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Investigator: UN, International Community Fail to Hold Myanmar Accountable
for Crimes Against Rohingya

Lisa Schlein

   GEVENA, SWITZERLAND - A U.N. investigator says the United Nations and
   international community have failed to hold the government of Myanmar
   accountable for decades of persecution and repression against the
   minority Rohingya Muslims. The report from the special rapporteur on
   the situation of human rights in Myanmar is under discussion at the
   U.N. Human Rights Council.

   More than one million Rohingya refugees have fled to Cox's Bazar,
   Bangladesh to escape violence, persecution and death in Myanmar. U.N.
   investigator Yanghee Lee says she is concerned the international
   community is beginning to overlook their situation.

   "They are subject to a human rights crisis, responsibility for which
   lies with Myanmar. It is entirely their responsibility to bring about
   all necessary conditions for all the people they forcibly drove out to
   return and they are entirely failing to do so. The remaining Rohingya
   in Myanmar continue to be denied their rights and are persecuted by
   authorities, making returns from Bangladesh impossible at this time."

   Last year, Myanmar established an independent commission of inquiry to
   investigate allegations of human rights violations in Rakhine state,
   where the military conducted a brutal crackdown against Rohingya
   Muslims about two years ago.

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