Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Tuesday demanded immediate cessation of violence against Rohingya Muslims and called upon Myanmar to allow the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission access to the affected areas and bring all perpetrators of violence to justice.
Terming the violence against Rohingya Muslims as "ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity," Ambassador Farrukh Amil, Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the UN, in his statement at the 36th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, urged the international community to provide adequate humanitarian assistance to the Muslim civilians in the Rakhine state of Myanmar as well as to the refugees in Bangladesh, according to a statement of the Foreign Office. Nearly 300,000 Muslim refugees have reportedly crossed over into Bangladesh so far, escaping persecution in Myanmar.
Ambassador Amil stated that the OIC would come up with initiatives within and outside the UNHRC to prevent crimes against humanity perpetrated by the Myanmar forces, ensure sustainable return and rehabilitation of all Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh and create conditions conducive to protection of lives, livelihoods and human dignity of Myanmar's Muslim population.
"The ongoing ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslim population is unacceptable," he told the 36th session of the UNHRC, which commenced in Geneva on Monday. In his statement to the UNHRC, Pakistan's permanent representative stated that the OIC states believe that the work of the office of the high commissioner must be guided by the principles of universality, equal treatment of all human rights, non-politicization, and objective assessment of human rights situations. "We urge that equitable geographical representation at all levels must be ensured in the UNHRC and Secretariat," he demanded on behalf of the OIC.
"The OIC member states are seriously concerned at the indiscriminate and disproportionate use of force by Myanmar in reaction to the deplorable attacks of August 25," he said, adding this use of force has resulted in an escalating human catastrophe to alarming proportions. He told the council that there are reports of unprecedented level of violence including widespread killings, rape, burning of houses, and unabated xenophobic and racial hatred perpetrated on civilian Rohingya Muslim population, including women and children, which is tantamount to ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. These could not be independently and credibly verified because the Fact-Finding Mission has not yet been given access to Myanmar to carry out its mandate, he added.
"The OIC has always desired constructive engagement with the Myanmar government to address the growing humanitarian and political crises in its Rakhine state. However, our spirit of compromise and accommodation has proved fruitless," he said, adding this has pushed the OIC group to reassess the whole situation.
On behalf of the OIC, the ambassador called upon the Myanmar government to respect its obligations under international law, international humanitarian law and human rights covenants and ensure that it acts in accordance with the rule of law and that all perpetrators of acts of violence be held accountable. "The OIC urges the Myanmar government to eliminate the root causes of the crisis such as inequality, justice and citizenship affecting the Rohingya minority," he stated. In this regard, the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine state must be expeditiously implemented and a time frame is defined for their implementation in true letter and spirit, he added. He further said that the Myanmar government must create favorable conditions for the sustainable return of Rohingya refugees from different countries to their homes.
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