UN, US unsure on timing of Rohingya return

UNSC must act by strongly-worded resolution, says UN special adviser

The United Nations and the United States do not yet see a condition where hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas taking shelter in Bangladesh can return to their homes in Myanmar safely. The UN special rapporteur on Myanmar, Yanghee lee, told the UN General Assembly on Thursday that the Security Council must act by issuing a strongly-worded resolution on the Rohingya crisis. He also said that the UN proposal to replace the current resident coordinator in Myanmar with an assistant secretary-general has been rejected by the government.

“The crisis in Rakhine State has not only been decades in the making but has for some time gone beyond Myanmar’s borders. For a very long time now this issue has not been simply a domestic affair,” said Lee while presenting her September report to the UNGA’s third committee, which deals with human rights and social and humanitarian issues.

She condemned the widespread use of hate speech against the Rohingyas and other communities, stressing that it amounted to incitement to hostility and even violence.

“It has been cultivated for decades in the minds of the Myanmar people that the Rohingya are not indigenous to the country and therefore have no rights whatsoever to which they can apparently claim,” said the adviser.

He said that she is concerned about how long it might take for the Government to establish conditions for the “safe and dignified” return of the Rohingyas, and to ensure they could rebuild their lives.

It was essential that all those responsible for human rights violations were held to account, Lee said, and this should begin with full access for the Human Rights Council’s fact-finding mission.

About her acknowledgement that Myanmar government rejected the replacement of resident coordinator Renata Lok Dessallien with an assistant secretary-general, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN secretary-general told a regular briefing on Thursday, “I do expect, in the coming days, we'll be able to have an announcement about who will be the Officer-in-Charge of our operations in Myanmar.  We're not at that stage yet, but, like I said, I do expect to have an announcement shortly, and we'll have the details at this point.”

Renata Lok Dessallien has been recalled to UN headquarters by the end of this month amidst allegation of suppressing an independent report commissioned by her that was highly critical of the global body’s approach in Myanmar.

To another question, the deputy spokesperson said, “I'm not going to dispute the words of the Special Rapporteur (Lee). We don't go into the discussions that we're having on various positions.  Once we have an announcement to make, like I said, we'll make it.  We're not at that point just yet.”

Meanwhile, while replying to a question at a daily press briefing at the US State Department in Washington on Thursday, spokesperson Heather

Nauert said, “…When you look at the Rohingya in Burma and how many of them are having to leave Burma and go to Bangladesh, we have provided $104 million in 2017 alone to help those people get to safety at this point.”

Unfortunately, she said, “They’re not at the point where they could start to return home yet, as you well know. The situation on the ground is still very unstable.”

UN, US unsure on timing of Rohingya return

UNSC must act by strongly-worded resolution, says UN special adviser

The United Nations and the United States do not yet see a condition where hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas taking shelter in Bangladesh can return to their homes in Myanmar safely. The UN special rapporteur on Myanmar, Yanghee lee, told the UN General Assembly on Thursday that the Security Council must act by issuing a strongly-worded resolution on the Rohingya crisis. He also said that the UN proposal to replace the current resident coordinator in Myanmar with an assistant secretary-general has been rejected by the government. The crisis in Rakhine State has not only been decades in the making but has for some time gone beyond Myanmars borders. For a very long time now this issue has not been simply a domestic affair, said Lee while presenting her September report to the UNGAs third committee, which deals with human rights and social and humanitarian issues. She condemned the widespread use of hate speech against the Rohingyas and other communities, stressing that it amounted to incitement to hostility and even violence. It has been cultivated for decades in the minds of the Myanmar people that the Rohingya are not indigenous to the country and therefore have no rights whatsoever to which they can apparently claim, said the adviser. He said that she is concerned about how long it might take for the Government to establish conditions for the safe and dignified return of the Rohingyas, and to ensure they could rebuild their lives. It was essential that all those responsible for human rights violations were held to account, Lee said, and this should begin with full access for the Human Rights Councils fact-finding mission. About her acknowledgement that Myanmar government rejected the replacement of resident coordinator Renata Lok Dessallien with an assistant secretary-general, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN secretary-general told a regular briefing on Thursday, I do expect, in the coming days, well be able to have an announcement about who will be the Officer-in-Charge of our operations in Myanmar. Were not at that stage yet, but, like I said, I do expect to have an announcement shortly, and well have the details at this point. Renata Lok Dessallien has been recalled to UN headquarters by the end of this month amidst allegation of suppressing an independent report commissioned by her that was highly critical of the global bodys approach in Myanmar. To another question, the deputy spokesperson said, Im not going to dispute the words of the Special Rapporteur (Lee). We dont go into the discussions that were having on various positions. Once we have an announcement to make, like I said, well make it. Were not at that point just yet. Meanwhile, while replying to a question at a daily press briefing at the US State Department in Washington on Thursday, spokesperson Heather Nauert said, When you look at the Rohingya in Burma and how many of them are having to leave Burma and go to Bangladesh, we have provided $104 million in 2017 alone to help those people get to safety at this point. Unfortunately, she said, Theyre not at the point where they could start to return home yet, as you well know. The situation on the ground is still very unstable.