Dec 3, 2020 | RM, Statements
Click here for a PDF version of this letter. This joint letter was publicly released on 12 November, 2020.
Honorable Foreign Secretary
Mr. Masud Bin Momen
September 21, 2020
Re: Request for the Cooperation of the Government of Bangladesh to Facilitate a Visit for Human Rights Groups to Bhasan Char Island
Dear Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen,
We, the undersigned five human rights organizations, would like acknowledge the Government of Bangladesh’s efforts to provide humanitarian assistance and emergency shelter to more than one million Rohingya refugees who fled brutal attacks by Myanmar authorities in 2016 and 2017 as well as Bangladesh’s role in providing shelter and support to hundreds of thousands of Rohingya who previously fled persecution in Myanmar.
We note that more than 300 Rohingya refugees are currently being housed on Bhasan Char island and that the Government of Bangladesh is moving forward with plans to relocate up to 100,000 Rohingya from Cox’s Bazar District to Bhasan Char after the monsoon season.
We recognize the efforts made by the Government of Bangladesh to respond to concerns raised by the United Nations, humanitarian aid agencies, human rights groups, and Rohingya refugees in regards to the facilities and conditions for refugees on the island and whether they meet international humanitarian and human rights standards.
We request the Government of Bangladesh to provide timely access to Bhasan Char, including unfettered access to meet with refugees, for a United Nations protection team, as well as for a United Nations-led technical team to review the sustainability and environmental conditions on the island.
We understand on September 5, a group of 40 Rohingya refugee representatives including Majhis visited the island on a “go and see” visit from refugee camps in mainland Cox’s Bazar District to see the facilitates and the situation on the island.
In this context we also note your comments during an August 24 webinar stating the Bangladesh government “may also arrange the visit of human rights groups and select media to appreciate the facilities created.”
We therefore request your government to facilitate and provide us, the undersigned international human rights organizations, with access to Bhasan Char island to conduct a joint assessment of the facilities and conditions for those on the island, at your earliest convenience.
We request the joint visit allow free and unfettered access to the island and ability to speak to Rohingya refugees privately. Our organizations hope to provide the Government of Bangladesh with both public and private recommendations.
We thank you for your attention to these matters, and we welcome the opportunity to assist and support your administration to ensure the protection of Rohingya refugees.
Sincerely,
David Griffiths, Director of the Office of the Secretary General, Amnesty International
Eric Schwartz, President, Refugees International, Former Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration
Kerry Kennedy, President, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights
Matthew Smith, Chief Executive Officer, Fortify Rights
Teddy Baguilat, Executive Director, ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, Former Member of Parliament of the Philippines
Nov 9, 2020 | FoRB, Opinion Articles, RM
By Kasit Piromya, former Thai MP and Board Member of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights
The deaths of more than a dozen Rohingyas on an overcrowded boat that was bound for Malaysia but capsized in the Bay of Bengal in early February highlighted the desperation that about a million refugees continue to face in the sprawling camps in southern Bangladesh. While the refugees’ plight is of high concern, it often overshadows the fact that the situation has only gotten worse for the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya still in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, where the refugees in Bangladesh lived before fleeing persecution and violence over recent decades.
In both Myanmar and Bangladesh, the desperate plight of the Rohingyas has no end in sight. This is particularly true for the often forgotten hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas who remain in Rakhine, where the conflict between the Arakan Army (AA) and the Tatmadaw, Myanmar’s military, keeps intensifying.
The shelling of a school in northern Rakhine’s Buthidaung Township on Myanmar’s Children’s Day last month, which injured about 20 primary school students, should have been the final straw of the violence. Instead, thousands of civilians from all communities in Rakhine continue to live in fear as the number of casualties and injuries, as well as those displaced, grows every day.
How many more people have to suffer and how many more villages need to be hit by artillery as so-called “collateral damage” before Myanmar takes its obligations seriously and protects all civilians in the restive state?
On top of the conflict-related violence, communities in Rakhine state face the added ignominy of living under one of the world’s longest-running telecom shutdowns, which has been in place in one form or another since June 2019. The internet blackout has a disproportionate impact on local civilians, hampering their access to livelihoods and to basic information, while also obstructing the work of journalists, human rights monitors, and aid organizations.
