I welcome the democratic transition which is currently underway in Myanmar following the historic elections which took place there in November 2015. The transition is still in its early phases, and there are many challenges facing the new Government in its efforts to bring peace and reconciliation, democratic reforms, and development and economic growth to all its people. I welcome the positive steps that the new Government has taken to date which have signalled their intention to address these issues. One of the most critical and sensitive of these challenges involves the need to comprehensively address the situation of the Rohingya people.
Ireland continues to follow the situation of the Rohingya minority closely, including those that have been displaced from their homes, many of whom remain within the country. The underlying root causes of this displacement, which include the ethnic tensions in Rakhine State, must be addressed as part of a long term solution led by the Government of Myanmar. The need to guarantee respect for human rights and the rule of law for all people in Myanmar remains central to achieving this. Ireland has also called for more investment in early recovery and support for livelihood opportunities for both the Rohingya and Buddhist communities in Rakhine State.
Ireland regularly highlights the situation of the Rohingya people at a bilateral level and in the context of our membership of the EU. Yesterday, I attended the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, at which conclusions were adopted on the EU’s strategy on Myanmar. In addition to addressing the wider human rights concerns, the Conclusions made particular reference to the situation of the Rohingya, taking note of the efforts of the Government of Myanmar to begin work towards addressing the challenges of Rakhine State. The conclusions furthermore highlighted the need for inclusive development in all areas and a political process, including solving citizenship for stateless persons in a non-discriminatory manner through a transparent, voluntary and accessible procedure and ending displacement. The Council committed to engage in dialogue with the Union and State governments as well as all local actors to help build trust with the ultimate aim of promoting human rights and prosperity for all.
Ireland also supported the EU-led resolution on the situation of human rights in Myanmar at the 31st session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in March 2016, which emphasised the HRC’s serious concerns over human rights violations, including the situation in Rakhine State and particularly with respect to persons belonging to religious and ethnic minorities, including the Rohingya minority. Ireland also raised this issue during the review of Myanmar’s human rights record at the HRC’s Universal Periodic Review in November 2015. We have read with interest the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, on the human rights situation of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar, which was published yesterday and will be presented at the current session of the HRC in Geneva on 29 June.
In addition to these efforts, Ireland has provided development assistance and humanitarian aid to address the needs of people in Rakhine State, including the Rohingya community. Since October 2012 outbreaks of inter-communal violence in Rakhine State have left 140,000 people internally displaced (IDPs) and 70,000 extremely vulnerable people in need of humanitarian assistance. In this context of continued conflict and hardship, it is essential that access to basic education and essential psycho-social support to nearly 15,000 children in IDP camps continues. To this end, since 2014, through our Embassy in Hanoi, Ireland has provided €234,500 to Plan International for their interventions in Rakhine State. Ireland’s contribution specifically supports the much needed provision of water, sanitation and hygiene education in the schools and safe spaces for children which complements and strengthens Plan’s broader education programme. In addition, 2015, Plan International Ireland received €50,000 under the Emergency Response Fund Scheme (ERFS) for its support to communities in Rakhine State that were affected by the floods of July 2015. As part of this project 20 villages of Minbya Township were selected in collaboration with the Township authorities. Across the 20 targeted villages, a total of 4,407 households have increased access to safe drinking water.
Ireland will continue, through relevant bilateral and multilateral channels, to highlight the situation of the Rohingya people and to urge the authorities in Myanmar to address the underlying causes as part of their continuing transition.
