UN demands ‘unfettered’ access to probe Rakhine issue

GENEVA: UN human rights investigators said they needed “full and unfettered” access to Myanmar to investigate a grave and ongoing crisis, but the government renewed its rejection of the probe.

“It is important for us to see with our own eyes the sites of these alleged violations,” the head of UN-backed fact-finding mission, Marzuki Darusman, told the Human Rights Council, asking for “full and unfettered access to the country”.

“There is a grave humanitarian crisis under way that requires urgent attention,” he added.

The council set up the mission in March to investigate possible violations across Myanmar, with particular focus on alleged crimes committed against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State.

Myanmar’s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi has repeatedly denounced the UN probe as unhelpful and vowed that her government would not cooperate with it.

Hours after Suu Kyi’s speech yesterday, Myanmar’s UN ambassador Htin Lynn reasserted his government’s position.

“We continue to believe that instituting such a mission is not a help- ful course of action in solving the already intricated Rakhine issue,” he told the council.

Darusman had upped the pressure on Myanmar to grant access, arguing it was “in the government’s interest and in the interests of the people of Myanmar to communicate their views and evidence directly to the (UN) mission”.