Humanitarian groups have been prevented from providing crucial aid to many areas where the Rohingyas live, leaving thousands at risk of starvation. Meanwhile, state-imposed restrictions on freedom of movement mean that the Rohingyas cannot even flee for safety if the conflict encroaches close to where they are living.
The situation in Rakhine state is troubling for all communities, but particularly so for the approximately 600,000 Rohingyas who remain trapped in an apartheid system that has been ongoing for almost eight years. Not only are their villages being caught up in the violence, but there is credible evidence that they are being used as forced laborers in Tatmadaw camps, as “guides” to find AA fighters in remote areas, and as sentries in villages. All this while continuing to face severe restrictions on their rights to citizenship, freedom of movement, and access to education, healthcare, and livelihoods.
Put simply, Myanmar authorities have done nothing to improve the situation for the Rohingyas living in Rakhine state in recent years, and in many ways the conflict and the government’s imposed restrictions mean that the situation has only gotten worse. Amid this environment, how can ASEAN and other countries even begin to talk about repatriations taking place?
ASEAN’s efforts to facilitate and promote the repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar is rushed and one-sided. It has totally embraced Myanmar’s narrative on the ongoing situation in Rakhine state and failed to consult and engage with Rohingya refugees.
The lack of progress clearly calls for ASEAN governments to do more to help resolve the protracted crisis.
Yet, despite ASEAN’s charter — the bloc’s legally binding founding agreement — claiming to adhere to “respect for and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms,” ASEAN member states have been too eager to hide behind its policy of noninterference regarding a member’s domestic affairs to avoid questioning Myanmar’s highly defensive narrative.
Instead, members of the ASEAN Plus Three grouping, comprising the bloc’s member states as well as China, Japan and South Korea, are supporting humanitarian and repatriation efforts in Rakhine state. In recent months, Indonesia and South Korea have donated half a million U.S. dollars each to support ASEAN efforts for the repatriation of the Rohingyas.
However, with conditions on the ground deteriorating, and most refugees not willing to consider moving back without guarantees for their rights and safety, ASEAN’s aid will be of little benefit to the Rohingyas if the bloc does not play a role in helping Myanmar tackle the root causes of the crisis and take steps toward restoring citizenship rights, lifting discriminatory movement restrictions, and ensuring full accountability of those responsible for the atrocities. Humanitarian aid is in dire need, but highly flawed if its access is being restricted and no measures are taken toward a sustainable solution that means that aid is no longer required.
Further, by only relying on Myanmar’s word about the situation in Rakhine state, how can ASEAN governments even be sure that their money and aid are being used to benefit all communities? ASEAN members should request access on the ground to verify and evaluate that their contributions are being spent effectively and having a positive impact — something that can only be achieved by consulting all communities, including the Rohingyas, directly.
An opportunity for progress emerged recently, when the International Court of Justice ordered Myanmar to not commit any acts of genocide and to prevent the destruction of potential evidence. Myanmar must submit a report back to the court within four months of the January 23 decision, and every six months thereafter.
The ICJ case relates to the most heinous crimes under international law, and should lead to greater urgency among ASEAN member states to prevent war crimes, crimes against humanity, and possible genocide against the Rohingyas. A welcome step would be for ASEAN member states to offer assistance in helping Myanmar meet its reporting obligations for the ICJ ahead of the May 23 deadline.
Myanmar has consistently said it needs time to deal with the complex issues in Rakhine state, but ASEAN must start questioning Myanmar’s lack of progress toward improving the situation on the ground. ASEAN can be a constructive player in resolving this crisis but must recognize that helping Myanmar — a member state — to overcome the ongoing issues in Rakhine is a collective responsibility that requires more than humanitarian assistance. The impacts of the crisis are being felt across the region and will continue to do so as long as Myanmar’s government refuses to tackle the root causes of the crisis and ensure accountability.
We need to finally start seeing concrete progress in Rakhine, so that the issue moves toward a resolution, and justice for the Rohingyas can finally be served.
This article was originally published in The Diplomat
Kasit Piromya is the former foreign minister of Thailand, a former member of Parliament, and a board member of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR).
Nov 9, 2020 | COVID19, Open Letters, RM
Sheikh Hasina
Prime Minister
Old Sangsad Bhaban
Tejagaon, Dhaka-1215
Bangladesh
Dear Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,
As authorities around the world struggle to cope with the spread of COVID-19, it is crucial that States act to protect the most vulnerable, including refugee populations.
