Myanmar: Expert calls for continued
pressure as situation reaches “human rights crisis”
GENEVA (3 July 2019) – A UN human
rights expert implored the international community to maintain pressure on
Myanmar amid a deterioration of human rights in the country, citing concerns
about possible war crimes in Rakhine State, the treatment of minorities, the
environment and freedom of expression.
The Special Rapporteur on the
situation of human rights in Myanmar, Yanghee Lee, addressed the Human Rights
Council in Geneva and welcomed the Government’s reforms to the accounting
requirements of extractive industry State-owned economic enterprises. “This is
an opportunity for the Government to improve transparency in the sector, and to
ensure that departments tasked with enforcing environmental and social
safeguards are properly resourced,” the expert said.
However, Lee expressed serious
concerns about the lack of enforcement of adequate environmental safeguards in
natural resource extraction and associated industries.
In Hpakant, a pool of mine waste
burst in April, flooding a nearby open pit mine and killing 54 workers.
Pollution caused by the coal-powered Alpha Cement Factory in Mandalay led to
protests that were violently suppressed by authorities. Independent scientific
testing of air, water and hair samples taken near the coal-powered Tigyit Power
Plant in Shan State found the plant to be leaching dangerous levels of toxic
heavy metals into the surrounding environment.
Lee told the Council that freedom
of expression continued to be stifled through draconian laws used to suppress
criticism of the Tatmadaw, particularly in relation to reporting on the
conflict with the Arakan Army in northern Rakhine State and parts of southern
Chin State. The conflict has continued over the past few months and the impact
on civilians is devastating, Lee said.
Acts of the Tatmadaw and the Arakan
Army may amount to war crimes, the Special Rapporteur said. Indiscriminate
attacks in and around villages as well as targeting of civilians and civilian
objects, including monasteries hosting IDPs, has left scores of civilians
wounded and dead. “I again call on all parties to uphold international
humanitarian law and respect human rights law,” said Lee.
Lee said that Rohingya refugees in
Cox’s Bazar are being subjected to a human rights crisis, responsibility for
which lies with Myanmar. It is entirely Myanmar’s responsibility to bring about
all necessary conditions for all the people they forcibly drove out to return
and they are entirely failing to do so, she said.
“So long as impunity for alleged
atrocity crimes prevails, we will continue to bear witness to flagrant
violations of rights perpetrated against ethnic minority populations in the
name of counterinsurgency, entrenching grievances and prolonging insecurity and
instability,” the Special Rapporteur said.
Lee repeated her call that the
situation of Myanmar be referred to the International Criminal Court, and that
alternatively the international community establish an independent tribunal in
which perpetrators of international crimes may be tried.
“It is incumbent on the Security
Council to find a way to put differences aside and unite in relation to Myanmar
by coming out with a strong resolution,” said Lee. “The situation is not
improving, and serious violations continue to take place on a regular basis.”
ENDS
Ms. Yanghee Lee (Republic of Korea)
was appointed by the UN Human Rights Council in 2014 as the Special Rapporteuron the situation of human rights in Myanmar. She is independent from any
government or organization and serves in her individual capacity. Ms. Lee
served as member and chairperson of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
(2003-2011). She is currently a professor at Sungkyunwan University, Seoul, and
serves on the Advisory Committee of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea.
Ms. Lee is the founding President of International Child Rights Center.
The Special Rapporteurs are part of
what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special
Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights
system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and
monitoring mechanisms. Special Procedures mandate-holders are independent human
rights experts appointed by the Human Rights Council to address either specific
country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. They are not
UN staff and are independent from any government or organization. They serve in
their individual capacity and do not receive a salary for their work.
UN Human Rights, country page: Myanmar
For more information and media
requests please contact: Georgia Drake (+41-22928 9780 or +41-79444 3993 /
gdrake@ohchr.org).
For media inquiries related to
other UN independent experts: Jeremy Laurence, UN Human Rights – Media Unit (+
41 22 917 9383 / jlaurence@ohchr.org)
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