UN expert urges urgent action to protect Rohingya population in Myanmar

The UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar is calling for urgent action by the Myanmar government to end the suffering of the Rohingya population in Rakhine state.

Speaking at the end of a four-day visit to Dhaka and Cox’s Bazar, Yanghee Lee said: “The magnitude of violence that these families have witnessed and experienced is far more extensive than I had originally speculated.”

During her visit, she met members of the Rohingya population who had fled to Bangladesh after Oct 9 when the Myanmar Border Guard Police facilities were attacked that followed the reprisal from Myanmar army.

According to a statement posted at UN website, the expert reported several allegations of horrific attacks including the slitting of some people’s throats, random shootings, houses being set on fire with people tied up inside and very young children being thrown into the fire, as well as gang rapes and other sexual violence.

In addition to the alleged human rights violations occurring within the context of the security operations that followed the Oct 9 attacks, Lee highlighted how the government of Myanmar appears to have taken, and continues to take, actions which discriminate against the Rohingya and make their lives even more challenging.

“I urge the government of Myanmar to immediately cease the discrimination that the community continues to face, to act now to prevent any further serious rights violations and to conduct prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigations into those already alleged to have occurred,” the special rapporteur said.

“We all owe it to those I have met and their fellow community members to do everything in our power to ensure this is done and to give the Rohingya people reason to hope again,” she concluded.

The Special Rapporteur will present her full report to the UN Human Rights Council on Mar 13. The report will be available online, according to the statement.

Special Rapporteurs are appointed by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a specific human rights theme or a country situation. The positions are honorary, and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work.

According to the Bangladesh government, about 400,000 Myanmar nationals including 70,000 recent arrivals, after the Oct 9 violence in Rakhine state, are staying in Cox’s Bazar.

Myanmar denied their citizenship for decades.

After the recent global outcry, the Myanmar government last year established an ‘Advisory Commission on Rakhine State’ to what it said finding a lasting solution to the “complex and delicate” issues of the State.

A delegation of the commission, which is chaired by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, recently visited Bangladesh and discussed Rohingya issues.

A senior official at the foreign ministry told bdnews24.com that Myanmar Ambassador in Dhaka Myo Myint Than on Monday conveyed them that they are willing to send a delegation again to discuss the issue.