Source: Mizzima
A coalition of 58 civil society groups has condemned what it says is a “wave of abuse launched by state authorities in Myanmar against the Rohingya community,” in a statement released on Tuesday.
It also charged Bangladesh with flouting international law in its attempts to prevent fleeing Rohingya from entering the country.
The coalition group – led by Refugees International, the Arakan Project, and the Equal Rights Trust – issued a series of recommendations that were delivered to the governments of Burma and Bangladesh on Tuesday.
The statement said: “The stateless Rohingya of Myanmar have suffered from extreme persecution and discrimination for decades. They are now facing another crisis,” and the Rohingya population “needs urgent measures to be taken for their protection.”
“In Myanmar, what began as inter-communal violence has evolved into large scale state-sponsored violence against the Rohingya,” said the statement.
The violence began on June 3, mainly in Sittwe and Maungdaw townships.
“Many Rohingya continue to be victims of violence and cannot leave their homes for fear of persecution, and are thus deprived of their livelihood and most basic needs,” said the advocacy groups. “The urgent humanitarian needs of those displaced (IDPs) – including those not in IDP camps – are not being adequately met and there is concern that those displaced will not be allowed to return to their homes as soon as it is safe to do so, thus creating a situation of protracted displacement.”
The coalition said Bangladesh “in contravention of its international legal obligations, closed its border and pushed back many Rohingya fleeing the violence and persecution in Myanmar. The refoulement of these refugees by Bangladesh to Myanmar where they face a very immediate threat to life and freedom, and a danger of irreparable harm; and the manner of refoulement, by push backs into dangerous waters, including in unsafe vessels are matters of serious concern.”
The legal obligations of both Burma and Bangladesh require them to protect all persons within their territories or subject to their jurisdictions, regardless of whether they are citizens, stateless persons or refugees, said the statement.
The group called for Burma and the Rakhine State authorities to stop the arbitrary arrests of Rohingya and abuses by security forces against them, to allow unhindered humanitarian access to assist those in need as a result of the crisis, allow the displaced to return to their homes once it is safe, and to ensure that a situation of protracted displacement is avoided. It also called for an international inquiry into the unrest and the violence.
It called on the Bangladesh government to open its borders to refugees and to stop refoulement of refugees, and it asked the international community to provide financial support for the humanitarian operation needed to assist people affected by the crisis in Rakhine State and to support the government of Bangladesh in providing protection to Rohingya refugees.
It also asked Burma to address “existing policies of discrimination against the Rohingya; and that this current crisis be used as an opportunity to address the longstanding problems between the communities in Rakhine State, and to promote a constructive dialogue aiming at peace and reconciliation.”
Categories: Asia, Burma, Crime, Ethnic Cleansing, Hate Crime, Myanmar