Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

expand all
collapse all

Websites/Multiple Documents

Description: Resolutions, reports, human rights instruments etc. Lots of stuff; very well organised.
Source/publisher: Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR)
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English (also available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish)
more
Description: "Zeid Ra?ad Al Hussein assumed his functions as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on 1 September 2014, following the General Assembly?s approval on 16 June 2014 of his appointment by the United Nations Secretary-General. He will be the seventh individual to lead the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the first Asian, Muslim and Arab to do so..."
Source/publisher: UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
2014-09-00
Date of entry/update: 2014-11-06
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English
more
expand all
collapse all

Individual Documents

Description: "Deputy High Commissioner Expresses Concern about Proposed Anti-Terrorism Bill and Law to Regulate Media Broadcasting in Sri Lanka The Human Rights Council this morning held an interactive dialogue on the report of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, and started an interactive dialogue on the written update of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Sri Lanka. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cameroon also addressed the Council. Nicholas Koumjian, Head of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, said last year he reported to this Council an increase in serious international crimes committed in Myanmar. Tragically, the frequency and intensity of war crimes and crimes against humanity had only increased in recent months, with more brazen aerial bombings and indiscriminate shelling, resulting in the deaths of innocent civilians, including children; increased executions of captured combatants and civilians; and intentional burnings of homes and villages. The Mechanism was currently sharing information and evidence with three ongoing proceedings focused on crimes committed against the Rohingya at the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, and in Argentina. It was finalising three analytical reports to share with these authorities concerning the military chain of command in Rakhine state; the failure of Myanmar authorities to investigate or punish sexual and gender-based crimes; and the organised spread of hate speech content on Facebook by the Myanmar military during the 2017 clearance operations. Mr. Koumjian said the people of Myanmar were suffering deeply from the effects of these ongoing horrific crimes. The Mechanism was committed to pursuing justice for them and focusing all its efforts to ensure that the perpetrators would one day be held to account. In the discussion, some speakers said they fully supported the work of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar. They thanked the Mechanism for its work, which was being conducted in difficult and dangerous conditions. The report revealed that the situation in Myanmar continued to be tragic. The population suffered from ongoing fighting resulting in numerous human rights violations. Many speakers fully condemned all human rights violations and abuses in Myanmar and called for an immediate end to brutal attacks on civilians, including the Rohingya. Some speakers expressed concern about the continued politicised mandates against Myanmar, including the Mechanism. Only good will and the cooperation of the country would lead to tangible results on the ground. Some speakers called for the international community to refrain from putting pressure on the Government and for human rights defenders to undertake an unbiased approach and expand the space for cooperation. The Council then started an interactive dialogue on the written update of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Sri Lanka. Nada Al-Nashif, United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, presenting the written update of the High Commissioner on the situation of human rights in Sri Lanka, said one year after the remarkable protest movement demanding deep political and democratic reforms, the transformation that was hoped for to address long-standing challenges had still not materialised. The international community, including international financial institutions, should keep on supporting Sri Lanka in its recovery, by providing the fiscal space needed while pressing for genuine progress in governance, transparency and accountability. Ms. Al-Nashif said the report provided an analysis of concerns with some forthcoming legislation, in particular the proposed Anti-Terrorism Bill replacing the Prevention of Terrorism Act and a new law to regulate media broadcasting, and urged a moratorium on the use of the Act in the meantime, and for the review of long-standing cases under the Act to be expedited. Fourteen years since the war ended, tens of thousands of victims and their families continued to suffer in agony and grief as they waited for truth, justice and remedy. The report recommended that the Government accelerate investigations and prosecutions in emblematic cases of human rights violations, in compliance with international human rights standards. Sri Lanka, speaking as a country concerned, reiterated that the Government had consistently rejected resolutions 46/1 and 51/1 that led to the setting up of the so-called ‘Accountability Project’. The Government also rejected the written update, its conclusions and recommendations. Sri Lanka had repeatedly pointed out that this was an unproductive and unhelpful drain on the resources of the Council and its members. For these reasons, Sri Lanka would not cooperate with it. However, Sri Lanka would continue to engage constructively with other mechanisms of the Council that had been productive and beneficial, such as the Universal Periodic Review process. Sri Lanka remained firmly committed to pursuing tangible progress on human rights through domestic institutions and had made significant progress. In the discussion, some speakers said as the recovery continued, economic reform measures must uphold the economic, social and cultural rights of the people of Sri Lanka. The Government must promptly hold legally prescribed elections, which were now overdue, and safeguard the fundamental rights of peaceful assembly, expression and association. Sri Lanka had made important recent commitments on land issues and devolution of political authority. Some speakers encouraged Sri Lanka to turn these commitments into meaningful action and deliver long-awaited results. Sri Lanka still had a long way to go to fulfil commitments to justice, accountability, and reconciliation. Some speakers deplored the politicisation of human rights, and their use as a pretext to interfere in the national and sovereign affairs of certain countries. Speaking in the discussion on Myanmar were Finland on behalf of the Nordic-Baltic countries, European Union, Pakistan (on behalf of Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Liechtenstein, Egypt, Luxembourg, Costa Rica, Belgium, Netherlands, France, United States, Japan, Switzerland, Türkiye, Malta, United Nations Children's Fund, China, Malawi, Canada, Malaysia, Indonesia, Romania, Russian Federation, South Africa, Bangladesh, Australia, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Mauritania, Gambia, Iran, Bulgaria and Belarus. Also speaking were CIVICUS - World Alliance for Citizen Participation, Centre pour les Droits Civils et Politiques - Centre CCPR, Southeast Asia Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression Caucus (ASC), Inc., International-Lawyers.Org, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, iuventum e.V., International Bar Association, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, International Commission of Jurists, and Lawyers' Rights Watch Canada. Speaking in the discussion on Sri Lanka were New Zealand, European Union, United Kingdom, Oman, Liechtenstein, Egypt, Luxembourg, Germany, France, United States, Japan, Israel, Switzerland, Türkiye, Canada and Cuba. The webcast of the Human Rights Council meetings can be found here. All meeting summaries can be found here. Documents and reports related to the Human Rights Council’s fifty-fourth regular session can be found here. The Council will reconvene at 3 p.m. this afternoon to continue the interactive dialogue on the written update of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Sri Lanka, followed by an interactive dialogue on the oral update of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan..."
Source/publisher: UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
2023-09-11
Date of entry/update: 2023-09-11
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "Six years ago this week, Myanmar’s military initiated its latest brutal campaign in a decades-long persecution of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Rakhine State. In what has been alleged to be a genocidal operation against the Rohingya, some 10,000 men, women, boys, girls, and newborns were killed, over 300 villages destroyed and over 700,000 fled to Bangladesh within a short period of time. In all, over a million Rohingya have fled persecution and systematic discrimination to seek international refugee protection in Bangladesh, and more than 100,000 others are being held in closed displacement camps inside Myanmar. In a sign of their desperation, thousands more continue to attempt dangerous sea crossings from Myanmar and Bangladesh, too often ending in tragedy. More must be done to hold the military to account for their repeated campaigns of persecution against the Rohingya, and for driving the country into its current human rights and humanitarian crisis. In the face of the impunity enjoyed by the Myanmar military for past and present crimes against the Rohingya as well as other groups, I call on States fully to support the ongoing international accountability efforts. Having spent many years trying to ease the plight of the Rohingya, my most fervent wish is for them to be able to return to their homes in dignity, in freedom and properly recognised as part of the diversity of Myanmar’s population. Their human rights must be fully respected and their security guaranteed. This is currently not the case given the precarious conditions in Rakhine State. Furthermore, the military has shown no willingness to address systematic discrimination against the Rohingya. In the face of competing crises, the international community must not forget the Rohingya people or their host community in Bangladesh. Humanitarian appeals for supporting the Rohingya, both in Myanmar and in the camps in Bangladesh, need greater support and funding. At the same time, third countries should expand Rohingya resettlement programmes or provide temporary protection, particularly in the region. And international efforts must be redoubled to reverse course in Myanmar and to ensure accountability and justice..."
Source/publisher: UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
2023-08-24
Date of entry/update: 2023-08-24
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "The UN’s relief agency, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, began one of its recent Myanmar Humanitarian Updates by criticizing the Myanmar military. “Additional bureaucratic hurdles such as denial of TAs [travel authorizations], insistence on TAs for national staff and refusal of passage through military checkpoints forced aid organizations to reschedule or delay their planned activities in several states including Rakhine, Kayah, Kachin and northern Shan,” the OCHA said in its Update No. 31 issued on July 15. Then, perhaps in an effort to appear neutral, it stated that, “Compounding these challenges, Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) and People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) have repeatedly obstructed humanitarian movements, detaining private transporters and confiscating relief goods in northern Shan, Chin, Kayah and Sagaing.” The UN needs to clarify and give evidence of where and when aid was obstructed and in what circumstances, and why it is still transporting aid without coordination with the civilian National Unity Government (NUG) and ethnic resistance organizations (EROs). Coordinating with armed actors on the ground is common sense. Local actors don’t know what that the trucks are carrying or whom the goods are intended for. In addition, the UN works only with the State Administration Council (SAC)—the junta’s governing body—which it relies on for travel authorization. The SAC is directing aid according to its own strategic interests and thus weaponizing aid. Naturally, resistance organizations are not going to support this. The World Food Program and UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and in fact the UN Country Team, have simply been asked to communicate information about convoys to the NUG, and have been warned of the dangers of not doing so. The NUG does not want a complex bureaucratic system of travel permission as the junta imposes, they just want to be informed when a convoy is going to travel through areas the resistance controls, which is in everyone’s interest. This is in fact standard UN procedure, but is not being followed in the case of Myanmar. It is very unfair to accuse the NUG, PDFs and EROs of obstructing aid when the opposite is the reality. The systematic refusal of the UN to work with the NUG and EROs on aid delivery is one of the main obstacles preventing aid from reaching 1.9 million people. Local “humanitarian resistance” strictures are actually those who are providing aid to internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have fled the junta’s strategy of directly targeting civilians. The NUG has instructed PDFs not to attack aid convoys, but how do they know whether a convoy is transporting UN aid or junta troops and/or supplies? The junta has reportedly used UN flags on their supply vehicles. The NUG has asked for convoy details to be shared, reiterated its willingness to coordinate with the UN and other international actors, and requested them again to coordinate the delivery of aid. The consequences of not doing so rest on the UN and not humanitarian resistance actors. Paul Greening is an ex-UN senior staff member with over 20 years’ experience in six Asian countries working for six UN agencies and four INGOs. He worked in Sittwe, Rakhine State for the International Organization for Migration from 2017 to 2020 and since then has been involved in advocacy against the illegal attempted coup and supporting those who have suffered from it..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" (Thailand)
2023-08-18
Date of entry/update: 2023-08-18
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "Mr. Vice President, Excellencies, Distinguished colleagues, This Council has heard report after report on the human rights situation in Myanmar. With each successive update, it is almost impossible to imagine that the people of Myanmar can endure more suffering. Yet the country continues its deadly freefall into even deeper violence and heartbreak. A regime imposed by generals for the last two and a half years has snatched away the optimism that Myanmar’s people once held for peace, democracy, and a more prosperous future. Civilians live at the whim of a reckless military authority that relies on systematic control tactics, fear and terror. Civilians also bear the devastating brunt of the grotesque violence, including against older people, people with disabilities and infants. The situation has become untenable. We see a spiralling economy, worsening the poverty already endured by much of the population. Natural resources are being exploited at dangerous rates, causing irreversible environmental harm. The voices of civil society and journalists are being strangled. Arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances and torture continue unabated. And the country’s minorities again face brutal attacks by the military in border regions, with increasing numbers of people crossing international frontiers in search of safety and protection. More than one million Rohingya remain in neighbouring Bangladesh where they live in the world’s largest refugee camp in deplorable conditions. The conditions for their return to Myanmar are still non-existent. The military continues to carry out atrocities in their home state of Rakhine, where they are denied citizenship. Mr. Vice President, Credible sources indicate that as of yesterday, 3,747 individuals have died at the hands of the military since they took power, and 23,747 have been arrested. These figures represent the minimum that can be documented and verified - the true number of casualties is likely to be far higher. Every day, the military’s ruthless so-called “four cuts” strategy continues to wreak destruction. Entire villages are razed and burned to the ground, collectively punishing civilians, by depriving them of shelter, food, water, and life-saving aid. Since the coup began, the military has scorched at least 70,000 homes across the country, 70 percent of which were in Sagaing region. Over 1.5 million people have been forcibly displaced with minimal access to humanitarian aid. Incessant airstrikes and artillery shelling are destroying homes and stealing lives. In the first six months of this year, my Office reported a 33 percent increase in indiscriminate airstrikes compared to the first half of last year, with rising attacks on civilian targets, including villages, schools, hospitals and places of worship. On 11 April in Pa Zi Gyi village in Sagaing region, up to 168 civilians, including scores of women and children, were killed in an air attack. Artillery attacks have also dramatically increased, with over 563 this year, representing already 80 percent of the total attacks last year. My Office also continues to document repeated violations of the most brutal forms: sexual violence, mass killings, extra-judicial executions, beheadings, dismemberments, and mutilations. This constitutes a complete disregard of the principles of international human rights and international humanitarian law. And it displays an utter contempt for humanity. Mr. Vice President, The report I present to the Council today focuses on the systematic denial by the military of life-saving humanitarian aid for civilians. They have put in place a raft of legal, financial, and bureaucratic barriers to ensure people in need do not receive and cannot access assistance. This obstruction of life-saving aid is deliberate and targeted, a calculated denial of fundamental rights and freedoms for large swathes of the population. This is being done in a situation where one-third of the entire population requires urgent help – including access to adequate housing, enough food and water, or employment. In mid-May, when Cyclone Mocha made landfall with devastating effect in Rakhine, Chin, Magway and Sagaing, the military actively prevented independent needs assessments, and obstructed access to information. They suspended all travel authorisations in Rakhine State, eventually allowing distribution of aid to resume if it was not cyclone-related. Importantly, all disbursements of Cyclone Mocha-related humanitarian aid remain frozen unless delivered by the military apparatus. They have threatened legal action against anyone reporting figures different to theirs on the number of Rohingya deaths, fixed by the military at 116, but believed to be higher. To date, because of lack of access, it has not been possible to confirm the number of Rohingya deaths and those of members from other communities. I deplore the direct attacks on humanitarian staff. Local organizations, which provide the vast majority of humanitarian aid, face the greatest risks in carrying out their work. Up to 40 humanitarian workers have been killed and over 200 arrested since the coup. The already fragile health system is now in disarray. Despite the efforts of grassroots organizations, a de facto ban on transportation of medicines and other medical supplies across large parts of Myanmar has resulted in lack of access to medical assistance. 15.2 million people are in need of urgent food and nutrition support. The price of food rose 177 percent in 2022, and the continued violence, land-grabbing and high risk posed by mines and unexploded ordnance has resulted in a marked decrease in food production. The need for unhindered humanitarian access throughout Myanmar has never been more urgent. I call on Member States to fund the Myanmar Humanitarian Response Plan and to provide direct and flexible funding for local organisations on the ground that are desperately trying to reach people in need. Mr. Vice President, In line with Security Council resolution 2669 I repeat the call for an immediate end to this senseless violence. Without delay, I also urge the authorities to release the 19,377 political prisoners detained throughout Myanmar, including deposed President Win Mynt and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. The path out of this crisis must be anchored in accountability for the grave human rights violations and other violations of international law that are occurring. I urge the Security Council to refer the situation to the International Criminal Court. Any political solution to this protracted emergency must include accountability. Regarding the one million Rohingya in Bangladesh, voluntary repatriation can only occur when conditions for safe, sustainable, and dignified returns to Myanmar are in place and when the full range of their rights will be respected and upheld. The Rohingya themselves must be at the centre of decision-making. Returns must only take place with their fully informed and truly voluntary choice. For its part, the international community must continue to provide support to host communities, including and notably in Bangladesh, and adequate protection for all people who are crossing international borders. I also appeal to all countries to cease and prevent the supply of arms to the military and to take targeted measures to limit access by generals to foreign currency, aviation fuel and other means that enable attacks on Myanmar’s people. This Council needs to consider how to bring to light the business interests that support the military and keep them afloat. Mr. Vice President, Among the numerous crimes perpetrated against the people of Myanmar, I was outraged to hear of the arrests of over a hundred people by the military on 19 June. Their crime was buying, selling, carrying, or wearing a flower to celebrate Aung San Suu Kyi’s 78th birthday. It is difficult to imagine that Myanmar’s people – who just two and a half years ago were looking forward to a better future – are being stifled by an oppressor which regards bearing a flower as a criminal act. For decades, the people of Myanmar have faced repression and isolation. But they have never stopped calling for their fundamental rights to be respected, nor have they ceased to make great sacrifices for a democratic future. I stand in solidarity with Myanmar’s people. I honour their extraordinary strength, spirit, and resilience as they endure day after day of crisis. I want to emphasise that the Rohingya are an integral part of Myanmar’s people and the future of the country. I remind the international community, the Security Council, ASEAN, and all Member States with influence over Min Aung Hlaing and the Tatmadaw of their responsibility to exert maximum pressure to end this crisis. It is of the utmost urgency that we restore all conditions necessary for Myanmar’s people to find a way out of the heartache, and to live their lives in freedom and safety. Thank you..."
Source/publisher: UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
2023-07-06
Date of entry/update: 2023-07-06
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "NEW YORK / GENEVA (17 May 2023) – The Myanmar military has imported at least $1 billion USD in arms and raw materials to manufacture weapons since the coup in February 2021, according to a new report today by the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews. UN Member States are enabling this trade either through outright complicity, lax enforcement of existing bans, and easily circumvented sanctions, according to the report. “Despite overwhelming evidence of the Myanmar military’s atrocity crimes against the people of Myanmar, the generals continue to have access to advanced weapons systems, spare parts for fighter jets, raw materials and manufacturing equipment for domestic weapons production,” Andrews said. “Those providing these weapons are able to avoid sanctions by using front companies and creating new ones while counting on lax enforcement. “The good news is that we now know who is supplying these arms and the jurisdictions in which they operate. Member States now need to step up and stop the flow of these arms,” the expert said. While calling for a complete ban on the sale or transfer of weapons to the Myanmar military, Andrews pleaded for Member States to enforce existing bans while coordinating sanctions on arms dealers and foreign currency sources. The Special Rapporteur’s paper, “The Billion Dollar Death Trade: International Arms Networks that Enable Human Rights Violations in Myanmar” is the most detailed study on post-coup arms transfers to the military to date. Accompanied by a detailed infographic, it identifies the major networks and companies involved in these transactions, known values of the transfers, and jurisdictions in which the networks operate, namely Russia, China, Singapore, Thailand, and India. “Russia and China continue to be the main suppliers of advanced weapons systems to the Myanmar military, accounting for over $400 million and $260 million respectively since the coup, with much of the trade originating from state-owned entities. However, arms dealers operating out of Singapore are critical to the continued operation of the Myanmar military’s deadly weapons factories (commonly referred to as KaPaSa),” Andrews said. The report reveals that $254 million USD of supplies have been shipped from dozens of entities in Singapore to the Myanmar military from February 2021 to December 2022. Singaporean banks have been used extensively by arms dealers. Andrews recalled that the Government of Singapore has stated that its policy is to, “prohibit the transfer of arms to Myanmar” and that it has decided “not to authorise the transfer of dual-use items which have been assessed to have potential military application to Myanmar.” “I implore leaders of Singapore to seize the information within this report and enforce its policies to the maximum extent possible,” the Special Rapporteur said. “If the Singapore Government were to stop all shipments and facilitation of arms and associated materials to the Myanmar military from its jurisdiction, the impact on the junta’s ability to commit war crimes would be significantly disrupted,” he said. The report also documents $28 million USD in arms transfers from Thai-based entities to the Myanmar military since the coup. India-based entities have supplied $51 million worth of arms and related materials to the military since February 2021. The report examines why international sanctions on arms dealing networks have failed to stop or slow the flow of weapons to the Myanmar military. “The Myanmar military and its arms dealers have figured out how to game the system. That’s because sanctions are not being adequately enforced and because arms dealers linked to the junta have been able to create shell companies to avoid them. The expert said the ad hoc, uncoordinated nature of current sanctions were allowing payments to be made in other currencies and jurisdictions. “By expanding and retooling sanctions and eliminating loopholes, governments can disrupt junta-linked weapons dealers,” Andrews said. The report also focuses on the main sources of foreign currency that have enabled the Myanmar junta to purchase over $1 billion in arms since the coup. “Member States have not adequately targeted key sources of foreign currency that the junta relies on to purchase arms, including most significantly Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise,” Andrews said. Andrews highlighted that no Member State has imposed sanctions on Myanma Foreign Trade Bank (MFTB) since the coup. “My findings demonstrate that MFTB is not only important for receiving foreign currency but is also being used extensively by the junta to purchase arms. It should be a prime target for international sanctions,” the expert said. ENDS Mr. Thomas Andrews (United States of America) is the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. A former member of the US Congress from Maine, Andrews is a Robina Senior Human Rights Fellow at Yale Law School and an Associate of Harvard University’s Asia Center. He has worked with the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and parliamentarians, NGOs and political parties in Cambodia, Indonesia, Algeria, Croatia, Serbia, Ukraine and Yemen. He has been a consultant for the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma and the Euro-Burma Network and has run advocacy NGOs including Win Without War and United to End Genocide. The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Comprising the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, Special Procedures is the general name of the Council's independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (Geneva)
2023-05-17
Date of entry/update: 2023-05-17
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "TOKYO/GENEVA (28 April 2023) – A UN expert today urged the Japanese government to assume a greater leadership role to address the deteriorating crisis in Myanmar and step up pressure on the country’s military junta. “The international community’s response to the crisis in Myanmar is failing, and that failure has contributed to a lethal downward spiral that is devastating the lives of millions of people”, said Tom Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar at the end of a 10-day official visit to Japan. “I came to Japan because I believe that this country has an essential role to play in resolving the crisis,” Andrews said. “Japan’s leadership will be vital in recalibrating a failing international response to the crisis,” he said. The UN expert called on Japan to work with regional and global allies to weaken the capacity of Myanmar’s military junta to attack its citizens. In a statement (also in Japanese) delivered at the end of his visit, the Special Rapporteur raised the alarm about an impending humanitarian disaster in the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh. Without immediate additional funding, a decision to cut food rations by an additional 20% will be made in the next few weeks, reducing food rations to 27 cents per person per day. The cuts would also potentially eliminate food rations completely for hundreds of thousands. “This is an emergency. Further cuts will leave the Rohingya, already victims of genocidal attacks in Myanmar, at risk of starvation and drive thousands into boats and dangerous land routes in utter desperation,” Andrews warned. He called on the Government of Japan and all Member States to immediately increase humanitarian funding, including by redirecting funding from development programmes in Myanmar. Referring to the worsening situation in Myanmar, Andrews said Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who has led the junta since the February 2021 coup, had responded to widespread opposition to their rule with barbarism and oppression against the people of Myanmar. “Arbitrary detention, torture and systematic attacks on villages have become hallmarks of the junta. The military is repeatedly attacking civilian populations throughout the country and has quite literally made war on the Myanmar people,” the expert said. He urged Japan to impose targeted economic sanctions on the Myanmar military and its key sources of funding, just as it is doing in response to the crisis in Ukraine. “Economic sanctions that deprive the junta of the resources required to operate its war-making machinery would weaken the capacity of the junta to attack its people,” Andrews said. The expert urged Japan to terminate a Ministry of Defence programme that continues to provide military training to military personnel from Myanmar, referencing credible reports linking previous trainees to military units that have committed atrocities against civilians. Andrews called on the Government of Japan to clearly and consistently renounce the junta’s plan to stage fraudulent national elections as a means of legitimising itself. “It is not possible to hold a genuine election when opposition leaders are arrested, detained, tortured and executed; when key political parties have been dissolved; when it is illegal to criticise the junta; and when journalists are imprisoned for doing their job,” he said. The Special Rapporteur highlighted the upcoming G7 Summit in Hiroshima as an opportunity for Japan to shine a light on the situation in Myanmar before the world. “I urge Prime Minister Kishida to ensure that the Myanmar crisis is high on the G7 agenda and that a strong, unified message and action on Myanmar emerges from the Summit,” the expert said. Mr. Thomas Andrews (United States of America) is the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. A former member of the US Congress from Maine, Andrews is a Robina Senior Human Rights Fellow at Yale Law School and an Associate of Harvard University’s Asia Center. He has worked with the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and parliamentarians, NGOs and political parties in Cambodia, Indonesia, Algeria, Croatia, Serbia, Ukraine and Yemen. He has been a consultant for the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma and the Euro-Burma Network and has run advocacy NGOs including Win Without War and United to End Genocide. The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Comprising the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, Special Procedures is the general name of the Council's independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (Geneva)
2023-04-28
Date of entry/update: 2023-04-28
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "INTRODUCTION: This report, prepared by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, describes the overall human rights situation in Myanmar, including that of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities. The Office does not have access to Myanmar; findings are based on over 96 interviews and meetings with victims, survivors and corroborated by satellite imagery, verified multimedia files, and credible open-source information as well as regular collaboration, data and information exchanges within the UN system. Figures of casualties likely represent an underestimation of the reality on the ground..... CONTEXT: Two years after the military coup, people in Myanmar remain exposed to daily human rights violations. Myanmar’s conflict landscape has changed dramatically, highlighting concerns for the protection of civilians. By late 2021, and throughout 2022, violence intensified especially in the north-west and south-east, deployment of airstrikes and artillery shelling, mass burnings of villages to displace civilian populations, and denial of humanitarian access. The military also unilaterally adopted rules to decimate anti-coup opposition and to dismantle the expanded civic space that had significantly contributed to Myanmar’s development. with the military employing its “four-cuts” strategy: indiscriminate..."