We, the 50 undersigned organizations, have welcomed the Bangladesh government’s efforts to host the Rohingya refugees who were forced to flee atrocities perpetrated by the Myanmar Army. We also commend the Bangladesh Government for working closely with the humanitarian community on COVID-19 preparedness and response in Cox’s Bazar District, including efforts to establish isolation and treatment facilities.
Now we write to urge you to lift ongoing mobile internet restrictions and halt the construction of barbed wire fencing around the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar District. These measures threaten the safety and well-being of the refugees as well as Bangladesh host communities and aid workers, in light of the growing COVID-19 pandemic.
As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads to Bangladesh, unrestricted access to information via mobile and internet communications is crucial for slowing the transmission of the disease and saving the lives of refugees, humanitarian workers, and the general population of Bangladesh. Lifting restrictions will not only enable community health workers to quickly share and receive the most reliable and up-to-date guidance during this evolving pandemic, but will also help in coordination with community leaders. We urge you to ensure refugees, local communities, and aid workers alike can freely access mobile and internet communications, in the interest of protecting human rights and public health.
Since September 2019, Bangladesh authorities have prevented Rohingya refugees from obtaining SIM Cards and directed telecommunications operators to restrict internet coverage in Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar District. According to Bangladesh’s Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mahbub Alam Talukder in Cox’s Bazar, authorities have confiscated more than 12,000 SIM Cards from refugees since September and refugees report that in some instances authorities have prohibited the use of mobile phones altogether.
These restrictions should be lifted in light of the government’s recommendation to those experiencing COVID-19 symptoms to contact the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research, hotline. Without a phone or SIM Card, abiding by this instruction is impossible. Furthermore, without access to mobile and internet communications, aid workers and others will be forced to deliver critical health information in person, heightening their risk of exposure to COVID-19 and slowing the effectiveness of the response.
Access to information is an essential component of an effective public health response to a pandemic. On March 19, experts from the United Nations, the Organization of American States, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe called on all governments to “ensure immediate access to the fastest and broadest possible internet service” in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that, “[e]specially at a time of emergency, when access to information is of critical importance, broad restrictions on access to the internet cannot be justified on public order or national security grounds.”
In addition to providing access to information, there is a critical need for the government to take extra precautions to ensure the safety and well-being of the refugees. On March 24, Commissioner Mahbub Alam Talukder told media that in response to the spread of COVID-19, “All activities will be suspended in every camp. . . . However, emergency services with respect to food, health, and medicine will continue as usual.” The Bangladesh government should ensure that protective measures, including provision of sufficient personal protective equipment, are available for the aid workers and volunteers providing these essential services in accordance with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee’s “Interim Guidance” on COVID-19 response operations in humanitarian settings.
During this time, the Government of Bangladesh should work in close collaboration with international humanitarian organizations and Rohingya-led groups to disseminate accurate and timely information on COVID-19 and mitigate the risk of the virus spreading into the camps and in adjacent host communities.
The government should further balance travel restrictions to ensure that additional humanitarian health workers can safely enter the country and camps without facing undue bureaucratic impediments.
We also write to share our concern regarding the construction of barbed-wire fencing around refugee camps. On September 26, 2019, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal announced plans to construct barbed-wire fencing and guard towers around Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar District. Various statements by government officials have made it clear that the purpose of the fencing is not to protect the Rohingya, but rather to confine them. The Bangladesh Home Minister told journalists the reason for building the fencing was to “ensure that the Rohingya do not leave the camp and join our community.” Construction on the fencing began in November 2019.
This construction is motivated by concerns arising prior to the global outbreak of COVID-19, but now risks not only harming refugees but impeding the response to the pandemic. The Bangladesh government’s construction of fencing to enclose the Rohingya refugee camps has created heightened distress, fear, and mistrust among Rohingya refugees, posing greater risks to public health and needless obstructions to humanitarian access as it will become harder for refugees to enter and exit the camp for services.
In constructing barbed-wire fencing to confine Rohingya refugees, Bangladesh risks mirroring the behavior of Myanmar authorities, who presently confine more than 125,000 Rohingya to more than 20 internment camps in five townships of Rakhine State. Instead, Bangladesh should ensure proper access to health care with ease of mobility. This is particularly crucial for those most vulnerable in the refugee camps, including those living with disabilities, older people, and children.
