Kazakhstan takes part in the UNSC meeting on Myanmar
The meeting was addressed by the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman and Secretary-General's Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten.
According to Jeffrey Feltman, although violence in Rakhine State had subsided, new Rohingya refugees continued to arrive in Bangladesh, including more than 36,000 unaccompanied children. The estimated number of refugees entering Bangladesh since 25 August has now exceeded 626,000.
Welcoming the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Myanmar and Bangladesh, he urged all Myanmar leaders adopt measures to defuse tensions and create an environment for safe and dignified repatriation of refugees and internally displaced persons, including through interfaith initiatives.
The UN Secretary-General's Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, who briefed the Council on her recent visit to the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh.
According to her, survivors had conveyed to her the most heartbreaking and horrific accounts of sexual atrocities. She noted that numerous testimonies point to a serious problem of violations of international humanitarian law and called on the members of the UN Security Council to visit Myanmar, as well as the area where refugees are located in Bangladesh.
Kazakh delegation expressed hope that the joint Myanmar-Bangladesh working group would ensure a safe and voluntary return of Rohingya to Myanmar. At the same time, Kazakhstan has called for an investigation of human rights violations, as well as the elimination of the root causes of the conflict.
The overwhelming majority of the members of the Security Council agreed that the situation in Myanmar continues to cause serious concern. They called on the country's authorities to ensure unhindered access of UN staff and international humanitarian organizations. A number of delegations noted that there were signs of genocide in the attacks on Rohingya, urging the official Neypido to fully support the work of the fact-finding mission.
Also, a demand was made to the authorities of Myanmar to immediately begin implementing the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State.