Source/publisher: UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights via "Reliefweb" (New York)
2023-02-28
Date of entry/update: 2023-03-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
Size: 2.53 MB
more
Description: "GENEVA (3 March 2023) – Myanmar’s military has created a perpetual human rights crisis through the continuous use of violence, including the killing, arbitrary arrest, torture and enforced disappearance of anti-coup opponents, a report published by the UN Human Rights Office said today. “Two years after the military launched a coup, the generals have embarked on a scorched earth policy in an attempt to stamp out opposition,” the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said. “Tragically, regional and global efforts for peace and restraint have largely fallen on deaf ears. The military, emboldened by continuous and absolute impunity, has consistently shown disregard for international obligations and principles. Urgent, concrete action is needed to end this festering catastrophe.” The report echoed calls by the Security Council and ASEAN for, among other things, an immediate halt to the violence, the release of all those arbitrarily detained, accountability, and unhindered humanitarian access. The report documents a litany of human rights abuses from 1 February 2022 to 31 January 2023, accompanied by a sharp rise in violence especially in the north-western and south-eastern parts of Myanmar. It cites credible sources as having verified the deaths of at least 2,940, and 17,572 arrests by the military and its affiliates since the coup. Nearly 80 per cent of the country’s 330 townships have been impacted by armed clashes. The military employs its so-called four-cuts approach - including through indiscriminate airstrikes and artillery shelling, razing villages to displace civilian populations, and denial of humanitarian access - to cut off non-State organized armed groups and other anti-military armed elements from access to food, finances, intelligence and recruits. Among the numerous incidents of airstrikes, on 16 September - in Let Yet Kone village, Tabayin Township, Sagaing - four helicopters opened fire on a school killing at least six children and injuring nine others. After some 60 soldiers deployed from helicopters to the ground, they reportedly raided the village, executing a school technician and five villagers before arresting wounded children and teachers. In another incident, on 20 October, an airstrike against a newly opened hospital in Man Yu Gyi village, Banmauk Township, Sagaing, killed one woman and injured five others. A source reported that the hospital had been inaugurated a day earlier and victims were all volunteers at the facility. One of the most frequently used tactics by the military is the systematic and widespread burning of villages and dwellings. Consistent with their modus operandi documented over decades, including in Kachin in 2011 and Rakhine in 2017, UN reports indicated that nearly 39,000 houses nationwide have been burnt or destroyed in military operations since February 2022, representing a more than 1,000-fold increase compared to 2021. Sagaing was the most affected region, accounting for over 25,500 homes. In an incident on 1 May 2022 in Ah Shey See, Kale Township, Sagaing, satellite images suggest the burning of almost the entire village with 621 structures destroyed. Satellite imagery coupled with interview reports suggest that between 16 and 28 September in Taze Township, Sagaing, the military destroyed 458 houses and damaged another 319 across eight villages during a series of raids and attacks. The military’s mismanagement of the economy has provoked an economic crisis for much of the population, resulting in the doubling of poverty rates compared to March 2020. Nearly half of the population now lives in poverty, and rural populations are reported to be at risk of starvation as the military imposes further restrictions on access to areas affected by violence and conflict. Compounding the situation, main supply routes and waterways across the country have been blocked, preventing humanitarian actors from reaching 17.6 million people in need. “The military has also adopted rules, including martial law, intended to target anti-coup opposition and severely restrict the civic space that had significantly contributed to Myanmar’s democratic transition,” Türk said. “Across Myanmar, people are continuously exposed to violations and crimes, including killings, enforced disappearances, displacement, torture, arbitrary arrests, and sexual violence. There are reasonable grounds to believe that the military and its affiliated militias continue to be responsible for most violations, some of which may constitute crimes against humanity and war crimes,” the UN Human Rights Chief said..."
Source/publisher: UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights via "Reliefweb" (New York)
2023-03-03
Date of entry/update: 2023-03-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "Myanmar’s junta—the State Administration Council (SAC)—is illegal and illegitimate, the UN human rights expert on Myanmar said today. He called for the international community to deny the SAC legitimacy, create a coalition of member states to enforce strong, coordinated sanctions against the SAC, and support the National Unity Government which has a stronger claim to legitimacy. On the eve of the second anniversary of the military coup in Myanmar which deposed the democratically elected government, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights in Myanmar Tom Andrews, issued a new report that lays bare the junta’s flawed claims to be the legitimate government of Myanmar. “Two years ago, the military deposed a democratically elected government in an unconstitutional coup. The unrelenting violence that it unleashed on the people of Myannar has created a widespread human rights, humanitarian, and economic crisis and galvanised nationwide opposition,” the Special Rapporteur said. “The conclusion is clear – the SAC’s military coup was illegal and its claim as Myanmar’s government is illegitimate and a new, coordinated international response to the crisis is imperative,” Andrews said. In “Illegal and Illegitimate: Examining the Myanmar Military’s Claim as the Government of Myanmar and the International Response,” Andrews demonstrates why, under international standards, the junta is not a legitimate government and must not be recognised or engaged with by the international community. Andrews warned that the junta was planning to seek legitimacy in 2023 by orchestrating a sham “election.” He urged member States, international organisations and election monitoring groups not to provide technical support to the SAC in its efforts to appear legitimate. “Instead they should explicitly denounce what will be a farcical exercise designed to perpetuate military control of Myanmar’s political system,” the UN expert said. Andrews’ report also examines Member States’ interactions with the SAC, highlighting actions that have delegitimised or withheld recognition to the SAC, and actions by Member States that have created the appearance of legitimacy. “Importantly, the international community has, by and large, refused to accept the SAC’s claim to be the legitimate government of Myanmar,” said Andrews. However, the expert pointed to a small minority of States, including Belarus, China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Sri Lanka, that have implicitly supported the junta’s claim as the government of Myanmar by taking actions that are tantamount to recognition. “These actions include presenting diplomatic credentials to SAC leadership, strengthening economic and military relations with the SAC, and—in the case of at least Belarus and India—publicly engaging with the SAC on its plans to hold sham elections,” Andrews said. “Even governments that have engaged the SAC, however, recognise the plain truth—the junta lacks legitimacy,” the Special Rapporteur said. For example, during consultations for the report, Vietnam told the Special Rapporteur, "[C]ontact, exchange and cooperation activities with Myanmar within bilateral settings or ASEAN frameworks should not be interpreted as or equated with a recognition of the military government or the State Administration Council.” Addressing ASEAN Member States separately in his report, the UN Special Rapporteur noted that the regional grouping was divided on policy vis-à-vis Myanmar’s junta. “Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore have reduced diplomatic engagement with the SAC and rejected its claims of legitimacy. Some of these Member States have also engaged with the National Unity Government. Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam have chosen to engage with the SAC,” Andrews said. “ASEAN States must distance themselves from the SAC, condemn its actions and support enforcement of international sanctions in their jurisdictions, while increasing engagement with the National Unity Government,” he said. “I urge all Member States, but particularly those that have already imposed costs on the junta, to initiate a strategic approach to strengthen, coordinate and enforce economic sanctions and an arms embargo on the SAC and provide more robust humanitarian aid to the millions in desperate need,” the UN expert urged. “Governments that recognise or support to the SAC are propping up a brutal junta that operates in flagrant violation of international human rights law,” he said. Andrews urged Member States to provide recognition to the NUG as the legitimate representative of the people of Myanmar and begin providing appropriate support to help ensure its sustainability. “The SAC is seeking to turn back the clock, close the door on Myanmar’s democratic opening, and through violence and force, destroy the advancements in human rights and economic opportunities that Myanmar’s people began to enjoy over the past decade,” the Special Rapporteur said. “For the sake of the human rights of the people of Myanmar, the SAC must not be allowed to achieve this outcome.”..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (Geneva)
2023-01-31
Date of entry/update: 2023-01-31
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "GENEVA (27 January 2023) – Two years after the Myanmar military launched a coup against the democratically-elected government, the country has sunk deeper than ever into crisis and has undergone a wholesale regression in human rights, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk said today. “By nearly every feasible measurement, and in every area of human rights – economic, social and cultural, as much as civil and political – Myanmar has profoundly regressed,” he said, reflecting on the spiralling crisis since the attempted coup of 1 February 2021. “Despite clear legal obligations for the military to protect civilians in the conduct of hostilities, there has been consistent disregard for the related rules of international law. Far from being spared, civilians have been the actual targets of attacks – victims of targeted and indiscriminate artillery barrages and air strikes, extrajudicial executions, the use of torture, and the burning of whole villages.” “At this somber time, I want to acknowledge the courage of all those whose lives have been lost in the struggle for freedom and dignity in Myanmar, and the continuing pain and suffering of their families and loved ones.” According to credible sources at least 2,890 people have died at the hands of the military and others working with them, of whom at least 767 were initially taken into custody. This is almost certainly an underestimation of the number of civilians killed as a result of military action. A staggering further 1.2 million people have been internally displaced, and over 70,000 have left the country - joining over one million others, including the bulk of the country’s Rohingya Muslim population, who fled sustained persecution and attacks over the past decades. Credible information indicates that over 34,000 civilian structures, including homes, clinics, schools and places of worship, have been burned over the past two years. Myanmar’s economy has collapsed with nearly half of the population now living below the poverty line. Since the coup was launched, the military has imprisoned the democratically elected leadership of the country and, in subsequent months, detained over 16,000 others – most of whom face specious charges in military-controlled courts, in flagrant breach of due process and fair trial rights, linked to their refusal to accept the military’s actions. “There must be a way out of this catastrophic situation, which sees only deepening human suffering and rights violations on a daily basis,” said Türk. “Regional leaders, who engaged the military leadership through ASEAN, agreed a Five-Point Consensus that Myanmar’s generals have treated with disdain.” “Two of the critical conditions that were agreed - to cease all violence and to allow humanitarian access - have not been met. In fact, we have seen the opposite. Violence has spiralled out of control and humanitarian access has been severely restricted.” The High Commissioner pointed to other measures that would be crucial to a political foundation for resolving the crisis: the release of all political prisoners, including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint, as called for by the UN Security Council; inclusive dialogue with all parties -- involving both the ASEAN Chair and the UN Special Envoy; and allowing the UN Human Rights Office meaningful access to the country to monitor the situation independently and impartially. “Restoring respect for human rights is a key to ending this crisis, to end this situation where Myanmar’s generals are trying to prop up through brute force a decades-old system in which they answer to no-one but themselves,” said Türk. “Those responsible for the daily attacks against civilians and the human rights violations must be held accountable. The military needs to be brought under real, effective civilian oversight. This will be difficult to achieve, but these elements are critical to restoring any semblance of democratic rule, security and stability to the country.” In its first year of independence, Myanmar was among the first Member States of the United Nations to vote in favour of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Sadly, as we mark 75 years since the Declaration’s adoption, the military is actively engaged in violating its fundamental values, principles and rights enshrined in it,” the High Commissioner said. “How can a military that purports to defend the country have brought their own people – from all parts of Myanmar’s rich and diverse society – to such a point of desperation?” “Last month, the Security Council united to adopt a path-breaking resolution that demanded an immediate end to the violence, among other urgent steps. Now it is time for the world to come together to take common actions to stop the killing, protect the people of Myanmar, and ensure respect for their universal human rights.”..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (Geneva)
2023-01-27
Date of entry/update: 2023-01-27
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "GENEVA (2 December 2022) - The Myanmar Military is forcibly evicting over 50,000 people from informal settlements and systematically destroying homes in a fundamental violation of core human rights obligations, UN experts said today. More than 40,000 residents living in informal settlements in Mingaladon, a northern township of Yangon, have received eviction notices last month. Many were given only a few days to dismantle their homes, without provision of any alternative housing or land. Most residents have lived for decades in an industrial zone containing a mixture of industrial enterprises, informal settlements and vacant land controlled by the Myanmar Military. Additional residents moved to the area after being displaced by Cyclone Nargis in 2008, or were forcibly displaced there as a result of violent military attacks on civilian villages in Rakhine State, the experts said. After receiving eviction notices, some residents dismantled their homes in an attempt to secure their belongings and construction materials. However, most residents have so far chosen to remain due to a lack of alternative or decided to flee their homes. Out of desperation, two residents reportedly committed suicide. “Forced evictions from Mingaladon are only part of the story. Violent arbitrary housing demolitions continue across the country,” the experts said. On 19 November, 150 homes were bulldozed in Ward 3 of Yangon's Mayangone township, rendering affected residents homeless. The eviction was carried out by the State Administration Council and civilians armed with sticks and knives. The residents were reportedly given only 30 minutes to remove their belongings, and are temporarily sheltering in monasteries or with friends. In Myanmar’s second largest city of Mandalay, over 5,000 households in Chan Mya Thazi Township were evicted overnight on 21 November. Earlier the Military demolished several houses with bulldozers in Zee Oat village in the same town. In addition, 200 shops and apartments on the station road of Mandalay's Pyin Oo Lwin township were ordered to be removed by 25 November, despite having local approval. According to the experts, not only those living in informal settlements in Myanmar’s cities were subjected to forced evictions and housing demolitions. “Homes continued to be systematically destroyed, bombed and burned down in orchestrated attacks on villages by the Myanmar security forces and junta-backed militias,” they said. Since the military coup on 1 February 2021, more than 38,000 houses have been destroyed or burned down, leading to widespread displacement of over 1.1 million people. Recently, on 23 November, 95 of 130 houses were burned down in the Kha War Thei village in Kyunhla Township, when the Myanmar military set fire to the settlement. The experts said these incidents follow a pattern of widespread burning of Rohingya villages perpetrated by the Myanmar Military in 2017 during genocidal attacks against the Rohingya. “The policies of scorched earth in Myanmar are widespread and follow a systematic pattern,” the experts said. In a recent report to the UN General Assembly, the Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing suggested that such arbitrary destruction of housing, displacing thousands into homelessness, should be recognised as domicide, a crime under international law. “Forced evictions and mass burning of homes are gross violations of human rights. The junta must immediately stop the systematic destruction, burning and bulldozing of civilian homes,” the UN experts said. “Depending on the context, systematic housing destruction and displacement can be prosecuted either as a war crime, a crime against humanity, or both. It is the responsibility of the international community to ensure that those responsible for such crimes face international justice,” they said. ENDS The experts: Mr. Balakrishnan Rajagopal, assumed his function as Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing on 1 May 2020. He is Professor of Law and Development at the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Mr. Thomas Andrews, is the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. He is a Senior Human Rights Fellow at Yale University Law School and an Associate of Harvard University's Asia Center. The Special Rapporteurs are part of what are known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. The Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN human rights system, is the general name for the Council’s independent investigative and monitoring mechanisms that deal with specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent of any government or organisation and serve in their individual capacity..."
Source/publisher: United Nations Human Rights Council
2022-12-02
Date of entry/update: 2022-12-02
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "GENEVA (2 December 2022) – UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Friday expressed shock that more than 130 people have now been sentenced to death by military courts behind closed-doors in Myanmar since the military launched a coup last year, following fresh convictions this week. At least seven university students were sentenced to death by a military court on 30 November. There are reports of as many as four additional death sentences being issued against youth activists yesterday. The UN Human Rights Office is seeking clarification of those sentences. “The military continues to hold proceedings in secretive courts in violation of basic principles of fair trial and contrary to core judicial guarantees of independence and impartiality,” Türk said, calling for the suspension of all executions and a return to a moratorium on death penalty. “Military courts have consistently failed to uphold any degree of transparency contrary to the most basic due process or fair trial guarantees.” In July, the military carried out four executions, the first in approximately 30 years. A former lawmaker, a democracy activist, and two others were executed despite calls from the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the international community to desist. Close to 1,700 detainees of the nearly 16,500 who have been arrested for opposing the military’s coup have been tried and convicted in secret by ad hoc tribunals, sometimes lasting just minutes. None have been acquitted, and often they have not had access to lawyers or their families. The latest convictions would bring the total number of individuals sentenced to capital punishment to 139 individuals since 1 February 2021. The actions of the military are not in keeping with the ASEAN 5-point consensus that the South-East Asia nations have just re-committed to uphold at the ASEAN summit in November, Türk said. “By resorting to use death sentences as a political tool to crush opposition, the military confirms its disdain for the efforts by ASEAN and the international community at large to end violence and create the conditions for a political dialogue to lead Myanmar out of a human rights crisis created by the military,” the UN Human Rights Chief added..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (Geneva)
2022-12-02
Date of entry/update: 2022-12-02
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar today urged the Republic of Korea (ROK) to take even stronger action to help reverse the international community’s failure to address the crisis in Myanmar. “The Republic of Korea can play a vital leadership role in denying the Myanmar junta the means to continue holding 54 million people hostage while becoming a leader in providing humanitarian support to those in desperate need,’’ said Tom Andrews, the UN expert, at the end of a six-day official visit to the Republic of Korea. In a statement delivered at the end of his visit, the Special Rapporteur urged the government to build on the positive steps it has taken including publicly denouncing the coup, imposing an arms embargo, and issuing a moratorium on forced returns of Myanmar nationals back to Myanmar. “The ROK can lead by example to prevent Myanmar nationals from being forcibly returned to Myanmar from other countries,” said Andrews. “Given the brutal violence being perpetrated by the junta, no country should force anyone back to Myanmar. The ROK has established an unambiguous policy that protects people from being forced back to Myanmar. It should be considered as a model for all countries in the region.” Andrews highlighted the ROK’s unique position to have a positive impact on the situation in Myanmar. “Not only is the ROK a strong regional power with a vibrant economy and a member of ASEAN+3, but as I learned in my travels here, the people of the ROK can identify deeply with a people who are under siege and yet are also defiant and committed to undoing the shackles of a military dictatorship.” “Now it is time for the ROK to build upon the positive steps it has taken and transform its political support and empathy for Myanmar into even stronger action,’’ Andrews said. Andrews provided recommendations to the government at the end of his visit. “The Republic of Korea should denounce the fraudulent elections that the junta is planning for next year, impose economic sanctions on key economic targets associated with the junta, and expand upon its humane treatment of those Myanmar nationals residing in the ROK while encouraging Myanmar’s neighbors to do the same.” “While the humanitarian visa programme allows Myanmar nationals with valid visas in the ROK to legally extend their stay and have access to employment, I urge the Government to deepen these efforts by ensuring that all persons from Myanmar residing in the ROK, including irregular migrants, can regularise their status, to avoid exploitation and abuse,” stated Andrews. During his visit, Andrews met government officials, civil society and human rights representatives and CEOs of major Korean businesses with operations in Myanmar. He also met with the National Unity Government’s Representative to the ROK Korea, and members of the Bamar, Karen, Chin, Kachin, Mon and Rakhine ethnic groups who are currently in Myanmar. Andrews travelled to the city of Gwangju, where he visited memorial sites of the May 18 Revolution and met with members Gwangju Myanmar solidarity movement. ENDS Mr. Thomas Andrews, is the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar The Special Rapporteurs, Independent Experts and Working Groups are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (Geneva)
2022-11-21
Date of entry/update: 2022-11-21
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "GENEVA (16 September 2022) – UN experts said today human rights defenders documenting and responding to atrocities by Myanmar's military junta urgently need comprehensive support, including financial, and called on the international community to end apparent indifference to the violence targeting the country's population. “In the face of inaction by the international community, and with human rights violations continuing to be perpetrated on a daily basis by the military junta, human rights defenders are persisting in their support for those targeted and working to preserve the possibility of justice in the future,” said Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders. Along with Tom Andrews, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Lawlor highlighted the grave risks defenders face and the specific challenges confronting women human rights defenders. “Defenders have been murdered and disappeared by the military since the coup took place. They now risk arrest, detention, torture, including sexual violence and death when going about their work and fear having their documents seized at military checkpoints,” the experts said. “Many have had to go into hiding after being targeted by the military for assisting survivors of gender-based violence. They are on the move constantly, and women human rights defenders often have no choice but to take their children with them when they flee.” Others have had to relocate to neighbouring countries, where they remain vulnerable. Lawlor and Andrews said they had publicly expressed concerns for the safety of defenders in the country just over a year ago. “What's needed is concrete support for Myanmar human rights defenders, including those who have had to flee the country: stronger, coordinated pressure on the junta, timely and responsive direct financial support for defenders on the ground, and visas or resettlement for those fleeing the country,” the experts said. “The international community must not adopt a passive stance when it comes to the crimes that are being perpetrated by the military junta and the risks for human rights defenders in Myanmar.” The experts: Ms Mary Lawlor (Ireland) is the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders. She is currently an Adjunct Professor of Business and Human Rights in Trinity College Dublin. She was the founder of Front Line Defenders - the International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders. As Executive Director from 2001-2016, she represented Front Line Defenders and had a key role in its development. Ms. Lawlor was previously Director of the Irish Office of Amnesty International from 1988 to 2000, after becoming a member of the Board of Directors 1975 and being elected its President from 1983 to 1987. Mr Thomas Andrews(United States of America) is the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. A former member of the US Congress from Maine, Andrews is a Robina Senior Human Rights Fellow at Yale Law School and an Associate of Harvard University’s Asia Center. He has worked with the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and parliamentarians, NGOs and political parties in Cambodia, Indonesia, Algeria, Croatia, Serbia, Ukraine and Yemen. He has been a consultant for the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma and the Euro-Burma Network and has run advocacy NGOs including Win Without War and United to End Genocide. Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms. Special Procedures mandate-holders are independent human rights experts appointed by the Human Rights Council to address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. They are not UN staff and are independent from any government or organization. They serve in their individual capacity and do not receive a salary for their work..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (Geneva)
