Joint Statement by Rohingya Organisations Worldwide 

UNSC Must Act on Increased Atrocities Against Rohingya – Don’t Repeat Past Mistakes

February 28, 2024

We, the undersigned worldwide Rohingya organisations, call on the UN Security Council not to repeat the same mistake in failing to act before the military offensives of 2016 and 2017 and convene an urgent meeting to discuss the escalating crisis in Rakhine State, Burma.

The UN Security Council has already been failing in its obligation to address the issue of the Burmese military ignoring the provisional measures to prevent ongoing genocide of the Rohingya, which were ordered by the International Court of Justice.

The International Court of Justice, known as the UN court, set out provisional measures in the Gambia v. Myanmar case on Burma’s breaches of the genocide convention, in January 2020. 

UN Security Council members, and the penholder on Burma at the UN Security Council, the UK, have once again failed to learn lessons from past mistakes. Failing to act on violations of international law perpetrated against the Rohingya creates a sense of impunity and encourages an escalation of abuses. We are witnessing a repeat of this mistake happening in Rakhine State now.

Rohingya are being forcibly recruited to fight for the Burmese military and used as human shields by the Burmese military. On the other hand, they are consequently targeted by the Arakan Army (AA), who are fighting to liberate Rakhine State from Burmese military control.

Rohingya do not want to fight for the Burmese military, the perpetrators of genocide against them. Rohingya are united with the people across the country to get rid of the military dictatorship. 

The Burmese military are rapidly losing territory to the Arakan Army. In a desperate attempt to counter the offensive by AA, the junta has resorted to forcing Rohingya to fight against the AA, which have led to the increasing killing and injuring of Rohingya over recent weeks.

In the context of the history of tensions and prejudice which exist in Rakhine State, and the presence of some political leaders who want to exploit the adverse situation for their own political purposes, rather than unite all the people of Rakhine State against the common enemy, the forced conscription of Rohingya by the Burmese military is extremely dangerous.

It could also have long term consequences for the prospect of peaceful coexistence between Rohingya and Rakhine in a future democratic Burma. The Burmese military is cynically using divide and rule tactics in a last-ditch attempt to keep control of Rakhine State.

Innocent Rohingya civilians are also subjected to indiscriminate shelling, airstrikes and attacks by the Burmese military on the suspicion that the Arakan Army has a presence in their villages, resulting in deaths, injuries and destruction of property. 

Rohingya civilians are trapped between the warring parties. Being confined in in displacement camps, without freedom of movement, the Rohingyas have little prospect of fleeing the fighting areas.  

At a minimum, the British government as the penholder on Burma should urgently convene a meeting of the UN Security Council on Burma’s non-implementation of the provisional measures set out by the International Court of Justice, and the escalating crisis in the State. 

Signatories:

1. Arakan Rohingya Development Association – Australia
2. Arakan Rohingya Union (ARU)
3. Australian Burmese Rohingya Organization (ABRO)
4. British Rohingya Community
5. Burmese Rohingya Association in Japan (BRAJ)
6. Burmese Rohingya Association in Queensland Australia (BRAQA)
7. Burmese Rohingya Association of North America (BRANA)
8. Burmese Rohingya Community in Australia (BRCA)
9. Burmese Rohingya Community in Denmark
10. Burmese Rohingya Community of Georgia; Atlanta
11. Burmese Rohingya Community Netherlands
12. Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK)
13. Canadian Burmese Rohingya Organisation
14. European Rohingya Council (ERC)
15. Free Rohingya Coalition (FRC)
16. Los Angeles Rohingya Association
17. Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organization Malaysia (MERHROM)
18. Rohingya Action Ireland
19. Rohingya American Society (RAS)
20. Rohingya Community in Japan (RCJ)
21. Rohingya Human Rights Initiative
22. Rohingya Human Rights Network
23. Rohingya Initiative Canada
24. Rohingya Society Malaysia
25. RW Welfare Society
26. Swedish Rohingya Association

For more information, please contact:

Tun Khin: +447888714866
Nay San Lwin: +4917662139138