HRC40: Oral Statement during ID with Special Rapporteur on Myanmar

40^th Session of the UN Human Rights Council

Agenda Item 4: Interactive Dialogue with theSpecial Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar

Organisation:Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW)

Speaker:埃利斯·希斯利

Thank you Mr President,

CSW welcomes the report of the Special Rapporteur on Myanmar and thanks the Rapporteur for her continued work.

We wish to reiterate previous calls for the international community to take immediate action to investigate and prosecute those found responsible for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Rakhine, Kachin and northern Shan states, as identified by the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission in August 2018.

CSW remains concerned by the general situation of freedom of religion or belief in Myanmar, especially regarding the treatment of Muslims, who are regular victims of hate speech, discrimination and violence.

We call on the government of Myanmar to do everything in its power to prevent hate speech and violence, and to ensure that perpetrators of such violations are held to account.

In 2015 a package of four laws aimed at the ‘protection of race and religion’ were introduced that placed restrictions on religious conversion and interfaith marriage, and furthered discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities, and women. Also of concern is Myanmar’s penal code, which has been used on several occasions to prosecute those deemed to have ‘insulted’ religion.

CSW encourages the government of Myanmar to repeal all legislation that discriminates against religious and ethnic minorities, specifically the race and religion laws, section 295 of the Penal Code, and the 1982 Citizenship Law which restricts the citizenship rights of the Rohingya.

We also wish to draw the Council’s attention to the increased targeting of Christians in Myanmar’s Wa region, where reports have emerged of the detention of pastors, destruction and shutdown of churches, and forced closure of religious schools.

These attacks bear similarities to previous attacks on Christians in Chin and Sagaing areas. CSW therefore calls on the government of Myanmar to ensure protection for religious minorities throughout the country, and to conduct thorough investigations into any attacks, bringing perpetrators to justice.

In addition, we are concerned by suggestions that the situation in Myanmar’s Wa region is influenced at some level by China, and urge the international community to monitor this situation closely and take appropriate action if necessary.

Thank you.