2022-09-16
Date of entry/update: 2022-09-16
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "GENEVA (16 September 2022) – States must do more to cut the Myanmar military’s access to revenue and arms supplies to halt its repression of the people, a report released today by the UN Human Rights Office said. The report was requested by the Human Rights Council to follow up on earlier recommendations made by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar (‘FFM’) on economic interests of the Myanmar military (the Tatmadaw). Today’s report reiterates the FFM’s recommendations to impose targeted financial sanctions on the Tatmadaw and its economic interests as well as arms embargos, while at the same time highlighting that such measures must respect human rights and that efforts must be made to mitigate foreseeable socio-economic impacts. Several States continue to supply weaponry and engage in military cooperation, it states. Since seizing control of State organs, the so-called State Administration Council has “failed to govern in meaningful and sustainable ways, instead continuing to repress and terrorize the Myanmar people,” the report says. While some progress has been made on the FFM’s recommendations to economically isolate the Tatmadaw, there remain significant gaps, which are ever more important following the coup. Targeted measures should particularly focus on the military’s foreign currency access, said the report. It urges the international community to step up efforts to support the people of Myanmar and to ensure the military’s financial isolation in a coordinated fashion. Appropriate sanctions should be implemented in consultation with civil society and the democratic movement, including trade unions and the National Unity Government, to calibrate their impact. Myanmar’s military authorities are clearly prioritizing its military campaigns over the welfare of the population and economic recovery, the report said. In comparison with the previous annual Government budget, the military authorities’ 2022/23 budget increased defence spending, while reducing allocations to education, health, and social welfare. Poverty in Myanmar has increased at least two-fold and the public health system has effectively broken down since the coup, and more than half of all school-age children have not had access to education for two academic years, the report said. It also reported that some States and companies continue business relationships with military-owned enterprises in a number of sectors. All businesses active in Myanmar or sourcing from the country should take steps to ensure they do not economically benefit the military, including by conducting ongoing and transparent heightened human rights due diligence, the report says..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (Geneva)
2022-09-16
Date of entry/update: 2022-09-16
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "Good morning. Thank you all for joining us today – in the room and online. As you know, after four years as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, my mandate ends next week, on 31 August. The world has changed fundamentally over the course of my mandate. I would say the profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ever-increasing effects of climate change, and the reverberating shocks of the food, fuel and finance crisis resulting from the war against Ukraine have been the three major issues. Polarization within and among States has reached extraordinary levels and multilateralism is under pressure. Important protest movements occurred in every region of the world demanding an end to structural racism, respect for economic and social rights, and against corruption, governance deficits and abuse of power – in many instances accompanied by violence, threats and attacks against protesters and human rights defenders, and at some times against journalists. Some led to real change in the country. In other cases, rather than listening to the voices of the people, governments responded by shrinking the space for debate and dissent. Over the past few months – once the COVID situation allowed me to resume official country visits – I have been to Burkina Faso, Niger, Afghanistan, China, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Peru and Bangladesh. I have been able to see first-hand the impact of climate change, armed conflict, the food-fuel-finance crisis, hateful rhetoric, systematic discrimination, and the human rights challenges around migration, among other issues. The UN Human Rights Office has worked, in a myriad of ways, to help monitor, engage and advocate for the protection and promotion of human rights. As I have said before, at the UN, dialogue, engagement, cooperation, monitoring, reporting and public advocacy must all be part of our DNA. We have worked to try to help bridge the gap between government and civil society, to support national implementation of human rights obligations and advise on reforms to bring laws and policies into compliance with international standards, to expand our presences in-country so we are a in a better position to work closely with the people on the ground. We have spoken out in private and public on country-specific and broader issues. And we have seen some progress. The recognition of the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment by the UN General Assembly last month marked the culmination of many years of advocacy by civil society. I am proud of my Office’s support and strong backing of this movement throughout the course of my mandate. The extreme weather events of the past few months have again driven home, powerfully, the existential need for urgent action to protect our planet for current and future generations. Meeting this need is the greatest human rights challenge of this era – and all States have an obligation to work together on this, and to walk the talk, to fully implement the right to a healthy environment. The response to the triple planetary crisis of pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss must be centred in human rights, including the rights to participation, access to information and justice, and by addressing the disproportionate impact of environmental harms on the most marginalized and disadvantaged. There has also been steady progress towards abolition of the death penalty – some 170 States have abolished or introduced a moratorium, in law or in practice, or suspended executions for more than 10 years. The Central African Republic, Chad, Kazakhstan, Sierra Leone and Papua New Guinea are among those who have taken steps to fully abolish the death penalty. Other States, including Liberia and Zambia are also actively considering abolition. Malaysia announced that it will abolish the country’s mandatory death penalty, including for drug related offences. As of today, 90 States have ratified the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the key international treaty prohibiting the use of the death penalty. Concerns remain, however, about the increased use or resumption of capital punishment in other countries, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, Myanmar and Singapore, and others like China and Viet Nam continue to classify data on its use as a State secret, limiting the possibility of scrutiny. I have – from the beginning of my mandate – pushed for greater recognition of the indivisibility and interdependence of economic, social and cultural rights with civil and political rights. The effects of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine have brought into stark focus this interdependence. States must draw lessons from the pandemic and the current food-fuel-finance crisis by designing long-term measures to build better and stronger universal public health and social protection systems. Social protection coverage must facilitate access to health care, protect people against poverty and ensure essential economic and social rights, including food, water, housing, health and education. I also call on States to adopt proactive measures, including food, agriculture and fuel subsidies, to mitigate the impact of the crises. All of this needs to be designed with people as part of the solution, through investment in inclusive, safe and meaningful channels for debate and participation at all levels. Governing is tough – I know because I have twice been President of my country, Chile. There are always many pressing demands, challenges and problems to address. But governing is about prioritizing – and human rights must always be a priority. In many situations my Office has been covering, there is a lack of political will to take the necessary steps to really tackle a situation head on. Political will is key – and where there is a will, there is a way. States often invoke their own particular context when faced with allegations of human rights violations and when called upon to take steps to address them. Context is indeed important – but context must never be used to justify human rights violations. In many instances, sustained advocacy on key human rights issues, grounded in international human rights laws and standards, bears fruit. In Colombia this month, the incoming administration has pledged a shift in its approach on drug policy – from a punitive to a more social and public health approach. By addressing one of the deep-rooted causes of violence in Colombia, this approach could be instrumental to better protect the rights of peasants, indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities and of people who use drugs, both in Colombia and globally. My Office has been advocating – globally – for a human rights-based approach on drug policy, and is ready to assist. The worldwide mobilization of people for racial justice, notably in 2020, has forced a long-delayed reckoning with racial discrimination and shifted debates towards a focus on systemic racism and the institutions that perpetrate it. I call on all States to seize this moment to achieve a turning point for racial equality and justice. My Office is working on its second report to the UN Human Rights Council on this issue, to be presented next month. I have always sought – even on the most challenging issues – to encourage dialogue, to open the door for further exchanges. This means listening as well as speaking, keeping our eyes and ears to the context, identifying entry points and roadblocks, and trying to build trust incrementally, even when it seems unlikely. During my four years as High Commissioner, I had the privilege of speaking to so many courageous, spirited, extraordinary human rights defenders: The brave, indomitable women human rights defenders in Afghanistan; The determined mothers of the disappeared in Mexico; The inspirational staff working at a health centre in Bunia in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, serving victims of sexual violence; The wisdom and strength of indigenous peoples in Peru, who are on the frontlines of the impact of climate change, illegal mining and logging, and defend their rights in the face of serious risks; And the empathy and generosity of communities hosting internally displaced people in Burkina Faso. I found allies in traditional village leaders in Niger, who were working in their own ways to advance human rights in their communities; I met young people from Malaysia, Sweden, Australia, Costa Rica and elsewhere whose resourcefulness, creativity and ambition was palpable; I shared the pain of the father in Venezuela who showed me the sports medals his teenage son had won, before he was killed during protests in 2017; And I shared the tears of the mother I met in Srebrenica who carried hope that 27 years after her son disappeared, she will one day find his remains and lay him to rest next to his father’s grave. Last week, I spoke with Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar. One teacher I met told me he had earned distinctions in all his classes at school in Myanmar and had dreamed of being a doctor. Instead, he has spent the past five years in a refugee camp, having had to flee his country – because he is Rohingya. “I still cry at night sometimes when I remember my dream,” he told me, adding that “my Buddhist friends are now doctors in Myanmar.” My own experience as a refugee was much more comfortable, with the means to continue my education and with a good standard of living – but the yearning for one’s homeland, the desire of so many of the Rohingya to return home resonated deeply with me. Sadly, the conditions needed for them to be able to return to their homes in a voluntary, dignified and sustainable way are not there yet. Today marks five years since more than 700,000 Rohingya women, children and men were forced to flee Myanmar for Bangladesh – and Myanmar’s human rights catastrophe continues to worsen, with the military (the Tatmadaw) maintaining military operations in Kayah and Kayin in the southeast; Chin state in the northwest; and Sagaing and Magway regions in the Bamar heartland. The use of air power and artillery against villages and residential areas has intensified. Recent spikes in violence in Rakhine State also seemed to indicate that the last fairly stable area of the country may not avoid a resurgence of armed conflict. Rohingya communities have frequently been caught between the Tatmadaw and Arakan Army fighters or have been targeted directly in operations. Over 14 million need humanitarian assistance. We continue to document gross human rights violations and serious violations of international humanitarian law on a daily basis, including repression against protesters and attacks against civilians that may amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes. I urge the international community to intensify pressure on the military to stop its campaign of violence against the people of Myanmar, to insist on prompt restoration of civilian rule, and accountability for violations committed by security forces. Yesterday marked six months since Russia’s armed attack. Six unimaginably terrifying months for the people of Ukraine, 6.8 million of whom have had to flee their country. Millions others have been internally displaced. We have documented at least 5,587 civilians killed and 7,890 injured. Of these casualties, nearly 1,000 are children. Six months on, the fighting continues, amid almost unthinkable risks posed to civilians and the environment as hostilities are conducted close to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. I call on the Russian President to halt armed attack against Ukraine. The Zaporizhzhia plant needs to be immediately demilitarized. Both parties must respect, at all times and in all circumstances, international human rights law and international humanitarian law. The international community must insist on accountability for the many serious violations documented, some of which may amount to war crimes. I am alarmed by the resumption of hostilities in northern Ethiopia. Civilians have suffered enough – and this will only exacerbate the suffering of civilians already in desperate need. I implore the Government of Ethiopia and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front to work to de-escalate the situation and immediately cease hostilities. I also urge a renewed focus by the international community on protracted – often forgotten – crises including the situation in Yemen, Syria, the Sahel and Haiti. And I urge continued support for the UN Human Rights Office, the UN human rights treaty bodies, and the UN Special Procedures mechanism, all of which work tirelessly in defence of international human rights laws and standards. The journey to defend human rights never ends – and vigilance against roll-backs of rights is vital. I honour all those who, in their own ways, are working to defend human rights. As a woman and a lifelong feminist, I want to pay particular tribute to women human rights defenders, who have been at the forefront of social movements that have benefitted all of us. They have often been the ones bringing to the table the unheard voices of the most vulnerable. I will continue to stand with you as I return home to Chile. To end, I would like to thank you journalists, based here in Geneva and across the globe, for the indispensable work that you do. When we in the UN Human Rights Office raise the alarm, it is crucial that it rings loudly, and this is only possible when the world’s media gets the stories out there..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (Geneva)
2022-08-25
Date of entry/update: 2022-08-25
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "GENEVA (25 July 2022) – UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet today condemned in the strongest terms the execution of four democracy activists by Myanmar’s military despite repeated calls by the United Nations and the wider international community to not carry out death sentences. “I am dismayed that despite appeals from across the world, the military conducted these executions with no regard for human rights,” Bachelet said. “This cruel and regressive step is an extension of the military’s ongoing repressive campaign against its own people. “These executions – the first in Myanmar in decades - are cruel violations of the rights to life, liberty and security of a person, and fair trial guarantees. For the military to widen its killing will only deepen its entanglement in the crisis it has itself created.” The High Commissioner called for the immediate release of all political prisoners and others arbitrarily detained, and urged the country to reinstate its de-facto moratorium on the use of the death penalty, as a step towards eventual abolition. On 25 July, Myanmar state media reported that the military had executed four people including former National League for Democracy (NLD) lawmaker Phyo Zeya Thaw, democracy activist Kyaw Min Yu, popularly known as Ko Jimmy. Hla Myo Aung and Aung Thura Zaw were the other two men executed. Ko Jimmy and Phyo Zaya Thaw were arrested on 23 October and 18 November 2021 respectively. Ko Jimmy was subsequently charged with sedition. Both Phyo Zayar Thaw and Ko Jimmy were also charged under the Counter Terrorism Law and sentenced to death by a military tribunal on 21 January 2022. Their subsequent appeals were denied. Hla Myo Aung, and Aung Thura Zaw were convicted on murder charges. Their appeals were also denied. In Myanmar, such cases are being heard by military courts behind closed doors. Since the military coup on 1 February 2021, 117 people, including two children, have been sentenced to death including 41 sentenced in absentia. Over 11,500 people remain in detention for opposing the military’s seizure of power. “Most concerningly, over 30 percent of over 2,100 people killed since February 2021 have died in military custody – most as a result of ill-treatment,” said Bachelet. On 3 June, UN Secretary General António Guterres expressed concern at the military’s decision to go ahead with executions and reiterated his calls for the respect of people’s rights to freedom of opinion and expression. Bachelet echoed his call for the military to “drop all charges against those arrested on charges related to the exercise of their fundamental freedoms and rights” and the immediate release of all political prisoners in Myanmar. “The military seems unconcerned with ending this crisis or reducing violence in accordance with its international obligations, let alone any willingness to respect due process, justice or rule of law,” Bachelet said. The High Commissioner reiterated her call to Myanmar’s neighbours and to the wider international community to hold the military accountable to its commitments under international law, as well as further to ASEAN’s “Five-Point Consensus”..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (Geneva)
2022-07-25
Date of entry/update: 2022-07-25
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "GENEVA (25 July 2022) – The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, and the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial summary or arbitrary executions, Morris Tidball-Binz, today condemned the Myanmar junta’s execution of four individuals, as reported by the junta. “We are outraged and devastated at the news of the junta’s execution of Myanmar patriots and champions of human rights and democracy. Our hearts goes out to their families, friends and loved ones and indeed all the people of Myanmar who are victims of the junta’s escalating atrocities,” the UN Experts* said. "These individuals were tried, convicted, and sentenced by a military tribunal on 21 January without the right of appeal and reportedly without legal counsel, in violation of international human rights law," Andrews and Tidball-Binz said. Since the military coup of 1 February 2021, military tribunals have sentenced a total of 117 individuals to death, including 41 in absentia. “These depraved acts must be a turning point for the international community. What more must the junta do before the international community is willing to take strong action?" they said. "The widespread and systematic murders of protesters, indiscriminate attacks against entire villages, and now the execution of opposition leaders, demands an immediate and firm response by member states of the United Nations. The status quo of international inaction must be firmly rejected.” “Having made a mockery of the Five Point Consensus, Min Aung Hlaing has now callously rejected the personal appeal of the Chair of ASEAN, Prime Minister Hun Sen, to spare the lives these individuals. ASEAN – and indeed all UN Member States—must take action that is commensurate with this outrage.” ENDS **The experts: Mr. Thomas Andrews, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar; Mr. Morris Tidball-Binz Special Rapporteur on extra-judicial summary or arbitrary executions The Special Rapporteurs, Independent Experts and Working Groups are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (Geneva)
2022-07-25
Date of entry/update: 2022-07-25
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Sub-title: Statement on the Virtual Meeting Between the Acting President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Description: "The Acting President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, H.E. Duwa Lashi La, warmly welcomed his virtual meeting with the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights, H.E. Michelle Bachelet. Extending his heartfelt gratitude, the Acting President thanked the High Commissioner for her abiding commitment to the democratic aspirations and human rights of the Myanmar people and for her call on the international community to directly engage with the National Unity Government. On behalf of Myanmar and the National Unity Government, the Acting President also pledged the country’s commitment to its international human rights obligations and requested OHCHR technical assistance to this end. The Acting President further assured the High Commissioner of Myanmar’s sustained support for her Office and mandate..."
Source/publisher: President Office, National Unity Government
2022-07-14
Date of entry/update: 2022-07-14
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
Size: 22.57 KB
more
Description: "ပြည်ထောင်စုသမ္မတ မြန်မာနိုင်ငံတော် ယာယီသမ္မတ ဒူဝါလရှီးလ နှင့် ကုလသမဂ္ဂ လူ့အခွင့်အရေး ဆိုင်ရာ မဟာမင်းကြီးရုံး H.E. Michelle Bachelet တို့ကြား အွန်လိုင်းတွေ့ဆုံပွဲနှင့် ပတ်သက်၍ ထုတ်ပြန်ချက် ပြည်ထောင်စုသမ္မတမြန်မာနိုင်ငံတော် ယာယီသမ္မတ ဒူဝါလရှီးလသည် ကုလသမဂ္ဂ လူ့အခွင့်အရေး ဆိုင်ရာ မဟာမင်းကြီး မီရှဲလ် ဘာရှလေး Michelle Bachelet နှင့် အွန်လိုင်းအစည်းအဝေးကို လှိုက်လှဲစွာ ကြိုဆိုပါသည်။ နိုင်ငံတော်ယာယီသမ္မတမှ မြန်မာနိုင်ငံ ပြည်သူလူထု၏ ဒီမိုကရေစီ မျှော်မှန်းချက်များနှင့် လူ့အခွင့်အရေး များအတွက် မဟာမင်းကြီးမှ ဆက်လက်ထားရှိသော ကတိကဝတ်အတွက် မဟာမင်းကြီးအား ကျေးဇူးဥပကာရ တင်ရှိကြောင်းနှင့် အမျိုးသားညီညွတ်ရေးအစိုးရနှင့် တိုက်ရိုက် ထိတွေ့ဆက်ဆံ ဆောင်ရွက်ပေးဖို့ နိုင်ငံတကာ အသိုင်းအဝိုင်းအား တိုက်တွန်း‌ပေးရန် ပြောကြားခဲ့ပါသည်။ မြန်မာနိုင်ငံနှင့် အမျိုးသားညီညွတ်ရေး အစိုးရကိုယ်စား နိုင်ငံတော်ယာယီသမ္မတမှ မြန်မာနိုင်ငံအနေဖြင့် နိုင်ငံတကာ လူ့အခွင့်အရေးဆိုင်ရာ တာဝန်ဝတ္တရားများ ထမ်းဆောင်ရန် ကတိကဝတ်ပြုခဲ့ပြီး ထိုသို့ ဆောင်ရွက်နိုင်ရေးအတွက် ကုလသမဂ္ဂ လူ့အခွင့်အရေးဆိုင်ရာ မဟာမင်းကြီးရုံး (OHCHR) မှ နည်းပညာ အကူအညီများ ပံ့ပိုးပေးရန်လည်း တောင်းဆိုခဲ့သည်။ နိုင်ငံတော်ယာယီသမ္မတမှ မဟာမင်းကြီးရုံး၏ လုပ်ပိုင်ခွင့် တာဝန်များအတွက် မြန်မာနိုင်ငံမှ ဆက်လက် ထောက်ခံကြောင်း ထပ်လောင်း အသိပေးခဲ့ပါသည်။..."
Source/publisher: President Office, National Unity Government
2022-07-14
Date of entry/update: 2022-07-14
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
Size: 219.23 KB
more
Description: "The Republic of the Union of Myanmar welcomes the adoption by consensus of the resolution on the Situation of human rights of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar, and extends its appreciation to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for its leadership on the text. Myanmar supports the resolution's strong condemnation of the gross human rights violations and abuses perpetrated by the security and armed forces of Myanmar against Rohingya Muslims and other minorities, and its recognition of the impact of the military's escalating acts of violence and forced displacement on civilians, including ethnic minorities. According to the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Special Rapporteur on Myanmar, these acts include probable crimes against humanity and war crimes. It is with great shame that the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, as represented by the National Unity Government, acknowledges that historic exclusionary and discriminatory policies, practices and rhetoric against the Rohingya and other ethnic groups laid the ground for atrocities. The historic impunity enjoyed by the Myanmar military has since enabled its leadership to commit countrywide atrocities at the helm of an illegal military junta. Myanmar therefore strongly welcomes the resolution's call for all those responsible for violations and abuses of international law to be held to account, while recalling the authority of the UN Security Council to refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court (ICC). Myanmar furthermore accepts the resolution's call for the adoption of new measures to promote the inclusion, human rights and dignity of all people living in Myanmar, to address the spread of discrimination and prejudice, and to combat incitement to hatred and hate speech against Rohingya Muslims and other minorities. At the same time, Myanmar's legislature, the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, will take continuing steps to amend or repeal discriminatory laws, including the Race and Religion Protection Laws of 2015 and the Citizenship Law of 1982. Myanmar will also partner with ethnic and organisations, affected communities and their representatives, neighbouring states and UN entities to create conditions conducive for the voluntary return in safety and dignity of Rohingya and all other Myanmar communities driven from their homes and villages by multiple waves of violence. The sustainability of these actions, however, remains contingent on democracy being cemented, on violence being stopped, and on impunity being ended. Myanmar therefore shares the deep concern expressed by the European Union that the resolution 'fails yet again to acknowledge and condemn the military coup' despite its link to 'the worsening of the human rights situation in Myanmar - including on the Rohingya and other persons belonging to minorities - [as] has been underlined, among others, by the High Commissioner and the Special Rapporteur during this session of the Council.' Nor does the resolution recognise Myanmar's submission of an Article 12(3) Declaration under the Rome Statute granting the ICC jurisdiction with respect to international crimes, or the National Unity Government's sustained efforts to cooperate with the International Court of Justice in The Gambia v. Myanmar case under the Genocide Convention. Significantly, the resolution does express its 'unequivocal support for the people of Myanmar and their democratic aspirations'. The Human Rights Council and UN Member States must therefore directly engage with the National Unity Government as the legitimate representative of the Myanmar people to realise these aspirations and to support the implementation of the asks set out in the resolution. The Republic of the Union of Myanmar restates its commitment to constructive engagement with the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms and with UN Member States..."
