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Situation of human rights of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar - Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (A/HRC/45/5) (Advance Unedited Version)

Countries
Myanmar
Sources
UN HRC
Publication date

Human Rights Council Forty-fifth session 14 September–2 October 2020 Agenda item 2 Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General

Summary

The present report is submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 42/3, in which the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is requested to submit to the Council at its forty-fifth session a report on the implementation of the recommendations of the independent international fact-finding mission on Myanmar, including those on accountability, and on progress in the situation of human rights in Myanmar, including of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities.

I. Introduction

  1. The present report is submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 42/3, in which the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights was requested to follow up on the implementation by the Government of Myanmar of the recommendations made by the independent international fact-finding mission, including those on accountability, and to continue to track progress in relation to human rights in Myanmar, including of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities.

  2. The report was prepared on the basis of primary and secondary information collected from various sources – including primary witness testimonies, the Government, the United Nations, civil society organizations, representatives of ethnic and religious minority communities, diplomats, media professionals, academics and other experts. Without access to the country, OHCHR adhered to a consistent methodology of gathering information via remote interviews conducted with over 80 victims and witnesses of human rights violations and abuses. Primary sources were subjected to a rigorous verification and corroboration process using a variety of independent or other sources, including, but not restricted to, satellite imagery and reports and statements by the Government. Factual determinations on cases, incidents and patterns were made where there were reasonable grounds to believe that incidents had occurred as described. OHCHR sought input from the Government on the issues raised in the present report and a draft was shared with the Government for comment. No response has yet been received.

  3. The mandate of the fact-finding mission expired in September 2019. The fact-finding mission issued two mandated reports and four thematic papers. For the present report, OHCHR analysed 109 recommendations made by the fact-finding mission to the Government and the United Nations in Myanmar, grouped thematically, including on conflict and the protection of civilians; accountability; sexual and gender-based violence; fundamental freedoms; economic, social and cultural rights; institutional and legal reforms; and actions by the United Nations system.