Persons rendered stateless enjoy far fewer protections than refugees under international law, but the UN could be empowered to come to their defence, Farhaan Uddin Ahmed writes.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, there are over 10 million people around the world who are stateless due to denial of nationality by their home states. As a result of their lack of nationality, they are, in most cases, denied access to education, healthcare, employment, social security, and other basic social structures.
In many cases, not only are they denied nationality and the benefits of citizenship, they are also actively persecuted by the various governments within whose territories they reside. Since a vast majority of the UN member states (104 out of 193) are not signatories to the Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons, 1954 and the Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, 1961; they have no legal responsibility to provide basic rights and benefits to the ‘stateless’ people residing within their territories. Therefore, the ‘stateless’ are neither treated as aliens nor granted certain basic rights that are assured to a refugee. (Courtesy of policyforum.net)
March 23, 2017
March 17, 2017
Arakan State Advisory Commission Releases Interim Report
The Kofi Annan-led Arakan State Advisory Commission released a list of urgent recommendations for the Burmese government to improve the situation in Arakan State in an interim report at a press conference in Rangoon on Thursday.
The report—which the commission said had been presented to both civilian and military sections of the government—calls for immediate and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid organizations and the media to areas of northern Arakan State. Access to the region has been restricted since Burma Army “clearance operations” began in response to insurgent attacks on police border guard posts on Oct. 9 of last year.
In a recorded statement, head of the commission and former UN secretary general Kofi Annan acknowledged that the crisis facing Arakan State had changed since the advisory commission was established by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in September last year. Yet he emphasized that the commission’s mandate to tackle “long-standing obstacles to peace and development,” had not changed. (Courtesy of irrawaddy.com)
The report—which the commission said had been presented to both civilian and military sections of the government—calls for immediate and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid organizations and the media to areas of northern Arakan State. Access to the region has been restricted since Burma Army “clearance operations” began in response to insurgent attacks on police border guard posts on Oct. 9 of last year.
In a recorded statement, head of the commission and former UN secretary general Kofi Annan acknowledged that the crisis facing Arakan State had changed since the advisory commission was established by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in September last year. Yet he emphasized that the commission’s mandate to tackle “long-standing obstacles to peace and development,” had not changed. (Courtesy of irrawaddy.com)
Zahid slams Aung San Suu Kyi over Rohingya killings
Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today slammed Myanmar leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi over the killing of the Rohingyas, describing it as "pure madness".
The Deputy Prime Minister said it was appalling that the murder of the Rohingyas had taken place in their homeland, by their own citizens.
"We really hope that what is happening at the Rakhine state will end soonest possible.
"I urge our friends in Myanmar to stop this madness, the craziest crisis, and prove to Asean communities that you have a big heart that can accept Muslim minorities as one of your citizens," he said at the closing of the International Conference on Rohingya (ICR), here. (Courtesy of thesundaily.my)
The Deputy Prime Minister said it was appalling that the murder of the Rohingyas had taken place in their homeland, by their own citizens.
"We really hope that what is happening at the Rakhine state will end soonest possible.
"I urge our friends in Myanmar to stop this madness, the craziest crisis, and prove to Asean communities that you have a big heart that can accept Muslim minorities as one of your citizens," he said at the closing of the International Conference on Rohingya (ICR), here. (Courtesy of thesundaily.my)
JWAM demands ouster of Rohingyas, Bangladeshis
Expressing concern over the
settlement of foreign nationals in and around Jammu city, Jammu West Assembly
Movement (JWAM) demanded immediate ouster of Rohingyas, Bangladeshis from the
State.
Speaking to media persons,
President JWAM, Sunil Dimple alleged that Rohingyas and Bangladeshis have
encroached the State land in the outskirts of Jammu city.
Dimple regretted that BJP
leadership was merely issuing press statements but has done nothing to deport
these illegal immigrants. He alleged that these immigrants had involved in
several criminal and rebellious activities. (Courtesy of statetimes.in)
EU seeks U.N. probe into crimes against Myanmar Rohingya
The European Union called on Thursday for the United Nations to send an international fact-finding mission urgently to Myanmar to investigate allegations of torture, rapes and executions by the military against the Rohingya Muslim minority.
A U.N. report last month, based on interviews with survivors in Bangladesh, said the Myanmar army and police had committed mass killings and gang rapes of Rohingya in a campaign that may amount to crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.
The EU draft resolution, submitted to the U.N. Human Rights Council, strengthens language in an earlier draft circulating that stopped short of demanding an international probe into alleged atrocities. (Courtesy of reuters.com)
A U.N. report last month, based on interviews with survivors in Bangladesh, said the Myanmar army and police had committed mass killings and gang rapes of Rohingya in a campaign that may amount to crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.
The EU draft resolution, submitted to the U.N. Human Rights Council, strengthens language in an earlier draft circulating that stopped short of demanding an international probe into alleged atrocities. (Courtesy of reuters.com)
Myanmar must work to close Rohingya camps, says Kofi Annan panel
Myanmar should immediately start letting Rohingya Muslims return home and ultimately close rundown camps for the displaced in its western Rakhine state, a panel led by former U.N. chief Kofi Annan said on Thursday.
More than 120,000 people, mostly Rohingyas, have been living in what were meant as temporary shelters for internally displaced persons (IDPs) since bouts of communal violence roiled the state in 2012.
"It’s really about time they close the camps and allow the people in the camps, particularly those who have gone through the (citizenship) verification process, access to freedom of movement and all rights of citizenship," Annan told Reuters by telephone from Geneva. (Courtesy of reuters.com)
More than 120,000 people, mostly Rohingyas, have been living in what were meant as temporary shelters for internally displaced persons (IDPs) since bouts of communal violence roiled the state in 2012.
"It’s really about time they close the camps and allow the people in the camps, particularly those who have gone through the (citizenship) verification process, access to freedom of movement and all rights of citizenship," Annan told Reuters by telephone from Geneva. (Courtesy of reuters.com)
March 9, 2017
Myanmar set to dodge full U.N. probe on Rohingya abuse
Myanmar looks set to escape an international investigation into alleged atrocities against its Rohingya minority, after the European Union decided not to seek one at the U.N. Human Rights Council, a draft resolution seen by Reuters showed on Wednesday.
The United Nations said in a report last month that the army and police had committed mass killings and gang rapes of Rohingya Muslims in northern Rakhine state and burned villages in a campaign that may amount to crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.
Setting up a full international commission of inquiry into the findings - similar to those for Syria and North Korea - has been seen as a test of international resolve at the main annual session of the Council that ends on March 24.(Courtesy of reuters.com)
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