Thomas Andrews, the United Nations’ special rapporteur for human rights in Myanmar, called for a cease-fire and condemned child casualties in attacks by security forces on villages in Rakhine State. He also urged Myanmar to cooperate with international investigators (United Nations)
Myanmar Military to Investigate Abuses Against Rohingya
The military announced that it is investigating “possible wider patterns of violations” committed during its 2017 crackdown in Rakhine State, where security forces allegedly committed genocide against Rohingya Muslims. Myanmar’s army has denied the charge (Reuters)
Rights Group Accuses Company of Bankrolling Myanmar’s Military
Amnesty International alleged that a secretive company is “inextricably linked” to Myanmar’s military, including a general accused of committing atrocities against the Rohingya. The conglomerate, Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited, has sent the military up to $18 billion in dividends, the watchdog group said (Al Jazeera)
Canada, Netherlands Back Rohingya Genocide Case
Canada and the Netherlands announced they will aid a case Gambia brought against Myanmar in the International Court of Justice over alleged genocide of the Rohingya people. They encouraged other countries to follow suit (Al Jazeera)
UN Implores Bangladesh to Accept Rohingya Refugees
UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet urged Bangladesh yesterday to allow two boats carrying hundreds of Rohingya refugees to land so they may receive humanitarian assistance. Bangladesh’s foreign minister said last week that the country would not accept the boats (Agence France-Presse)
Hundreds of Rohingya Return to Bangladesh After Failed Sea Voyage
A ship carrying nearly four hundred Rohingya refugees washed up on Bangladesh’s shores after it failed to reach Malaysia in a voyage that began two months ago. Some twenty-eight people had died on the boat (Dhaka Tribune)
Separately, human rights watchdogs accused Myanmar’s military of exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to carry out offensives against ethnic militias in border states, including Rakhine (Al Jazeera)
United States Announces More Aid for Rohingya
Washington will give an additional $59 million in humanitarian aid to Rohingya refugees and their hosts in Bangladesh, as well as to internally displaced Rohingya in Myanmar (State Department)
UN Calls for $877 Million for Rohingya Refugees
UN agencies and NGOs initiated the 2020 Joint Response Plan to request $877 million in funds to assist Rohingya refugees with food, shelter, and sanitation (UNHCR)
Boat Carrying Rohingya Refugees Capsizes
At least fifteen Rohingya refugees died on the way to Malaysia when their boat capsized off the Bangladeshi coast (Dhaka Tribune)
Myanmar Shuts Down Internet in War-Torn West
Myanmar reimposed an internet shutdown in five townships in the western states of Chin and Rakhine, where fighting with ethnic insurgents has displaced tens of thousands (Reuters)
Bangladesh to Enroll Rohingya Children in School
Ten thousand Rohingya children up to the age of fourteen will receive formal schooling in the sixth to ninth grades beginning in April under a pilot program led by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Bangladesh’s government, officials said. An estimated one-third of Rohingya child refugees currently receive schooling at temporary centers (Al Jazeera)
ICJ: Myanmar Must Take Steps to Protect Rohingya
The International Court of Justice unanimously ruled that Myanmar must take emergency measures to prevent the genocide of the Rohingya minority group and must preserve all evidence of possible genocide (Al Jazeera)
The decision is the first in a case that will eventually decide whether Myanmar’s 2017 crackdown on the Rohingya amounted to genocide (Reuters)
Myanmar Leader Denies Genocide Accusations
Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi repudiated charges of genocide against Rohingya Muslims at a hearing before the International Court of Justice (Reuters)
Separately today, scores of Rohingya are on trial in Myanmar, facing charges of “illegal travel” for trying to escape from Myanmar’s Rakhine state (Reuters)
Rohingya Genocide Trial Begins in The Hague
Hearings begin today at the International Court of Justice in The Hague that center on Myanmar’s treatment of Rohingya Muslims (Guardian)
The suit, brought by Gambia, alleges that the military clearance of hundreds of thousands of people amounts to genocide and calls for provisional measures to protect the Rohingya. Thousands of Rohingya were killed and more than 700,000 fled to Bangladesh as a result of what Myanmar said were legitimate counterterrorism operations (BBC)
Report Says Rohingya Refugee Children Being Denied Education
A new report found that Bangladesh is prohibiting aid groups from providing education to almost four hundred thousand Rohingya children in refugee camps (Human Rights Watch)
ICC to Investigate Rohingya Exodus
The International Criminal Court has authorized an inquiry into possible crimes against hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who fled Myanmar for Bangladesh, in a newly expanded interpretation of the court’s jurisdiction. Myanmar is not a party to the court’s founding treaty, but Bangladesh is (Guardian)
UN Mission to Myanmar Warns of Resurgent
The head of the UN mission to Myanmar yesterday warned the UN General Assembly Human Rights Committee about the “serious risk of genocide recurring” in Myanmar (Miami Herald)
Bangladesh Restricts Mobile Access for Rohingya
Bangladeshi authorities ordered telecom operators to shut down mobile phone services in Rohingya refugee camps, citing security grounds. Recent attempts to repatriate some Rohingya to Myanmar have failed as refugees have called for citizenship and safety assurances before returning (Agence France-Presse)
Rohingya Refugees Call for Talks With Myanmar
More than one hundred thousand Rohingya gathered at a refugee camp in Bangladesh to mark the two-year anniversary of their exodus from Myanmar. A Rohingya leader said the group will not return to the country until Myanmar officials agree to a dialogue with them to hear their demands (Dhaka Tribune)
Rohingya Reject Repatriation Effort
No Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh chose to join a motorcade that would have taken them back to Myanmar (Dhaka Tribune)
A new UN report found that Myanmar troops systematically employed sexual violence against Rohingya individuals (Al Jazeera)
Rohingya Refugees Say They Do Not Intend to Return to Myanmar
Bangladeshi refugee official Khaled Hossain said today that some Rohingya refugee families interviewed by the United Nations said they will not return to Myanmar unless their demands for safety and citizenship are met (Associated Press)
Rohingya Refugees Say They Do Not Want Repatriation
After surveying Rohingya refugees, the United Nations and Bangladesh reported that few refugees would want to return to Myanmar. Bangladesh’s refugee commissioner, Abul Kalam, said today that only twenty-one Rohingya families out of over one thousand selected for repatriation this week have submitted the requisite forms (Associated Press)
Myanmar and Bangladesh to Repatriate Rohingya Refugees
Myanmar and Bangladesh announced they will attempt to repatriate Rohingya Muslims beginning on August 22; Myanmar has authorized the return of 3,540 refugees (Reuters)
Bangladesh and the United Nations plan investigate whether the refugees will accept Myanmar’s offer (Reuters)
Myanmar Denounces UN Call for Sanctions
Myanmar’s foreign ministry denounced UN calls for sanctions against companies that do business with Myanmar’s military, saying that such calls are intended to harm the state (Reuters)
UN Urges Sanctions on Companies Linked to Myanmar Military
The United Nations today announced that foreign firms that do business with Myanmar’s military may be complicit in atrocities against the country’s Rohingya population. UN investigators urged sanctions against these companies (Reuters)