Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 September 2022
703. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will refer the situation in Myanmar through the United Nations Security Council to the International Criminal Court; if he will take action for Ireland to join the Rohingya genocide case at the International Court of Justice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42180/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 25 of August 2022 marked five years since the Rohingya crisis began in Myanmar. Violence and terror perpetrated by the Myanmar military created conditions where over 750,000 Rohingya people had no option but to flee their country.
Conditions for the voluntary, safe and dignified return of Rohingya to Myanmar remain uncertain. Approximately 1 million Rohingya refugees continue to seek refuge in camps in Bangladesh, while tens of thousands more across the region, and over 140,000 internally displaced persons remain confined in camps in Rakhine in Myanmar.
The situation has deteriorated further since the illegitimate military coup on 1 February 2021. I am deeply saddened at reports that over 2,200 people have been killed, approximately 15,000 have been detained, over 1 million displaced by conflict, and some 14 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.
Ireland is committed to ensuring humanitarian assistance for the most vulnerable communities in Myanmar, including internally displaced persons and Rohingya refugees, and calls for unhindered access for humanitarian workers to all regions.
We continue to provide direct funding to the Rohingya crisis. Since the Myanmar military operations in late 2017, Ireland has provided direct funding of over €8.47m to the Rohingya crisis, provided core funding to many of the UN agencies active in the response and deployed experts from Irish Aid’s Rapid Response Corps and humanitarian supplies via the UNHRD. This year, Ireland is providing €1 million to the UNHCR Rohingya response in Bangladesh. Ireland also activated the Emergency Response Fund Scheme in response to the fires in refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar in March 2021, with €100,000 disbursed.
Ireland is actively engaged on this issue as part of our role as an elected member of the UN Security Council. The Council has discussed Myanmar on 9 occasions since the coup, most recently in a Private Meeting on 27 May. We have also raised the situation in Myanmar at each session of the Human Rights Council, most recently making a national statement on 29 June.
In this respect it is important to note that the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court is continuing to conduct a criminal investigation into alleged crimes within the Court’s jurisdiction committed against the Rohingya people. That investigation was authorised by the Pre-Trial Chamber of the Court in November 2019. The Prosecutor visited Bangladesh earlier this year and confirmed during that visit that his investigation would be a priority during his tenure. He has allocated additional resources to the investigative team, in particular with a view to accelerating the collection and analysis of evidence. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Government made a voluntary contribution of €1 million to the Office of the Prosecutor, in order to help him meet the increased demands on his Office. This voluntary contribution will be made available for the benefit of all country situations in trial or under investigation, including the situation in Bangladesh/Myanmar.
Ireland is a firm supporter of the International Court of Justice. My Department monitors the cases before the Court closely and the question of third party intervention in proceedings between states is kept under regular review.
