OIC wants UN to condemn Myanmar

LIGAYA LACSINA, National Muse um of

the Philippines resea rcher NEW YORK: Muslim countries led by Saudi Arabia want the United Nations to denounce human rights abuse in Myanmar and demand an end to the military campaign against the Rohingya.

In one of the worst refugee crises in decades, more than 600,000 Rohingyas have fled an army crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine State since late August.

The draft resolution introduced this week to the General Assembly’s Human Rights Committee said UN member states were “highly alarmed” by the outbreak of violence and “further alarmed by the disproportionate use of force by the Myanmar forces” against the Rohingya.

The non-binding measure is expected to come up for a vote in the committee around Nov 14 and be discussed in the assembly a month later.

Drafted by the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the proposed resolution marks the return of Myanmar to the rights agenda at the UN after a one-year break.

Last year, the European Union decided against presenting a measure criticising Myanmar’s rights record for the first time in 15 years after recognising progress under the leadership of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Together with a separate draft resolution now before the Security Council, the measure reflects growing impatience with the Myanmar authorities as the Rohingya continue to flee across the border to Bangladesh.

Myanmar’s government says its operations are aimed at rooting out Rohingya militants who staged attacks on police posts in August.

The Rohingya have been denied citizenship since 1982. AFP