ASEAN TOLD TO GET ITS ACT TOGETHER OVER ROHINGYA KILLINGS IN MYANMAR
▶ Ten-nation bloc expected to discuss Rakhine murders ‘behind closed doors’
As leaders from South-East Asia and beyond gather in Singapore for the 33rd Asean Summit, the bloc’s time-honoured preference for back-room diplomacy may be set for a shake-up – at least where the Rohingya issue is concerned.
Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad continued his criticism of Myanmar’s leader at the event in Singapore yesterday.
“It would seem that Aung San Suu Kyi is trying to defend what is indefensible,” Dr Mahathir said. “They are actually oppressing these people to the point of killing them, mass killing.”
In a draft of the bloc’s closing statement to be delivered by Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong,obtained by Reuters, it appeared the Asean chair was to support Myanmar’s internal mechanism for dealing with mass atrocities.
In July, Myanmar formed an independent commission to “address reconciliation, peace, stability and development in Rakhine”.
Shortly after the announcement, chairwoman Rosario Manalo indicated that accountability was not necessarily part of the group’s mandate.
“I assure you there will be no blaming of anybody, no finger pointing at anybody because we don’t achieve anything by that procedure,” Ms Manalo said.
A UN fact-finding mission accused Myanmar military figures of waging a genocidal campaign against the Rohingya, as well as being guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity. It recommended referring them to the International Criminal Court.
Ms Suu Kyi has been the subject of intense international criticism over her perceived failure to speak out on atrocities committed by the military.
Before the Asean summit it was announced that her Ambassador of Conscience award from Amnesty International would be taken away.
“More than a year into this crisis and still Asean leaders can’t get their act together and send a clear message condemning atrocities and making clear that perpetrators will not go unpunished,” Laura Haigh, an Amnesty researcher on Myanmar, told
The National.
“This is not an ‘internal’ issue. We are talking about some of the most serious international crimes and the impacts are felt across the region.
“Asean leaders should be pushing Myanmar to allow full
access to Rakhine state,” Ms Haigh said.
“Asean’s response to the crisis is a stain on its credibility and history will judge its leaders for continued inaction,” she said.
The move comes days from the start of a repatriation process widely condemned as premature and breaking international rules.
Concerns were highlighted last week by 42 civil society groups and non-government organisations working in Myanmar and Bangladesh, as well as
the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi.
“Some of the refugees on the list for return have gone into hiding out of fear of being repatriated. At least one has attempted suicide,” the International Crisis Group reported on Monday.
“Basic freedom of movement, access to health and education, legal status – whether citizenship or some other legal rights – there’s been really almost no progress on that front,” US ambassador to Myanmar Scot Marciel
this week told Yangon magazine Frontier Myanmar.
The push for repatriation does, however, have support from regional allies.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry last weekend backed the steps taken towards the return of refugees.
“This will create a good start for dealing with this complex historical issue and accumulate experience for the next step of repatriation,” the ministry said.
Although certain members of the Asean bloc took a more