OHCHR / MYANMAR BANGLADESH REFUGEES

30 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar were found dead on board a boat in the Bay of Bengal, that had been drifting at sea for 2 months. Nearly 400 others were found on board this fishing trawler by the Bangladesh coast guard attempted to make landfall on Bangladesh's southeast coast near Cox's Bazar. OHCHR

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:50
• Production Date: 17 April 2020
• Asset Language: English
• Corporate Name: OFFICE OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS - OHCHR
• Subject Topical: DISPLACED PERSONS; HUMAN RIGHTS; REFUGEES
• Geographic Subject: BANGLADESH; MYANMAR
• MAMS Id: 2543259
• Parent Id: 2543259
• Alternate Title: unifeed200417c

Description

STORY: OHCHR / MYANMAR BANGLADESH REFUGEES
TRT: 02:50
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH /NATS

DATELINE: 17 APRIL 2020, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / FILE

Shotlist

FILE - GENEVA, SWITZERLAND 

1. Wide shot, exterior, Palais des Nations

17 APRIL 2020, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND 
 
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rupert Colville, Spokesperson, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): 
“We are shocked by the news that more than 30 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar have died on board a boat in the Bay of Bengal, and that nearly 400 others were found dehydrated, malnourished and in need of immediate medical attention after nearly two months at sea. And many of those on board the vessel as you may have seen from the picture were women and children. The UN Refugee Agency UNHCR and their partners in Bangladesh are currently providing shelter and assistance to the survivors who disembarked from the boat yesterday morning. We are aware of reports that this boat had repeatedly sought a safe harbour, but the vessel was unable to land in Malaysia. Whatever efforts are taken to combat people smuggling, this should be a time for compassion towards those in desperate need of assistance and protection. In light of reports of other vessels in similar circumstances still at sea, we strongly urge stepped-up search and rescue efforts to be conducted in a timely manner. All States should ensure that their responses to migrants in distress at sea are based on international human rights and refugee law, and that they are permitted safe disembarkation. Dangerous interception practices, including pushing back boats that are trying to land, must be scrupulously avoided. Today, we are aware that the situation in Rakhine and neighbouring Chin State is again dire. There has been a spike in violence between the ethnic Arakan Army armed group and the Myanmar army, and that is impacting civilians of all ethnic groups living in the area, including Rohingya, Rakhine, Chin, Mro, Daignet and others. Myanmar’s military has been carrying out almost daily airstrikes and shelling in populated areas resulting in at least 32 deaths and 71 injuries since 23 March, the majority of those are women and children, and destroying and burning schools and homes. Despite the UN Secretary General’s call for a global ceasefire during the COVID-19 pandemic, these calls for a ceasefire have been ignored.  And further complicating the situation, there has been an internet blackout I believe it’s the longest in the world, in nine townships across Rakhine and Chin States since June 2019. That is not far off a year now. This blackout has greatly hampered the availability of reliable public information on hygiene, physical distancing precautions and other preventative measures. Internet restrictions have also been applied by the Bangladesh authorities to the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar.”

Storyline

30 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar were found dead on board a boat in the Bay of Bengal, that had been drifting at sea for 2 months. Nearly 400 others were found on board this fishing trawler by the Bangladesh coast guard attempted to make landfall on Bangladesh's southeast coast near Cox's Bazar.

The spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Rupert Colville, today (17 Apr) noted that many of those on board the vessel were women and children.

He said the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and their partners in Bangladesh "are currently providing shelter and assistance to the survivors who disembarked from the boat yesterday morning" and noted that the agency was aware of reports that "this boat had repeatedly sought a safe harbour, but the vessel was unable to land in Malaysia."

Colville said, "whatever efforts are taken to combat people smuggling, this should be a time for compassion towards those in desperate need of assistance and protection."

He "strongly" urged "stepped-up search and rescue efforts to be conducted in a timely manner" and said, "all States should ensure that their responses to migrants in distress at sea are based on international human rights and refugee law, and that they are permitted safe disembarkation. Dangerous interception practices, including pushing back boats that are trying to land, must be scrupulously avoided."

The spokesperson said "the situation in Rakhine and neighbouring Chin State is again dire" as "a spike in violence" between the ethnic Arakan Army armed group and the Myanmar army, "is impacting civilians of all ethnic groups living in the area, including Rohingya, Rakhine, Chin, Mro, Daignet and others."

Myanmar’s military, he said, "has been carrying out almost daily airstrikes and shelling in populated areas resulting in at least 32 deaths and 71 injuries since 23 March, the majority of those are women and children, and destroying and burning schools and homes."

Despite the UN Secretary General’s call for a global ceasefire during the COVID-19 pandemic, Colville said, "these calls for a ceasefire have been ignored."

Further complicating the situation, he said, "there has been an internet blackout I believe it’s the longest in the world, in nine townships across Rakhine and Chin States since June 2019" and "internet restrictions have also been applied by the Bangladesh authorities to the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar.”