Mr President, Madam Special Envoy,

The European Union and its Member States welcome this briefing, as mandated by resolution 79/182 on the “Situation of human rights of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar” that was adopted by the General Assembly by consensus last December. 

The EU is pleased to work together with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to put forward this important resolution. We first introduced this resolution jointly in 2018 in response to the atrocities against the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, which forced over a million people to flee the country. 

Since then, the situation in Myanmar has gone from bad to worse, particularly after the military coup in February 2021, and the violent repression that followed. As a result, the human rights situation has drastically deteriorated across the country, with escalation of violence and conflict that is affecting all minorities and communities. 

Madam Special Envoy, 

As you have outlined in your briefing, the situation has further deteriorated since you took office last year. The Myanmar military is continuing to inflict unbearable suffering on the people in Myanmar, through indiscriminate air strikes and burning of villages, killing and maiming of civilians, forced conscription – and the list goes on. The bombing of a school in Depayin township on 12 May is yet another gruesome illustration of this trend.

The humanitarian situation in the country continues to be alarming – with some 22 million in need of humanitarian assistance and over 3.5 million displaced – even before the devastating earthquake hit on 28 March. Despite the junta’s call to the international community for humanitarian assistance and several announcements of post-earthquake ceasefires, its military operations have continued unabated and humanitarian access continues to be restricted inflicting further suffering on the civilian population. 

The intensification of the conflict in Rakhine State, where Rohingya communities are again targeted and intercommunal tension is actively stoked, is deeply concerning. 

It is clear that the plight of the Rohingya population cannot be solved in the current context. The voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return of refugees and displaced persons remains impossible. In order for this to happen, we need peace, stability, safety and a return to the path of inclusive democracy for the people of Myanmar, and we need it now.

Madam Special Envoy, 

The EU and its Member States express our full support for your work and efforts to support a better future for the people of Myanmar. Your dialogue and engagement with all parties and stakeholders, including ASEAN, in this regard is important – but we all need to support you in this endeavour. 

Let me therefore take this opportunity to reiterate our key concerns and calls for action: 

1. We need to be effective in our advocacy and action to ensure that the military regime immediately stops the violence, persecution, and forced recruitment, releases all political prisoners and commits to a real and lasting cessation of hostilities. UNSC resolution 2669 (2022) as well as provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice must be respected and implemented. 

    

2. Countries that continue to supply lethal assistance to Myanmar’s military regime must stop doing so. All states must respect their international commitments to prevent these atrocities, by taking meaningful, effective and targeted action to end the military’s access to arms and military equipment that enables it to sustain its violent campaign and the repression against civilians. To this end, EU reiterates its call for a global arms embargo.

3. International humanitarian law and humanitarian principles must be respected. All parties must allow immediate, full, safe, and unimpeded humanitarian access so that life-saving aid can be provided to all people in need throughout the county. We also call on all parties to ensure protection of all minorities, including Rohingya communities, in Myanmar and in host countries.

4. The launch of a genuine, constructive, inclusive, and effective dialogue towards peace, stability and inclusive democracy, in accordance with the will of the people of Myanmar. Prior to any election, is absolutely essential that relevant stakeholders are able to meaningfully contribute to such a political process. As long as opposition leaders remain in detention, these conditions are not met. Addressing the underlying discrimination and treatment of the Rohingya is an indispensable part of a political solution to the crisis in Myanmar. 

    

5. Like elsewhere, justice and accountability are an indispensable element for bringing lasting peace and a solution for the Rohingya and all the people of Myanmar, and for preventing future violence. We underline the importance of the work of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, and our support for its mandate, the ICC, and ICJ to continue investigating and ensuring accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity and possibly genocide committed in Myanmar before and after the 2021 coup. Myanmar’s military regime still must comply with the provisional measures the ICJ issued in January 2020.

6. We reiterate our full support for the central role of ASEAN in finding a resolution to the crisis, including the work of the ASEAN Chair and Special Envoy, consistent with the Five Point Consensus. We welcome the recent ASEAN Leaders’ call for a sustained extension and nationwide expansion of ceasefire in Myanmar, as a step towards de-escalation, with a view to ensure humanitarian access and for creating space for political dialogue. 

The high-level meeting that will be held here at the UN on 30 September, as called for by our joint resolution with the OIC (79/182), will be an important opportunity to galvanise further international attention and support for the human rights situation of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar. But as we continue to deliberate, we must always keep in mind the urgency for effective action, now. The lives, prosperity, rights, and dignity of the people of Myanmar depend on it. 

Thank you.