The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) warned that crimes against humanity may be underway in Myanmar, as the military continues its offensive against Rohingya Muslims in the Rakhine state.
A joint statement issued by the experts stated they were “particularly worried about the fate of Rohingya women and children subject to serious violations of their human rights, including killings, rape and forced displacement.”
“Such violations may amount to crimes against humanity and we are deeply concerned at the State’s failure to put an end to these shocking human rights violations being committed at the behest of the military and other security forces, and of which women and children continue to bear the brunt,” the statement continued.
The experts went on to call on Myanmar to co-operate with a fact-finding mission established by the UN Human Rights Council so as to carry out “thorough and independent investigations”.
The statement comes after the United States Ambassador to the United Nations last week called for nations to suspend weapons supplies to Myanmar, accusing the government of carrying out “a brutal, sustained campaign to cleanse the country of an ethnic minority.”
