Human Rights Watch (HRW) urges the International Community to reject the findings of the Burmese Government formed Maungdaw investigation commission’s report which has dismissed accusation of security forces used excessive force and violate human rights in Rakhine State. HRW Asian Affairs Director Phil Robertson told VOA Burmese Service, the report has no credible basis.
“Well I think international community needs to reject the findings of this commission. They need to say to the Myanmar Government clearly that this commission you appointed was problematic from the start and now come up with the report has no credibility.”
The National Investigation Commission on Rakhine State also known as Maungdaw investigation commission, headed by Vice President U Myint Swe held a presser last Sunday on its findings after nine months of investigation.
“There is no possibility of crimes against humanity, no evidence of ethnic cleansing, as per UN accusations.”
Myanmar Vice President also rejected the possibility that genocide had occurred.
HRW urges Myanmar Government to support the involvement of the UN through the fact finding mission, which established by the UN Human Rights Council resolution earlier this year.
“The Government of Myanmar should fully cooperate with that fact finding mission. It should permit the commission to come in to Myanmar. They should permit them to travel where they request to go and they should facilitate wherever possible arrangement. So that people are able to speak to fact finding mission with confidentiality and they feel able to really report what they found.”
Robertson said that this commission’s findings are just the latest attempt to sweep under the rug the massive abuses by security forces against the Rohingya last year,
“Myanmar Government and Tatmadaw (Military) have a long history of setting up committees at a time when they look like under international pressure to do something and those committees do nothing. Look at the situation from 2012 when there was a violent in 2012 June and October. Violence at that time which Human Rights Watch investigated directly and we found that there were crime against humanity and ethnic cleansing taken place against on Rohingya.”
Robertson criticized the Government established commission came up with a number of recommendations and nothing was done.
“You know so we feel that again Union Government luster the own devices will not seriously implement many significant changes unless there is international pressure and monitoring and scrutiny from the international community and the United Nations.”
During the Maungdaw investigation commission presser on Sunday it's member U Zaw Myint Pe rejected UN Human Rights Commission's claim of Security forces violate human rights in one particular village in Maungdaw Township.
"Journalists cannot reach to the remote Oo Shwe Kya village where there are 720 households consist of 6000 villagers. According to the UNCHR's report there were human rights abuses committed in every household in Oo Shwe Kya village by security forces. It’s impossible to do such abuses at every household in that village."
The commission in its summary conceded that the security force might have committed abuses that have not been exposed so far and which might need further investigation.
Khin Soe Win contributed to this report which originated on VOA Burmese [[/ ]].
