11 August 2017 – A
United Nations human rights expert has expressed alarm over reports that an
army battalion has flown into Rakhine state in western Myanmar to help local
authorities boost security in the region.
Special Rapporteur
on the human rights situation
in Myanmar Yanghee Lee. UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré
“This development,
which reportedly took place yesterday, is a cause for major concern,” said the
UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, Yanghee Lee, in
a press release from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
“The Government must
ensure that security forces exercise restraint in all circumstances and respect
human rights in addressing the security situation in Rakhine state,” she added.
In Kachin and
Rakhine states, some 100,000 and 120,000 people, respectively, have remained
displaced for more than five years following the eruption of inter-communal
conflict between Buddhists and minority Muslim Rohingya.
The Special
Rapporteur acknowledged the State's responsibility to provide security and
protect people from attacks by extremists, but said this responsibility had to
cover all residents, and the authorities could not afford more security to some
than others.
Ms. Lee recalled the
allegations of serious human rights violations which followed security force
operations in the aftermath of attacks against three border guard police
facilities in Maungdaw and Rathedaung in October and further clashes in
November.
“There have been
increasing reports of incidents affecting the local population, including the
killings of six Mro villagers on 3 August,” she said. “I share the concern of
the Myanmar Government and its people regarding the safety and security of
those living in Rakhine state in the light of these incidents.”
The expert stressed
that the use of force must always be in line with the principles of necessity
and proportionality to ensure full respect for human lives.
The expert's call
has been endorsed by the UN the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or
arbitrary executions, Agnes Callamard.
Special Rapporteurs
and independent experts are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights
Council to examine and report back on a specific human rights theme or a
country situation. The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff,
nor are they paid for their work.