- Title: Rohingya still in Myanmar face 'threat of genocide': United Nations
- Date: 17th September 2019
- Summary: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (SEPTEMBER 17, 2019) (REUTERS) UNITED NATIONS BUILDING VARIOUS OF HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL SESSION IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAIR OF THE INDEPENDENT INTERNATIONAL FACT-FINDING MISSION ON MYANMAR, MARZUKI DARUSMAN, SAYING: "We conclude that there is a strong influence of continued genocidal intent on the part of the state in relation to the Rohingya, that there is a serious risk of genocide recurring and that Myanmar is failing in its obligations under the Genocide Convention to prevent genocide, to investigate genocide and to enact effective legislations criminalising and punishing genocide." MYANMAR'S AMBASSADOR, KYAW MOE TUN, DURING SESSION (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAIR OF THE INDEPENDENT INTERNATIONAL FACT-FINDING MISSION ON MYANMAR, MARZUKI DARUSMAN, SAYING: "Let me be clear: the policies, laws, individuals and intuitions that led the ground work for the brutal clearance operation in 2016 and 2017 remain in place and strong. Impunity continues, discrimination continues, hate speech continues, persecution continues. The return of close to 1 million Rohingya refugees to Rakhine State is simply impossible under the current circumstances." VARIOUS OF AMBASSADOR OF BANGLADESH, SHAMEEM AHSAN, DURING SESSION MYANMAR'S AMBASSADOR, KYAW MOE TUN DURING SESSION (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAIR OF THE INDEPENDENT INTERNATIONAL FACT-FINDING MISSION ON MYANMAR, MARZUKI DARUSMAN, SAYING: "Madame Vice President, the human rights catastrophe continues. The government of Myanmar seems unconcerned. This mission firmly believes that international monitoring and public reporting are essential to ensure fact-based advocacy. Myanmar continues its state of denial. It has declined all dialogue with us and this is deeply regrettable. It shows a lack of good faith towards human rights mechanism, including this mission."
- Embargoed: 1st October 2019 13:56
- Keywords: genocide Rohingya Aung San Suu Kyi investigation
- Location: GENEVA, UNITED NATIONS/ TEKNAF, COX'S BAZAR AND BORDER AREA NEAR COX'S BAZAR. BANGLADESH/ KYEING CHAUNG VILLAGE, MAUNGDAW, RAKHINE STATE AND NAYPYITAW, MYANMAR
- City: GENEVA, UNITED NATIONS/ TEKNAF, COX'S BAZAR AND BORDER AREA NEAR COX'S BAZAR. BANGLADESH/ KYEING CHAUNG VILLAGE, MAUNGDAW, RAKHINE STATE AND NAYPYITAW, MYANMAR
- Country: France
- Reuters ID: LVA002AX1RFIF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who remain inside Myanmar face systematic persecution and are living under the threat of genocide, a U.N. Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) said on Tuesday (September 17), repeating calls for top generals to face trial.
Myanmar security forces are accused of killings, gang rape and arson during a crackdown that drove more than 730,000 people to flee western Rakhine state for neighbouring Bangladesh after attacks on police posts by Rohingya insurgents in August 2017.
Myanmar has rejected most of the accusations and dismissed a report last September by a U.N.-appointed panel which said military officers carried out the campaign against the Rohingya with "genocidal intent" and should stand trial.
Some 600,000 Rohingya are living in "deplorable" conditions in Myanmar's Rakhine state, subject to restrictions on movement that touch almost every aspect of their lives, the U.N. report said.
Myanmar's Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun told the U.N. Human Rights Council that his government reject, once again, the FFM's accusation as it "has lack of thorough understanding" of Myanmar's culture.
Myanmar rejected the fact-finding mission when it was formed at the rights forum in March 2017, with a mandate to investigate military abuses against the Rohingya and in other conflicts with ethnic armed groups in Myanmar.
The new report accuses the security forces of "torture and ill-treatment" of suspected insurgents in northern Myanmar
The U.N. panel said the evidence it gathered from nearly 1,300 interviews with witnesses had been passed to a new investigative mechanism for Myanmar which will support any future prosecution in international courts.
One of the experts, member of the FFM, Chris Sidoti, told a news conference following the presentation of the report in front of the U.N. Human Rights Council, that the civilian government was also responsible for the human rights violation in Myanmar.
(Production: Cecile Mantovani) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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