Ávarp í umræðu um Myanmar

Harald Aspelund, fastafulltrúi, flutti í dag ávarp í umræðu í mannréttindaráði Sameinuðu þjóðanna um ástand mannréttinda í Myanmar þar sem sérstakur vinnuhópur ráðsins um Myanmar var til svara. 

Interactive Dialogue with Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar

Statement by Iceland

Geneva, 16 September 2019

Thank you, Mr. President.

We thank the Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar for its latest report and would like to express our gratitude to its members, as their mandate comes to an end.

We continue to be shocked by developments in Myanmar and this latest report only serves to confirm fears that genocide and crimes against humanity may have been committed by the Myanmar Security Forces.

We take this opportunity to thank the Fact-Finding Mission for addressing specifically sexual and gender-based violence, and gendered effects of the ethnic conflict, in a separate report issued in August. That report demonstrates that ethnic women and girls are doubly victimized: as women and girls and as members of ethnic minority communities. However, the Mission found further that men and boys have also been victims of sexual and gender-based violence by security forces, and so have people from the transgender community, in particular transgender Rohingya.

Mr. President,

We share the High Commissioner´s concerns over reports that Rakhine State is now experiencing a new wave of human rights violations and displacement, affecting both ethnic Rakhine and Rohingya communities, making it even harder for refugees and internally displaced people to return to their homes.

We are deeply disappointed by the complete lack of cooperation with the Mission´s work by the Government of Myanmar. Indeed, as the report makes clear, the Government of Myanmar appears utterly unwilling to end impunity for human rights violations, especially those committed by security forces.

The need for accountability is compelling and urgent, however, and the international community must therefore maintain its focus on this issue. While we welcome the fact that the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, which was established by this Council through resolution 39/2, is now operational much more needs to be done still to ensure accountability; either by national or international courts.

I thank you.