Expressing their determination to resolve the ongoing Rohingya crisis, the visiting team of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Sunday said their priority is to expedite implementation of the repatriation deal, signed between Bangladesh and Myanmar, to ensure safe and voluntary return of the refugees.
“This is a humanitarian crisis and human rights issue. What we have seen is not acceptable. It will remain in our agenda. We cannot remain silent. This is the message we want to give to Myanmar and to the international community. We are not expecting a quick solution but going back to New York we will try our best to implement the repatriation agreement between Bangladesh and Myanmar to ensure safe and voluntary return of the Rohingya refugees as soon as possible,” Mansur Ayad Al Otabi, representative of Kuwait in the UNSC, told a press briefing held at the VIP lounge of Hajrat Shahjalal International Airport prior to their departure for Myanmar.
He was flanked by Ambassador Karen Pierce, UK Permanent Representative to the UN, and, leader of the UNSC team Gustavo Meza Cuadra.
The 15-member UNSC team which arrived in Bangladesh on Saturday visited Rohingya camps on Sunday to have a first-hand account of the Rohingya situation. They met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence Ganabhaban in the morning.
Responding to a question Otabi said China and Russia were also serious to resolve the crisis.
“There is no resistance from China and Russia. They also said they want to see a solution to the crisis and are working with us,” Otabi mentioned.
Responding to a question whether UNSC was protecting Myanmar, he said, we are not protecting anybody.
Asked whether they would back the ICC move to hold Myanmar accountable for the atrocities against Rohingyas, he said both Myanmar and Bangladesh are parties to many international conventions and there are international laws for crime against humanity which everybody will abide by.
‘We heard that the ICC has adapted a move and they have started a fact-finding mission but the Security Council is different as it deals with peace and security.
On this issue Ambassador Karen Pierce, UK permanent representative to the UN, said, you need to have a proper judicial and quasi-judicial investigation with proper evidences and then a proper follow up to be able to make the determination in law. “The fact-finding missions do not do that, they collect evidence, they make an assessment. But this is not a legal determination whether or not we can get an accountability mechanism. So, it is very difficult in the Security Council for reasons you know well”.
“But the Myanmar authorities have started their own investigation. We may feel that is too little, too late, but we want to talk to the Myanmar authorities about it, how they see accountability in this case and try to explore what might be done beyond that” she added.
Responding to a question whether the UN was ‘acting very slow’ on this issue, leader of the UNSC team Gustavo Meza Cuadra said, that is why we are here.
The UNSC had backed the Bangladesh-Myanmar repatriation deal in November and want to see the implementation of it, he added.
The UN and the international community are grateful to the Bangladesh government and its people for extending shelter to the millions of refugees, he said while wrapping up the briefing.
The UNSC team left Myanmar at around 11:30 am. They will meet Myanmar’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday and will visit Rakhaine on Tuesday before flying to New York.
