Planned attacks targetting Rohingyas continue: OHCHR

MNA Exclusive Desk: UN high commissioner for human rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said on Monday that there are indications that well-organised attacks are continuing to target Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslims.

“In Myanmar, as the council is aware, there are clear indications of well-organised, widespread and systematic attacks continuing to target the Rohingyas in Rakhine state as an ethnic group, amounting possibly to acts of genocide if so established by a court of law,” he said.

Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein was delivering his opening statement and global update of human rights concerns at the 38th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday.

The speech has been posted on the high commission’s website.

The UN rights chief also said that Myanmar’s actions so far to investigate allegations are not satisfactory.

“Although Myanmar has stated that it will investigate allegations and prosecute alleged perpetrators, its actions to date have not met minimal standards of credibility or impartiality,” he said.

Regarding repatriation, he said that the repatriation should not take place without human rights monitoring in Rakhine.

“In the context of the MOU that the Government of Myanmar has established with UNDP and UNHCR for the repatriation of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh, I reiterate that no repatriation should occur in the absence of sustained human rights monitoring on the ground, in the areas concerned,” he said in this speech.

The UN rights chief also mentioned that conflict has again escalated  in Kachin and northern Shan states.