GENEVA / HRC MYANMAR

The United Nations Human Rights Council adopted Friday a resolution by consensus “to dispatch urgently” an international fact-finding mission to investigate widespread allegations of killings, rape and torture by security forces against Rohingya Muslims minority in Myanmar's Rakhine state. UNTV CH

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:25
• Production Date: 24 March 2017
• Asset Language: English
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL - UNHRC
• Subject Topical: HUMAN RIGHTS
• Geographic Subject: MYANMAR
• MAMS Id: 1855515
• Parent Id: 1855515
• Alternate Title: unifeed170324e

Description

STORY: GENEVA/ HRC MYANMAR
TRT: 01:25
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 24 MARCH 2017 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

Shotlist

1. Exterior, Palais des Nations
2. Wide shot, Human Rights Room
3. Wide shot, podium
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Htin Lynn, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Myanmar:
“Any action taken should not add problem to the already complicated issue. It should help us in our efforts to finding a long-term solution. Within this backdrop Mr. President you might dissociate itself from the resolution A/HRC/34/L.8/Rev. 1 as a whole in particular from paragraph 11 which mentioned dispatching an independent international-fact finding mission to Myanmar. Such kind of action is not acceptable to Myanmar as it is not in harmony with the situation on the ground and our national circumstances. Let Myanmar people choose the best and the most effective course of action to address the challenges in Myanmar. We will be doing what needs to be done.”
4. Med shot, delegates and camera woman
5. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Joaquín Alexander Maza Martelli, President , United Nations Human Rights Council:
“I can conclude that the draft resolution L. 8 Revision 1 is adopted without a vote, this is so decided.”
6. Various shots, delegations

Storyline

The United Nations Human Rights Council adopted today (24 Mar) a resolution by consensus “to dispatch urgently” an international fact-finding mission to investigate widespread allegations of killings, rape and torture by security forces against Rohingya Muslims minority in Myanmar's Rakhine state.

Myanmar’s UN ambassador Htin Lynn, speaking before the decision by the Human Rights Council called the move as "not acceptable". Referring to the resolution, he said "any action taken should not add problem to the already complicated issue. It should help us in our efforts to finding a long-term solution. Within this backdrop Mr. President you might dissociate itself from the resolution A/HRC/34/L.8/Rev. 1 as a whole in particular from paragraph 11 which mentioned dispatching an independent international-fact finding mission to Myanmar.”

Lynn continued saying “such kind of action is not acceptable to Myanmar as it is not in harmony with the situation on the ground and our national circumstances. Let Myanmar people choose the best and the most effective course of action to address the challenges in Myanmar. We will be doing what needs to be done.”

According to Lynn, Myanmar's domestic national commission is already looking into the alleged crimes and just had interviewed victims who fled to Bangladesh. The Commission would issue its findings by August, he said.

A UN Report issued last months by UN human rights investigators deployed to the Bangladeshi border with Myanmar gathered testimony interviews from 11 to 23 January, interviewing 204 people among 75,000 who have fled Rakhine State. The vast majority witnessed killings, and almost half reported having a family member who was killed as well as family members who were missing.

Some countries including China, India and Cuba dissociated themselves from the European Union backed resolution.

The Council’s president will appoint the independent mission which will provide an update on its work in the council’s autumn session.