The situation of the Rohingya has not approved as surveillance and questioning of journalists and activists continues under Myanmar’s new government said the Special Rapporteur on Myanmar Yanhee Lee at the conclusion of her visit.
Speaking at a press conference at the conclusion of her 12-day visit, Ms Lee said that she had faced “increasing restrictions” on her access, adding that she was prevented from visiting the northeast of the country where the military is accused of abuses against civilians in its conflict with ethnic rebels.
The Special Rapporteur on Myanmar added, that she was not allowed to visit journalists that had been detained by the arm , stressing it was “ unacceptable” that people meeting her were watched and even followed by intelligence agents.
“I have to say I am disappointed to see the tactics applied by the previous government still being used. In the previous times, human rights defenders, journalists and civilians were followed, monitored and surveyed and questioned. That’s still going on,” said Ms Lee.
Summarising her findings of the plight of the Rohingya community, she said, “The general situation for the Rohingya has hardly improved since my last visit in January and has become further complicated in the north of Rakhine.”
Myanmar has also refused entry to a separate UN fact finding mission appointed by the Human Rights Council in Geneva to look into allegations of abuses by the state’s security forces.
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