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Friday, September 29, 2017, 10:44
UN chief calls for action on Myanmar's Rakhine
By Xinhua
Friday, September 29, 2017, 10:44 By Xinhua

In this July 9, 2017, file photo, United Nation Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in Kiev, Ukraine. (EFREM LUKATSKY / AP)

UNITED NATIONS - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for action from the Security Council to end the tragedy in Rakhine State of Myanmar.

"The reality on the ground demands action -- swift action -- to protect people, alleviate suffering, prevent further instability, address the roots of the situation and forge, at long last, a durable solution," he told the Security Council.

I call on the Security Council to stand united and support our efforts to urgently end this tragedy

Antonio Guterres

UN Secretary-General

"I call on the Security Council to stand united and support our efforts to urgently end this tragedy," he said, when briefing the 15-member council on the situation in Rakhine.

Guterres said the crisis has steadily deteriorated since the Aug 25 attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army on the Myanmar security forces. "Since then, the situation has spiraled into the world's fastest developing refugee emergency, a humanitarian and human rights nightmare," he said.

At least 500,000 civilians have fled their homes and sought safety in neighboring Bangladesh. Although the total number of those displaced is unknown, it is estimated that 94 percent of them are Rohingyas, a mostly Muslim ethnic minority living in the largely Buddhist nation of Myanmar, he said.

ALSO READ: UN sees 'breakthrough' in getting aid to Rohingyas in Myanmar

"We have received bone-chilling accounts from those who fled -- mainly women, children and the elderly. These testimonials point to excessive violence and serious violations of human rights, including indiscriminate firing of weapons, the use of landmines against civilians and sexual violence," said Guterres, the former head of the UN refugee agency, UNHCR. "This is unacceptable and must end immediately."

International human rights law and standards are clear: any use of force by the authorities must respect Myanmar's human rights obligations under international law and comply with well-established human rights standards. Above all, these actions must fully respect the human rights of those affected, regardless of ethnicity or religion, said the UN chief.

The use of lethal force, even in situations of emergency, must be commensurate with the threat to the public order and utmost care must be taken to minimize loss of life and injury, especially for unarmed people and communities, he said.

The authorities have claimed that security operations ended on Sept 5, following major displacements in northern Rakhine, where Rohingyas were the majority. However, displacement appears to have continued, with reports of the burning of Muslim villages, as well as looting and acts of intimidation, he said.

"There seems to be a deeply disturbing pattern to the violence and ensuing large movements of an ethnic group from their homes," he said.

He warned that failure to address this systematic violence could result in a spill-over into central Rakhine, where an additional 250,000 Muslims could potentially face displacement.

They are outnumbered by Rakhine communities, some of whom have engaged in violent acts of vigilantism against their Muslim neighbors, he said.

Rohingya Muslim children, who crossed over from Myanmar into Bangladesh, wait to receive aid during a distribution near Balukhali refugee camp, Bangladesh, Sept 25, 2017. (DAR YASIN / AP)

Guterres called on the Myanmar authorities to take three immediate steps: to end the military operations; to allow unfettered access for humanitarian support; and to ensure the safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable return of the refugees to their areas of origin.

READ MORE: Myanmar seeks global help to resettle ethnic people in Rakhine

The crisis has underlined an urgent need for a political solution to the root causes of the violence, said Guterres.

The core of the problem is protracted statelessness and its associated discrimination, he said, adding that the Muslims of Rakhine State should be granted nationality. The present Myanmar citizenship legislation only allows it partially and should be revised, he said.

At least they must be able to obtain a legal status that allows them to lead a normal life, including freedom of movement and access to labor markets, education and health services, he said.

The Rohingya are denied citizenship under a 1982 Myanmar citizenship law. The Myanmar government recognizes them as illegal immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh.

Guterres called for unhindered access of humanitarian assistance to Rakhine.

"I am deeply concerned by the current climate of antagonism toward the United Nations and nongovernmental organizations. ... The Myanmar authorities have said repeatedly in the past few days that 'it was not the time' for unhindered access to resume. Given the enormous needs, this position is deeply regrettable. The United Nations should be allowed to reach the affected areas without delay."

It is the first open meeting of the Security Council on the situation in Rakhine since Aug. 25. It came after Guterres wrote an official letter on Sept. 2 to the Security Council to express his concern, the first such communication between a secretary-general and the council in 28 years.

The Myanmar ambassador to the United Nations, Hau Do Suan, on Monday denied ethnic cleansing in Rakhine, saying Rohingya rebels conscripted Muslim men and intimidated women and children to flee into neighboring Bangladesh to call attention to their cause.

"Let me be clear: there is no ethnic cleansing; there is no genocide," the envoy spoke at the end of the annual UN General Assembly General Debate, exercising his right of reply.


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