Elham Asaad Buaras
The UK has said Myanmar’s military bears primary responsibility for systematic violations against the Rohingya and other civilians, as it backed a UN resolution calling for greater accountability over the country’s human rights crisis.
The statement was made by the UK’s Chargé d’Affaires to Myanmar, Andrew Jackson, at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on July 7.
Jackson said the situation in Myanmar was continuing to deteriorate, with Rohingya Muslims and other minority communities facing serious human rights violations and abuses by the military and other armed groups.
He cited the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights’ latest report, which recorded at least 702 civilian deaths during the reporting period, including 476 deaths resulting from airstrikes.
“The UK condemns the Military’s continued use of violence,” Jackson said, warning that it was causing widespread suffering and deepening the humanitarian crisis.
The UK said Rohingya people continued to face persecution, discrimination and statelessness, as well as restrictions on their freedom of movement.
Violence in Rakhine State had further increased their vulnerability, it said, with Rohingya and other minority communities exposed to sexual and gender-based violence.
The UK also said thousands more people had been forced to flee their homes in search of safety.
The Rohingya, a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority, have faced decades of persecution in Myanmar. A major military crackdown in 2017 forced hundreds of thousands to flee across the border into Bangladesh.
More than 1.2 million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh
The UK recognised Bangladesh’s role in hosting more than 1.2 million Rohingya refugees, while acknowledging the pressure their presence has placed on infrastructure and security in refugee camps.
It said greater self-reliance for refugees, alongside improved safety and security, was important to their wellbeing and to creating conditions for eventual safe, voluntary, sustainable and dignified returns to Myanmar.
The UK’s comments came during consideration of a resolution on the human rights situation of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar, presented by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Britain said it would join consensus on the resolution and welcomed its emphasis on accountability through ongoing international processes and mechanisms.
While the UK said human rights abuses by all actors in Myanmar should be addressed, it made clear that it regarded the military as having primary responsibility for systematic violations.
“We must be clear that the military bears primary responsibility for systematic violations against the Rohingya and other civilian populations,” Mr Jackson told the council.
The UK said ending impunity was essential to breaking cycles of violence and securing justice for victims and survivors.
It added that Myanmar’s crisis required sustained international attention and said it would continue working with the OIC and other international partners to address the causes of the conflict, support accountability and advance the rights of the Rohingya and other people in Myanmar.