Rohingya refugees remain vulnerable as they depend on humanitarian assistance. It is critical to maintain humanitarian access to the camps at this time. It is equally important to prepare the Rohingya community—men, women, and youth—to be capacitated to support their community at this time. Rohingya community volunteers will be the first responders in this crisis and must be equipped with personal protective equipment and trained accordingly on health and hygiene promotion.
We urge you and your government to uphold the rights of Rohingya refugees to health, freedom of expression and access to information, and freedom of movement. We also call on the Bangladesh Government to ensure non-discrimination between refugees and citizens in accessing timely COVID-19 testing and treatment.
We strongly believe these protections will also benefit overall public health in Bangladesh.
We thank you for your attention to these issues, and we offer our assistance and support to protect the lives and well-being of all those within the territory of Bangladesh, including Rohingya refugees.
CC:
Minister of Disaster Management and Relief Enamur Rahman
Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mahbub Alam Talukder
Signatories:
1. ARTICLE 19
2. ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights
3. Action Corps
4. Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma (ALTSEAN-Burma)
5. Amnesty International
6. Arakan Rohingya National Organisation
7. Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network
8. Association Rohingya Thailand
9. Beyond Borders Malaysia
10. British Rohingya Community UK
11. Burma Campaign UK
12. Burma Human Rights Network
13. Burma Task Force
14. Burmese Rohingya Association in Japan
15. Burmese Rohingya Community in Denmark
16. Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK
17. Canadian Burmese Rohingya Organization
18. Canadian Rohingya Development Initiative
19. Emgage Action
20. European Rohingya Council
21. FIDH – International Federation for Human Rights
22. Fortify Rights
23. Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect
24. Global Justice Center
25. Human Rights Watch
26. Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention, Binghamton University
27. International Campaign for the Rohingya
28. International Human Rights Clinic, Harvard Law School
29. Justice For All
30. Justice4Rohingya UK
31. Kaladan Press Network
32. Karen Women’s Organization
33. Myanmar Alliance for Transparency and Accountability
34. People Empowerment Foundation
35. Pusat KOMAS, Malaysia
36. Queensland Rohingya Community
37. Refugees International
38. Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights
39. Rohingya Action Ireland
40. Rohingya Association of Canada
41. Rohingya Global Youth Movement
42. Rohingya Human Rights Network
43. Rohingya Peace Network Thailand
44. Rohingya Refugee Network
45. Rohingya Today
46. Save Rohingya Worldwide
47. Society for Threatened Peoples Germany
48. U.S. Campaign for Burma
49. Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
50. WITNESS
Nov 9, 2020 | Open Letters, RM
A PDF version of this joint letter is available here.
November 12, 2019
Re: Plans to Move Rohingya Refugees to Bhasan Char Island
Dear Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,
We, the 39 undersigned organizations, welcome the recent announcement on November 3 by the Bangladesh Minister of Disaster Management and Relief Enamur Rahman to put on hold plans to relocate Rohingya refugees to Bhasan Char island and that any relocations would be voluntary.
We urge your administration to meaningfully consult Rohingya refugees on all potential solutions and plans affecting their situation and ensure relocations proceed only with their free, prior, and informed consent. We welcome the announcement by the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief Senior Secretary Md Shah Kamal allowing the United Nations (U.N.) to conduct a technical assessment of Bhasan Char island from November 17 to 19. We urge your administration to ensure that the assessment is made publicly available.
We recognize your leadership in providing humanitarian assistance and emergency shelter to more than one million Rohingya refugees who fled brutal attacks by Myanmar authorities in 2016 and 2017 as well as Bangladesh’s role in providing protracted shelter and support to hundreds of thousands of Rohingya who previously fled persecution in Myanmar.
While we respect your government’s commitment to identify alternative durable solutions for Rohingya refugees, we are concerned with the plan to relocate more than 100,000 Rohingya refugees from the camps in Cox’s Bazar District to Bhasan Char island.
