Skip to main content

Fact Sheet: Basic Facts About the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar

Countries
Myanmar
+ 1 more
Sources
UN HRC
Publication date
Origin
View original

What is the Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar?

The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar was set up by the Human Rights Council (Resolution A/HRC/RES/34/22) in March 2017, to establish the facts and circumstances of alleged recent human rights violations by military and security forces in Myanmar. After it delivered a 444-page report to the Human Rights Council in September 2018, its mandate was extended for an extra year to give it time to continue its investigations.

The final report released 16 September and to be presented to the Human Rights Council on 17 September today updates the human rights situation of the Rohingya and the situation in northern Myanmar and adds new information on the recent conflict between the Tatmadaw and the Arakan Army.

Over the last two years, the Mission has interviewed 1,289 victims, witnesses and others and has issued a total of six reports. As required by its mandate, the Mission handed the evidence it collected to the new Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar for further investigation.

Did Myanmar cooperate with the Fact-Finding Mission?

The Mission regrets the continuing lack of cooperation from the Government of Myanmar, despite the numerous appeals made by the Human Rights Council and the Mission. During the reporting period, the Mission requested to meet with the Permanent Representative of Myanmar in Geneva on two occasions and requested country access on 12 February 2019. It sent a detailed list of questions pertaining to the mandate of the Mission on 28 March 2019. The Mission received no official response to any of its communications. The Mission’s draft main findings were shared with the Government prior to its public release, providing an opportunity to comment or make factual corrections. No response was received. (A/HRC/42/CRP.5, Section II. 28)

What follow-up has there been with people who were interviewed by the Mission?

In May 2019, the Mission’s Experts travelled to Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh to report to Rohingya refugees on their work. The Mission regarded this as an essential part of its work, to ensure accountability towards victims and people it had met with. In its final report to the Human Rights Council, it recommended that the Council “ensure that future Commissions of Inquiry and fact-finding missions contain, as part of their terms of reference, a requirement to ‘report back’ to affected communities whose human rights situations they investigated.”

What documents are the Fact-Finding Mission presenting to the 42nd session of the Human Rights Council on 17 Sept. 2019?

It is presenting a final report activities report; an additional report containing its detailed findings of its recent investigations along with its recommendations, and the two reports it released in August: on the Myanmar military’s economic interests and on sexual and gender-based violence against ethnic groups.

ENDS