UN Myanmar expert visits Rohingya camps in Bangladesh

GENEVA (13 December 2021) - The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, today started his first mission, visiting Bangladesh from 13-19 December.

“The world must not forget the roughly one million Rohingya from Myanmar forced to run for their lives from the military’s genocidal attack against them. The Rohingya want nothing more than to return to their homes in Myanmar, when conditions allow for their safe, dignified and sustainable return,” said Andrews.

The Special Rapporteur will visit Dhaka, the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, and the island of Bhasan Char - where many Rohingya have been relocated. Andrews will meet representatives of Government, as well as UN officials, representatives of civil society organisations and - most importantly - members of the Rohingya community.

“While the Myanmar junta continues to systematically violate the people of Myanmar’s human rights, it is critical that the global community support those who have been forced to flee their homes in Myanmar for Bangladesh. I am honoured to have the opportunity to meet with them,” Andrews said.

“I am grateful for the access the Bangladesh Government is providing me on this essential mission. This visit will be an important opportunity to meet relevant government officials, international organisations and civil society organisations in relation to Myanmar. In particular, I look forward to meeting with Rohingya, to listen to them, lend support, and work together with them towards sustainable long term solutions and pursuing accountability for the atrocities the military committed against them in Myanmar,” Andrews said.

The Special Rapporteur will hold a press conference to share his preliminary observations with the media. It will take place at 14h00 local time on 19 December 2021 at the Westin Hotel, Dhaka. Access will be strictly limited to journalists.

The Special Rapporteur’s findings will form part of his update presented to the UN Human Rights Council in March 2022.

ENDS

Mr. Thomas Andrews (United States of America) is the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. A former member of the US Congress from Maine, Andrews is a Robina Senior Human Rights Fellow at Yale Law School and an Associate of Harvard University’s Asia Center. He has worked with the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and parliamentarians, NGOs and political parties in Cambodia, Indonesia, Algeria, Croatia, Serbia, Ukraine and Yemen. He has been a consultant for the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma and the Euro-Burma Network and has run advocacy NGOs including Win Without War and United to End Genocide.

The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Comprising the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, Special Procedures is the general name of the Council's independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.

UN Human Rights, country page – Myanmar