Source/publisher: Ministry of Human Rights
2022-07-08
Date of entry/update: 2022-07-09
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf pdf
Size: 88.87 KB 271.79 KB
more
Description: "Wai Wai Nu spent seven years as a political prisoner in Myanmar’s infamous Insein Prison. Her only crime was to be the daughter of a school teacher and political activist from Rakhine State in western Myanmar. After her release in 2012, Nu completed her law studies and decided to dedicate her life to promoting democracy and human rights, particularly on behalf of marginalized communities and members of her ethnic group, the Rohingya Muslims. Addressing a United Nations Human Rights Council panel discussion on Myanmar earlier this month, Nu spoke from her heart. “For decades, ethnic minorities in Myanmar have been subjected to the most brutal forms of violence and policies that amount to crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide,” said Nu, who is the founder and executive director of the Women’s Peace Network, an organization that focuses on peace building in Myanmar. “As we speak, the key perpetrators of these atrocities, the Myanmar military and security forces, are intensifying their brutality, including by launching airstrikes and committing arrest and detention, torture, sexual violence, and killing across the country,” she said. Grave violations and abuses Held during the 50th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, the panel discussed the root causes of violations and abuses against Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar. For decades, Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar have endured discrimination and persecution. In a 2020 report, High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet noted that discrimination and exclusion against ethnic and religious minority groups have been the hallmark of the laws and policies of Myanmar for over half a century. Speaking at the panel, Bachelet reminded the Council that more than one million Rohingyas have fled their homes in Rakhine State to seek refuge in neighboring Bangladesh since the military unleashed a military campaign five years ago. “At the same time, in the wake of the military coup of February 2021, we also continue to witness the re-escalation of armed conflicts and violent repression in many other parts of Myanmar, inflicting yet more displacement and suffering on ethnic and religious minorities,” Bachelet said. The High Commissioner urged the international community to stand united in pressuring the military to halt its military campaigns. “The international community must use its influence to restore rule of the country to a legitimate and independent civilian government with no military oversight of the executive, legislative and judicial powers.” “Living in an open prison” Nu, who travels the world to speak publicly on the plight of Rohingya women and girls, described the situation in Rakhine State as “living in an open prison.” She said the military junta has declared that it will enforce the death penalty of four democracy activists. Over 600,000 Rohingyas continue to live in apartheid-like conditions, she told the panel, including 140,000 forcibly segregated in internally displaced person camps, where they are denied access to basic needs and livelihoods. The military requires Rohingyas to obtain permission to travel within and outside of Rakhine State, arresting those who allegedly violate such a discriminatory policy, she said. Rohingyas must also present national verification cards which do not confer citizenship and identify them as “Bengali” to conduct their daily activities, including traveling for medical treatment and schools. Those who have fled the country have not met better conditions, with refugees living in squalid refugee camps and detention centers in neighboring countries and facing the threat of falling victim to sex traffickers, Nu said. “ “Women, girls, and LGBTQ+ members in particular – many of whom have survived the military’s sexual violence – remain at heightened risk of being raped, sexually harassed and exploited, and forcibly trafficked.” “ WAI WAI NU, WOMEN’S PEACE NETWORK Thyn Zar Oo, co-founder and programme director of the Public Legal Aid Network, blamed Myanmar’s violence on institutional racism, ultranationalist attitudes and colonial-era fears of losing cultural and religious identity. To move forward, the county needs to implement reforms that promote equality and freedom, and access to justice and information rather than propaganda. “The country needs a change of mindset,” Oo said. Laetitia van den Assum, a diplomatic expert and member of the Rakhine Advisory Commission headed by the late Kofi Annan, said ending segregation and reintroducing ethnically mixed schools would help bring an end to violence. Statelessness is not only an issue for Rakhine State and the Rohingyas, she noted. “There are thousands of others who are considered stateless, including Gurkhas, Tamils, Hindus and Chinese. If Myanmar does not bring its legislation in line with international standards, its problem will continue to grow,” Van den Assum said. For Imtiaz Ahmed, Professor of International Relations and Director of the Centre for Genocide Studies at the University of Dhaka, Myanmar’s policy towards the Rohingya is rooted in an “unspoken racial feeling” of the military and civilian elite of the country, which led to the national Constitution of Myanmar, a charter that does not recognize the Rohingyas “It is clear that without bringing pressure, including economic and political sanctions, nothing will change the tragic fate of the Rohingyas,” Ahmed said..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (Geneva)
2022-06-30
Date of entry/update: 2022-06-30
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: " Time is running out to save Myanmar’s stricken generation, the UN Child Rights Committee warned today, urging the international community to take swift action to protect the country’s children. Citing alarming findings in a report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, the Committee said 7.8 million children in the country remain out of school, 250,000 are internally displaced, and children have reportedly been abducted and recruited for armed conflicts. The Committee issued the following statement today: “Children continue to bear the brunt of the Myanmar military's ongoing attacks to assert control over the territory. At least 382 children have been killed or maimed by armed groups since the February 2021 coup. In addition, over 1,400 children have reportedly been arbitrarily arrested since the coup. Children who took part or were suspected of having participated in protests, are among those detained by the military. At least 274 child political prisoners remained in the military’s custody as of 27 May this year. The military also takes children of human rights defenders hostage to pressure their parents to surrender. According to the latest report by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, at least 61 children are currently being held hostage by the junta. Rohingya children have been arrested and detained for alleged migration-related offences. Torture and ill-treatment, including sexual abuse, have allegedly been inflicted on these children. The number of children being abducted for recruitment purposes is on the rise, as well as children joining local defence groups and being particularly exposed to the danger of being killed or injured. They have been dispatched to participate in armed conflicts. The economic and humanitarian crises are having devastating impacts on children and fueling all forms of violence and exploitation. The Committee is deeply concerned that the military intentionally impedes access to food, funds, medical aid, and communication to weaken the support base for armed resistance and provoke fear. Child trafficking and child labour are reportedly on the rise in Myanmar. According to UN figures, the estimated number of internally displaced people since the coup in the country has passed 700,000, including more than 250,000 children, as of 1 June 2022. More than half of the country’s child population, about 7.8 million, remain out of school. The UN has documented 260 attacks on schools and education personnel since the coup, and 320 cases of the use of schools by armed groups between February 2021 and March 2022. It is estimated that 33,000 children will die from preventable causes in 2022 merely due to the lack of routine immunizations. In addition, 1.3 million children and more than 700,000 pregnant or breastfeeding women require nutritional support. As a result, experts warn of a looming food crisis and a dramatic increase in rates of childhood malnutrition. The rights of children in Myanmar must be respected and protected under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, both ratified by Myanmar, as well as under the international humanitarian law. The Committee urges Myanmar’s military to cease involving children in the hostilities, stop taking children hostage, end unlawful detention and torture and ill-treatment of children in captivity, and release all detained children immediately and unconditionally. Perpetrators of atrocity crimes against children must be held accountable before impartial and independent courts. The Committee also reiterates its call for the UN and civil society organizations to have safe and unrestricted access to deliver assistance and services to Myanmar’s most vulnerable children. The Committee calls on the international community to urgently reassess and redesign the global response to the crises in Myanmar, prioritize children’s rights over other considerations, and take concrete measures to alleviate their suffering.”..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (Geneva)
2022-06-29
Date of entry/update: 2022-06-29
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, today expressed his appreciation for Malaysia’s increasing leadership on the crisis in Myanmar, and urged States in the region to adopt a similar approach to the human rights catastrophe unfolding under military rule. “Too much is at stake for Myanmar and its people to accept complacency and inaction by the international community,” Andrews said in a statement at the end of an eight-day visit to Malaysia. “Junta forces have killed more than 2,000 civilians, arrested more than 14,000, displaced more than 700,000, driving the number of internally displaced persons well over one million, and plunged the country into an economic and humanitarian crisis that threatens the lives and wellbeing of millions. “The military’s attacks on the people of Myanmar constitute crimes against humanity and war crimes. No one has been spared the impact of the military’s violence.” Andrews said that even before the coup, the Myanmar military had committed atrocities against the people of Myanmar. “The Rohingya faced genocidal attacks by Myanmar security forces. I have learned that there are over 104,000 registered Rohingya in Malaysia who have fled from Myanmar seeking safe haven with untold numbers who are unregistered. “My mission here provided me with a unique opportunity to sit face to face with dozens of courageous men and women and children .who fled the horrors that have engulfed many areas of Myanmar, including those who have recently arrived in Malaysia. They provided me with firsthand accounts of what they witnessed or directly experienced. These stories, without exception, emphasized the terror that is raging across the country “A young woman told me: ‘You are walking on a path that you don’t know, towards a place you don’t know, and you could die on the way but you still go forward, because the persecution is worse behind you’. Those who fled Myanmar also told Andrews about the challenges they faced in Malaysia, citing fears of being sent to migration detention, insufficient education opportunities for their children, and instances of extortion by police officers. “Let me be clear, refugees from Myanmar are here because they were forced to come here. Their inability to return to their homes in Myanmar is directly linked to the military junta’s human rights violations and war against the people of Myanmar. It is impossible to address issues related to those seeking refuge in Malaysia and other nations in the region without directly and effectively addressing the crisis inside of Myanmar.,” Andrews said. Malaysia not only recognizes this fact, it has been willing, through the words and actions of Foreign Minister Saifuddin, to challenge ASEAN to reexamine their current policy on Myanmar, the UN expert said, adding that Foreign Minister Saifuddin had called on ASEAN to move from a policy of “noninterference” to, in his words, one of “non-indifference”. “Malaysia has given voice to the obvious fact that after more than one year, nothing has moved and since nothing has moved, more people are being killed and more people are being forced to flee the country,” Andrews said. He has not only called for ASEAN to engage with the Myanmar National Unity Government, he has begun engaging with the National Unity Government’s Foreign Minister Zin Mar Aung, Andrews said. “I look forward to working to support Malaysia’s foreign policy leadership on Myanmar, to affirm the human rights of a people under siege and to reduce the incredible scale of human suffering in Myanmar.” ENDS Mr. Thomas Andrews, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar; The Special Rapporteurs, Independent Experts and Working Groups are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (Geneva)
2022-06-23
Date of entry/update: 2022-06-23
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "The Republic of the Union of Myanmar welcomes the panel discussion on the root causes of human rights violations and abuses against Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar, and extends its appreciation to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and to the distinguished panellists. Over 2016 and 2017 in Rakhine State, thousands of Rohingya were killed and disappeared in military operations. Rape and sexual violence, including mass gang rape, were used as part of a deliberate strategy to intimidate, terrorise or punish the Rohingya as a tactic of war. Hundreds of villages were razed. Years later, over a million Rohingya remain displaced not only from their villages and homes, but from the country to which they belong. Nor were these crimes limited to the Rohingya or Rakhine State. As the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar found, military atrocities were also directed against ethnic groups in Kachin and Shan States. Today’s distinguished panellists identified dehumanisation, exclusion, hate speech, the denial of identity and citizenship, socially-engineered discrimination, and historic impunity as root causes of these atrocity crimes. The Republic of the Union of Myanmar, as represented by the National Unity Government, acknowledges with great shame that historic exclusionary and discriminatory policies, practices and rhetoric against the Rohingya and other ethnic groups laid the ground for such atrocities. The historic impunity enjoyed by the Myanmar military has since enabled its leadership to commit countrywide atrocities at the helm of an illegal military junta. The targeted few have become the many. Myanmar’s new Federal Democracy Charter envisages a nation founded on peace, justice, equality, human rights, and the protection of minorities. In the words of the High Commissioner, “[i]f there is one ray of hope, it is the transformative discussions about the future of Myanmar that have begun within and between various ethnic, religious and social divides.” But without action, the Charter’s words are empty. Acting on the commitments made in its Policy Position on the Rohingya in Rakhine State, Myanmar will: • submit a motion to its legislature – the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw – seeking the repeal of the Race and Religion Protection Laws of 2015 • prioritise the amendment or replacement of the Citizenship Law of 1982 with a law that bases citizenship on birth in Myanmar or birth anywhere as a child of Myanmar citizens • ensure that all new national laws and policies are developed in consultation with the Rohingya and other minority communities and their representatives • advocate for the formal acceptance of Myanmar’s Article 12(3) Declaration under the Rome Statute, granting the International Criminal Court jurisdiction with respect to international crimes committed in the country since 1 July 2002 • cooperate with the International Court of Justice in The Gambia v. Myanmar case under the Genocide Convention, and accept and fully comply with whatever the Court decides • continue to share evidence and materials with the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar • support states that exercise universal jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for atrocity crimes committed in Myanmar. Myanmar will also partner with ethnic organisations, affected communities and their representatives, neighbouring states and UN entities to create conditions conducive for the voluntary return in safety and dignity of Rohingya and all other Myanmar communities driven from their homes and villages by multiple waves of violence. The sustainability of these actions, however, remains contingent on democracy being cemented, on violence being stopped, and on impunity being ended. Myanmar therefore welcomes the High Commissioner’s call for “dialogue and engagement with the National Unity Government and ethnic organisations” and repeats its earlier request for the Human Rights Council and UN member states to bring creativity to their efforts to secure accountability, to prevent the flow of arms to the junta, to starve junta-controlled financial holdings and business interests, to formally list the junta as a terrorist organisation, and to strengthen OHCHR’s mandate and resources..."
Source/publisher: National Unity Government of Myanmar
2022-06-18
Date of entry/update: 2022-06-18
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf pdf
Size: 111.54 KB 418.53 KB
more
Description: "GENEVA (15 June 2022) – The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, will conduct a mission to Malaysia from 17 to 23 June 2022. “As conditions continue to deteriorate in Myanmar, and the military junta continues its attempts to hide the truth, I remain steadfast in pursuing my mandate to document and report on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. I will continue to meet with people from Myanmar including those who have fled the country since the coup,” Andrews said. The Special Rapporteur will visit Kuala Lumpur, where he will meet representatives of Government, Members of Parliament, UN officials, experts who work on Myanmar and ASEAN foreign policy, as well as representatives of civil society and community-based organisations. “This visit is the beginning of a project of deeper regional engagement with the ASEAN region in relation to the crisis in Myanmar,” said the expert. “Given the central role of ASEAN regarding Myanmar, I hope to visit a number of other ASEAN member states in the coming months.” The Special Rapporteur will hold a press conference to share his preliminary observations with the media at 12h00 local time on 23 June 2022 at the Westin Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. Access will be strictly limited to journalists. ENDS Mr. Thomas Andrews (United States of America) is the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. A former member of the US Congress from Maine, Andrews is a Robina Senior Human Rights Fellow at Yale Law School and an Associate of Harvard University’s Asia Center. He has worked with the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and parliamentarians, NGOs and political parties in Cambodia, Indonesia, Algeria, Croatia, Serbia, Ukraine and Yemen. He has been a consultant for the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma and the Euro-Burma Network and has run advocacy NGOs including Win Without War and United to End Genocide. The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Comprising the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, Special Procedures is the general name of the Council's independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (Geneva)
2022-06-15
Date of entry/update: 2022-06-15
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "Distinguished Vice-President, Excellencies, Since my last update to this Council in February this year, the human rights situation in Myanmar has continued to rapidly decline. Still suffering from the devastating consequences of the February 2021 military coup, the people of Myanmar remain trapped in a cycle of poverty and displacement, human rights violations and abuses. What we are witnessing today is the systematic and widespread use of tactics against civilians, in respect of which there are reasonable grounds to believe the commission of crimes against humanity and war crimes. Since February 2021, at least 1,900 killings by the military have been reported. The humanitarian situation is dire. One million individuals have been registered by the UN as internally displaced while some 14 million remain in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. The military coup has crippled Myanmar’s economy, with millions losing their jobs or sources of income in the last year. The value of the national currency has plummeted, and prices of essential goods have surged. Internet shutdowns imposed by the military across large parts of the country, and the harassment and prosecution of journalists and individuals reporting on human rights have severely limited information flows and civic space. Nevertheless, my Office continues to monitor and document the scale and magnitude of violations on the ground. Excellencies, Despite the commitments made by the military to ASEAN, senseless violence in Myanmar has intensified, with scant provision for civilian protection or respect for international human rights and humanitarian laws by the military. Recent military operations in the south-eastern states of Kayin and Kayah, the north-western state of Chin, and the central regions of Sagaing and Magway have amplified the suffering of civilians. Local residents are often detained, and in some cases may have been forcibly disappeared or used as human shields. A well-documented tactic of the military is the burning of entire villages, residential buildings, schools, houses of worship, and other objects specially protected under international humanitarian law. Some estimate over 11,000 such sites have been burned since the attempted coup began last year. Food stocks and other basic supplies have also been destroyed. At the same time, the military continues to apply its so-called “four cuts” strategy to punish the local civilian population and to alienate those who refuse to accept their attempted seizure of power. I am deeply troubled by reports which indicate that the Tatmadaw is trying to militarize whole communities, by expanding its allied local militia organizations, and formalizing military control of police forces. My Office has also received reports that they have launched an initiative to enlist local fire-fighters, Red Cross workers and other public service groups into the security apparatus. In the face of such repression and violence, I respect the strength and resolve of Myanmar’s people, who continue to reject and resist the military and their attempts to assert control. Daily peaceful protests throughout the country and efforts to boycott services provided by military-run governmental institutions remain ongoing after almost 500 days. These peaceful expressions of dissent, however, are met with the continued use of arbitrary arrest and detention. Since 1 February 2021, more than 13,500 people, including politicians, media professionals, lawyers, civil society leaders and other members of civil society, have reportedly been arrested for opposing the Tatmadaw’s purported seizure of power. More than 10,500 remain in detention. Former detainees have reported the frequent use of torture and ill-treatment in military bases, police stations and other places of detention. Arrest warrants have allegedly been issued against another 1,900 individuals. In a recent concerning development, a military spokesperson announced the intention of executing four death sentences, including of two prominent democracy activists. Myanmar has not carried out court-ordered executions for approximately 30 years. I urgently call on military authorities to refrain from such a regressive step which would not only violate the right to life but will further set back prospects for political reconciliation. Excellencies, In Rakhine State, the situation is critical, with the Arakan Army and Tatmadaw seemingly on the verge of renewing armed conflict. Since last November, there have been regular ripples of violence between the two parties and public verbal exchanges have been increasingly hostile. Members of the Rohingya Muslim community are caught in the middle. There have been no concrete and systematic efforts to work with the Rohingya to solve the longstanding human rights abuses, discrimination and exclusionary practices that have plagued their communities for decades. Added to this, conditions in Rakhine State remain far from adequate for Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh, or for those who have been living in internal displacement camps in Myanmar for 10 years now, to return to their homes. Instead, the military has continued to use hostile and derogatory language to threaten and marginalize the Rohingya and to implement strict discriminatory limitations on their movement. In the past weeks, over 300 Rohingya have been arrested for traveling, what they call, ‘illegally’ outside their communities. Hundreds have been prosecuted and sentenced to prison terms up to two years for exercising their basic right to freedom of movement. On 21 May, another boat capsized near the coast of Pathein township, just south of Rakhine State, resulting in at least 17 deaths, many of whom were children. UNHCR has reported that since the beginning of the year, at least 630 Rohingya have attempted desperate sea journeys to escape violence, the vast majority women and children. Excellencies, The lives and future of Myanmar’s people are hanging in the balance. It is extremely disappointing to note that international efforts to rein in the military’s recklessly violent approach have been largely ineffective. The ASEAN five-point plan seems to have produced limited results to date since its adoption in April 2021. I urge ASEAN and its members to continue engaging with all relevant national stakeholders, including representatives of the National Unity Government and of civil society. Additionally, the military has been allowed to veto efforts to generate dialogue and political engagement. The National Unity Government of Myanmar - established by democratically elected leaders and with the vast support of the people - has been excluded from discussions. Today I call for sustained and concrete action by all parties to stem the violence. The targeting of civilians and the burning of villages must stop now. The protection of civilians is an absolute imperative, and access must be granted for vital humanitarian assistance to reach all communities. Any solution to this crisis has to be built on broad-based consultation with all stakeholders in the democratic movement and with ethnic minority groups. A climate in which productive political discussions can take place to advance this priority is urgently required. I urge all Member States, particularly those with the highest-level access and influence, to intensify their pressure on the military leadership. Available measures include placing increased restrictions targeting military-controlled financial holdings and business interests, and limiting their access to foreign currencies to restrict their ability to purchase military equipment and supplies. I also call for continued support to the efforts underway to pursue accountability for the ongoing and past serious human rights violations, as well as alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, through all available tracks. Myanmar’s future depends on addressing the root causes of this crisis. Its people deserve a return to democracy, an end to impunity and the immediate cessation of the systemic discrimination that has persecuted minorities – in particular the Rohingya - for decades. They are counting on this Council’s support. Thank you..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (Geneva)
2022-06-14
Date of entry/update: 2022-06-14
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "The Myanmar military junta has brutally attacked and killed children and systematically abused their human rights, a UN expert said in a report released today that calls for immediate coordinated action to protect the rights of children and safeguard Myanmar’s future. “The junta’s relentless attacks on children underscore the generals’ depravity and willingness to inflict immense suffering on innocent victims in its attempt to subjugate the people of Myanmar,” said Tom Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. “The international community’s approach to the coup and the junta’s atrocities has failed. States must take immediate coordinated action to address an escalating political, economic and humanitarian crisis that is putting Myanmar’s children at risk of becoming a lost generation.” The Special Rapporteur said it was clear from the evidence that the children of Myanmar were not only being caught in the crossfire of escalating attacks, but that they were often the targets of the violence. “During my fact-finding for this report, I received information about children who were beaten, stabbed, burned with cigarettes, and subjected to mock executions, and who had their fingernails and teeth pulled out during lengthy interrogation sessions,” Andrews said. “The junta’s attacks on children constitute crimes against humanity and war crimes. Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing and other architects of the violence in Myanmar must be held accountable for their crimes against children,” he said. “For the sake of Myanmar’s children, Member States, regional organisations, the Security Council, and other UN entities must respond to the crisis in Myanmar with the same urgency they have responded to the crisis in Ukraine.” Andrews urged Member States to work in coordination to alleviate the suffering of children by systematically increasing pressure on the junta. He urged States that have already imposed sanctions on the military and military-linked companies to take stronger coordinated action that will inhibit the junta’s ability to finance atrocities. “States must pursue stronger targeted economic sanctions and coordinated financial investigations. I urge Member States to commit to a dramatic increase in humanitarian assistance and unequivocal regional support for refugees,” he said. “It is scandalous that the international community has committed only 10 percent of the funds required to implement the Myanmar Humanitarian Response Plan 2022, causing lifesaving programs for children to be shelved,” he said. The Special Rapporteur’s report describes the impact of the 1 February 2021 coup on the human rights of children in Myanmar and details the alarming, underreported facts of the violence being perpetrated against them. Soldiers, police officers and military-backed militias have murdered, abducted, detained and tortured children in a campaign of violence that has touched every corner of the country, the report said. Over the past 16 months, the military has killed at least 142 children in Myanmar. Over 250,000 children have been displaced by the military’s attacks and over 1,400 have been arbitrarily detained. At least 61 children, including several under three years of age, are reportedly being held as hostages. The UN has documented the torture of 142 children since the coup. The junta has intentionally deprived children of their fundamental human rights to health, education and development, with an estimated 7.8 million children out of school. Following the collapse of the public health system since the coup, the World Health Organization projects that 33,000 children will die preventable deaths in 2022 because they have not received routine immunizations. Andrews said the lack of action by Security Council was a moral failure with profound repercussions for children in the country. “World leaders, diplomats and donors should ask themselves why the world is failing to do all that can reasonably be done to bring an end to the suffering of the children of Myanmar,” the expert said..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (Geneva)
2022-06-14
Date of entry/update: 2022-06-14
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: " The Myanmar junta’s announced decision to enforce death sentences against four individuals, including two prominent activists, marks the start of what could be a spate of death pronouncements, two UN experts* warned today, without an increase in international pressure on the brutal military regime. “The illegitimate military junta is providing the international community with further evidence of its disregard for human rights as it prepares to hang pro-democracy activists. These death sentences, handed down by an illegitimate court of an illegitimate junta, are a vile attempt at instilling fear amongst the people of Myanmar,” the experts said. In the face of increasing human rights violations, the experts urged the international community to exert greater pressure on Myanmar’s military. “Without imposing serious costs on the military for its attacks on fundamental rights, we should expect increasing numbers of these death penalty pronouncements from the junta,” they said. “The international community - chiefly Member States and the Security Council - must demonstrate that these actions will not go unpunished and do more to target the military’s needs for money, weapons and legitimacy.” The experts stressed that one of the condemned individuals is a former member of parliament from the National League for Democracy, while another is a leader of the 88 Generation activist group that stood up to former dictator Ne Win’s regime. They were sentenced to death by a military tribunal in January 2022, on charges of treason and terrorism. If the executions proceed, they will be the first judicial executions in Myanmar since 1988. “The junta’s announced decision to execute the activists illustrates how the military seeks to use all apparatuses of the state to persecute those that oppose its attempt to return Myanmar to military authoritarian rule,” they said. The UN experts stressed that the imposition of the death penalty was taking place alongside the military’s extrajudicial killings of civilians, estimated now to stand at nearly 2,000. “The world must not lose sight of the fact that these death sentences are being meted out in the context of the military murdering civilians nearly every day in its widespread and systematic attack on the people of Myanmar. The military has killed civilians during massacres, crackdowns on protestors, and airstrikes against civilian locations, and has tortured detainees to death,” the experts said. The four individuals were tried and convicted in military tribunals, and reportedly without access to legal counsel during their rejected appeals - in violation of international human rights law. “In today’s Myanmar, fair trial and due process guarantees simply do not exist. The junta’s thumb is firmly upon the scales of justice and under these circumstances, imposing and enforcing the death penalty is especially heinous,” the experts said. Martial Law Order 3/2021, illegitimately decreed by the Myanmar junta in March 2021, provides for the application of the death penalty for 23 vague and broadly defined offences. Most notably, the order provides that the death penalty can be applied for treason provisions, which in practice means any criticism of the military. Since the military coup on 1 February 2021, at least 114 people have reportedly been sentenced to death, including 41 in absentia Without recognising its legitimacy, the Special Rapporteurs called on the Myanmar junta to immediately and permanently halt the imposition of the death penalty and commute all capital sentences handed down to date. “Where capital punishment is not yet abolished, under no circumstances can the death penalty ever be applied as a sanction against the legitimate exercise of human rights, such as freedoms of opinion and expression, assembly and association,” the experts said. They reiterated that international law unequivocally forbids the imposition of the death penalty on anyone below 18 years of age..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (Geneva)
2022-06-10
Date of entry/update: 2022-06-10
