FOLLOWING the UN Third Committee meeting in October, The U.N. Human Rights Council held a special session on killings, rapes and other crimes committed against Muslim Rohingyas in Myanmar yesterday (December 5) in Geneva. The special session was arranged reportedly because of Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia’s special request. However, there is a strong reason to believe that a number of countries are likely to block the possibility of any resolution since Bangladesh and Myanmar have recently signed a MoU regarding the repatriation of the Rohingya refugees.
Moreover, similar to their previous positions in the Security Council and Third Committee Meetings, China and India are likely to refrain from taking Bangladesh’s side. Such punitive measure by holding a special session would have been effective if other foreign actors with leverage over Myanmar’s military follow suit. But this is not the case.
The question, however, if there is a resolution to be passed after the special session and whether Myanmar would follow it or not? The resolution may well cover more issues than those which have not been included in the MoU. The apparent fear is the first step to convert the crisis into a bilateral one has been ensured by the signing of the MoU. Since it’s a non-committal agreement – it is least-likely that Myanmar would appropriately repatriate the ousted Rohingyas. We expect our political leadership not to advance any further with Myanmar, the ball is in Myanmar’s court and it should play it as per the UN rules.
Myanmar has committed genocide to force their own people from their homeland. The UN Human Rights Council must act decisively to end the miseries of the Rohingya refugees.
