UN News Centre
6 November 2017 – Strongly condemning the widespread
violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, which has led to the displacement of over
600,000 members of the country’s minority Muslim Rohingya community, the United
Nations Security Council on Monday called on the Government to end the use of
excessive military force and inter-communal violence in the region.
In a statement read out by
Sebastiano Cardi of Italy, the President of the Security Council for the month
of November, the 15-member body also called on the Government “to restore
civilian administration and apply the rule of law, and to take immediate steps
in accordance with [the Government’s] obligations and commitments to respect
human rights, including the rights of women, children, and persons belonging to
vulnerable groups, without discrimination and regardless of ethnicity,
religion, or citizenship status.” http://www.un.org/press/en/2017/sc13055.doc.htm
The Council also urged the Government to implement
measures in line with its resolution 2106 (2013) to
prevent and respond to incidents of sexual violence, and encouraged it to work
with the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict. https://undocs.org/S/RES/2106(2013)
The Council also expressed concern over severely limited
humanitarian access to the affected parts of the region and demanded that the
Government ensure immediate, safe and unhindered access to UN and other
humanitarian actors, and ensure the safety and security of humanitarian
personnel.
In the Presidential Statement, the Security Council also
welcomed the Myanmar’s decision to establish a “Union Enterprise Mechanism” and
urged the Government to ensure that the Mechanism supported such return and
allowed United Nations agencies full access.
Further, welcoming the Government’s support for
recommendations by the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State and calling for
their full implementation, the Council stressed the importance of transparent
investigations into allegations of human rights abuses and violations,
including sexual violence and abuse and violence against children, and of
holding to account all those responsible for such acts.
“In this regard, the Security Council calls upon the
Government of Myanmar to cooperate with all relevant United Nations bodies,
mechanisms and instruments, in particular the United Nations High Commissioner
for Human Rights,” added the Presidential Statement.
Also in the Statement, the Council commended the
provision of humanitarian assistance and support for dialogue by Bangladesh as
well as other regional countries and organizations; and requested the
Secretary-General to continue to engage with the Myanmar through good offices.
It also encouraged the UN chief “to consider, as
appropriate, appointing a Special Adviser on Myanmar.”