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "The Human Rights Council this morning discussed the situation of human rights in Myanmar and in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. It heard the High Commissioner say that the human rights of the people of Myanmar were in profound crisis and that accountability remained crucial to any solution to the crisis in Myanmar. The Council also heard the Special Rapporteur speak about the most serious human rights violations in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the need to pursue accountability, urging a stop of crimes against humanity like the political prison camps in the country. Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that the human rights of the people of Myanmar were in profound crisis. Myanmar was increasingly at risk of State collapse, with shattered economic, education, health, and social protection systems. The High Commissioner remained acutely concerned for the safety and rights of human rights defenders and other civil society actors. Military authorities systematically used arrests and detentions as a tool to target and intimidate people who opposed them. The plight of the Rohingya people – a population persecuted for decades - remained dire, with no solution in sight. In conclusion, the High Commissioner stated that accountability remained crucial to any solution to this crisis. In the ensuing debate on Myanmar, some speakers welcomed the efforts of the High Commissioner’s Office to assess the gravity of human rights violations in Myanmar. Calls were made for an immediate end to violence against the civilian population and for the release of all political prisoners. Speakers condemned any discrimination against minorities, as well as the systematic use of violence and arbitrary detentions, torture and enforced disappearances. Speakers condemned the military coup. Some speakers regretted that Myanmar, as a country concerned, was unable to participate in the dialogue and supported all parties to find a political solution through dialogue to restore social stability and to restart the democratic process in the country. Multilateral institutions such as the Human Rights Council should help Myanmar to solve the current situation rather than supporting external intervention. Speaking during the discussion on Myanmar were the European Union, Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Conference, Canada, Germany, Malaysia, Luxembourg, Viet Nam, China, Spain, Netherlands, Russian Federation, Cambodia, Indonesia, Australia, Mauritania, Bangladesh, Romania, United Kingdom, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Bulgaria, India, Switzerland, Gambia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and France. Also speaking were Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, Edmund Rice International Limited, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, Centre for Civil and Political Rights, Baptist World Alliance, International Humanist and Ethical Union, Article 19 International Centre Against Censorship, International Bar Association, CIVICUS, Organization for Poverty Alleviation and Development, and International Commission of Jurists. The Council then held an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Tomás Ojea Quintana, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, said that he had been consistent on the need to implement a two-track approach: highlighting the most serious human rights violations in the country and the need to pursue accountability, alongside offering constructive engagement with the Government to seek improvement of the human rights situation on the ground. It was imperative for the Government to cease ongoing crimes against humanity, including through the system of kwanliso (political prison camps), and to undertake a process of accountability. Cooperation actually allowed in recent years had led to some advancements in addressing economic, social and cultural rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. In the ensuing discussion, some speakers shared the great concerns expressed in the Special Rapporteur’s report and called on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to fully engage with the mandate. Regrettably the report only confirmed what was already known, which was that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea violated its citizens’ human rights and basic freedom. They deplored the attitude of a regime which cut off all links with the outside world, including access to humanitarian aid. Some speakers commended the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea for the promotion and protection of the human rights of its population and denounced a report based on disinformation. They were opposed to specific mandates against countries, particularly when the country concerned did not consent to them. Speaking in the interactive dialogue on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea were European Union, Norway on behalf of Nordic-Baltic countries, Liechtenstein, Cuba, Syria, Venezuela, France, China, Switzerland, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Australia, Ireland, Republic of Korea, Belarus, United States, United Kingdom, Zimbabwe, Czech Republic, Albania, Nicaragua, Viet Nam, South Sudan, Burundi, Eritrea, Lao People’s Democratic Republic New Zealand, Iran and Japan. Also speaking were Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Human Rights Watch, UN Watch, Ingenieurs du Monde, and People for Successful Korean Reunification. The webcast of the Human Rights Council meetings can be found here. All meeting summaries can be found here. Documents and reports related to the Human Rights Council’s forty-ninth regular session can be found here. The Council will reconvene at 3 p.m. this afternoon to hold separate interactive dialogues with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, and with the High Commissioner on her oral update on the implementation of the recommendations made by the group of independent experts on accountability for human rights violations in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. It will then hold a general debate on agenda item four on human rights situations that require the Council’s attention. Interactive Dialogue with the High Commissioner on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar Documentation The Council has before it (A/HRC/49/72) report of the High Commissioner on the human rights situation in Myanmar since 1 February 2021 Presentation of Report MICHELLE BACHELET, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that 13 months after the military coup of 1 February 2021, the human rights of the people of Myanmar were in profound crisis. Harsh repression of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, expression and information – including Internet access – had not quelled the country's rejection of the coup. Most protests had been expressed peacefully, regardless, the military had met all dissent - both acts of civil disobedience and acts of violence - in the same manner: with the use of lethal force, mass arbitrary arrests, and the use of torture. Since February 2021, over half a million people had been forced to flee their homes, with at least 15,000 recorded as fleeing the country. They added to the nearly 340,000 people internally displaced before February 2021 and over one million refugees, most of them Rohingya. Ms. Bachelet said that Myanmar was increasingly at risk of State collapse, with shattered economic, education, health, and social protection systems. The collapse of the health system had had devastating consequences for Myanmar’s COVID-19 response. The country's precious development gains had been destroyed by conflict and the military’s abuse of power. The High Commissioner remained acutely concerned for the safety and rights of human rights defenders and other civil society actors. Military authorities systematically used arrests and detentions as a tool to target and intimidate people who opposed them. The plight of the Rohingya people – a population persecuted for decades - remained dire, with no solution in sight. In conclusion, the High Commissioner said that accountability remained crucial to any solution to this crisis. Human rights violations and crimes being committed today by Myanmar's military forces were built upon the impunity with which they perpetrated the slaughter of the Rohingya four years ago – and other, similar, operations against ethnic minorities over many previous decades. Clearly, there would need to be a political pathway to restore democracy and civilian rule. But such dialogue could not and would not displace the urgent need to hold to account those responsible for severe human rights violations. The people of Myanmar deserved, and overwhelmingly demanded, justice. Ms. Bachelet urged stronger efforts to advance tangible results from the five-point consensus achieved by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in April 2021 as so far, there had been little progress. Discussion In the ensuing debate, speakers thanked the High Commissioner for her report and welcomed the efforts of her Office to assess the gravity of human rights violations in Myanmar. Cases of discrimination were on the rise. The persecution of minorities was increasing the risk to the security of the entire region. Speakers called for an immediate end to violence against civilian populations and for the release of all political prisoners. They condemned any discrimination against minorities, as well as the systematic use of violence and arbitrary detentions, torture and enforced disappearances. Such blatant violations were condemned and concerns over violence against civilians and human rights defenders were expressed. Speakers condemned the military coup. They expressed concerns over the level of violence and called on the military leadership to end all forms of violence, to ensure accountability and to end impunity for all human rights violations. Some speakers urged the de facto authority to respect the Human Rights Council and all other United Nations mechanisms, fully cooperate with them, and cease reprisal against those mechanisms. The scale of human rights violations exacerbated the tragedy faced by the Rohingya population. Humanitarian access should be free and unhindered. Concerns over the supply of weapons to Myanmar were expressed. The international community should cease all transfers of weapons to Myanmar. Member States were urged to prevent the sale of weapons and military assistance to Myanmar. The army was continuing its brutal oppression instead of respecting international humanitarian law. Some speakers regretted that Myanmar, as a country concerned, was unable to participate in the dialogue and supported all parties to find a political solution through dialogue to restore social stability and to restart the democratic process in the country. The current problem in Myanmar was for the people of Myanmar to solve and external pressure would only be counterproductive. Multilateral institutions such as the Human Rights Council should help Myanmar to solve the current situation rather than support external intervention. Speakers supported the efforts of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and reiterated the importance of a prosperous and peaceful Myanmar. They were supportive of the constructive role of the Association to work with Myanmar to advance the implementation of the consensus. Concluding Remarks on Myanmar MICHELLE BACHELET, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, responding to the question on what more could be done to prevent a further spiral of human rights violations in Myanmar, including against women and children, said she was concerned about this, and the impact it could have across the country, and the Office had observed increasingly brutal tactics and use of heavy power. Villages were being razed to the ground. Women in detention were experiencing violation and degrading treatment, including torture, and both men and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons had been sexually assaulted at police stations. Children had been detained in various areas; some were being prosecuted and two had been given the death penalty. Steps had been identified to end the spiral: to stop the military oppression, to release detainees, and to restore democracy, among others. It was important for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to support this. The report set out clear additional actionable recommendations that could assist the people of Myanmar and which highlighted the actions that the international community could take, including sanctions on military-linked economic interests. It was important for all stakeholders in the democratic movement and ethnic groups to be consulted in any efforts to solve the situation. There had been a complete breakdown of the national system to ensure economic and social rights: millions had lost their jobs, the price of basic commodities had soared, and public health care systems were collapsing. Women teachers had gone without pay. There was an urgent need for humanitarian assistance in all parts of Myanmar. It was important to ensure the maximum involvement of civil society and humanitarian organizations in delivering aid, as they enjoyed the recognition of the people. Accountability should be ensured for serious human rights violations, as well as international crimes, which should be addressed as a solution for any sustainable political situation in the country. There should be a comprehensive transitional justice policy, ensuring the rights of victims and allowing victims to make their voices heard. The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar was aiding this in the context of international standards. The different processes involved should collaborate to avoid overlap, and to ensure accountability in full. The High Commissioner said she fully supported the call for the creation of a conducive, dignified and sustainable return of the Rohingya to their own lands. There would be no sustainable solution unless these key issues could be addressed. Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Documentation The Council has before it (A/HRC/49/74) report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Tomás Ojea Quintana. Presentation of Report TOMÁS OJEA QUINTANA, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, said that over the past six years, he had raised concerns about the coercive system of governance that deprived the fundamental freedoms of the people in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. He had been consistent on the need to implement a two-track approach: highlighting the most serious human rights violations in the country and the need to pursue accountability, alongside offering constructive engagement with the Government to seek the improvement of the human rights situation on the ground. It was imperative for the Government to cease ongoing crimes against humanity, including through the system of kwanliso (political prison camps), and to undertake a process of accountability. Until that happened, efforts should be pursued to refer the situation to the International Criminal Court or to create an ad hoc tribunal or comparable mechanism to determine individual criminal responsibility. Alternatives based on principles of universal or extraterritorial jurisdiction should also be tried, while preserving information that may be used in future processes needed to continue. Accountability also involved developing a historical record, memorialisation, reparation, and truth-telling exercises, which were necessary to guarantee the rights of victims. Cooperation actually allowed in recent years had led to some advancements in addressing economic, social and cultural rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the rights of persons with disabilities, the plight of Korean separated families, and the Japanese abductions issue, among others, the Special Rapporteur said. The participation of the Government over the past six years in some United Nations mechanisms and training activities should be acknowledged and built upon to maximise space for cooperation in areas such as conditions in detention and the treatment of detainees, food, health, water and sanitation, adequate housing and labour standards. Mr. Ojea Quintana believed that the ongoing deterioration of the human rights situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea was linked to the country’s ever-increasing isolation from the international community. At this point in time, the crucial challenge was to not recreate a new cycle of escalation of tensions on the Korean Peninsula, which could rapidly and dangerously destabilise the region. In his view, a diplomatic approach towards peace and the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, which would build upon previous negotiations and was combined with proactive engagement on the human rights situation, was the only way forward. Discussion In the ensuing discussion, speakers shared the great concerns expressed in the Special Rapporteur’s report and called on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to fully engage with the mandate. They condemned the country’s lack of respect for the fundamental human rights of its population. Regrettably, the report only confirmed what was already known, which was that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea violated its citizens’ human rights and basic freedoms. Every simple act or gesture was controlled in order to prevent acts of dissent. Speakers were frustrated at the lack of progress when it came to improving the human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which was witnessing serious and systematic violations, and exaggerated isolation. They deplored the attitude of a regime which had cut off all links with the outside world, including access of humanitarian aid. Speakers called on the authorities to put a stop to all human rights violations and resume cooperation with the United Nations. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea showed little signs of decreasing the exaggerated isolation of its population which started at the beginning of the pandemic and this was concerning. The complete closure of the borders had exacerbated the challenges faced by the country. The situation continued to be dire every day. Speakers urged the Government to allow full access to humanitarian aid. The necessity to open the borders to allow the evacuation of people for medical reasons was highlighted. There was no rule of law, no free elections, no free media and no free civil society. The Government should work more closely with the human rights system. Some speakers denounced discriminatory mechanisms such as country specific mandates and highlighted that the Universal Periodic Review should be the path forward to tackle human rights violations. They were against selective and politically motivated resolutions and mandates such as the one on Myanmar. Mechanisms imposed against the will of States concerned only contributed to manipulating human rights. Country specific initiatives were known to fail. Speakers regretted the report’s lack of impartiality and called on the Special Rapporteur to stop this unconstructive approach. Calls for the lifting of the unilateral coercive measures that harmed the economic development of Myanmar and violated its people human rights were made. Myanmar’s sovereignty needed to be respected. Interim Remarks TOMÁS OJEA QUINTANA, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, regretted that there was no representative of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea at the meeting, and a complete lack of cooperation in any way. This needed to change, as it was connected to the dialogue between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea, as well as with international bodies. The level of isolation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea was concerning, as it ensured that there was no space for dialogue. The Government had taken a range of measures that had had a considerable impact on not only economic, social and cultural rights but also civil and political rights. The international community should ensure full engagement, including to ensure full vaccination of the people against COVID-19. It was up to the Government to accept the aid of the international community, and this would hopefully ensure the opening of the borders and the return of the humanitarian agencies and the United Nations country team, which presently could not carry out operations on the ground. The Special Rapporteur said his last report to the Council included a road map and hoped that the Office of the High Commissioner would take account of that. He hoped the report would serve as a catalyst for all thematic mandates in interacting with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. He encouraged thematic Rapporteurs, such as the one on water and sanitation, to develop and continue a relationship with the Government. Ultimately, the responsibility lay with the Government to promote and protect the human rights of its people. The Council would not allow crimes against humanity to continue: for that, it did not only require statements, or even resolutions, but concrete acts and measures on accountability; this was crucial to deter and prevent ongoing crimes against humanity within the country. Discussion Some speakers welcomed the report and endorsed its recommendations. They were gravely concerned about the further deterioration of the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. as well as the prolonged border closure. They called for full access to medical staff involved in the COVID-19 response. Concerns were expressed about the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea laws on reactionary thought and culture, which included the death penalty for access to foreign content. There was no freedom of thoughts and Christians were particularly at risk. Defectors who returned faced violence and execution. The speakers said the Special Rapporteur had a critical role to play and must hold the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to account. Some speakers commended the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea for the promotion and protection of the human rights of its population and denounced a report based on disinformation. The Human Rights Council should not be used to impose pressure on the international affairs of States. The speakers were opposed to specific mandates against countries, particularly when the country concerned did not consent to them. Country specific mandates did not produce the intended outcome in terms of improvement of promotion and protection of human rights. Speakers did not recognise the dubious methods of preparing a report based on fake information and fake evidence. Calls were made on the Council to refrain from making politically motivated decisions. The Council should stop using double standards because it would only undermine the effective protection of human rights. The Universal Periodic Review was the only effective tool to protect human rights. Speakers urged countries to cease all unilateral coercive measures against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Concluding Remarks TOMÁS OJEA QUINTANA, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, said his report, which was his last one to the Council, acknowledged that the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea had taken the initiative to establish cooperation with the Human Rights Council. There was interaction with the Council in the context of the Universal Periodic Review, and there had been progress in reporting to treaty bodies, and there was also contact with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and a capacity-building session held in Geneva. This reflected the impartial nature of his report, which was drawn up using the principle of independence. He had stood ready to listen to the points of view of the authorities of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. It was important for all Special Rapporteurs and his mandate in particular - that the report reflected the point of view of the country concerned. His reports had always been completely impartial and based on his findings as an independent expert, and he had always shunned bias, selectivity, politicisation and double standards. Regarding the engagement of the authorities of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, these were relevant to other mandates as well. For this mandate, it would be important to establish a relationship with the countries surrounding the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea as well. Trust must be built so that crucial issues could be addressed. He urged the neighbours of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and other countries in the region to develop contacts with the mandate. Regarding expectations of aid, for example food, the international community needed to know from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea what were their expectations, and transparent information was required. On the rights of women in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, this issue was addressed in the reports: there were in fact reports of wide-spread violations of women’s rights in the country, and this must be addressed in the dialogue with the authorities. The majority of escapees from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea had a tumultuous journey during which they were exposed to all sorts of human rights violations. Those working on human rights in the country were concerned about heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula. Tensions and isolation made it impossible to open up channels to discuss human rights, but diplomatic means must be used to open these up for the future. The Secretary-General must be empowered to play a more relevant role in diplomacy on the peninsula. It was frustrating to not be able to make more progress in the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and the Human Rights Council must be able to overcome this frustration by using all the mechanisms at its disposal in the United Nations system..."
Source/publisher: United Nations Human Rights Council and The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
2022-03-21
Date of entry/update: 2022-03-22
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: " The international community must take concerted, immediate measures to stem the spiral of violence in Myanmar, where the military has engaged in systematic and widespread human rights violations and abuses – some of which may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said in a new report today. The report,* released for the 49th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council, said Myanmar's military and security forces have shown a flagrant disregard for human life, bombarding populated areas with airstrikes and heavy weapons and deliberately targeting civilians, many of whom have been shot in the head, burned to death, arbitrarily arrested, tortured or used as human shields. Citing the determination of Myanmar's people in their opposition to the coup, Bachelet called on the international community to do all it can to resolve the crisis and hold perpetrators of gross violations of international human rights law accountable. "Throughout the tumult and violence of the past year, the will of the people has clearly not been broken. They remain committed to seeing a return to democracy and to institutions that reflect their will and aspirations," Bachelet said. Covering the period since the 1 February 2021 military takeover, the report is based on interviews with over 155 victims, witnesses, and advocates, whose accounts were corroborated with satellite imagery, verified multimedia files, and credible open-source information. Its findings, however, represent only a fraction of the violations and abuses Myanmar’s people have been subjected to since the coup. At least 1,600 people have been killed by security forces and their affiliates and more than 12,500 people have been detained. At least 440,000 others have been displaced and 14 million are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance, the delivery of which has largely been blocked by the military in new and pre-existing areas of need. The report concluded that there were reasonable grounds to believe the military, the Tatmadaw, had engaged in violence and abuse as part of a widespread and systematic attack directed against civilians – patterns of conduct that may amount to crimes against humanity. Mass killings have taken place. In July in Sagaing Region, soldiers killed 40 individuals in a series of raids; villagers found the remains of some victims with their hands and feet still tied behind their backs. In December in Kayah State, soldiers burned the bodies of up to 40 men, women and children; villagers described discovering the remains in several trucks, with bodies found in positions indicating they had tried to escape and were burnt alive. Detainees reported facing torture and other forms of ill-treatment during lengthy interrogations in military detention centres across Myanmar. This reportedly included suspension from the ceiling without food or water; being forced to stand for extended periods while in solitary confinement; electrocution, sometimes alongside injection of unidentified drugs; sexual violence, including rape; and forcing Muslim detainees to ingest pork. While most of the gross human rights violations documented were carried out by security forces, at least 543 individuals – including local administrators, their families and alleged informants – were also reportedly killed due to their perceived support of the military. Anti-coup armed elements claimed responsibility for 95 of the incidents. "Meaningful action by the international community is urgently needed to stop yet more individuals from being stripped of their rights, their lives and their livelihoods," Bachelet said. "The appalling breadth and scale of violations of international law suffered by the people of Myanmar demand a firm, unified, and resolute international response."..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
2022-03-15
Date of entry/update: 2022-03-15
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "Human Rights Council Forty-ninth session 28 February–1 April 2022 Agenda items 2 and 4 Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention Introduction and methodology In resolution 46/21, the Human Rights Council requested, inter alia, the High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide a comprehensive report on the overall human rights situation in Myanmar at its 49th session, with a particular focus on accountability regarding alleged violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, rule of law and security sector reform since 1 February 2021, as well as on implementation of recommendations on the human rights situation of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities. The present report covers human rights concerns documented by OHCHR since 1 February 2021. It analyses the most egregious violations committed by the Myanmar military (Tatmadaw), highlighting trends and patterns over a year of martial rule, and coming to preliminary conclusions as to violations of international human rights, humanitarian and criminal law. This report relies upon primary and secondary source material collected and subjected to credibility assessments. Without access to Myanmar, OHCHR applied consistent methodology of information-gathering, including remote interviews and meetings with over 155 victims, victims’ advocates, and witnesses of human rights violations. First-hand information was corroborated with satellite imagery, verified multimedia files, and credible open-source information. Factual determinations of cases, incidents, and patterns were made where there were reasonable grounds to believe that incidents had occurred as described. Given the serious security risks that individuals in Myanmar have been exposed to since 1 February, OHCHR has prioritized the safety of victims, witnesses, and interlocutors above other considerations..."
Source/publisher: UN Human Rights Council via "Reliefweb" (New York)
2022-02-25
Date of entry/update: 2022-03-15
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
Size: 155.86 KB
more
Description: "Myanmar: UN expert urges Security Council resolution to stop weapons fueling spike in military attacks on civilians New report reveals weapons transfers to military junta by UN Member States GENEVA (22 February 2022) – The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, issued a report to the UN Human Rights Council today that identifies States, including two permanent members of the Security Council, who have supplied weapons used against civilians since Myanmar’s military coup. The independent expert appealed to weapons exporting nations to immediately suspend their weapons sales and urged the convening of an emergency Security Council session to debate and vote on a resolution to, at minimum, ban those arms transfers that the Myanmar military are known to use to attack and kill Myanmar civilians. “It should be incontrovertible that weapons used to kill civilians should no longer be transferred to Myanmar. These transfers truly shock the conscience,” Andrews said. “Stopping the junta’s atrocity crimes begins with blocking their access to weapons. The more the world delays, the more innocent people, including children, will die in Myanmar.” The Special Rapporteur identified China, Russia and Serbia as Member States who have, since the coup, been supplying the junta with weapons of the sort that are being used to attack civilians. “The people of Myanmar are imploring the UN to act,” he said. “They deserve an up-or-down vote on a Security Council resolution that will stop the sale of weapons being used to kill them. Too many families are finding themselves in the cross-hairs of weapons of war that Member States are supplying. This must end.” The report, titled Enabling Atrocities: UN Member States’ Arms Transfers to the Myanmar Military, also names States who have authorized the transfer of weapons since 2018 when Myanmar military atrocity crimes against the Rohingya ethnic minority were widely documented and a UN Fact Finding Mission called for an immediate arms embargo. It includes the types and, where known, the amounts of weapons that have been transferred to the Myanmar military. “Despite the evidence of the military junta’s atrocity crimes being committed with impunity since launching a coup last year, UN Security Council members Russia and China continue to provide the Myanmar military junta with numerous fighter jets, armored vehicles, and in the case of Russia, the promise of further arms. During this same period, Serbia has authorized rockets and artillery for export to the Myanmar military. Last June the General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for Member States to prevent the flow of arms into Myanmar. “This was welcomed by the people of Myanmar, civil society organizations, and international human rights advocacy groups,” Andrews said. “The failure of the resolution to have any discernable impact on the crisis and the capacity of the junta to launch attacks on civilians, however, has led to anger and despair. “It is imperative that Member States and the Security Council act urgently to stop weapons sales to the military junta. Human lives, and Security Council credibility, are on the line. “While not a single member of the Security Council voted against the General Assembly resolution, the Security Council has not considered, let alone voted, on a resolution that could make the resolution binding on Member States. “I appeal to Member States of the UN Security Council who are appalled by the killing of Myanmar civilians to put forward a resolution to stop it. Transparency matters. The Security Council should consider, at the very least, a resolution to ban weapons that are being used by the Myanmar military to kill innocent people.” The report also calls for coordinated action by Member States to cut the junta’s access to revenue, just as the people of Myanmar are doing through widespread boycotts on goods linked to the military. “Without legitimacy and against broad opposition among the people of Myanmar, the military junta operates as if it is a hostile military power. Military force is therefore its only means of attempting to exert control,” Andrews said. “While perceived by junta leaders as a strength, this large military is also a vulnerability as it requires significant resources to equip and sustain. If the revenues necessary to maintain such a military are reduced, the junta’s capacity to assault and terrorize the people of Myanmar will diminish.” ENDS Mr. Thomas Andrews (United States of America) is the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. A former member of the US Congress from Maine, Andrews is a Robina Senior Human Rights Fellow at Yale Law School and an Associate of Harvard University’s Asia Center. He has worked with the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and parliamentarians, NGOs and political parties in Cambodia, Indonesia, Algeria, Croatia, Serbia, Ukraine and Yemen. He has been a consultant for the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma and the Euro-Burma Network and has run advocacy NGOs including Win Without War and United to End Genocide. The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Comprising the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, Special Procedures is the general name of the Council's independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity..."
Source/publisher: UN Human Rights Council via "Reliefweb" (New York)
2022-02-22
Date of entry/update: 2022-02-22
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf pdf
Size: 1.54 MB (Original version), 1.18 MB (Reduce version) - 39 pages
more
Sub-title: New report reveals weapons transfers to military junta by UN Member States
Description: "The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, issued a report to the UN Human Rights Council today that identifies States, including two permanent members of the Security Council, who have supplied weapons used against civilians since Myanmar’s military coup. The independent expert appealed to weapons exporting nations to immediately suspend their weapons sales and urged the convening of an emergency Security Council session to debate and vote on a resolution to, at minimum, ban those arms transfers that the Myanmar military are known to use to attack and kill Myanmar civilians. “It should be incontrovertible that weapons used to kill civilians should no longer be transferred to Myanmar. These transfers truly shock the conscience,” Andrews said. “Stopping the junta’s atrocity crimes begins with blocking their access to weapons. The more the world delays, the more innocent people, including children, will die in Myanmar.” The Special Rapporteur identified China, Russia and Serbia as Member States who have, since the coup, been supplying the junta with weapons of the sort that are being used to attack civilians. “The people of Myanmar are imploring the UN to act,” he said. “They deserve an up-or-down vote on a Security Council resolution that will stop the sale of weapons being used to kill them. Too many families are finding themselves in the cross-hairs of weapons of war that Member States are supplying. This must end.” The report, titled Enabling Atrocities: UN Member States’ Arms Transfers to the Myanmar Military, also names States who have authorized the transfer of weapons since 2018 when Myanmar military atrocity crimes against the Rohingya ethnic minority were widely documented and a UN Fact Finding Mission called for an immediate arms embargo. It includes the types and, where known, the amounts of weapons that have been transferred to the Myanmar military. “Despite the evidence of the military junta’s atrocity crimes being committed with impunity since launching a coup last year, UN Security Council members Russia and China continue to provide the Myanmar military junta with numerous fighter jets, armored vehicles, and in the case of Russia, the promise of further arms. During this same period, Serbia has authorized rockets and artillery for export to the Myanmar military. Last June the General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for Member States to prevent the flow of arms into Myanmar. “This was welcomed by the people of Myanmar, civil society organizations, and international human rights advocacy groups,” Andrews said. “The failure of the resolution to have any discernable impact on the crisis and the capacity of the junta to launch attacks on civilians, however, has led to anger and despair. “It is imperative that Member States and the Security Council act urgently to stop weapons sales to the military junta. Human lives, and Security Council credibility, are on the line. “While not a single member of the Security Council voted against the General Assembly resolution, the Security Council has not considered, let alone voted, on a resolution that could make the resolution binding on Member States. “I appeal to Member States of the UN Security Council who are appalled by the killing of Myanmar civilians to put forward a resolution to stop it. Transparency matters. The Security Council should consider, at the very least, a resolution to ban weapons that are being used by the Myanmar military to kill innocent people.” The report also calls for coordinated action by Member States to cut the junta’s access to revenue, just as the people of Myanmar are doing through widespread boycotts on goods linked to the military. “Without legitimacy and against broad opposition among the people of Myanmar, the military junta operates as if it is a hostile military power. Military force is therefore its only means of attempting to exert control,” Andrews said. “While perceived by junta leaders as a strength, this large military is also a vulnerability as it requires significant resources to equip and sustain. If the revenues necessary to maintain such a military are reduced, the junta’s capacity to assault and terrorize the people of Myanmar will diminish.” ENDS Mr. Thomas Andrews (United States of America) is the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. A former member of the US Congress from Maine, Andrews is a Robina Senior Human Rights Fellow at Yale Law School and an Associate of Harvard University’s Asia Center. He has worked with the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and parliamentarians, NGOs and political parties in Cambodia, Indonesia, Algeria, Croatia, Serbia, Ukraine and Yemen. He has been a consultant for the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma and the Euro-Burma Network and has run advocacy NGOs including Win Without War and United to End Genocide. The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Comprising the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, Special Procedures is the general name of the Council's independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (Geneva)
2022-02-22
Date of entry/update: 2022-02-22
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "GENEVA (28 January 2022) – UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Friday urged the international community to intensify pressure on the military to stop its campaign of violence against the people of Myanmar and to insist on the prompt restoration of civilian rule. “One year after the military seized power, the people of Myanmar – who have paid a high cost in both lives and freedoms lost – continue to advocate relentlessly for their democracy,” Bachelet said. “This week, I had a chance to speak in person with determined, courageous human rights defenders who are pleading to the international community not to abandon them, but to take robust, effective measures to ensure their rights are protected and the military is held accountable.” “I urge governments – in the region and beyond – as well as businesses, to listen to this plea. It is time for an urgent, renewed effort to restore human rights and democracy in Myanmar and ensure that perpetrators of systemic human rights violations and abuses are held to account.” Bachelet said she had heard chilling accounts of journalists being tortured; factory workers being intimidated, silenced and exploited; intensified persecution of ethnic and religious minorities – including the Rohingya; arbitrary arrests, detentions and sham trials of political opponents; “clearance operations” targeting villagers; and indiscriminate attacks including through airstrikes and the use of heavy weaponry in populated areas, showing gross disregard for human life. “And yet, courageous human rights defenders and trade unionists continue to protest, to advocate, to document and accumulate the mounting evidence of violations,” she said. The brutal effort by security forces to crush dissent has led to the killing of at least 1,500 people by the military since the 1 February coup – but that figure does not include thousands more deaths from armed conflict and violence, which have intensified nationwide. The UN Human Rights Office has documented gross human rights violations on a daily basis, the vast majority committed by security forces. At least 11,787 people have been arbitrarily detained for voicing their opposition to the military either in peaceful protests or through their online activities, of whom 8,792 remain in custody. At least 290 have died in detention, many likely due to the use of torture. Armed clashes have grown in frequency and intensity, with every part of the country experiencing some level of violence. In those areas of highest intensity military activity – Sagaing region, Chin, Kachin, Kayah and Kayin states – the military has been punishing local communities for their assumed support of armed elements. The Office has documented village burnings, including places of worship and medical clinics, mass arrests, summary executions and the use of torture.* The crisis has been exacerbated by the combined forces of the COVID-19 pandemic and the collapse of the banking, transportation, education and other sectors, leaving the economy on the brink of collapse. The daily lives of people have been severely impacted, with devastating effects on their enjoyment of economic and social rights. There are projections that nearly half of the population of 54 million may be driven into poverty this year. “Members of Myanmar civil society have told me first-hand what the impact of the last year has been on their lives and those of their families and communities," Bachelet said. “The people have shown extraordinary courage and resilience in standing up for their basic human rights and support each other. Now the international community must show its resolve to support them through concrete actions to end this crisis.” While there has been near universal condemnation of the coup and the ensuing violence, the international response has been “ineffectual and lacks a sense of urgency commensurate to the magnitude of the crisis,” Bachelet said. The actions taken by the UN Security Council and by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have been insufficient to convince Myanmar’s military to cease its violence and facilitate humanitarian access and aid deliveries. The High Commissioner welcomed some private corporations’ decisions to withdraw based on human rights grounds, as a “powerful tool to apply pressure on the financing of the military’s operations against civilians”. Bachelet also stressed that the current human rights crisis is “built upon the impunity with which the military leadership perpetrated the shocking campaign of violence resulting in gross human rights violations against the Rohingya communities of Myanmar four years ago – and other ethnic minorities over many decades beforehand.” “As long as impunity prevails, stability in Myanmar will be a fiction. Accountability of the military remains crucial to any solution going forward – the people overwhelmingly demand this,” Bachelet said..."
