force against the entire Rohingya community, reportedly including machine-gunned helicopters, has resulted in mass civilian casualties surpassing the triple-figure mark in only two days’ time. Thousands of Rohingya from at least 25 villages are displaced as their villages were set on fire with rocket-launchers. Many villagers in isolated locations are attempting to take shelter in the jungle, others have risked crossing the Myanmar-Bangladesh border most are stranded on the Myanmar-side of the Naf River as Bangladesh tightens its border security and continues to push back the fleeing Rohingya. The civilians are inundated with an acute humanitarian crisis and medical emergency. In addition to the existing medical conditions and injuries sustained from indiscriminate firing from the armed forces Rohingya are subjected to the commandeering of their homes, destruction of property and livestock.

In her official statement on August 25, the state-counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi herself mentioned that her “government has been aware of the risk of attacks to coincide with the release of the Commission’s final report.” Commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing showed dissatisfaction of the recommendations and called them “factually flaws and deficient”. 

There are very clear lines to be drawn connecting all the events that have been taking place in the recent weeks: the mobilization of a highly advanced army battalion and other security forces in the northern region of Rakhine State; the high-level meeting between Min Aung Hlaing and Rakhine nationalist party ANP lawmakers; the visit of now-rebranded Ma Ba Tha’s firebrand monk Wirathu to Rakhine State; the failure to pass the proposal in parliament for an increase of security measures and creation of fully trained and armed “people’s militia” against the Rohingya civilians.

There were repeated acts of provocations against Rohingya civilians particularly in Rathedaung township, where several Rohingya villages were under complete blockade with repetitive raids, harassments, physical tortures and arbitrary arrests of village leaders, until it reached the boiling point on August 23 and 24 when almost all Rohingya men from Auk Nan Yar (Razar Bil), Rathedaung were taken away by the armed forces leaving vulnerable women, children and elderly in agonizing humanitarian and emotional crises.

Based on the above facts, it is clear that Myanmar Armed Forces have the hidden agenda of manufacturing clashes to justify mass killing, rape, arrest and the scorched-earth policy that applied during “clearance operations”. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s departments, ministry of information and ministry of state-counsellor office, pave the path for the armed forces to commit “crimes against humanity” by labelling the whole Rohingya community as “terrorists” or “terrorist sympathizers”, although the community is amongst the most peaceful in Myanmar despite being suffered more than four decades of state-sponsored discrimination, persecution and extermination pogroms. 

We, therefore, urge the United Nations, the European Union, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, the members of ASEAN, the neighboring countries – Bangladesh, Indian and China, and the international community to promptly act upon “the Responsibility to Protect” and push Myanmar on the following: 

1. To abide by rule of law and refrain from human rights violations 
2. To prevent use of disproportionate force on the Rohingya civilians 
3. To provide full safety and protection to the Rohingya civilians
4. To allow access to food, humanitarian and media in the affected area in Rakhine State 
5. To safely return the civilians to their respective villages 
6. To stop equipping and training of Civilian populations in the region 
7. To stop labelling of peaceful-loving persecuted Rohingya population as “terrorists” 
8. To stop spread of inflammatory and propaganda against the Rohingya community on the state-controlled and privately-own media outlet in Myanmar 
9. To urge Aung San Suu Kyi’s government to promptly implement the recommendations made by Kofi Annan’s Rakhine State Advisory Commission. 

Signatories: 

• The European Rohingya Council (ERC)
• Arakan Rohingya National Organization (ARNO)
• The Rohingya Community in North America 
• The Rohingya Community Ireland and UK
• The Rohingya Community Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands 
• The Rohingya Community in Diaspora 
• The Rohingya Community in Myanmar 

For media contact: 

Dr. Anita Schug, +491575 0685496

Dr. Hla Kyaw, +31652358202