Myanmar ‘unlikely’ to face UN probe on Rohingya abuses

Contrary to the UN Human Rights Council proposals, EU diplomats say they prefer existing mechanism to probe abuses.

Rohingya refugee women sit inside their home at a refugee camp in Bangladesh [Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters]

by Al Jazeera

Myanmar looks set to escape an international investigation into alleged atrocities against its Rohingya minority, after the European Union decided not to seek one at the UN Human Rights Council, a draft resolution seen by Reuters news agency showed.

The EU takes note in the draft resolution seen on Wednesday, of “the very serious nature of the allegations” and “current investigations conducted at the domestic level”.

But it stops short of the investigation sought by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein.

EU diplomats told a meeting on Tuesday that they preferred using an existing mechanism that had received good cooperation and access from Myanmar’s government, rather than a new approach, and to give more time to the domestic process.

The EU has historically taken the lead on issues relating to Myanmar on the Council.

Zeid, in a renewed appeal on Wednesday, told the Council that the severe violations follow “longstanding persecution” of the stateless Rohingya minority in majority-Buddhist Myanmar, and warranted a review by the International Criminal Court.

“I therefore urge the Council, at minimum, to establish a Commission of Inquiry into the violence against the Rohingya, particularly during security operations since 9 October 2016,” he said.

The UN said in a report last month that the army and police had committed mass killings and gang rapes of Rohingya Muslims in northern Rakhine state, and burned villages in a campaign that may amount to crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.

Independent probe

Setting up a full international commission of inquiry into the findings – similar to those for Syria and North Korea – has been seen as a test of international resolve at the main annual session of the Council that ends on March 24.

The draft resolution from the EU suggests it may fail that test.

Some 70,000 people have fled Rakhine state to Bangladesh since Myanmar’s military began a security operation last October in response to what it says was an attack by Rohingya armed men on border posts, in which nine police officers were killed.

Human rights monitors have voiced serious doubts that several investigative commissions set up by the Aung San Suu Kyi government and its security forces had the tools and independence needed for an impartial probe.

Activists said the security forces continued to carry out serious crimes demanding an international probe.

“Our research indicates that it (the abuse) is systematic, and the idea that the government could or would be able to participate in a proper investigation of what is going on simply isn’t realistic,” said Louis Charbonneau of Human Rights Watch.

“An investigation needs to be independent, credible and international.”