Source/publisher: UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights via "Reliefweb" (New York)
2022-01-28
Date of entry/update: 2022-01-29
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "GENEVA (6 December 2021) – A UN human rights expert derided the sentencing of Aung San Suu Kyi and Win Myint to four years in jail by a military-controlled court in Myanmar as the “theatre of the absurd”, saying the hearing underscored the complete lack of rule of law in the country. “State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint are hostages, not criminals,” said UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews. “This proceeding should not be confused with an actual trial - it is theatre of the absurd and a gross violation of human rights. “Aung San Suu Kyi, and thousands of others, are being arbitrarily detained in a system of injustice, guilty of only exercising their fundamental rights.” Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint were jailed on Monday on charges of incitement and breaching coronavirus restrictions. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates why the international community must take stronger action to support the people of Myanmar by denying the junta the revenue and weapons that they need to continue their illegitimate grip on the people of Myanmar. “I call upon Member States to significantly increase pressure on the junta as a result of this outrageous action.” The junta’s arrest and sentencing of Aung San Suu Kyi and thousands of others highlights the relentless assault on the people of Myanmar’s right to exercise their civil and political rights, Andrews said. One of the charges Aung San Suu Kyi and Win Myint were sentenced under—Section 505(b) of the Penal Code—criminalizes speech that may cause “fear or alarm to the public” or that leads others to upset “public tranquility.” Relying on this provision, as well as draconian and illegitimate amendments to other existing laws and regulations, the junta has systematically violated the people of Myanmar’s right to freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly and association, and access to information. Reports indicate that after the verdict of this sham trial was released, peaceful protesters were executed on the streets of Yangon by junta forces, Andrews said. A military vehicle ran directly into them while exercising their basic right of free speech. “What more do we need to see from this illegal military junta before the international community takes decisive, principled action?” Andrews asked. ENDS Mr. Thomas Andrews (United States of America) is the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. A former member of the US Congress from Maine, Andrews is a Robina Senior Human Rights Fellow at Yale Law School and an Associate of Harvard University’s Asia Center. He has worked with the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and parliamentarians, NGOs and political parties in Cambodia, Indonesia, Algeria, Croatia, Serbia, Ukraine and Yemen. He has been a consultant for the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma and the Euro-Burma Network and has run advocacy NGOs including Win Without War and United to End Genocide. The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Comprising the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, Special Procedures is the general name of the Council's independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (Geneva)
2021-12-06
Date of entry/update: 2021-12-09
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "The conviction and harsh sentencing of journalist Danny Fenster by a military court in Yangon today following a closed door, unfair trial is emblematic of the wider plight of journalists in Myanmar who have been facing constant repression since the 1 February military coup, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said. At least 126 journalists, media officials or publishers have been detained by the military since 1 February, of whom 47 remain in detention. Twenty of these individuals have been charged with crimes because of their work as journalists. Nine media outlets have had their licences revoked and 20 others have had to suspend operations. Dozens of journalists reportedly remain in hiding due to outstanding arrest warrants. Fenster was detained at Yangon airport in May, and was on Friday sentenced to 11 years in prison allegedly for violating laws relating to unlawful association, immigration and for sowing dissent against the military. He was tried by an ad hoc court inside Insein prison in Yangon, with the proceedings closed to any public scrutiny, raising serious concerns of lack of respect of fair trial guarantees. He still faces a second trial on charges of high treason and violations of the counter-terrorism law. “Journalists have been under attack since 1 February, with the military leadership clearly attempting to suppress their attempts to report on the serious human rights violations being perpetrated across Myanmar as well as the extent of opposition to the regime,” Bachelet said. “Myanmar has quickly reverted to an environment of information control, censorship and propaganda seen under military regimes in the past.” “Attacks on journalists and the media further exacerbate the vulnerability of huge sections of society that rely on accurate and independent information. With the crackdowns on journalists, Internet shutdowns, restrictions on free access to online and other data sources, people are being deprived life-saving information,” Bachelet added. “I urge the military authorities to immediately release all journalists being detained in relation to their work,” she said..."
Source/publisher: UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights via "Reliefweb" (New York)
2021-11-12
Date of entry/update: 2021-11-13
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "NEW YORK (22 October 2021) – Myanmar could be on the eve of an even greater human rights catastrophe and loss of life amid reports the military junta is deploying tens of thousands of troops and heavy weapons to northern Myanmar, a UN human rights expert warned the General Assembly today. “These tactics are ominously reminiscent of those employed by the military before its genocidal attacks against the Rohingya in Rakhine State in 2016 and 2017,” said Tom Andrews, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. He said he had received information that large numbers of troops were moving into restive regions in the north and northwest. “We should all be prepared, as the people in this part of Myanmar are prepared, for even more mass atrocity crimes. I desperately hope that I am wrong.” Andrews urged States to deny the military junta the money, weapons and legitimacy that it needs to continue to hold the people of Myanmar hostage with systematic human rights violations and brutal attacks. He pointed to the recent release of thousands of political prisoners as evidence that pressure on the junta works. “ASEAN’s announcement that the junta will not be welcome at its upcoming summit strikes at the heart of the junta’s third need — legitimacy . . . Without pressure, without denying the junta that which it needs from the international community, none of the detainees would have been released,” he said, stressing that in addition to denying legitimacy, more must be done to cut the junta off from weapons and money. Andrews today presented the findings of his annual report to the General Assembly, stating that since the coup, the military junta has engaged in probable crimes against humanity and war crimes. He reiterated the global call that the Security Council impose an arms embargo on Myanmar and stressed the need to significantly increase financial pressure on the junta, as many in Myanmar are doing with boycotts. “To date, sanctions have not impacted the ability of the junta to continue to seize State revenues and foreign exchange to enrich its leaders and fuel its attacks on the civilian population,” he said. “The single largest source of revenue for the junta is the oil and gas industry. I encourage Member States to follow the call of several hundred civil society organizations within Myanmar who have called for Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise to be sanctioned.” Andrews also conveyed a stark message to the General Assembly that he has received from scores of people inside Myanmar: “Many, I dare say most in Myanmar, have come to believe that the world and this body, do not care. Over the last several months they have experienced a steep downward trajectory, including increased human rights violations and attacks by the military junta while, at the same time, they have witnessed a grossly disproportionate response by the international community. “I come before this venerated body today conveying a simple plea from the people of Myanmar: care about this unfolding catastrophe and then translate that care into meaningful action. “Targeting these three needs of the junta — weapons, money, and legitimacy — while increasing humanitarian support to the people of Myanmar, is urgently needed and I believe the best means for the international community to support the people in Myanmar. “There is global responsibility to address this crisis, and it is insufficient to pass it off to those who lack the will or the capacity to take the requisite action, particularly given the scope of the atrocities that are ongoing.” Andrews reported that since the coup, junta-controlled forces have murdered over 1,100 people, displaced a quarter million, arbitrarily detained over 8,000 people, where many were tortured, including dozens who were tortured to death. He highlighted credible reports he received of junta forces even torturing children. The Human Rights Council-appointed independent expert said that over 100 journalists lost their freedom, and the junta has attacked and harassed doctors, nurses and other health care professionals — even as Myanmar has suffered through a pandemic. He also said junta forces have abducted and imprisoned family members of those being sought by security forces, including very young children. ENDS Mr. Thomas Andrews (United States of America) is the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. A former member of the US Congress from Maine, Andrews is a Robina Senior Human Rights Fellow at Yale Law School and an Associate of Harvard University’s Asia Center. He has worked with the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and parliamentarians, NGOs and political parties in Cambodia, Indonesia, Algeria, Croatia, Serbia, Ukraine and Yemen. He has been a consultant for the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma and the Euro-Burma Network and has run advocacy NGOs including Win Without War and United to End Genocide. The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Comprising the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, Special Procedures is the general name of the Council's independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (Geneva)
2021-10-22
Date of entry/update: 2021-10-23
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Sub-title: Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Ravina Shamdasani
Description: "Alarming reports indicate that there has been substantial deployment of heavy weapons and troops by the Myanmar military, the Tatmadaw, over the past few weeks in Kanpetlet and Hakha townships in Chin State; Kani and Monywa townships in the central Sagaing region; and Gangaw township in Magway. Two high-level commanders have also been deployed to the area and the Internet has been shut down. We are gravely concerned by these developments, particularly given the intensifying attacks by the military that we have documented over the past month in these areas, including killings, raiding of villages and burning of houses, apparently to seek out armed resistance elements and as reprisals against villages perceived to be sympathetic to people’s defence forces or ethnic armed groups. There have been reports of mass arrests, as well as torture and summary executions.Military “clearance operations” have involved the use of artillery barrages and airstrikes against villages. The Internet shutdowns have also meant that millions of people have lost the means to communicate and obtain information necessary for their survival, and cast an information blackout over potential abuses. As the High Commissioner has already noted, there has been an established pattern of attacks by the Tatmadaw against unarmed individuals using lethal force, destruction of residential properties, mass arbitrary detention and deaths in military custody. We urge the international community to speak with one voice, to prevent the commission of further serious human rights violations against the people of Myanmar. Influential states must prevail on the Tatmadaw to de-escalate the situation, protect civilian lives and property, and ensure access to humanitarian aid for those who need it..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (Geneva)
2021-10-08
Date of entry/update: 2021-10-08
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "GENEVA (1 October 2021) – UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Friday expressed her shock and sadness over the killing of Rohingya human rights defender Mohib Ullah and called for a prompt, thorough and effective investigation into his death. “It is heartbreaking that a person who spent his life fighting to ensure that the violations committed against the Rohingya people were known world-wide has been murdered in this way,” Bachelet said. “I want to pay tribute to an exceptional human rights defender, who despite the risks that his work entailed, nevertheless continued defending the rights of his people,” she added. Mohib Ullah, who was chair of the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights (ARSPH), was shot dead on Wednesday by unknown assailants in the Kutupalong / Cox’s Bazar refugee camp in southern Bangladesh. Set up in August 2017, the camp currently hosts more than 750,000 Rohingya who fled the mass killings, rapes and persecution by the Myanmar army and security forces. For years, Mohib Ullah methodically collected information about human rights violations suffered by the Rohingya in their home state of Rakhine, in northwestern Myanmar, and sought to galvanise international action. He travelled to Geneva in March 2019 to address the 40th session of the Human Rights Council in person, explaining how deeply the Rohingya had been discriminated against for decades and deprived of their basic rights, including nationality, land, health and education. “Imagine if you have no identity, no ethnicity, no country. Nobody wants you. How would you feel? This is how we feel today as Rohingya,” he told States attending the Human Rights Council session. “We are citizens of Myanmar, we are Rohingya.” “His words were very powerful and highlighted the terrible situation of the Rohingya and today, four years later, they echo as a reminder that Rohingya are still waiting for justice and still waiting to return home,” the High Commissioner said, adding that Mohib Ullah’s death highlights the precarious conditions of the Rohingya in both countries. “We need to do much more to help this persecuted community, both in Bangladesh and in Myanmar,” she added. Insecurity has been increasing alarmingly in the Kutupalong / Cox’s Bazar camp, with growing criminality, rising tensions between different groups, as well as heavy handed security crackdowns during anti-drug operations. Anti-Rohingya sentiment has also been increasing within Bangladeshi communities. “Whoever was responsible for his murder, Mohib Ullah’s death is a clear example of the insecurity in the camp, and the apparent attempts to silence moderate civil society voices,” the High Commissioner said. “A prompt, thorough, and independent investigation should be conducted not only to identify and apprehend his killers, and expose their motives, but also to define what measures are needed to better protect vulnerable civil society leaders, while avoiding further securitisation in the camps,” Bachelet said. “I fully understand the huge challenges Bangladesh has faced in hosting the Rohingya refugees, and the need for more external support. However, the safety and protection, as well as basic rights of refugees and those hosted in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char, must be ensured,” Bachelet said. Meanwhile in Myanmar itself, the situation of approximately 600,000 Rohingya who remain in Rakhine State remains dire, with many still confined in camps. Alleged violations include unlawful killings, arbitrary arrest and detention, and high levels of extortion. “Mohib Ullah’s killing should be a clarion call to the international community to redouble its pressure on Myanmar to recognize the Rohingya and accept their return, and to pursue accountability for the terrible crimes committed against them,” she added..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (Geneva)
2021-10-01
Date of entry/update: 2021-10-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Sub-title: 48th Session of the Human Rights Council
Description: "23 September 2021 Madam President, Excellencies, Since my last update to this Council, the human rights situation in Myanmar has deteriorated significantly as the far-reaching impacts of the military coup continue to devastate lives and hopes across the country. Conflict, poverty and the effects of the pandemic are sharply increasing, and the country faces a vortex of repression, violence and economic collapse. The military's iron grip on power faces resistance from large segments of the society. Weapons of war continue to be deployed in towns and cities to suppress opposition. Over 1,100 individuals have reportedly now died at the hands of the security forces since the coup. Over 8,000 individuals – including children – have been arrested since the coup, with over 4,700 remaining in detention. Most are held without any form of due process, and lack access to legal counsel, or even the ability to communicate with their families. We continue to receive reports from multiple locations of interrogation techniques that amount to ill-treatment and torture, and have credible information that more than 120 detainees have died in custody – some within 24 hours of their arrest. Over 260 attacks on health-care facilities and personnel have been reported since February, including targeting and shooting medical personnel, ambulances and hospitals; arbitrarily detaining medical professionals; military occupation of hospitals; and confiscation of medical supplies such as COVID-19 vaccines and oxygen. These attacks gravely compound the humanitarian consequences of the violence and a surge in the COVID-19 pandemic. Our report A/HRC/48/67, which is before you today, documents many serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, including violations of the rights to life, liberty and security of person; the prohibition against torture; fair trial guarantees; freedom of expression, and freedom of peaceful assembly. Several of these violations may amount to crimes against humanity committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against the civilian population – or, to the extent arising in armed conflict, war crimes. Excellencies, Faced with this overwhelming repression of fundamental rights, a movement of armed resistance is growing, alongside the peaceful protests that have taken place for seven months. Local self-defence groups have taken up arms, and many have joined a growing so-called Defence Force movement. Earlier this month, the interim President of the National Unity Government – which comprises representatives elected in 2020 who oppose the coup – issued a call for nation-wide armed uprising against the military. Armed clashes now occur regularly in many heartland areas where conflict has not been seen in generations. In recent weeks, the Tatmadaw has been conducting offensives in Magway and Sagaing Regions and in Chin State, reportedly killing villagers and burning houses. In border areas that have faced conflict for many years – including Kachin, Shan, Kayin, and Kayah states – some ethnic armed organisations have assisted People’s Defence groups and, in some instances, have conducted joint military operations with them. The Army has launched offensives and reprisal raids against villages perceived to be the bases of people’s defence forces or ethnic armed groups, including artillery barrages and airstrikes against civilian areas. Hundreds of individuals have been killed and injured, and many have been forcibly displaced amid escalating humanitarian needs for food, water, shelter, and medical care. I appeal once again to all armed actors to respect human rights and ensure that civilians and civilian structures are protected. Use of airstrikes and artillery in residential areas, and any form of military operation that targets health centres, places of worship, schools or other protected structures must immediately cease. Excellencies, These disturbing trends suggest the alarming possibility of an escalating civil war. I urge action by members of this Council to actively support a political process that engages all parties to this crisis, including the National Unity Government, civil society, and representatives from the ethnic minority communities, especially women. ASEAN’s initiative should urgently be accompanied by other influential Member States, using a mix of incentives and disincentives to reverse the military coup and desperate spiral of violence. I encourage all parties, especially the military, to allow unrestricted access to facilitate humanitarian assistance, including vaccination efforts and other forms of health-care that should be made available in a non-politicized manner. Medical personnel must be protected, not targeted – and local community groups should be the primary instrument of delivery. To create conditions for peace and dialogue, there must be immediate release of all political prisoners, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian leaders. Accountability remains crucial to any solution going forward. The human rights violations crimes being committed by the Tatmadaw today are built upon the impunity with which they perpetrated the shocking campaigns of violence against the Rohingya just four years ago – and also against many other ethnic minorities over decades. It is crucial that the perpetrators of the most serious international crimes, including potentially genocide, are duly held to account. In this regard, the expanded work of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, with its ongoing mandate over current events, has become even more important. Steps taken by the democratic opposition to engage the International Criminal Court and other bodies may also open new avenues for accountability. I also hope that many more military personnel will grasp that their own futures will not be served by following unlawful orders to commit international crimes. Myanmar’s stability and path to democracy and prosperity have been sacrificed over these last months to advance the ambitions of a privileged and entrenched military elite. Many people who seek only to safeguard democracy and human rights have lost their lives. The national consequences are terrible and tragic -- the regional consequences could also be profound. The international community must redouble its efforts to restore democracy and prevent wider conflict before it is too late..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
2021-09-23
Date of entry/update: 2021-09-24
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "Human Rights Council Forty-eighth session 13 September–1 October 2021 Agenda item 4 Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention **I. Introduction and methodology ** In resolution 46/21, the Human Rights Council requested, inter alia, the High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide oral and written reports on the overall human rights situation in Myanmar, with a particular focus on accountability regarding alleged violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, as well as rule of law and security sector reform since 1 February 2021. This update covers human rights concerns that my Office has documented since the seizure of power by the Myanmar military (Tatmadaw) on 1 February 2021 until mid-July 2021. Developments during this period are presented chronologically to illustrate trends and patterns of human rights violations. Supplementary material elaborating aspects of this report is available via a conference room paper. Findings will be further elaborated in a comprehensive report mandated by resolution 46/21 that is to be presented at the forty-ninth session of the Human Rights Council. OHCHR currently does not have a presence in or access to Myanmar, despite a commitment made by the Government in 2012 to allow OHCHR to open a country office and repeated calls by the Human Rights Council and General Assembly. This has impeded independent in-country monitoring and reporting of the human rights situation, which has become further restricted since the military coup due to Internet restrictions (see Section IV), access and resource constraints, and threats of reprisals against human rights defenders. Despite these challenges, OHCHR has relied on remote monitoring, and use of credible open sources, supplemented where possible by interviews conducted with individuals to obtain first-hand information on specific events. Notwithstanding challenges and risks, OHCHR conducted over 70 interviews with victims and witnesses to human rights violations and has held scores of meetings to collect information from a range of stakeholders. Information and sources have been assessed for credibility, with every effort undertaken to corroborate or verify information to the maximum extent possible. II. Context **5. For decades, the Tatmadaw has committed gross human rights violations with impunity, including alleged **international crimes against ethnic minorities that have been extensively documented for the Human Rights Council. Detailed recommendations have been made on accountability and security sector reform, but have not been implemented.1 Following the February coup, the Tatmadaw has systematically unleashed a new level of violence and repression across the country against the people of Myanmar.2 6. On 1 February 2021, alleging electoral fraud in the November 2020 elections, Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing removed the civilian Government, detained Myanmar’s political leadership and declared a state of emergency, vesting all legislative, judicial and executive power in himself. Myanmar’s people met the coup with near universal rejection and launched a broad-based, sustained and peaceful civil disobedience and protest movement across the country. In succeeding months, a human rights crisis ensued, with a steady escalation of attacks against the civilian population as the Tatmadaw sought to suppress opposition and consolidate power. Military authorities abused the legal framework to stifle free expression, enable arbitrary deprivation of liberty, and strip away due process and fair trial rights as they detained thousands, particularly activists, journalists, and human rights defenders. When nationwide peaceful protests began, military authorities initially used less-lethal weapons in an unnecessary and disproportionate manner and conducted neighbourhood raids, creating an atmosphere of terror. This evolved into systematic targeted killings and mass arrests, with torture and ill-treatment causing additional deaths in custody. Progressively, armed resistance emerged, as people formed self-defence groups or started to organize to conduct attacks against the military. Simultaneously, armed conflict in Myanmar’s border areas has continued and resurged. In both contexts, the Tatmadaw has conducted both targeted and indiscriminate attacks against civilians. Combined with a freefalling economy and worsening COVID-19 pandemic, the situation in Myanmar has become a human rights catastrophe.3..."
