“If they are going to send someone with regards to the fact-finding mission, then there’s no reason for us to let them come.”
“If they are going to send someone with regards to the fact-finding mission, then there’s no reason for us to let them come.”
Burma has refused entry to any members of the UN coming into their country to investigate the ongoing killing, abuse, and oppression that the Rohingya Muslims are facing, as an official has stated.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s government has stated that they will refuse to cooperate with a UN mission. Speaking to The Telegraph, permanent secretary at the ministry of foreign affairs Kyaw Zeya said: “If they are going to send someone with regards to the fact-finding mission, then there’s no reason for us to let them come.” He also added that visas would not be issued to anyone coming into the country to work on the mission.
Based in the Rakhine State, there have been many claims and allegations that the Rohingya Muslims are victims of violence and genocide, however these have all been denied by the Burmese government who labelled the accusations as propaganda and fake news.
A report published by the UN in February found that babies and children were reportedly being slaughtered with knives during “area clearance operations”
Additionally, the report concluded that counter military operations carried out by security forces left Rohingya people subject to mass gang rape, ruthless beatings, and disappearances.
People in Burma view the Rohingya people as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and the Burmese leader, Ms. Suu Kyi, has been criticised many a time for not standing up and facing the Rohingyas, the population of whom exceeds one million.
After security operations carried out by the Burmese army last year, approximately 75,000 Rohingyas have fled the state of Rakhine and gone to Bangladesh. Allegations of abuse in the North of the country were looked into by the EU, who called for a mission in March and appointed Indira Jaising, an advocate from the supreme court of India, in May, to lead said mission.
However, Burma insists that a domestic investigation led by the first vice president of Myanmar, Myint Swe, is sufficient and there is no need for any outsiders to get involved.
Last month, speaking in Brussels, Ms. Suu Kyi had a disagreement with the EU over the need and necessity to send an international fact-finding mission to Burma. She made clear her belief that this mission would not address the needs of the ground and that the country needs time more than anything else to recuperate from the distrust between these two communities.
She also believes that rather than making Rakhine a safe place for the Rohingyas, the UN resolution of having a mission like this would further increase the hostility between the two communities.
