STATEMENT
Human Rights Council 53rd Session.
Panel discussion on the measures necessary to find durable solutions to the Rohingya crisis and to end all forms of human rights violations and abuses against Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar
Statement delivered by Ambassador Tine Mørch Smith, Permanent Representative of Norway on behalf of the Nordic Baltic countries: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden
Check against delivery
21 June 2023
High Commissioner and panelists,
Thank you for these insights.
The Nordic-Baltic States remain deeply disturbed by the human rights situation in Myanmar.
Daily, we hear reports of military action against civilians amounting to serious violations and abuses of human rights and international humanitarian law.
The consequences are increased human suffering and regression in all areas of human rights, including for the Rohingya and other minorities.
We condemn the military’s indiscriminate use of force against civilians, including women and children.
We call for an immediate end to all violence against civilians, for perpetrators to be brought to justice and the provision of full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access.
We urge Myanmar to endorse and implement the Safe School Declaration.
***
This is not the first time we discuss durable solutions for Rohingya and other minorities in Myanmar. As we are witnessing a prolonged crisis, we need to adopt our recommendations to the current developments.
In this regard, we are concerned about the planned repatriation pilot of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh to Myanmar.
The refugees need an environment that allows for voluntary, safe, and dignified return. Even before the cyclone Mocha hit Rakhine State, the conditions were not conducive to their sustainable return, according to UNHCR.
***
In the last two years, intercommunal dialogue and a shared plight has seemingly fostered a greater understanding amongst some ethnic groups and democratic forces in Myanmar.
High Commissioner and panelists,
What actions should be prioritized by external actors in the short and medium term to make sure this moment does not become a missed opportunity?
I thank you.