Source/publisher: UN Human Rights Council via "Reliefweb" (New York)
2021-09-16
Date of entry/update: 2021-09-22
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
Size: 222.21 KB
more
Description: "This regular update, covering humanitarian developments from 24 June to 27 July, is produced by OCHA Myanmar in collaboration with the Inter-Cluster Coordination Group and UNHCR and WHO. The next update will be issued towards the end of August 2021. HIGHLIGHTS • An estimated 170,200 people remain displaced in south-eastern parts of Myanmar due to violence, armed clashes and insecurity since 1 February. This includes around 121,400 people displaced in Kayah State and neighboring townships of southern areas of Shan State following an escalation of clashes since 21 May. • In Chin State, clashes continued in and around Mindat Township over the course of July and more than 18,100 persons remain internally displaced in over 100 sites in Chin State and in neighboring Magway and Sagaing regions. • In Shan State, population movement remains fluid, with new displacements and small-scale returns recorded during the reporting period. A total of 22,000 people have been displaced across north and southern parts of Shan State since the beginning of 2021; about 7,000 of them remain displaced across 33 temporary sites. • Continuous rains resulted in floods affecting several townships across Rakhine State and parts of south-eastern Myanmar. A number of fatalities have been reported and several thousand people were affected or displaced, according to initial reports. • An Interim Emergency Response Plan has been developed and seeks US$109 million to reach an additional 2 million people with prioritized emergency humanitarian response activities beyond the scope of the 2021. • More funds have been secured for humanitarian response in Myanmar and as of 29 July, 42 per cent of the US$276.5 million requested under the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) has been funded, according to the FTS. However, strengthened donor support is necessary to address the over 50 per cent funding gap. SITUATION OVERVIEW 3 MILLION PEOPLE NEED HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE IN MYANMAR: About 3 million people need humanitarian assistance and protection services across various parts of Myanmar. This includes about 1 million people living in conflict-affected areas in Chin, Kachin, Kayin, Mon, northern Shan and Rakhine identified at the start of 2021 in the HRP. An additional 2 million people are targeted for humanitarian assistance and protection services, as part of the recently developed Interim Emergency Response Plan. The Plan mainly focuses on people in urban and peri-urban areas in Yangon and Mandalay, as well as those displaced or otherwise affected in Chin and Kayin states since 1 February. The Plan will ensure a coordinated approach to respond to people’s food and nutrition needs, water, sanitation and hygiene, education, shelter, health and a wide range of protection services, such as Child Protection and prevention and response to Gender-Based Violence (GBV). The Plan will integrate COVID-19 related prevention and response in its programming. The Interim Emergency Response Plan aims to complement the existing HRP and ensures an operational planning framework for humanitarian partners to coordinate response. The Plan identifies an additional US$109 million in emergency humanitarian programming to be implemented until the end of 2021. These requirements are in addition to the $276.5 million requested through the 2021 HRP. As of 30 July, US$7.8 million has been received against the total requirements under the Interim Plan, which represents 7 per cent of funding. FLUID POPULATION MOVEMENT IN THE SOUTHEAST: The security situation in south-eastern Myanmar remains tense, with sporadic clashes between the Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) and Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) or the “People’s Defense Forces” (“PDFs”) reported in Kayah, Kayin and Mon states and eastern Bago and Tanintharyi regions. In Kayah State, about 5,000 people from 11 villages in Loilen Lay Town in eastern part of Loikaw Township have been displaced on 12 July, following clashes between the MAF and the “Karenni Nationalities Defense Force”, a coalition of the “Karenni Army” and the “PDFs”. UNHCR estimates that about 170,200 persons have been internally displaced since 1 February in south-eastern Myanmar. This includes some 121,400 displaced in Kayah and southern areas of Shan states (Hsihseng and Pekon townships), about 47,700 in Kayin State, including 7,000 people who had returned after having fled to Thailand between April and May but who remain internally displaced, and a further 1,100 in Mon State. According to public sources, 69 civilians have been killed, about 160 houses and 8 churches destroyed in Kayah and southern areas of Shan states due to the hostilities that have erupted in May. Details of these incidents could not be verified due to access challenges and security concerns. The humanitarian situation in the area remains dire, as the majority of displaced populations, who are unable to return due to ongoing hostilities, continue to experience significant challenges in accessing basic needs due to various constraints, including limited humanitarian access. Humanitarian partners continue to make efforts to provide food, non-food-items, medical assistance and shelter materials as well as protection services to the newly displaced and otherwise vulnerable populations. In tandem with increasing needs, humanitarian organizations, are mobilizing funds and finalizing a contingency plan to respond to the emerging situation in the area. Critical needs for food, medicines and shelter have been reported, while a wide range of protection services and other humanitarian needs of affected communities – especially children, women and elderly persons – remain to be fully addressed. OVER 18,000 PEOPLE REMAIN DISPLACED IN CHIN STATE: The security situation in Chin State and neighbouring two regions remains unpredictable, as hostilities between the MAF and the “PDFs” picked up again in several townships. Intermittent clashes have been reported in Mindat in Chin State as well as in Saw in Magway and Kale and Tamu townships in Sagaing regions throughout July. Increased deployment of troops and continued road blockages and checkpoints have been reported in and around Mindat Township with the temporary ceasefire between the “Chinland Defense Force-Mindat” and the MAF not extended beyond 14 July. In Magway Region, several rounds of artillery were reported in Saw Township on 15 July. In Sagaing Region, clashes in several villages in Kale and Tamu townships in mid-July resulted in a reported number of civilian casualties. As of 19 July, more than 18,100 persons remain internally displaced in over 100 displacement sites in Chin, Magway and Sagaing. Most of the displaced persons are in four townships in Chin State, where they have been displaced since mid-May. This displacement is in addition to some 9,850 people who remain displaced across 27 sites in Paletwa Township in Chin State due to the earlier conflict between the MAF and the “Arakan Army”. Access to affected areas remains substantially constrained, although two partners were able to deliver essential assistance to the people in need in certain locations in Mindat Township, including food items for two weeks, medicines, surgical masks and hand sanitizers targeting about 2,000 people. A UN agency also distributed non-food items, including tarpaulins, mosquito nets, mats, blankets, kitchen sets, solar lamps and protective medical equipment in Mindat. RECURRENT POPULATION MOVEMENT IN NORTH AND SOUTHERN SHAN: Armed clashes between the MAF and EAOs and among EAOs in north and southern areas of Shan State continued between late June and mid-July. On 30 June, some 860 persons from 11 villages in Kyaukme Township in northern Shan were displaced following a series of clashes between the “Restoration Council of Shan State” (RCSS) and the allied forces of the “Shan State Progress Party” (SSPP) and the “Ta’ang National Liberation Army”. In Muse Township, more than 400 people in Man Yang Village Tract fled their home on 6 July due to armed clashes between the MAF and the “Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army”; the displaced families were able to return only on 17 July. In Hsipaw Township, about 300 persons from two villages fled their home on 16 July due to clashes between the RCSS and the SSPP. In southern areas of Shan State, partners confirmed the displacement of over 2,900 persons in Kyethi and Mongkaing in mid-July. As of 22 July, some 7,000, out of the 22,479 persons who have been displaced across 14 townships in Shan State, remain displaced across 33 temporary sites in Kyethi and Mongkaing townships in the south and in Hsipaw, Kyaukme and Kunlong townships in northern parts of Shan State. Humanitarian partners and local communities are complementing locally led responses to the newly displaced persons through the provision of food and non-food; however, displaced people remain in need of food, mosquito nets, blankets and COVID-19 prevention related support. FLOODS AFFECT TOWNSHIPS IN RAKHINE STATE AND PARTS OF SOUTH-EAST: Continuous monsoon rains caused flooding in lowland areas in Rakhine State and certain parts of south-eastern Myanmar, including Kayin and Mon states and Tanintharyi Region. Initial reports indicated that some 3,000 people have reportedly been affected, with 100 households evacuated from their homes in Hlaingbwe Township in Kayin State. In addition, more than 1,400 people in several wards in Myawaddy Town in Kayin State were evacuated to 10 relief camps on 26 July and received rice assistance from local communities and structures. Additional people, whose exact number could not be ascertained, have also been affected in several townships in Mon State, including in Mawlamyine and Ye. In Rakhine, initial reports indicated that Kalar Chaung Monastery displacement site, hosting about 1,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) in Mrauk-U Township has been flooded on 25 July. This has affected approximately 24 out of 142 shelters within the displacement site. In Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Rathedaung townships, over 600 households in several villages have been affected, while roads connecting communities have been blocked and power supply disrupted in Thandwe Township since 26 July; water levels on the roads have reached up to nine feet. Some 200 households in the township’s affected areas have been evacuated to safer locations by local volunteers; they are expected to return to their places of origin soon. In Kyaukpyu Township, Kyauk Ta Lone IDP camp, at least 27 families have had their temporary shelter damaged, and dozens of sanitation facilities damaged or destroyed due to the floods. The affected people are taking refuge in the higher sections of the camp, hosted by relatives. Operational partners are currently collaborating with local aid groups and volunteers to better understand the situation and collect information on people’s needs. According to multiple sources, many people in affected locations and other areas where precipitation had been forecasted need support with evacuation. Those who have been evacuated or otherwise affected by floods require assistance in food, emergency shelter, health care and medical supplies, according to initial reports. Local volunteers have managed to evacuate the affected people and have provided initial assistance in terms of food and WASH as well as some COVID-19 awareness raising activities. The response, however, is likely to be impacted by access limitations, including those related to the current COVID-19 prevention measures. COVID-19: Available figures suggest that COVID-19 testing is taking place in States and Regions from both the public and private sectors, with the variants Alpha, Delta, and Kappa identified across the country, according to a report from 15 June, but not the extent to which any single variant dominates infections. Current figures show that the Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) cases have rapidly accelerated, as has the demand for hospitalization. Because the data is limited, it is not possible to confirm how these figures reflect the real situation, but it indicates a rapidly increasing number of infections in the country. From 1-28 July, a total of 126,822 cases were reported from 382,125 tests with a test positive ratio of 33.18 per cent; daily test positive ratio is reaching 40 per cent. A total of 4,876 deaths attributed to COVID-19 were reported during the same period, with Bago, Yangon and Sagaing regions heavily affected. A stay-at-home order have been imposed in over 80 townships across the country, and public holidays in July have been extended in an attempt to reduce the movement of people. This situation is unfolding in a context where access to health facilities is extremely limited. Partners are working to re-operationalize testing and surveillance activities, while COVID-19 treatment centres are being established with available resources and capacities. The full operationalizing of clinical management of cases is planned as soon as possible..."
Source/publisher: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (New York) via "Reliefweb" (New York)
2021-07-30
Date of entry/update: 2021-07-30
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
Size: 550.25 KB
more
Description: "The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar called on the United Nations Security Council and Member States to push for an emergency "COVID ceasefire" today in light of an explosion of COVID-19 infections and deaths in Myanmar even as the State Administrative Council (SAC) escalates its attacks against health care workers. UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews stressed the urgent need for Member States to use all the tools of the UN, including passage of resolutions demanding that the SAC immediately cease all attacks, especially against health care professionals who are desperately needed to fight the COVID-19 pandemic that continues to devastate Myanmar. "Too many in Myanmar have needlessly perished and too many more will die without action by the United Nations," Andrews warned. "The UN must act immediately to halt the military junta's attacks, harassment, and detentions in the midst of a COVID-19 crisis. "Member States of the United Nations cannot afford to be complacent while the junta ruthlessly attacks medical personnel as COVID-19 spreads unchecked. They must act to end this violence so that doctors and nurses can provide life-saving care and international organisations can help deliver vaccinations and related medical care," Andrews said. "Member States with influence on Myanmar's State Administrative Council must follow passage of a UN resolution by urging an immediate cessation of attacks." The junta has murdered at least 931 people and is holding at least 5,630 in arbitrary detention where they are in danger of being infected with the virus. Another 255 people have been sentenced for trumped up crimes, with 26 of them - two of whom are minors - sentenced to death. According to the UNHCR, there are 570,320 internally displaced persons currently living in Rakhine, Chin, Kachin, Shan, Kayin, Mon, and Bago states. Junta forces have engaged in at least 260 attacks against medical personnel and facilities, claiming the lives of at least 18 people. Over 600 health care professionals are currently eluding outstanding arrest warrants and at least 67 are being held by junta forces. In February, the UN Security Council passed a strong resolution demanding ceasefires in all States experiencing conflict. Resolution 2565 demanded "all parties to armed conflicts engage immediately in a durable, extensive, and sustained humanitarian pause to facilitate the equitable, safe and unhindered delivery and distribution of COVID-19 vaccinations in areas of armed conflict". The Council further called for "full, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access, without delay, for humanitarian personnel and medical personnel, their equipment, transport and supplies, in order to facilitate, inter alia, COVID-19 vaccinations, as appropriate". It also demanded the "protection, safety, and security of such humanitarian and medical personnel…" "This resolution represented a principled framework to address the outbreak of COVID-19 in States experiencing unrestrained violence. Given this escalating crisis, these demands must now be focused specifically on Myanmar. Doing so will save untold numbers of lives." Andrews concluded: "Of course the best outcome would be for the junta to stand down so that a legitimate civilian government can lead a coordinated response to the COVID-19 crisis. But in the immediate term, the junta's relentless attacks and detentions must end. For this to be possible, the people of Myanmar need the UN and its Member States to step up with strong, principled action."..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (Geneva)
2021-07-27
Date of entry/update: 2021-07-28
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "UN human rights experts today expressed their utmost concern for the situation of human rights defenders in Myanmar, and called for a stronger international response to the military coup, including coordinated sanctions and an arms embargo against the junta by an ‘emergency coalition of nations’. “The brute force terror campaign we are witnessing in Myanmar continues to be directed towards human rights defenders,” said Mary Lawlor, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, and Tom Andrews, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. The experts highlighted credible information they had received concerning human rights defenders being forced into hiding after having arrest warrants issued against them under section 505(a) of the Penal Code. Their homes were raided, their possessions seized, and family members threatened and harassed. Many others, unable to flee, have been arbitrarily arrested, including labour rights defenders and student activists. Lawyers representing people detained following the coup have themselves been detained, as have journalists covering the protests. “For years, human rights defenders have been doing essential work promoting human rights in the country,” Lawlor said. ”Since the coup, and despite enforced internet blackouts along with difficulties accessing basic resources, especially for defenders forced into hiding or living in rural areas, they have been documenting the mass violations being perpetrated by the military. As a result, they have been targeted,” the expert said. “The people of Myanmar appreciate expressions of concern from the international community, but what they desperately need is action. It is critical that nations stand with and for the beseiged people of Myanmar who are being held hostage by an illegal military junta. It is time for strong, focused and coordinate action that includes economic sanctions and an arms embargo,” added Andrews. Women have played a leading role in the protest and civil disobedience movement that has emerged in the country in response to the military's seizure of the State apparatus in February, and the experts expressed particular concern for the situation of women human rights defenders in the country. “We have heard from women human rights defenders from different ethnic groups in various areas of the country. Their bravery in continuing to speak out against the human rights violations being perpetrated by the military against the country's population, coming as it does in the face of threats of gender-based violence and massive risks for their safety, is astonishing,” said Lawlor “Women human rights defenders are particularly at risk in remote rural areas and are often beaten and kicked before being sent to prison where they can face torture and sexual violence with no medical care provided,” said the Special Rapporteur. Over 892 men and women have been killed since the coup. “A more determined, unified international solidarity with human rights defenders in Myanmar is required to avoid further attacks," Andrews said. Addressing the Human Rights Council in Geneva last week, Andrews called for the urgent formation of an “Emergency Coalition for the People of Myanmar“ to stop what he described as the military junta’s “reign of terror” in the country..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (Geneva)
2021-07-19
Date of entry/update: 2021-07-19
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "Children’s rights in Myanmar are facing an onslaught that risks leaving an entire generation damaged, the UN Child Rights Committee (CRC) has warned. Since the military coup, 75 children have been killed, about 1,000 arbitrarily detained and countless more deprived of essential medical care and education, according to credible information obtained by the Committee. “Children in Myanmar are under siege and facing catastrophic loss of life because of the military coup,” Mikiko Otani, Chair of the CRC, said. The Committee monitors the compliance by States parties to the Child Rights Convention. Myanmar acceded to the Convention in 1991. The Committee strongly condemned the killing of children by the junta and police. Some victims were killed in their own homes, including a six-year old girl in the city of Mandalay, who was shot in the stomach by police and died in her father’s arms. The CRC also deplored the arbitrary detention of children in police stations, prisons and military detention centres. The military authorities have reportedly taken children as hostages when they are unable to arrest their parents. Among those detained is a five-year-old girl in the Mandalay region whose father helped organize protests against the junta. “Children are exposed to indiscriminate violence, random shootings and arbitrary arrests every day. They have guns pointed at them, and see the same happen to their parents and siblings,” Otani warned. The Committee is profoundly concerned at the major disruption of essential medical care and school education in the entire country, as well as access to safe drinking water and food for children in rural areas. The UN Human Rights Office has received credible reports about hospitals, schools and religious institutions being occupied by security forces and subsequently damaged in military actions. According to UNICEF, the UN children’s agency, a million children in Myanmar are missing key vaccinations. More than 40,000 children are no longer getting treatment for severe acute malnutrition. “As a result of the military coup and conflicts, children’s right to life, survival and development have been repeatedly violated,” said Otani. “If this crisis continues, an entire generation of children is at risk of suffering profound physical, psychological, emotional, educational and economic consequences, depriving them of a healthy and productive future.” The Committee called for immediate action to bring about a peaceful solution to the crisis and urged Myanmar to uphold its obligations under the Convention to protect and promote children’s rights to the utmost degree..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
2021-07-16
Date of entry/update: 2021-07-16
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar called for emergency international engagement to address a “perfect storm” of factors that are fuelling the deepening COVID-19 crisis in Myanmar. “An explosion of COVID cases, including the Delta variant, the collapse of Myanmar’s health care system, and the deep mistrust of the people of Myanmar of anything connected to the military junta, are a perfect storm of factors that could cause a significant loss of life in Myanmar without emergency assistance by the international community,” Tom Andrews said. “The highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being and that right is being denied to most within Myanmar. The international community must act.” Andrews reiterated his call made at the Human Rights Council in Geneva on 7 July for an “Emergency Coalition for the People of Myanmar” to, among other things, provide emergency humanitarian aid to the country. “The junta lacks the resources, the capabilities, and the legitimacy to bring this crisis under control,” he said. “The crisis in Myanmar is particularly lethal because of the pervasive mistrust of the military junta. “The international community must help facilitate a non-junta, non-political body to coordinate a COVID response initiative that includes a vaccination programme that the people of Myanmar will trust. “Member states, international organisations, regional bodies and non-government organisations that are willing and able to provide much needed aid must do so before untold numbers perish and Myanmar becomes a super spreader of this deadly virus. “The junta must also account for the $350 million in COVID aid the International Monetary Fund provided the people of Myanmar just days prior to the coup d’état.” Andrews highlighted the acute need for greater amounts of life saving aid to treat COVID. “There is a major lack of capacity including oxygen support to treat those suffering from the virus,” he said. “People are dying because of a shortage of medical resources and trust.” Andrews expressed particular concern for vulnerable populations, including those held in Myanmar’s overcrowded prisons. “Myanmar’s prison population, including the thousands of political prisoners who have been arbitrarily detained since the coup, are in grave danger. Prisoners, particularly those with underlying conditions could see their detention become a death sentence,” he warned. “Myanmar’s neighbours are well placed to help and have a self-interest to do so, but there is no time to waste. Those with influence on junta leaders must immediately seek to secure their cooperation. The UN and others in the international community are positioned to provide immediate assistance to confront this rapidly deteriorating crisis.” ENDS Mr. Thomas Andrews (United States of America) is the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. A former member of the US Congress from Maine, Mr. Andrews is a Robina Senior Human Rights Fellow at Yale Law School and an Associate of Harvard University’s Asia Center. He has worked with the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and parliamentarians, NGOs and political parties in Cambodia, Indonesia, Algeria, Croatia, Serbia, Ukraine and Yemen. He has been a consultant for the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma and the Euro-Burma Network and has run advocacy NGOs including Win Without War and United to End Genocide. The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Comprising the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, Special Procedures is the general name of the Council's independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (Geneva)
2021-07-14
Date of entry/update: 2021-07-15
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, today called for the urgent formation of an “Emergency Coalition for the People of Myanmar“ to stop what he described as the military junta’s “reign of terror” in the country. Addressing the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Andrews said it was time to the end “the failure of those outside of Myanmar to take measures that could help end this nightmare”. “The international community is failing the people of Myanmar,” he said. Andrews highlighted the extreme human rights abuses committed by the junta, which he described as crimes against humanity. “The junta’s military forces have murdered approximately 900 people, forcibly displaced hundreds of thousands, tortured many, including torturing people in custody to death, disappeared untold numbers, and arbitrarily detained nearly 6,000.” Despite its brutality, Andrews stressed that the junta has failed to take control of the country after launching its February coup. “The junta captured many levers of State power, the purse strings of Myanmar’s Treasury and the administrative offices, but it has not - not even close - taken control of the nation and its people,” he said. “The people of Myanmar roundly view the junta as illegitimate and, indeed, a terrorist scourge set loose upon them. “Now, more than ever, we must summon the courage of the people of Myanmar and choose the path of meaningful and sustained action.” Andrews’ call for an Emergency Coalition for the People of Myanmar would include “nations willing to stand with the people of Myanmar through meaningful, coordinated action”. He added: “It could reduce the junta’s ability to attack its citizens, save the lives of those in acute crisis, and gain political leverage so that the crisis in Myanmar might come to a just and permanent conclusion.” The UN expert said that a coalition of nations that are willing work together on strong action to pressure the junta was necessary in light of the paralysis that has followed the consensus decision making that has plagued the international response to date. “The UN Security Council, Human Rights Council and General Assembly have offered statements and resolutions but the people of Myanmar need immediate action,” he told the Council in Geneva on Wednesday. Andrews cited five key actions the Emergency Coalition should take: Significantly reduce the revenue that the junta needs to continue its reign of terror by coordinated tough targeted sanctions, including against Myanmar Oil & Gas Enterprise; Outlaw the export of arms to the Myanmar military, as called for in last month’s General Assembly resolution; Pursue universal jurisdiction cases and coordinate investigations against Myanmar’s senior security officials; Dramatically increase humanitarian aid by working with the National Unity Government to utilize non-junta channels to assure that aid goes directly to the people of Myanmar; and Work together to deny any claims of legitimacy that the junta may try to assert, such as the false claim that they are recognized by the United Nations. “Future generations may look back upon this moment and ask: ‘Did the people and nations of the world do all that they reasonably could to help the people of Myanmar in their hour of great peril and need?’ “I’m afraid that the honest answer to that question, at this point, is no. “There is still time to set a new course and achieve a just outcome for the desperate people of Myanmar,” Andrews said. “But time is short and the stakes could not be higher.” ENDS Mr. Thomas Andrews (United States of America) is the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. A former member of the US Congress from Maine, Andrews is a Robina Senior Human Rights Fellow at Yale Law School and an Associate of Harvard University’s Asia Center. He has worked with the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and parliamentarians, NGOs and political parties in Cambodia, Indonesia, Algeria, Croatia, Serbia, Ukraine and Yemen. He has been a consultant for the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma and the Euro-Burma Network and has run advocacy NGOs including Win Without War and United to End Genocide. The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Comprising the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, Special Procedures is the general name of the Council's independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
2021-07-08
Date of entry/update: 2021-07-08
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Sub-title: The UK's International Ambassador for Human Rights, Rita French, delivered this statement during the Interactive Dialogue with the High Commissioner’s oral update on Myanmar.
Description: "Thank you, Madame President. Thank you High Commissioner for your update and for your continued efforts as you fulfil your mandate. The United Kingdom continues to condemn the military coup in Myanmar, and I reiterate today our call on the military to respect the human rights of the people of Myanmar and their democratic wishes. The coup has had a detrimental impact on freedom of speech. Over 80 journalists have been arrested and many others forced into de facto exile. In many cases, there has been little or no information about their whereabouts, nor have they been provided access to lawyers. This is a clear attack on the rule of law and basic freedoms. Despite the many risks, independent media in Myanmar continue to play an essential role in exposing the actions of the Junta. Journalism is not a crime. We call for the immediate and unconditional release of all those arbitrarily detained and call on the international community to continue to support independent media. In a crisis such as this, where the military regime seeks a monopoly of information, the role of the media is vital in combating propaganda, and keeping alive the spirit of democracy. Supporting these platforms and the verified stories they share is a duty for all of us. High Commissioner, What can the international community do to ensure that journalists are allowed to carry out their job without fear or threat of violence?..."
