THE United Nations was established with a mission to stop brutality and promotion of human rights across the globe but at present is apparently helpless to stop the Myanmar military atrocity on Rohingya ethnic community. Though the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and many more declarations and protocols are in effect, nothing could able to check the genocide of Rohingya people. Recently, the UN investigators marked the Myanmar’s military-run atrocities and mass killing too savagery to fathom and asked the Myanmar to restore their citizenship rights. The persecution and genocide committed in this 21st century when world is more connected and depending on others. We must say global or regional leaders cannot refute their liability and responsibility in this regard.
International media reported that the UN investigators called on the Myanmar government to suspend the citizenship verification process based on the 1982 Citizenship Law, restore citizenship of Rohingyas. The investigators recommended the Myanmar government to remove from Rakhine all military personnel responsible for perpetrating violations of international law before starting the repatriation of refugees, and not allow them any role in the repatriation process or security to the returnees. Based on 875 detailed interviews, the report illustrates, in graphic detail, the violent modus operandi that is the hallmark of Myanmar military. During their operations the military has systematically targeted civilians, including women and children, committed sexual violence, voiced and promoted exclusionary and discriminatory rhetoric against minorities, and established a climate of impunity for its soldiers. The horrors inflicted on Rohingya men, women and children during the August last year’s operations, including their indiscriminate killing, rise to the level of both war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The investigation report concluded that the international community has failed to resolve the issue by pressing Myanmar for granting citizenship to the Rohingya refugees staying in Bangladesh. We hope the global leaders would act proactively under UN leadership to ensure trial of the culpable military personnel, restore the political rights of the persecuted people and repatriate the refugees immediately.
