8/13/2019 INTERVIEW Independent inquiry into alleged Muslim massacre needed in Myanmar U.N. envoy

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INTERVIEW Independent inquiry into

alleged Muslim massacre needed in Myanmar

U.N. envoy

February 21, 2014BANGKOK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) Burma Times A credible, independentinvestiation led b! national and international e"perts into the alleed #anuar!massacre o$ Rohin!a %uslims in %!anmar&s Ra'hine state is needed to brea' thec!cle o$ impunit! that has plaued the countr! $or decades, a nited Nations human

rihts envo! said

*ac' o$ accountabilit! in the +outheast Asian nation is a historical problem-, TomasO.ea /uintana, N special rapporteur on human rihts in %!anmar, said a$ter his lasto$$icial mission to the countr! as his si"0!ear mandate dra1s to a close

2$ !ou loo' all over the countr! the number o$ human rihts violations that too' placein the past or recentl! !ou don&t see an! process o$ accountabilit! That is absolutel!needed,- he told Thomson Reuters Foundation in an intervie1 on Thursda!

2 am as'in the 3uman Rihts 4ouncil in Geneva $rom the nited Nations to etinvolved in this %! conclusion is that there&s no independent investiation in

%!anmar,- he said

An independent investiation that uncovers 1hat happened 1ould be an opportunit!$or the international communit! to 1or' 1ith the %!anmar overnment, he said 2t1ould also send a messae to those instiatin violence and avoid $urther bloodshed,he added

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A$ter emerin $rom 56 !ears o$ militar! rule in 7899, %!anmar has $aced repeatedsectarian violence that has marred its transition to democrac!

+ince #une 7897, reliious con$lict across the countr! has 'illed at least 758 peopleand displaced more than 958,888, most o$ them Rohin!a

The latest incident concerns alleations b! the nited Nations and human rihtsroups that at least 58 Rohin!a, includin 1omen and children, 1ere 'illed b!securit! $orces and ethnic Ra'hine Buddhist civilians as reprisal $or the death o$ apoliceman in %aunda1 to1nship, a restricted area o$ Ra'hine state

%!anmar&s :uasi0civilian overnment has so $ar resisted calls $or an internationalinvestiation 2t has launched t1o probes One led b! the Ra'hine 2nvestiation4ommission has alread! said it $ound no evidence o$ the 'illins e"cept that o$ thepoliceman The %!anmar 3uman Rihts 4ommission 1ill lead the other

2ncidents in %aunda1 and other parts o$ Ra'hine are di$$icult to independentl! veri$!because the! are o$$ limits to .ournalists and the overnment strictl! controls access b!international aid roups

RAK32N; Be 1ant to listen to !ou but please, 1e need to avoid violence (2t&s about) continuall!repeatin this messae,- he added

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3e said aid aencies 1ere in Ra'hine to meet humanitarian needs

nless the situation escalates to somethin reall!, reall! serious, the N 1ill remainthere and the 2NGOs also, so 1e need to start tal'in about it,- he said >e need totr! to build dialoue-

4;NTRA* GO?;RN%;NT 3A+ R;+=ON+2B2*2T@

/uintana said the central overnment, not .ust the Ra'hine state overnment, shouldensure violence does not escalate

2 believe the central overnment has a responsibilit! and needs to o$$er a plan o$action on ho1 to address the problem in Ra'hine state,- he said

The %uslim Rohin!a communit! has been under s!stematic discriminationthrouhout the !ears 2t&s ver! serious and 1e&re not seein an!thin $rom the central

overnment in this respect on ho1 to address the situation,- he added3e said the situation 1as not encourain-

2 thin' ordinar! people have learnt throuhout the !ears o$ militar! overnment toe"press themselves throuh violent means The militar! has been :uite violent aainsttheir o1n people, particularl! aainst Ra'hine Buddhists,- /uintana said

3e praised the re$ormist =resident Thein +ein, ho1ever, as consistent in movin there$orms $or1ard-

/uintana 1as appointed in 788 1hile the militar! .unta 1as still in po1er 3is $inalmission be$ore his mandate ends in %a! included visits to *aia, the rebel0controlledarea in %!anmar&s north, sites o$ t1o ma.or in$rastructure pro.ects and t1o prisons(4lic' here $or the $ull /CA)

3e said he could see an improvement in human rihts in %!anmar, but noted anumber o$ challenes, includin the need $or a lastin cease$ire 1ith the Kachin ethnicarm! in the north, $reedom o$ e"pression and media $reedom

There is little space $or bac'trac'in The transition is still $raile,- he said And

human rihts should still be on top o$ the re$orm aenda-+ource Thin *ei >in

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Than' !ou, Thai AuthoritiesD

February 21, 2014

%ir Ahmed AB +iddi:uee0 #eddah, Burma Times 79 Februar! 7895 Rohin!as$rom Ara'an, %!anmaar used to escape out or $led to neihborin countries becausethe! areE1ere not sa$e in their homes and land The! are still $acin several 'inds o$atrocities not onl! in o1n land but also in other countries 2n home land travelrestrictions, $orced labor and limited access o$ healthcare, restriction in education andmarriae, reliious $reedom 1as banned, all the %os:ues and reliious schools 1ere

closed and still loc'ed No Burmese politicians 1ere interested in their issues as torant them basic human rihts =resident Thein +ein told in his intervie1, >e 1illsend them a1a! i$ an! third countr! 1ould accept them- +imilarl! +uu K!i, theopposition leader and 9665 noble peace prie 1inner also not interestin at all >henRohin!a re$ue to other countries then the! $eel as the! are $ree $rom $ear andsaved- Be$ore Thai authorities 1ere sellin Rohin!a slaves into the tra$$ic'ers then tothe companies, no1 aain pushin bac' into the mouth o$ CROCODILE

Thai overnment is the onl! neihbor 1ho supported Burmese militar! reime since$our decades Then onl! neihbor 1ho never stood $or Rohi!as neither in A+;AN nor

in nited Nations, bein supported %ilitar! dictator reime

Thai authorities pla!in a dual ame 1ith Rohin!as as, released 88 Burmeseprisoners then deported bac' 988 Rohin!as re$uees to %!anmar, is so danerous$or their li$e in %!anmar As usual %!anmar overnment denied their citienship thenho1 the! accept those people 1ho are not theirs- Both o$ the overnments are dualame pla!ers 1ith Rohin!as The %!anmar overnment 'ic'ed $rom their side thenThai authorities 'ic'in bac' aain to the $irst 'ic'ers, sendin bac' to criminal

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Burmese Government&s hand and some sold to human tra$$ic'ers as slave laborsmeans Thai authorit! is 1orse than others $or %usslims Thai authorit! recentl!deported 988 Rohin!as are still missin and no true in$ormation o$ their death andalive The 'e! reason o$ deport bac' the Rohin!as into Burma is simpl! clear due toreliious $aith- The reliious $aith o$ Rohin!a is not Buddhism as Thai rulers areivin priorit! and $avored onl! to the Buddhist, not to others

Thai authorities should not push or send bac' to %!anmar because their li$e is notsa$e in %!anmar- Thai authorit! violated the international la1 shamelessl! as 1orldauthorit! prohibited to send bac' Rohin!as into %!anmar till the situation becomesnormal or peace

The 1orld authorities should ta'e an urent step to1ards, to save the li$e o$ 988Rohin!a, 1ere deported b! Thai authorit! into the hand o$ enocidal reime o$%!anmar, are still missin and no in$ormation about them