Source/publisher: Govt. UK (London)
2021-07-06
Date of entry/update: 2021-07-07
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Friday warned that a further escalation in violence is unfolding across Myanmar and must be halted to prevent even greater loss of life and a deepening humanitarian emergency. Reports indicate a military build-up, notably in Kayah State in the east and Chin State in the west of the country. “As I had feared, armed conflict and other violence are intensifying in many parts of Myanmar, including Kayah State, Chin State and Kachin State, with the violence particularly intense in areas with significant ethnic and religious minority groups,” Bachelet said. “State security forces have continued to use heavy weaponry, including airstrikes, against armed groups and against civilians and civilian objects, including Christian churches. “There appear to be no efforts towards de-escalation but rather a build-up of troops in key areas, contrary to the commitments the military made to ASEAN to cease the violence.” Credible reports indicate that security forces have used civilians as human shields, shelled civilian homes and churches in Loikaw, Phekon and Demoso in Kayah State and blocked humanitarian access, including by attacking humanitarian actors. “More than 108,000 people have fled their homes in Kayah State over the last three weeks alone, many into forest areas with little or no food, water, sanitation or medical care. These are people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance,” Bachelet said. “Myanmar’s military, the Tatmadaw, have a duty to protect civilians. The international community needs to unify in its demand that the Tatmadaw cease the outrageous use of heavy artillery against civilians and civilian objects and respect the principle of distinction. The newly formed “people’s defence forces” and other armed groups must also take all feasible measures to protect civilians.” The High Commissioner appealed for hospitals, schools and places of worship to be protected throughout the country. The Office has received credible reports of several incidents in which hospitals, schools and religious institutions have been entered and occupied by the Tatmadaw, fired upon and damaged in military actions. Explosions that have occurred in or near schools are likely to dissuade parents from enrolling their children for the new school year. Thousands of schoolteachers have refused to return to work or have been suspended from their jobs by the military authorities. As a result, the vast majority of children will not be able to access their right to education. Credible reports indicate that a minimum of 860 people have been killed by security forces since 1 February, mostly in the context of protests. Meanwhile, sweeping arrests of activists, journalists and opponents of the regime have continued across the country, with credible sources indicating that at least 4,804 people remain in arbitrary detention. The High Commissioner said she was also deeply troubled by reports of detainees being tortured, and of collective punishment of family members of activists – one mother of an activist was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment in place of her son on 28 May. “Rather than seeking dialogue, the military is branding its opponents as ‘terrorists’ and pursuing politically-motivated charges against the democratic leadership,” Bachelet said. The High Commissioner encouraged the intensification of regional diplomacy, including by ASEAN and other influential States, to insist on the immediate cessation of violence and ongoing human rights violations. Dialogue is urgently needed with the National Unity Government and civil society stakeholders. “In just over four months, Myanmar has gone from being a fragile democracy to a human rights catastrophe. In addition to the loss of life, people are suffering from severe impacts on the social and economic rights. The military leadership is singularly responsible for this crisis, and must be held to account,” Bachelet said. The High Commissioner will be updating the UN Human Rights Council on the situation in Myanmar on 7 July..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
2021-06-11
Date of entry/update: 2021-06-11
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "As powerful actors in the current fragile and deteriorating context in Myanmar, businesses must uphold their human rights responsibilities and put pressure on the military junta to halt grave human rights violations, UN experts* said today. The coup of 1 February has placed businesses with operations or business relations in Myanmar in a challenging situation. While some businesses have reiterated their public support for the rule of law and human rights, and cut ties with the junta, many continue to engage in business with the military as if nothing has happened, they said. As the military junta is intensifying its campaign of repression against its own people in Myanmar, the experts urged companies to act in line with the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights to avoid contributing to human rights violations, or becoming complicit in crimes if they continue to operate in Myanmar. “Because the risk of gross human rights violations has greatly increased in Myanmar, action by States and human rights due diligence by business, and investors, should be rapidly and proportionately heightened,” said Surya Deva, Vice-Chair of the Working Group on Business and Human Rights. “Businesses, both individually and collectively, should exert the maximum leverage on the military in Myanmar to halt what the High Commissioner for Human Rights has said may amount to crimes against humanity,” added the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews. Information suggests that the military’s economic interests, including access to arms and technology, remain largely untouched and unchallenged by other States, and businesses operating in the country. “The revenues that the military earns from domestic and foreign businesses substantially enhances its ability and capacity to carry out these grave violations,” Andrews said. The UN experts noted that measures taken by businesses, such as suspension of payments and financial flows that may aid the perpetration of widespread and systematic human rights violations, should target the military and have the minimum possible negative impact on the rights of employees and the general population. In 2019, the Independent International Fact Finding Mission on Myanmar concluded that no business should enter into an economic or financial relationship with the security forces of Myanmar, in particular the military, or any enterprise owned or controlled by them or their individual members, until and unless they are restructured and transformed. The experts also endorsed the Human Rights Council’s call for home States of businesses investing in, or with supply chains in Myanmar to take appropriate measures so that those businesses actively conduct heightened human rights due diligence and ensure their activities do not cause or contribute to any human rights violations. They added that States should also urge international financial and development institutions to exercise heightened due diligence and cut ties with the military. “There may come a point at which businesses might need to suspend operations or even consider exit from the country if risks of involvement in human rights abuse cannot be reasonably managed, while doing so in a manner to safeguard the well-being of workers and affected communities,” Deva said. Businesses which continue to operate in Myanmar should take all possible measures to protect their employees, support the exercise of all human rights by the people of Myanmar, including the right to peaceful protests, and speak up to preserve civic space and the independence of the media. All States, including leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and G20 countries, should take strong, decisive and coordinated action, and encourage their businesses operating in Myanmar to prevent further human rights violations, the experts added. The Working Group has addressed the topic of heightened action and human rights due diligence in its recent report to the General Assembly: Business and Human Rights in Conflict-Affected Regions: Towards heightened Action..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (Geneva)
2021-05-12
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-13
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Sub-title: One hundred days since the Myanmar military seized power, the "brutal" repression of protesters has continued, despite all international efforts to end the violence, the UN rights office (OHCHR) said on Tuesday.
Description: "“The military authorities are showing no sign of letting up in their brutal crackdown on opponents in a bid to consolidate their hold on power”, spokesperson Rupert Colville told journalists at a media briefing. According to credible reports, as of 10 May, at least 782 people have been killed as security forces used unnecessary, disproportionate and lethal force, to suppress demonstrations and other forms of public participation, since the military coup on 1 February. “While much of the world’s attention has been on the number of peaceful protesters and bystanders killed by the security forces, the authorities continue to commit other gross human rights violations against the people of Myanmar”, added Mr. Colville. The OHCHR spokesperson called for greater international involvement to prevent the human rights situation there from deteriorating further. In particular, he urged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to “react quickly and to intensify its actions” to ensure Myanmar’s military leadership adheres to the commitments it made in the five-point plan agreed at the regional bloc’s meeting of leaders on 24 April, in Jakarta. The five-point consensus agreed to an immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar and that dialogue should be held among all parties to seek a peaceful solution in the interests of the people.....‘Daily raids’ on homes and offices: Mr. Colville went on to note that there are daily raids on private homes and offices, with more than 3,740 people currently in detention, including many in situations that may amount to enforced disappearances. “Of those in custody, the vast majority have not been brought before a judge, while most of the 86 people prosecuted thus far have been tried in secret, with limited or no access to any form of legal counsel”, he said. “Military tribunals and courts martial have been established in several townships in which martial law was declared. At least 25 individuals have received the death sentence to date – some 20 of whom were tried in absentia.”.....Military ‘taking relatives’: Over the past month, the military leadership has issued more than 1,561 arrest warrants against civil society activists, trade unionists, journalists, academics, public personalities and online voices, driving the vast majority of them underground. “To intensify pressure, the military authorities have resorted to taking relatives of wanted people into custody to force them to turn themselves in to the police”, Mr. Colville said, adding that there is also increasing pressure on civil servants to go back to work. In recent weeks, more than 3,000 civil servants – nearly 70 per cent women – have been dismissed, removed, or suspended by the coup leadership. Those suspended also include 990 university professors, researchers and assistants. In addition, there are reports that up to 11,000 more workers in the education sector were suspended on Monday.....‘Deeply concerned’ for those fleeing persecution: The OHCHR spokesperson also voiced “deep concerns” for the people fleeing persecution, especially human rights defenders and journalists. According to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), several hundred people from Myanmar have crossed into Thailand and India in recent weeks. The people seeking safety outside Myanmar must receive such protection and support from Myanmar’s neighbours, Mr. Colville urged, adding that while it can take time to decide whether an individual fleeing the country is a refugee or not, “at the very least they should be treated as an asylum seeker and not forced to go back”. “This is particularly important for people with jobs as sensitive as journalists and those active in the civil disobedience movement, opposing the Tatmadaw (Myanmar’s military).”..."
Source/publisher: UN News
2021-0511
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-11
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Sub-title: Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Rupert Colville
Description: "More than 100 days after the coup in Myanmar, the military authorities are showing no sign of letting up in their brutal crackdown on opponents in a bid to consolidate their hold on power. At the same time, there is no weakening of the resolve of the civil disobedience movement and other facets of opposition to the coup leaders. As of 10 May, credible sources indicate that the security forces, using unnecessary, disproportionate and lethal force to suppress demonstrations and other forms of public participation, have killed at least 782 individuals since the coup on 1 February. While much of the world's attention has been on the number of peaceful protesters and bystanders killed by the security forces, the authorities continue to commit other gross human rights violations against the people of Myanmar. There are daily raids on private homes and offices, and more than 3,740 people are currently in detention. We are deeply alarmed that the whereabouts and fate of hundreds of these individuals are unknown. These are situations that may amount to enforced disappearances. Of those in custody, the vast majority have not been brought before a judge, while most of the 86 people prosecuted thus far have been tried in secret, with limited or no access to any form of legal counsel. Military tribunals and courts martial have been established in several townships in which martial law was declared. At least 25 individuals have received the death sentence to date – some 20 of whom were tried in absentia. Over the past month, the military leadership has issued over 1,561 arrest warrants targeting civil society activists, trade unionists, journalists, academics, public personalities and online voices, so driving the vast majority of them underground. To intensify pressure, the military authorities have resorted to taking relatives of wanted people into custody to force them to turn themselves in to the police. The military authorities are also stepping up their efforts to pressure civil servants back to work. In recent weeks, the coup leadership has dismissed, removed, or suspended more than 3,000 civil servants – nearly 70 per cent of those targeted have been women. Those suspended include 990 university professors, researchers and assistants who in the last few days have been suspended for failing to report to work. There are reports that up to 11,000 more educational workers were suspended on Monday. We are also deeply concerned about the situation of people fleeing persecution, especially human rights defenders and journalists. As the armed conflicts between the Tatmadaw and some of the ethnic armed organizations, particularly in Kachin and Kayin states, have intensified, people seeking protection are being forced to consider seeking safety outside the country. When they do so, they should receive such protection and support from Myanmar's neighbours. It is clear that there needs to be greater international involvement to prevent the human rights situation in Myanmar from deteriorating further. Despite the five-point plan agreed at the ASEAN leaders' meeting on 24 April, the Myanmar military leadership has shown no sign of abiding by it. We call on ASEAN to react quickly and to intensify its actions to ensure the military keeps to these commitments and to hold them accountable for failing to do so..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (Geneva)
2021-05-11
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-11
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Description: "The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, today welcomed the call by a broad number of civil society organizations to impose an arms embargo on Myanmar's military junta, and encouraged States to take their own actions immediately. "Stopping the flow of weapons and dual-use weapons technology into the hands of the military junta of Myanmar is literally a matter of life and death. There is no time to lose," said Andrews. "I applaud the efforts of more than 200 organisations to bring this to the attention of the UN Security Council. Action to stop the flow of deadly weapons into the hands of those who are using them to massacre their own people is needed now. "I urge governments who support cutting the flow of weapons to a brutal military junta to consider immediately establishing their own arms embargo against Myanmar while simultaneously encouraging UN Security Council action. "Bilateral arms embargoes should encompass weapons and dual-use technology, including surveillance equipment. Together, they will represent an important step forward to literally taking guns out of the hands of those killing innocent men, women and children." Andrews said he was currently updating a list of States that have established arms embargoes against Myanmar. In his March report* to the Human Rights Council, he identified those nations that had already established arms embargoes against Myanmar. "It is my hope that those who have yet to impose an arms embargo will do so in light of the horror that the Myanmar military continues to inflict on its citizens every day. I intend to publish this updated list next month," he said. "Additionally, I urge organizations and advocates who have called for UN Security Council action to simultaneously urge governments to impose their own arms embargo. They can begin by carefully reviewing the list of nations who have established arms embargoes, and reach out to those who have yet to do so."..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
2021-05-07
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-08
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Topic: Joint Statement by Alice Wairimu Nderitu, United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, and Michelle Bachelet, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, on the situation in Myanmar
Sub-title: Myanmar: Top UN officials condemn “systematic” attacks on peaceful protesters, and flag international responsibility to protect the people from atrocity crimes
Topic: Joint Statement by Alice Wairimu Nderitu, United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, and Michelle Bachelet, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, on the situation in Myanmar
Description: "The UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Alice Wairimu Nderitu, and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, on Sunday issued a clear warning of a heightened risk of atrocity crimes in Myanmar, following another day of widespread bloodshed by the Myanmar military. The two senior UN officials strongly condemned the Myanmar military’s widespread, lethal, increasingly systematic attacks against peaceful protesters, as well as other serious violations of human rights since it seized power on 1 February 2021. Thousands of people have also been arbitrarily arrested – many subjected to enforced disappearance. Saturday witnessed the bloodiest day since the demonstrations against the coup began, with security forces killing at least 107 individuals – including 7 children – according to multiple credible reports, with the number of deaths expected to rise as reports are confirmed. Hundreds more were wounded and detained during these seemingly coordinated attacks in over 40 locations throughout the country. Bachelet and Nderitu called on the military to immediately stop killing the very people it has the duty to serve and protect. “The shameful, cowardly, brutal actions of the military and police – who have been filmed shooting at protesters as they flee, and who have not even spared young children – must be halted immediately. The international community has a responsibility to protect the people of Myanmar from atrocity crimes,” Bachelet and Nderitu said. The Special Adviser and the High Commissioner called on the Security Council to take further steps, building on its statement of 10 March 2021, and for ASEAN and the wider international community to act promptly to uphold the responsibility to protect the people of Myanmar from atrocity crimes. While the State has the primary responsibility to protect its population, the international community shares that responsibility, and in cases where the State is manifestly failing, the international community “should take timely and collective action in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations to protect civilian populations that are at risk of atrocity crimes.” Nderitu and Bachelet called for an end to systemic impunity in Myanmar. “We must ensure accountability for past crimes and deter the most serious international crimes from being committed,” the two officials stated. “The failure to address the atrocity crimes the military has committed in the past, including against Rohingya and other minorities, has brought Myanmar to this terrible pass. There is no way forward without accountability and fundamental reform of the military.” The senior officials urged all parties – including defecting officials, police and military officers – to cooperate with international mechanisms, including the International Criminal Court and the Human Rights Council’s Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, in fighting impunity in the country. This situation has also put at further risk the already vulnerable ethnic and religious minorities in Myanmar, including the Rohingya. This population has long suffered horrific violence at the hands of the Myanmar military with impunity, as documented by the Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar established by the Human Rights Council. “We are deeply concerned about the impact that the current situation may have on these populations and are closely monitoring developments. The rights of minority groups, including the Rohingya population must be fully respected,” the two UN officials stated. They noted the diversity of the protest movement, and encouraged the newfound sense of unity across ethnic and religious divides, as well as the growing recognition of past crimes against minorities, including Rohingya..."
Source/publisher: United Nations Secretary-General
2021-03-28
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-02
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
more
Topic: Protection and Human Rights
Topic: Protection and Human Rights
Description: "UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Tuesday urged States to take immediate, decisive and impactful measures to push Myanmar's military leadership into halting its campaign of repression and slaughter of its people. "We have witnessed yet another weekend of coordinated bloodshed in many parts of the country, including the reported mass killing of at least 82 people in Bago between Friday and Saturday. The military seems intent on intensifying its pitiless policy of violence against the people of Myanmar, using military-grade and indiscriminate weaponry," Bachelet said. "There are clear echoes of Syria in 2011. There too, we saw peaceful protests met with unnecessary and clearly disproportionate force. The State's brutal, persistent repression of its own people led to some individuals taking up arms, followed by a downward and rapidly expanding spiral of violence all across the country. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights at the time warned in 2011 that the failure of the international community to respond with united resolve could be disastrous for Syria and beyond. The past ten years have shown just how horrific the consequences have been for millions of civilians." "I fear the situation in Myanmar is heading towards a full-blown conflict. States must not allow the deadly mistakes of the past in Syria and elsewhere to be repeated." Over the weekend, credible reports indicate that Tatmadaw forces opened fire with rocket-propelled grenades, fragmentation grenades and mortar fire in Bago in the south of the country. Security forces also reportedly prevented medical personnel from helping the wounded, as well as charging relatives a "fine" of roughly USD 90 to claim the bodies of those who were killed. Some individuals are also now resorting to the use of makeshift or primitive weapons in self-defence. Clashes between the military and ethnic armed groups have also intensified in several locations in Kachin, Shan and Kayin states, where the military have been employingairstrikes that have killed and displaced civilians. As arrests continue, with at least 3,080 people currently detained, there are reports that 23 people have been sentenced to death following secret trials -- including four protesters and 19 others who were accused of political and criminal offences. The mass arrests have forced hundreds of people to go into hiding, and reports suggest that many journalists, civil society activists, celebrities and other public figures are being sought, many simply because of the dissent they have been expressing on-line. Wireless broadband and mobile data services were cut indefinitely on 2 April, leaving the vast majority of people without access to vital sources of information and communication. Meanwhile, the country's economy, education and health infrastructure have been brought to the brink of collapse, leaving millions of Myanmar people without livelihood, basic services and, increasingly, food security. Thousands of internal migrants have left urban centres for their home communities -- which once relied on their income. COVID-19 measures have effectively been brought to a standstill. The High Commissioner called on the Myanmar military and neighbouring States to facilitate humanitarian access to populations in need. She urged neighbouring States to give temporary protection to people fleeing the violence, and to refrain from returning people fleeing Myanmar at this time, in accordance with the principle of non-refoulement. "Statements of condemnation, and limited targeted sanctions, are clearly not enough. States with influence need to urgently apply concerted pressure on the military in Myanmar to halt the commission of grave human rights violations and possible crimes against humanity against the people," Bachelet said. The High Commissioner made particular reference to the report of the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, which contains clear recommendations for impactful action in relation to the military.* Bachelet stressed the need to cut off the supply of arms and finances to the military leadership that aid its commission of serious human rights violations..."
Source/publisher: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights via "Reliefweb" (New York)
2021-04-13
Date of entry/update: 2021-04-26
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
Size: 73.24 KB
more
Description: "As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect the lives of millions across Myanmar, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is expanding its support to the Government of Myanmar's national response. On 16 December, UNHCR handed over 50,000 Cobas SARS-CoV-2 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test kits to the Union Ministry of Health and Sports in Nay Pyi Taw. The arrival of the test kits adds on to an earlier contribution of 20,000 kits by UNHCR and WFP in July. Collectively, over 145,000 test kits have been handed over to Government by the wider United Nations system as part of a joint response to date. “UNHCR continues to support the Government’s nationwide efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure that vulnerable communities are not left out”, said UNCHR Representative in Myanmar Ms. Hai Kyung Jun. The Refugee Agency has so far equipped over 400 quarantine centres with basic items such as beds, blankets, kitchen sets and hygiene kits, and distributed 685,200 pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) for front-line workers and vulnerable communities, including gloves, masks, disposable gowns and face shields. An additional batch of 367,000 N95 masks is expected to arrive by the end of the year and will be distributed to counterpart ministries. UNHCR has also stepped-up campaigns to raise awareness on COVID-19 prevention in camps and sites for internally displaced people and stateless persons, as well as health, water, sanitation and hygiene services in these locations by installing new water points and distributing hygiene items such as soap and hand sanitizer. To date, over 670,000 people across Kachin, Rakhine and Shan states as well as the South East region of Myanmar have benefitted from the collective efforts of the Government, UNHCR, sister UN agencies and partner humanitarian organizations in providing life-saving assistance to those in need..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: UN High Commissioner for Refugees (Geneva) via Reliefweb (New York)
2020-12-17
Date of entry/update: 2021-01-04
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf pdf
Size: 468.96 KB 482.59 KB
more
Description: "Infographic: Thailand-Myanmar Border Resettlement Dashboard - January 2020..."
Source/publisher: UN High Commissioner for Refugees (Geneva) via reliefweb (New York)
2020-02-10
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-11
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
Format : pdf
Size: 362.54 KB
more
Description: "UN human rights experts welcomed the news that convicted Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are back at home with their families in Myanmar, but expressed serious concerns about the judicial process in the country and the fact that their guilty verdicts still stand. The two reporters, who won a Pulitzer Prize last month for their investigation into the 2017 massacre of Rohingya men and boys at Inn Din village, Rakhine State, were granted a presidential pardon on 7 May. They had been serving a seven-year jail sentence in connection with the reporting, charged with breaching the 1923 Official Secrets Act. “While it is good news that Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo have been reunited with their families and will not have to carry out the remainder of their sentences, their convictions under the Official Secrets Act have not been withdrawn and they should never have been prosecuted in the first place,” said the UN Special Rapporteurs on the situation of human rights in Myanmar Yanghee Lee and freedom of expression David Kaye. “We remain terribly concerned about the state of media freedom and the democratic space in Myanmar. The authorities have a considerable way to go to in law, policy and institution-building to ensure a minimum level of democratic space, which is particularly important in the lead up to national elections next year,” the experts said. Trials against other journalists and human rights defenders are ongoing. Reports have been received of charges recently made by the military against the editors of the Irrawaddy, Radio Free Asia and DMG news outlets as a result of their independent reporting of the current conflict in Rakhine State with the Arakan Army. These cases and restrictions on media access to Rakhine State are preventing reporting of the conflict as well as of human rights violations that continue to be routinely perpetrated against the civilian population, including the remaining Rohingya. “We have previously raised concerns about the independence of the judiciary and the Government’s commitment to establishing a democracy that respects human rights,” the experts said. “We therefore again urge the Government to undertake the necessary reforms to bring about genuine democracy and reverse its course into repression.” Thousands of prisoners were released across Myanmar under Presidential pardons which are made annually during the new year celebrations, many of whom were convicted under laws that urgently need reform. Several people convicted under politically motivated charges have been released, however at least 20 political prisoners remain in jail..."
Source/publisher: UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
2019-05-08
Date of entry/update: 2019-06-14
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
more
Description: "When the UN’s Independent International Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) on Myanmar completed a 444-page report last year documenting atrocities committed by security forces against Myanmar’s ethnic Rohingya minority, its experts reported to the Human Rights Council, the General Assembly, the Security Council, and a global audience via the media. Last month, the mission’s Experts took it upon themselves to report to the Rohingya themselves. On a May 5 visit to Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, FFM Chairman Marzuki Darusman and Expert member Christopher Sidoti met with scores of refugees – the majority of whom had fled an explosion of violence in Myanmar’s troubled Rakhine State two years ago. Among those present were witnesses, survivors and community leaders who had contributed vital testimony to the report. The meeting marked the first time the Experts were able to formally brief them, and the first time the Rohingya were able to pose questions of their own. Most of those present asked about the slow pace of justice and said they were desperate to return home. Trapped inside a vast network of camps that have become the largest refugee settlement in the world (900,000 people), they complained they were being excluded from discussions over their future by governments and humanitarian organizations. One man stood up to ask about some of the greatest challenges the exiled Rohingya now face: access to education, and jobs. “Our concern is what’s going to happen to the next generation,” he said. “If we’re stuck here … what will happen to them?” A few minutes later, a woman stood up to thank the Experts for taking the time to listen. “In Myanmar we never had the chance to speak about our rights and our demands,” she said, “and even here in the camps women especially don’t have that opportunity.” The woman said the FFM’s report had helped inform the world about the “indescribable violence” the Rohingya community had experienced. She added: “we would like to know, how can this type of suffering be stopped from happening again?” A Unique Opportunity Investigative missions established by the Human Rights Council report primarily to UN member States in Geneva and New York. But because the FFM’s mandate was extended an additional year – it expires in September 2019 – the Experts had the opportunity to go back and meet with those they reported on. “For us, this was the most important report back we’ve done,” Sidoti said. “Our report was the product of what they told us. Theirs are the stories we told. So we wanted to ensure that after their cooperation with us we had an opportunity to tell them what we found and what we recommended and what’s going to happen from here.” “I hope very much that as a result of our experience this will become standard for Human Rights Council investigations,” Sidoti said, shortly after FFM staff handed out summarized copies of their 2018 findings. “The mandate given to the investigative teams should require a report, not just to UN mechanisms, but also to the affected communities.” During their visit, the Experts held two meetings in the refugee camps, one exclusively with women. They also met with Rohingya on the Bangladeshi side of a strip of land at Konarpara, which straddles the Myanmar frontier, and heard new testimony from recent arrivals. The trip was part of a 10-day journey through the region that began May 3 and ended with the Experts urging the international community to cut all financial ties to Myanmar’s military, saying its commanders needed to be “isolated” and brought before a credible court to answer charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide..."
Source/publisher: UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
2019-06-03
Date of entry/update: 2019-06-14
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
more
Description: "Wai Wai Nu had never committed any crime, but at 18, she was told she was going to prison. She had just started law school when the sentence was handed down to her father, and by consequence, to Wai Wai, her mother, sister and brother. The family believed they would be released after a few months, but for seven years, they were forced to endure squalid, overcrowded conditions in Myanmar’s infamous Insein Prison. Her brother was sent to another prison. According to the authorities, Wai Wai’s crime was being the daughter of Kyaw Min, a school teacher and political activist from Rakhine State in western Myanmar. For the last few decades, northern Rakhine State has been the epicentre of crisis. Wai Wai’s family belongs to the marginalised Rohingya community, a community in Rakhine that continues to suffer persecution and mass displacement today. Since mid-2017, nearly one million Rohingya have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh. In March this year, UN Human Rights High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet described a situation of ‘systematic discrimination and pervasive restrictions on freedom of movement’ when delivering the Office’s report to the Human Rights Council. "When the judge first gave us our sentence, I didn’t cry, I didn’t want to show my sadness or weakness. I also didn’t want my parents to feel guilty about what happened to us. But when I arrived at the prison with my mum and my sister, we cried for three days. "When we started the sentence, I had two more years of law school to go. Each day, at the time when school would have started, I felt like I was dying inside. No youth should go to prison without committing any crime. Their place is not prison, their place is at university." Wai Wai finally earned her law degree when she left prison, graduating from Yangon East University. She looks back on her time in prison describing it as her ‘life university,’ and how it was one of the main triggers for her work as a human rights defender today. "I realised how deep discrimination was towards women in all aspects of their life: access to education, to healthcare, to economy, to politics and to decision-making processes." Today she travels the world, speaking publicly on the plight of Rohingya women and girls. She was recently in Geneva, presenting to the UN’s Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women. A recent report by the Committee shows an ongoing devastating situation for Rohingya women and girls, highlighting ongoing widespread atrocities– sexual violence, deprivation of nationality, restriction of freedom of movement, and a severe lack of access to healthcare, education and housing. Despite repeated requests from the UN and the international community, the report notes that there ‘has been no evidence of measures taken to effectively prevent and address the human rights violations committed.’ As one example, it says Myanmar authorities continue to deny that any sexual violence has been committed, concluding that ‘no genuine efforts’ have been taken to hold perpetrators accountable..."
Creator/author: Wai Wai Nu
Source/publisher: UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
2019-06-14
Date of entry/update: 2019-06-14
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
more