In particular, we are concerned that the relocations may proceed without informed consent or consultation with the affected refugee community. Bangladeshi authorities included several Rohingya refugee families on a list, identifying those slated for relocation to Bhasan Char without their knowledge and willingness to relocate to the island. Many Rohingya refugees living in the camps in Cox’s Bazar have expressed fear and opposition to the Bhasan Char relocation plans.
In January 2019, U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar Yanghee Lee warned, “Ill-planned relocation, and relocations without the consent of the refugees concerned, have the potential to create a new crisis.” Similarly, a statement by U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in March 2019 said, “The UN considers that any relocation to Bhasan Char must be on a voluntary basis and that refugees should have the relevant, accurate, and timely information on the project from the Government, so they can make free and informed decisions.”
We join these international experts in calling on your government to ensure relocations take place only with informed, voluntary consent by Rohingya refugees.
As noted above, it’s important the government will allow an independent assessment by the U.N. to ensure the arrangements on Bhasan Char meet international standards. Such an assessment should prioritize consideration of protection concerns for Rohingya refugees as well as the feasibility, safety, and sustainability of the arrangements. We also call upon the government to make the assessments public and available to Rohingya refugees in the camps.
With regard to developments on Bhasan Char, we understand that the Bangladesh government has overseen construction projects to accommodate Rohingya refugees on the island, including building multi-family concrete housing structures, cyclone shelters, prefab food and storage warehouses, roads, and a solar power grid. However, reflections about the accommodations by human rights and refugee experts following visits to the island remain inconclusive. For example, in January 2019, Yanghee Lee said, “There are a number of things that remain unknown to me even following my visit, chief among them being whether the island is truly habitable.”
Lastly, mobile communications and the internet provide a critical means for refugees to obtain information on issues that affect their daily lives and to make plans for their future, including information related to developments on Bhasan Char. However, access to the internet remains restricted in the refugee camps since September. Furthermore, Rohingya refugees report that Bangladesh authorities have prohibited the use of mobile phones in the camps and are increasingly confiscating mobile phones from Rohingya refugees. To ensure Rohingya refugees have access to information, including necessary information on the situation in Bhasan Char, we urge your government to immediately lift restrictions on mobile and internet communications and allow Rohingya refugees be allowed to use mobile phones and SIM cards.
We thank you for your attention to these matters, and we welcome the opportunity to assist and support your administration to ensure the protection of Rohingya refugees.
Signed
- ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights
- Amnesty International
- Article 19
- Beyond Borders Malaysia
- Burma Human Rights Network
- Burma Task Force
- Burmese Rohingya Association in Japan
- Burmese Rohingya Community in Australia
- Burmese Rohingya Community in Denmark
- Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK
- Canadian Burmese Rohingya Organization
- Canadian Rohingya Development Initiative
- Canadians in Support of Refugees in Dire Need
- Christian Solidarity Worldwide
- European Rohingya Council
- FIDH – International Federation for Human Rights
- Fortify Rights
- Human Rights Research and Education Centre, University of Ottawa
- Human Rights Watch
- Humanity Auxilium
- International Campaign for the Rohingya
- International Human Rights Clinic, Harvard Law School
- Justice For All
- Kaladan Press Network
- Physicians for Human Rights
- Refugees International
- Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights
- Rohingya Action Ireland
- Rohingya Association of Canada
- Rohingya Human Rights Network
- Rohingya Peace Network Thailand
- Rohingya Post
- Rohingya Refugee Network
- Rohingya Today
- Rohingya Vision
- Rohingya Women Development Network
- Save Rohingya World-Wide
- Smile Education and Development Foundation
- Society for Threatened Peoples Germany
Nov 9, 2020 | FoRB, RM, Statements
Click here to view and download photos from the fact-finding mission.
DHAKA — At the conclusion of a four-day fact-finding mission, Southeast Asian lawmakers urged their governments to heed calls for action to address the Rohingya crisis, emphasizing that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) needs to take on a larger role in efforts to resolve the situation.
The mission, organized by ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), a collective of regional legislators, was undertaken from 21-24 January and included meetings with refugees, humanitarian actors, parliamentarians, and government officials in Cox’s Bazar and Dhaka, Bangladesh.
“Where is ASEAN? This is the question we kept hearing from everyone we met,” said APHR Chairperson Charles Santiago, a member of the Malaysian Parliament, who headed the delegation. “ASEAN as a regional bloc can and should play a leading role in resolving this crisis. As representatives of the people of ASEAN, we are here today to demand that our governments step up. We therefore call on ASEAN to convene an urgent meeting of foreign ministers of all members states to discuss the crisis and establish a plan of action to resolve it.”
