Joint letter to HRC calls for COI for Rakhine

We, the undersigned organizations, write to urge your delegations to support calls by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, for the establishment by the UN Human Rights Council during  its 34th session of a Commission of Inquiry or similar international mechanism to investigate, at a minimum, alleged and apparent serious human rights violations and abuses in Rakhine State, Myanmar.

Since 9 October 2016, Myanmar's security forces have carried out large-scale attacks against the Rohingya population in Rakhine States Maungdaw, Buthidaung, and Rathedaung Townships as part of clearance operations in response to attacks on three police border posts by armed assailants. These clearance operations violate numerous provisions of  international human rights law. Download the full letter

(Courtesy of csw.org.uk)

Dalai Lama adds voice to Pope's in calling for the persecution of Rohingya to end

The Dalai Lama has joined Pope Francis in calling for Myanmar Buddhists to end violence against Rohingya Muslims in what the United Nations says amounts to ethnic cleansing and possibly crimes against humanity.

The Tibetan Buddhist leader revealed he has privately communicated with Myanmar's de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi "to use her influence to bring about a peaceful resolution to this problem". (Courtesy of theage.com.au)