‘Punish officials responsible for harming civilians’

NEW YORK, Aug 25: Kuwait has affirmed necessity of punishing officials responsible for violently targeting civilians including religious minorities.

Bader Al-Munaikh, the deputy permanent representative at the UN, hailed the UN special team for probing crimes perpetrated by the so-called Islamic State (IS), also known as “Daesh.” He was speaking during a Security Council’s session on boosting individuals’ security in armed conflicts.

He affirmed Kuwait’s support for the team mission in Iraq and expressed hope to see justice served with respect of the Rohingya who have been victims of “racial cleansing.”

The world nowadays is witnessing unprecedented escalation of violence amid recurring attacks on individuals and communities because of religious and racial considerations.

Al-Munaikh expressed solidarity with the victims and survivors of such hateful acts targeting Muslims and Christians, namely the tragic assault on a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, and another one on Christians in Sri Lanka during Easter festivities.

One of the methods for resisting indiscrimination against religious and racial minorities is boosting tolerance and combating all forms of radical ideologies, he has suggested.

Governments ought to ensure protection and respect for all citizens, he said, noting that there must be equal treatment of citizens without religious indiscrimination.

The United Nations, namely the Security Council, can play a crucial role in this regard through continuous condemnation of methodical repression of the minorities, in addition to ensuring full implementation of relevant UNSC resolutions on protecting civilians.