Members of the European Burma Network (EBN) have called upon the new NLD government to act swiftly to start to address the Rohingya crisis in the country in a statement released on 6 April.
According to the statement, “The past five years have seen a dramatic escalation of human rights abuses, repression, discrimination and violence against the Rohingya.  Around 150,000 people have been displaced and are living in camps which have been described by senior United Nations officials as having some of the worst conditions in the world. Well over 100,000 Rohingya, more than ten percent of the population, have fled the country in the face of increasing repression, of whom thousands are believed to have drowned fleeing by boat.”
It continues, “Human Rights Watch and Fortify Rights have documented human rights abuses which meet the legal definition of ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. Experts on genocide have also warned of the dangers of genocide against the Rohingya. Most Rohingya were stripped of their right to vote in last year’s election, were excluded from the recent national census, and continue to be denied their legal right to citizenship.”
It notes, “. . .the NLD led government faces enormous challenges in addressing this legacy. However, given the seriousness of the humanitarian and human rights crisis, bold and decisive action is needed immediately to start to address this issue.”