Media Release From David Ward MP
Bradford East MP, David Ward, has highlighted the persecution being faced by the Rohingya people in Burma in Parliament, and has called on the Government to work to establish an international investigation into violations of international law against the Rohingya people.
David has tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM) which raises the issue of the atrocities being faced by Rohingyas in Burma. The Muslim Rohingya minority in Burma have faced racial and religious persecution that has significantly escalated since 2012. This has included mass killings, denial of Burmese citizenship and restrictions on Rohingyas’ freedom of movement.
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Burma has recently stated that the Government of Burma is failing to satisfactorily investigate allegations of the mass murder of Rohingya men, women and children at Du Chee Yar Tan village in January 2014. It is believed that around 49 people were killed during these two attacks and it has been claimed that some of the murders were committed by the police.
The Government of Burma has also failed to respond to every request from the United Nations to carry out impartial and independent investigations into human rights abuses in Burma. In addition to this, the Burmese Government rejected the call from, the UN General Assembly to reform the discriminatory 1982 Citizenship Law. The legislation denies Rohingyas the right to have Burmese citizenship, and the rights that come with citizenship, as the Government does not recognise the Rohingya as an ethnic group of Burma.
David has raised the plight of Rohingyas in Parliament on several occasions, including questioning the Secretary of State for Foreign and Common Wealth Affairs on what the Government is doing about the situation. Last week David met with members of the Bradford Rohingya community to discuss the ongoing atrocities faced by Rohingyas in Burma.
Commenting David said:
“The situation for Rohingyas in Burma is absolutely horrifying. The Burmese Government has proved time and time again that it is clearly not willing to take substantial action to either investigate or end violence and discrimination against the Rohingya people.
“I know that the Government has gone some way to putting pressure on the Burmese Government, however more needs to be done now before even more Rohingyas are killed. “The Government must work to establish an independent international investigation into violations of international law against the Rohingya people in Burma.”
Anna Roberts, Executive Director of Burma Campaign UK said:
“We welcome David Ward’s important Early Day Motion calling on the British government to support an international investigation into human rights abuses against the Rohingya.
“David Ward’s support in Parliament is playing an important role in making sure the terrible human rights abuses against the Rohingya are not forgotten.”
David’s EDM 1102:
EDM 1102: INTERNATIONAL LAW AND THE ROHINGYA
That this House is deeply concerned by the statement of the UN Special Rapporteur on Burma that the government of Burma is failing to satisfactorily investigate allegations of the mass murder of ethnic Rohingya men, women and children at Du Chee Yar Tan village in January 2014; notes that the government of Burma has failed to respond to every single request by the United Nations to carry out impartial and independent investigations into human rights abuses in Burma; further notes that the government of Burma has rejected and failed to investigate evidence compiled by Human Rights Watch of ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity against the Rohingya; condemns the rejection by the Burmese government of the UN General Assembly Resolution call to reform the discriminatory 1982 Citizenship Law; believes that it is now abundantly clear that the government of Burma is not willing to take sufficient action to either investigate or end violence and discrimination against the Rohingya; and therefore calls on the Government to work to establish an independent international investigation into violations of international law against the Rohingya people in Burma