“In the midst of numerous global crises, it is crucial that no one is left behind. The citizens of Myanmar have endured prolonged suffering,” stated Volker Türk in anticipation of the one-year anniversary of the coup on February 1.

The speaker described how clashes between the military and armed rebel groups have caused large numbers of people to flee their homes and resulted in harm to innocent civilians. The government has responded to recent defeats on the battlefield by carrying out multiple airstrikes and artillery attacks without regard for civilian lives.

Rise in deaths

According to reliable sources, there have been a total of 554 fatalities since October, with reports of the military being responsible for over 1,600 civilian deaths in 2023. This marks an increase of approximately 300 deaths from the previous year.

In total, almost 26,000 individuals have been apprehended for political reasons. Out of those, 19,973 are still being held in custody. There are reports of torture and mistreatment being inflicted on some detainees, who have little chance of receiving a fair trial. Additionally, during the past three years, 1,576 people have passed away while in military detention.

According to Mr. Türk, military strategies have consistently prioritized the punishment of civilians who are perceived as aiding the enemy. This has led to a pattern of the military intentionally attacking civilians and safeguarding important locations such as hospitals and schools, in accordance with international laws on humanitarianism.

Worry for the Rohingya population.

According to him, the Rohingya community, who are mostly Muslims, have been significantly impacted by the recent conflict in Rakhine State, which resumed in November.

At present, Rohingya refugees are residing in camps in Bangladesh under extremely difficult humanitarian circumstances. Despite this, they are once again taking the perilous journey by sea, as they struggle to find any ports or communities in the area that are willing to accept and accommodate them.

Accountability and sanctions 

According to Mr. Turk, the situation in Myanmar can only be resolved by holding the military’s leaders accountable, freeing political prisoners, and reinstating civilian governance.

The speaker called for Member States to take necessary actions to tackle the crisis, such as potentially implementing more specific sanctions on the military to limit their ability to commit grave offenses and ignore global laws. This could involve restricting their access to weapons, jet fuel, and foreign currency.

Allocate greater resources towards protecting and promoting human rights.

Additionally, Mr. Türk emphasized the need for a substantial budget increase for his office during this year. He cautioned that the current funding is insufficient to effectively advance human rights on a global scale.

Addressing the United Nations General Assembly in Geneva, he requested $500 million to assist the operations of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in the face of significant obstacles worldwide.

At this moment, we are experiencing a period of great division,” he stated, citing issues such as ongoing conflicts in various regions, effects of climate change, spread of misinformation, and a rise in hunger, poverty, and inequality.

OHCHR’s efforts in advocacy led to the release of over 13,000 detainees last year. Additionally, the staff completed 3,664 human rights monitoring missions and observed at least 1,088 trials, among various other achievements.

Last year, the office received $283.2 million in voluntary contributions from Member States and other funding partners.

Despite our best efforts, we are still significantly lacking the necessary funds to implement human rights solutions that are truly comprehensive and impactful. These solutions are crucial in our rapidly changing world and in addressing the urgent challenges we face. The speaker stated that we are in great need of these solutions due to the constantly shifting landscape and pressing issues of our time.

Source: news.un.org