THE EU Council passed sanctions on Monday against seven Myanmar military officials for their sinister roles in the mass killing and displacement of Rohingya civilians. Seven military men, all high ranking officials, have been made responsible for “serious human rights violations, for obstructing the provision of humanitarian assistance to civilians in need and for obstructing the conduct of independent investigations into alleged serious human rights violations or abuses.”
We welcome the EU’s decision but not without questioning what would happen to their punishment which was rendered under crimes against humanity. Under the new EU sanctions, the seven men will have their EU assets frozen and be banned from entering any EU member state. Also, noticeably missing from the sanctions list is Commander-in-Chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who has repeatedly justified his subordinates’ actions against Rohingya civilians – claiming that the victims brought violence upon themselves by demanding citizenship. Why was he left out from the list?
However, EU’s sanctioning of Myanmar Generals follow previous sanctions imposed by Canada and America. We welcome these countries and also expect more and more countries to condemn and place sanctions on these offenders. Nevertheless, so far it has been a partial positive response to a greater humanitarian crisis, but we are eagerly waiting for the international community to act fast in activating the repatriation process of the Rohingyas.
Meanwhile, Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), arrived in Myanmar on Monday evening and is reported to visit Rakhine State on June 26-28. He will meet State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint, and other government officials on June 29 in Naypyidaw before heading to Bangladesh on Saturday for talks with our Prime Minister, Home Minister and Foreign Minister. Following that visit we call on the government to not only to fast-track the repatriation process but to put pressure on Myanmar to bear costs for the refugees stuck in Bangladesh until their safe and voluntary return is ensured.
Sanctions against Myanmar were needed but urgency is about taking back the refugees from Bangladesh back to subject the country in line with the international law and obligation. Effective measures are to be taken without loss of time for the grave wrong of denying citizenship to its people and forcing them on Bangladesh as refugees. Their inhuman miseries as refugees must end.
