The OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) yesterday said the situation of Rohingyas carries the hallmark of an organised campaign of ethnic cleansing, which is a crime against humanity under international law and must be stopped by all means, reports UNB. Based on the testimonies received from a wide range of Rohingya victims, the Commission expressed its dismay at the plight of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, who continue to suffer severe and institutionalised human rights violations at a mass scale.

The Commission reminded the Myanmar authorities that no amount of dragging its feet would help them get away with the denial of fundamental rights of its Rohingya population. It, accordingly, called upon the government of Myanmar to take firm steps to  immediately end the violence against Rohingya and bring the perpetrators of violence to justice; revise and replace all discriminatory policies and practices against its Rohingya population and ensure a sustainable and voluntary return of Rohingya refugees in safety, security, dignity and with ensured livelihood.

The Commission urged the Myanmar authority to ensure free and unfettered access to humanitarian aid agencies, accept UN and OIC fact finding missions for independent investigations into all alleged violations of international human rights law and implement the recommendations of the Kofi Annan Advisory Commission.

It also urged to address the disinformation campaigns against Rohingya and foster reconciliation among affected communities through dialogue and greater integration; and take concrete steps to address root causes of deprivation and discrimination of the Rohingya, including the issues of citizenship and long-standing challenges to social and economic development through a human rights-based approach.

The Commission also called upon the international community in general and OIC Member States in particular to do all they can to urge Myanmar to fulfill its international human rights obligations towards its Rohingya minority in a concrete and time bound manner.

It also urged them to extend all out humanitarian assistance to the Rohingya population both internally displaced in Myanmar and those living in refugee camps in neighbouring countries.

On its part, the Commission vowed to continue to closely follow the human rights situation of Rohingya Muslims and would do all it can to mitigate their sufferings in cooperation with the regional and international stakeholders.

Persecuted based on their race, religion and origin, the Rohingya minority of Myanmar represents one of the worst examples of victims of ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, it added.

These comments were made at the end of a three-day fact-finding visit to Cox’s Bazar by the OIC-IPHRC, which was undertaken in compliance with the mandate given to it by the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) to regularly monitor and report on the human rights situation of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar.

In the absence of any positive response from the Myanmar authorities on repeated IPHRC requested to undertake a fact-finding visit to Rakhine State to freely and objectively ascertain the human rights situation on the ground.

The IPHRC undertook a visit to Cox’s Bazar to meet with the Rohingya refugees and other stakeholders to get first-hand information on the human rights situation faced by the Rohingya in Myanmar.