November 21, 2017

New Delhi,

Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) is among 36 human rights organisations that have called for a special session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) on the refugee crisis in Myanmar.

“We the undersigned human rights organisations, strongly support calls for a UN Human Rights Council special session on the deteriorating human rights situation in Myanmar and urge your delegations to support holding such a session as soon as possible,” the open letter addressed to the HRC has said.

The letter has been signed among others by Amnesty International, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizenship Participation and Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS), Indonesia.

“In light of serious reports of human rights violations, including crimes against humanity, committed by Myanmar security forces – including unlawful killings, rape and other crimes of sexual violence, widespread burning and destruction of Rohingya homes and property, mass deportations and the unlawful use of antipersonnel landmines – and given the unprecedented exodus of over half a million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar into Bangladesh, we believe that a special session is imperative to launch decisive action and ensure international scrutiny and monitoring of the situation,” the groups said.

The letter appealed to the member states of the UN HRC to adopt a resolution that would call on the Myanmar government to “immediately cease all human rights violations, including crimes against humanity” and allow human rights groups “full and unfettered access to all parts of the country."

CHRI on August 26, 2017, had issued a statement urging India’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to consider withdrawal of an advisory with regard to the proposed deportation of Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar. The statement was made in response to Indian government’s announcement that they would deport the 40,000 Rohingya back to Myanmar citing “security threat.”

Today, Supreme Court deferred its hearing on the petitions filed against the government’s decision to deport Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar to December 5.

Here is the open letter signed by the 36 rights groups click here: 

Press:  Business Standard