In advance of the United Nations Security Council’s December 12 meeting on the situation in Myanmar, we, a global coalition of 81 human rights, faith-based and humanitarian organizations, urgently call on the Council to take immediate action to address the campaign of ethnic cleansing and mass atrocity crimes, including crimes against humanity, committed against the ethnic Rohingya population by Myanmar’s security forces in northern Rakhine State, as well as the continuing restrictions on humanitarian assistance throughout the state since October 2016.

Words of condemnation by the UN, including the Security Council’s Presidential Statement on November 6 and the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee’s adoption of a resolution on Myanmar, have not resulted in Myanmar’s government ending its abuses or holding those responsible to account. It is time for prompt, concerted and effective international action.

Myanmar authorities are still heavily restricting access to northern Rakhine State for most international humanitarian organizations, human rights monitors, and independent media. Most of Myanmar’s Rohingya population, estimated at more than one million, have been forced to flee to Bangladesh as refugees. Despite a bilateral agreement between Myanmar and Bangladesh, there are insufficient guarantees that return at this time can be informed, safe and voluntary, that requirements for documentation of prior residence will not be used as a pretext to reject legitimate returns, that temporary holding centers will not become semi-permanent internment camps and that returnees will have the same rights of movement, access to livelihoods and health and education services as other residents of Rakhine State. The UN Fact-Finding Mission, which is tasked with preparing a report on abuses nationwide, has thus far been prevented from gaining access to the country.

Over 646,000 Rohingya have been made refugees since August 25, when Myanmar security forces launched “clearance operations” in response to armed attacks on security posts by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA). Refugee testimonies provide overwhelming
evidence of Myanmar military-led atrocities during these operations, and a similar campaign that had begun in October 2016. The crimes against humanity perpetrated against the Rohingya include massacres and other unlawful killings, widespread rape and other sexual violence, looting, deportation and mass arson of hundreds of Rohingya villages. The violence also displaced tens of thousands of people from other ethnic minorities. Rohingya who remain in Myanmar continue to face severe food insecurity and threats in addition to systematic violations of their rights to a nationality, freedom of movement, and access to healthcare, education, and
livelihood opportunities.

The Myanmar government has the primary responsibility to protect its diverse population without discrimination and regardless of ethnicity, religion or citizenship status. But, the civilian and military leadership of Myanmar, including the military’s Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, refuse to even acknowledge the serious human rights violations against the Rohingya and continue to deny any wrongdoing by state security forces in Rakhine State while ignoring decades of institutionalized discrimination against the Rohingya community.

We urge the Security Council to immediately impose an arms embargo against Myanmar’s military that covers the direct and indirect supply, sale or transfer, including transit and trans-shipment of all weapons, munitions, and other military and security equipment, as well as the provision of training and other military and security assistance. The Security Council should also place targeted sanctions on senior officers responsible for crimes against humanity or other serious human rights violations. Financial sanctions should target senior officers who ordered criminal acts or are liable as a matter of command responsibility. The Security Council should explore all avenues for justice and accountability, including through international courts.

If the pledge to “never again” allow atrocities means anything, the Security Council cannot delay action any longer.

Signatories:

1. ALTSEAN-Burma
2. African Life Center
3. Ameinu
4. American Jewish World Service
5. Amnesty International
6. Arab American Bar Association
7. Association Suisse Birmanie
8. Burma Action Ireland
9. Burma Campaign UK
10. Burma Human Rights Network
11. Burma Task Force
12. Canadian Centre for the Responsibility to Protect
13. Carl Wilkens Fellowship
14. Center for Development of International Law
15. Center for Justice & Accountability
16. Center for Media Studies and Peacebuilding (CEMESPLiberia)
17. Darfur Women’s Action Group
18. David Rockefeller Fund
19. Emgage Action
20. Entrepreneurs du Monde
21. Equal Rights Trust
22. European Rohingya Council
23. Fortify Rights
24. Foundation for Ethnic Understanding
25. Franciscan Action Network
26. Friends Committee on National Legislation
27. Genocide Watch
28. Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect
29. Global Justice Center
30. Global Network of Women Peacebuilders
31. Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict – Southeast Asia (GPPAC-SEA)
32. Greater New York Labor-Religion Coalition
33. Holocaust, Genocide and Interfaith Education Center at Manhattan College
34. Human Rights First
35. Human Rights Now
36. Human Rights Watch
37. Humanity United Action
38. Info Birmanie
39. Initiatives for International Dialogue
40. Interfaith Center of New York
41. International Campaign for the Rohingya
42. International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect ICR2P
43. International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
44. Investors Against Genocide
45. Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights
46. Jewish Alliance of Concern over Burma (JACOB)
47. Jewish World Watch
48. Law @theMargins
49. Majlis Ashura – The Islamic Leadership Council of New York
50. Médecins du Monde
51. Middle East and North Africa Partnership for Preventing of Armed Conflict (MENAPPAC)
52. Muslim Bar Association of New York
53. Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)
54. Muslin Social Justice Initiative (MSJI)
55. National Lawyer’s Guild – International
56. Network of Spiritual Progressives
57. Partners Relief & Development
58. Pax Christi Metro New York
59. Permanent Peace Movement (PPM)
60. Physicians for Human Rights
61. Rabbinical Assembly
62. Refugee Center Online
63. Refugees International
64. Rohingya Community Ireland
65. Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus
66. Save the Children
67. Society for Threatened Peoples – Germany
68. STAND Canada
69. Stanley Foundation
70. Stop Genocide Now
71. Swedish Burma Committee
72. Syrian Network for Human Rights
73. T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights
74. The Jiyan Foundation for Human Rights
75. The Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies
76. Turning Point for Women and Children
77. Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
78. United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries
79. United Nations Association – Sweden
80. Viet Tan
81. World Federalist Movement – Canada
82. World Federalist Movement-Institute for Global Policy (WFMIGP)