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Myanmar now erasing the Rohingya's very name

Failure to conduct credible probe into Rohingya cleansing: UN


FE Report | June 19, 2018 00:00:00


Myanmar has, so far, failed to conduct credible investigation into the allegations of ethnic cleansing against Rohingyas by its security forces, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said on Monday.

He also disclosed that the Fact-Finding Mission report and the report of the Special Rapporteur on Myanmar will be placed at the September session of the UN Human Rights Council.

"Although Myanmar has stated that it will investigate the allegations and prosecute alleged perpetrators, the actions taken by the country to date have not met minimal standards of credibility or impartiality," Zeid said in the opening statement at 38th session of the Human Rights Council started in Geneva on the day.

"In Myanmar, as the Council is aware, there are clear indications of well-organised, widespread and systematic attacks continuing to target the Rohingyas in Rakhine State as an ethnic group, amounting possibly to acts of genocide if so established by a court of law", he said.

Due to continuing refusals to permit access, Office of UNHCHR, the Country Special Rapporteur and the Fact-Finding Mission have conducted remote monitoring.

"In the context of the MoU that the Government of Myanmar has established with UNDP and UNHCR for the repatriation of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh, I reiterate that no repatriation should occur in the absence of sustained human rights monitoring on the ground, in the areas concerned", he added.

He mentioned, in Kachin and northern Shan States, conflict witnessed further escalation since October last year.

Allegations are rife about widely reported human rights violations in the country including extra-judicial killings; enforced disappearances; torture and inhuman treatment; rape and other forms of sexual violence; forced labour; recruitment of children into armed forces; and indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks arising from conflicts between security forces and armed groups.

Meanwhile, the government of Myanmar, has erased their very name -- "Rohingya" -- from the news, said the Washington Post said on Saturday.

"In recent weeks, the Burmese information ministry has detected the word "Rohingya" in television broadcasts by Radio Free Asia, a private, nonprofit news organisation, funded by the U.S. government, which brings news to closed societies in Asia, and the BBC."

Both organisations used "Rohingya" in shows that were shared with Democratic Voice of Burma, which operates on the state's MRTV channel. The information ministry said that RFA and BBC could no longer air their content if they continued to use the word "Rohingya," which is "strictly prohibited."

Both the RFA and the BBC refused to censor their programmes, and quit their partnership, although both will continue to be available to Burmese by shortwave, social media and websites, the influential daily said.

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