(Files) The 55th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on February 29, 2024. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP)
Mizzima
Ambassador Michèle Taylor from the United States of America delegation to the United Nations (U.N.) 56th Session of the Human Rights Council made a statement about Myanmar.
The statement was made on 18 June during the interactive dialogue on the High Commissioner’s Report on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar.
Below is the ambassador’s statement in full:
Thank you, High Commissioner Türk, for drawing attention to the worsening human rights situation in Myanmar through your alarming and illustrative report today. It was devastating to listen to; I can’t imagine what it must be to live it.
We support your impassioned advocacy in recent weeks to raise the alarm about escalating violence and inter-communal tensions in Rakhine State. The world simply cannot sit idly by and allow the status quo to continue!
The United States condemns the reported forced conscription of Rohingya and the targeted destruction of towns in Rakhine, resulting in the displacement of civilians.
We call on Myanmar’s military, as well as all armed actors, to protect civilian populations in Rakhine and allow for unhindered humanitarian access.
The military’s continued use of violence against civilians across the country underscores the need for the international community to do more to impede its access to arms and financial resources.
We welcome this Council’s unanimous adoption of a resolution that calls for states to restrict the Myanmar military’s access to jet fuel, and we reiterate our call for all states to prevent the flow of arms to the military.
High Commissioner Turk, you have warned that past atrocities could recur in Rakhine. What can member states do to prevent this?
I thank you.
