Rohingya crisis
Non-binding UNGA resolution deferred
China, Russia block binding UNSC resolution
HUMAYUN KABIR BHUIYAN
The voting on a non-binding resolution on the ongoing Rohingya crisis at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) could not be held on Tuesday (New York local time) due to some procedural issues, said sources at the foreign ministry in Dhaka and Bangladeshs permanent mission in New York.
The voting will now take place on Thursday, they said.
The diplomatic sources also said that a binding resolution on the crisis at the UN Security Council (UNSC) is highly unlikely, at least for the time being, owing to the continuous opposition of China and Russia, two permanent members with veto power.
Even, they said that the draft resolution at the UNGA had to be softened due to the insistence of these two members along with Myanmar, the origin of the protracted problem.
Due to their persistence, they added that the title of the resolution was also somewhat compromised for the sake of consensus.
On behalf the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Saudi Arabia is sponsoring the resolution titled The Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar, which is being co-sponsored by more than 50 countries, said the sources.
The voting on the resolution could not take place on Tuesday due to procedural issues on the part of the secretariat of the third committee of the UNGA that deals with the human rights issues, Nahida Sobhan, director general of the foreign ministry, told The Independent yesterday.
No other issue is involved here. The resolution will now be submitted on Thursday (New York time), she added.
The sources said that Dhaka is lobbying hard for the passage of the resolution without any voting.
Since no country has veto power, it will not be a problem in passing the resolution if some votes go against or there are some abstentions, they said.
About the effect of such a non-binding resolution, the sources said it is expected that it will mount the continuing pressure on Myanmar to address the crisis.
About the possibility of a binding UNSC resolution on the unprecedented crisis engulfing Bangladesh, they said that as of now it is far away. We will have to cover a long way to have China and Russia on board, said a senior diplomat.
Actually, instead of the adoption of the UNSC presidential statement we were working hard with other members for a resolution. But, despite having support from most of the members we had to compromise for a statement due to the opposition of China and Russia, he said.
Not only that. Language had to be softened in some areas of the statement due to the pressure from the allies of Myanmar, said the diplomat, adding that China and Russia are of the opinion that time has not yet come for adoption of any resolution.
Initially, the title of the draft resolution focused exclusively on Rohingyas. But, it had to be softened for the sake of wider support, said another diplomat.
Meanwhile, quoting humanitarian agencies working in Coxs Bazar, Stphane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN secretary-general, told a regular briefing that the number of Rohingyas, who had to cross into Bangladesh to escape from the atrocities of the Myanmar security forces, local Buddhist mobs and other ethnic groups in Rakhine, has reached to 618,000 since August 25.
