The Stateless Rohingya Blog

By DVB And REUTERS February 20, 2014 The human rights situation in Burma has improved, UN envoy Tomás Ojea Quintana said at Yangon Airport on Wednesday, speaking at a press conference that concluded a six-day visit to the country and also marked the end of his six-year mandate as the UN’s Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the country. However, the Argentine diplomat criticised the Burmese government’s handling of the Rohingya crisis in Arakan State and said he has serious concerns over the impartiality of a government investigation into an alleged massacre of 48 Muslims in the village of Duchira Dan in Muangdaw Township between 9 and 13 January. Quintana noted that Burma had made strides in releasing prisoners of conscience, opening space for freedom of expression, the development of political freedom, and “important progress” in bringing an end to conflict with ethnic armed groups. But he called for a “change of mindset” within all levels of government to ...

(FB Photo: UNIC, Yangon) By   Tomás Ojea Quintana 19 February 2014 Yangon International Airport, Myanmar  I have just concluded my mission to Myanmar, which lasted for six days – my ninth visit to the country, which is also my final visit since I have now served the maximum of six years on this mandate. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the Government of Myanmar for its invitation and organisation of this visit, and the cooperation it has shown me during the past six years.  Summary of meetings:  In Naypyitaw, I met with the Minster of Foreign Affairs; the Minister of Home Affairs; the Ministers of the President’s Office; the Minister of Information; the Minister of Education; the Minister of Health; the Minister of Environmental Conservation and Forestry; the Attorney General; the Chief Justice and other members of the Supreme Court; parliamentarians and members of parliamentary committees, including the Bills Committee and ...

By Naw Noreen DVB News February 14, 2014 Tomas Ojea Quintana met with protest as he arrived in western Burma’s Arakan State on Friday during his last visit to the country as United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Burma. Nyo Aye, protest leader and member of the Rakhine Women’s Network said the protestors gathered in five areas along Quintana’s route from the Sittwe Airport to the town’s prison and displacement camps, demanding that he get out of town. “We don’t want him here,” she said. “This is the ninth time he is in town and every single time he comes here, he only pays attention to Bengalis, and we are protesting his biases.” Many Burma nationals use the term Bengali to refer to the ethnic Rohingya Muslim minority, which are not recognised as one of Burma’s official ethnic groups, and are legally denied citizenship. Rohingya Muslims have been termed by the United Nations as among the world’s most persecuted peoples. Quinta...

UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Tomas Ojea Quintana  © UN Photo/Evan Schneider  By   IRIN News October 24, 2013 BUENOS AIRES  - Myanmar’s government has signed individual ceasefire agreements with 14 main non-state armed groups since 2011, and is pressing ahead with plans for a national ceasefire agreement, originally scheduled for the end of October, but now delayed. The most recent round of negotiations with northern Myanmar's Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) brought further  hope of nationwide reconciliation .  But the government faces ongoing tension in western Rakhine State between ethnic Rakhines (primarily Buddhist) and Rohingyas (mostly Muslims), continued fighting in  Kachin State  which in the past year has left more than 83,000 people displaced in 42 camps, and allegations of human rights abuses against the country’s ethnic minorities.  Following his most recent mission t...

Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar Tomás Ojea Quintana. UN Photo/Evan Schneider UN News Centre: 16 July 2013 – A United Nations independent expert today welcomed the abolition of Myanmar’s notorious border security force, known as Nasaka, and called for an investigation of human rights abuses committed by its members against the Rohingya population in Rakhine state. “I have received allegations of the most serious of human rights violations involving Nasaka, particularly against the local Rohingya population, including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrest and detention, and torture in detention,”  said  the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, Tomás Ojea Quintana. “I have no doubt that the violations committed over the years with complete impunity have undermined the rule of law in Rakhine state, and had serious consequences for the peaceful coexistence of communities there.” Mr. Ojea Quintana stressed that t...

A Rohingya family have a meager meal in a camp for displaced Muslim families. (Photo: Jpaing / The Irrawaddy) By PAUL VRIEZE  Irrawaddy News: June  12, 2013 RANGOON — The UN human rights rapporteur for Burma Tomás Ojea Quintana has condemned a shooting incident that killed three Rohingya women in Arakan State last week, calling it a “shocking example” of how government securityforces continue to mistreat the Muslim minority “with complete impunity.” On June 4, local authorities ordered a group of Rohingyas living in makeshift homes in Parein Village, Mrauk-U Township, to leave their village and relocate to another site. When they protested against the order police opened fire on the villagers, killing three women, and injuring five villagers “The fatal shooting last week of three Rohingya women participating in a peaceful protest in [Arakan] State is the latest shocking example of how law enforcement officials operate with complete impunity there,” Quin...

OHCHR May 1, 2013 GENEVA – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, Tomás Ojea Quintana, today welcomed some forward thinking recommendations from the Rakhine Investigation Commission report. However, he expressed concerns over the lack of recommendations to address impunity and ensure investigations into credible allegations of widespread and systematic human rights violations targeting the Muslim community in Rakhine State.  “The Investigation Commission’s report contains many worthwhile recommendations, which I encourage the Government of Myanmar to implement,” Mr. Ojea Quintana said after reviewing the recommendations of the 27-member Investigation Commission set up last year by the Myanmar President to look into the violence between communities in Rakhine State that took place in June, and then subsequently in October.  “There are important recommendations on addressing the dire humanitarian situation in the Muslim...