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THE UNITED NATIONS – A key committee of the United States overwhelmingly approved a resolution strongly condemning the "gross violations of human rights and violations" committed against Rohingya Muslims, treated as foreigners in Myanmar and victims of a brutal campaign of the country's army.
The Human Rights Committee of the General Assembly approved the resolution by 142 votes to 10, with 26 abstentions. It is almost certain that this global body of 193 members will officially adopt it in December.
Those who voted against the resolution include Myanmar's neighbors China, Cambodia and Laos, as well as Russia. Bangladesh, which hosts 1.1 million Rohingya refugees, voted in favor.
The resolution expresses deep concern that the Myanmar army's violence against the Rohingya has forced more than 723,000 people to flee Bangladesh since August 2017.
It urges the Government of Myanmar to end discrimination and to give citizenship to the struggling minority.
The Buddhist majority in Myanmar has long regarded Rohingya as "Bangladeshis" in Bangladesh, even though their families have lived in the country for generations. Almost all have been denied citizenship since 1982, rendering them stateless, and also denied freedom of movement and other basic rights.
The latest crisis began with attacks from a group of Rohingya clandestine insurgents on Myanmar security personnel in August 2017 in northern Rakhine State. Myanmar's army has responded with a brutal campaign and is accused of mass rapes, murders and fires of thousands of homes.
The resolution, sponsored by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation of 57 nations, the European Union and Canada, reiterates its "deep distress" to reports that unarmed Rohingyas still face excessive force and violations by Myanmar's military and security forces, including killings and rapes.
The resolution expresses "deep concern" at the findings of the US mission to Myanmar, which concluded that some senior military officials in Myanmar should be prosecuted for war crimes, crimes against civilians, and other crimes. humanity and genocide against the Rohingya.
It strongly condemns all the rights violations set out in the commission 's report and calls for "a comprehensive and independent investigation" into the human rights violations against the Rohingya and the Chinese. other minorities.
Turkish Ambassador Feridun Sinirlioglu, speaking on behalf of the OIC, described the commission's findings as "devastating".
He added that "people were plunged into a vicious circle of violence and forced displacement" for years in Myanmar and that the events of August 2017 against the Rohingya were "only the last episode of that. cycle".
"Without a comprehensive strategy, it is impossible to find a lasting solution to this crisis," Sinirlioglu said.
According to the OIC, the only solution is the voluntary return of the Rohingya at home with their "guaranteed" basic rights – but he added that this would not be possible "without the alleged perpetrators being held responsible for their crimes" .
Myanmar Ambassador Hau Do Suan described the resolution as "one-sided and discriminatory". He accused world media and human rights defenders of focusing on Myanmar and Rakhine State – where the remaining Rohingya live – while the money could be better spent on helping hungry people in Yemen and elsewhere.
"The adoption of this resolution and other ill-intentioned, selective and politically motivated resolutions will not contribute to our efforts to solve the problem of the Rakhine State, but would rather lead to a polarization and escalating tensions between different religious communities in the country, "Hau said. "This will only exacerbate mistrust between the people of Myanmar and the international community."
