Oral statement delivered at the 61st Session of the UN Human Rights Council
Interactive Dialogue on High Commissioner's Oral Update on Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar
Delivered by Olimjon Bakhtaliev
Madam Vice-President,
CIVICUS remains concerned about the serious crimes committed by the junta following the coup including the arbitrary detention and conviction of thousands of activists after unfair trials, torture in detention and indiscriminate attacks and killings of civilians.
In Rakhine state, civil society has continued to document attacks by both the junta and the Arakan Army, resulting in the killing of civilians, enforced disappearances, torture and ill-treatment, displacement and arbitrary deprivation of liberty. Due to military blockades, humanitarian access remained severely restricted and basic needs, such as food, medicine and shelter, largely unmet.
Repressive tactics escalated in Myanmar around the recent sham elections as voters were coerced and activists criminalised, for their criticism or protests. Elections rallies were banned while journalists reported press freedom restrictions. Despite this, activists and civil society inside and in exile have continued to organise and resist.
CIVICUS urges the international community to stand in solidarity with civil society and take serious steps to end the atrocities, especially in Rakhine state, work with civil society to ensure humanitarian access to displaced persons and ensure accountability through all available international legal avenues. We further call on all countries, especially in the ASEAN region, to reject the sham elections, work towards the release of all activists and to restore genuine democracy.
Thank you.