“ASEAN countries must stop using the non-interference principle as an excuse for inaction,” added Rachada Dhnadirek, a former MP from Thailand. “This has been a long-standing issue affecting the entire region, and ASEAN needs to take concrete, collective action to confront it directly. Financial commitment to support humanitarian assistance is critical, but it must be accompanied by pressure on the Myanmar military to end persecution that lies at the root of the crisis.”
On 22 January, the APHR delegation visited Kutupalong and Balukhali refugee camps, where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have settled since August 2017, joining others who fled previous waves of persecution and violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. MPs spoke with refugees about their experiences in Myanmar, as well as their current situation, concerns, and hopes for the future.
“The stories we heard directly from Rohingya refugees were heartbreaking, from parents who witnessed their children killed to children scarred physically and emotionally by brutal violence. We need more awareness within ASEAN countries of these atrocities, and we need to listen to the voices of the refugees, themselves, as we determine how to approach a resolution,” said Louis Ng, a member of the Parliament of Singapore.
“The magnitude of the influx was striking. A sprawling mega-camp the size of a city has sprung up in a matter of months. Bangladesh deserves great praise for its hospitality and handling of the crisis, both the government and the people themselves. Taking in nearly 700,000 refugees in a span of just five months is no easy task, especially for a country with limited resources,” he added.
The delegation’s visit coincided with a previously announced start date for repatriation of refugees, based on a bilateral agreement between the governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar signed in November 2017. On 16 January, a working group formed by the two governments agreed to a two-year timeframe for repatriation, with initial returns set to begin this week. But on 22 January, Bangladeshi officials announced that repatriation would not begin on schedule.
“We welcome the decision to delay plans for imminent repatriation, which would have put refugees at grave risk and gone against their expressed wishes. The focus must remain on ensuring that any and all returns are safe and voluntary, and on working toward a long-term, sustainable resolution, which requires an end to state-sponsored persecution in Myanmar,” Santiago said.
“The Rohingya refugees we spoke with were clear: They want to return to their homeland, but only if their conditions are met. These include citizenship, justice, compensation, and security guarantees. In any discussions of possible repatriation, these and other demands of the refugees must be heeded, and their human rights must be respected. We also urge the governments of Myanmar and Bangladesh to welcome international engagement and supervision of any future repatriation process,” he added.
Lawmakers also said that commitments included in the bilateral agreement could be used as a basis for pushing Myanmar to address root causes of the crisis. In particular, they highlighted Myanmar’s commitment to implement the recommendations of the government-appointed Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, headed by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, which were included in a report issued in August 2017.
“The Myanmar government has publicly recommitted itself to the implementation of the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, and this presents an important opportunity,” Louis Ng said. “Among the recommendations was to enable pathways to citizenship for Rohingya, which aligns with a key concern of refugees worried about their status and vulnerability to future persecution and violence, should they return.”
On 23 January, ASEAN MPs met with counterparts in the Parliament of Bangladesh, including Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury. Parliamentarians discussed what ASEAN and member governments can do to support efforts to resolve the crisis, including exerting pressure on Myanmar.
“We cannot ignore the Myanmar military’s role here,” Charles Santiago said. “Military commanders must be held accountable for atrocities committed during the crackdown, and that will require stronger pressure from outside, including from ASEAN governments.”
“The ASEAN Community must speak with one voice and demonstrate a genuine commitment to resolving the crisis. Far from undermining ASEAN’s non-interference policy, addressing this issue head-on would be an opportunity to strengthen the core principles of the ASEAN Charter,” said Lena Maryana Mukti, a former member of the Indonesian Parliament. “We cannot continue pretending that this is not our problem. If left unresolved, the crisis will continue to spill across borders.”
“Now it is time to show to the world that ASEAN is really a community by showing our solidarity and supporting a resolution of this crisis,” Rachada Dhnadirek added. “ASEAN has emphasized economic integration and interdependence, but if we want to be a genuine community we have to work together to address issues of fundamental humanity such as this.”
Click here to read this statement in Bahasa Indonesia.
Click here to read this statement in Bangla.
