About a million Rohingya remain in Bangladesh and more than 130,000 others have sought safety in the region with no immediate prospect of return, António Guterres said in a statement issued by his spokesman on Friday – ahead of Sunday’s grim anniversary.
“The serious security and humanitarian situation with persistent access problems has exacerbated the pre-existing vulnerabilities of the people of Myanmarincluding the Rohingya, who continue to face discrimination and persecution as the armed conflict in Rakhine State escalates”, the statement said.
The Secretary-General called on all parties to the conflict – which is being fought between forces loyal to the ruling military junta and numerous armed groups fighting for autonomy or independence – to “ an end to the violence and ensure the protection of civilians in accordance with applicable international human rights standards and international humanitarian law.
Worsening situation leaves ‘no path to safety’ open
Thousands of citizens People in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state have been forced to flee on foot as separatists from the Arakan Army continue to push them to locations with few safe havens, human rights chief Volker Türk also warned on Friday.
The violence has reportedly left hundreds of civilians dead as they tried to flee the fighting.
“As the border crossings to Bangladesh remain closed, Members of the Rohingya community are in a standoff between the military and its allies and the Arakan Army“, with no path to safety,” Mr. Türk warned.
The situation has only worsened in the past four months as tens of thousands of people, many of them from the Rohingya Muslim minority, have fled a major offensive by the Arakan Army rebels, an ethnic armed group seeking to seize control of townships from Myanmar’s military.
Historical tragedy continues
The human rights chief stressed that this August is an important month seven years after military operations in Myanmar forced 700,000 people across the border to Bangladesh.
“Despite the world saying ‘never again’, we are once again witnessing killings, destruction and displacement in Rakhine,” Mr Türk said.
Dozens of people have reportedly been killed in one of the deadliest recent attacks along the Naf River, which borders Bangladesh, on August 5. including armed dronesalthough it remains unclear which party is responsible.
“Parties to the armed conflict are issuing statements denying responsibility for attacks on the Rohingya and others, act as if they are powerless to protect them. This stretches the boundaries of credulity“, Mr. Türk continued, emphasizing the obligations of all parties under international humanitarian law to protect the Rohingya from the risk of further harm.
‘Clear answer’ needed
Serious human rights violations and abuses have been committed against the Rohingya by both the military and the Arakan army. These include abductions, forced recruitment, indiscriminate bombardment of towns and villages using drones and artillery, and killings, some of which have included beheadings.
The number of Rohingya, almost half of whom are children, is also increasingly coming into focus. They are seeking help for injuries caused by the conflict. A number of them are dying of diarrhea, because there is too little clean water and the living conditions are downright bad.
“These atrocities demand an unequivocal response – those responsible must be held accountable and justice must be pursued relentlessly“, said Mr Türk.
“A repetition of the crimes and horrors of the past must be prevented as a moral imperative and a legal necessity. It is the responsibility of the international community, led by ASEAN, to take all necessary measures to protect the Rohingya and other civilian victims of this brutal conflict,” the human rights chief concluded.
