MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th August, 2018) A prominent human rights watchdog has called on the UN Human Right Council (UN HRC) to establish an international mechanism to investigate the atrocities against Myanmar's Rohingya minority as the year had passed since the onset of the violent persecution campaign and subsequent exodus of the Rohingya people from the country.
Since August 25, 2017, Myanmar's Rakhine state has witnessed mass killings and atrocities against the Muslim minority of Rohingya.
"Today is a shameful anniversary for Myanmar. 365 days of excuses and delays in holding Myanmar military accountable for crimes against humanity committed against Rohingya. UN HRC, set up an int. accountability mechanism to investigate these atrocities," the Amnesty International tweeted on Saturday.
Myanmar government established a commission of inquiry in July to probe the claims of rights abuses. Watchdogs, however, have been skeptical of the effectiveness of the panel and questioned its impartiality and independence.
The mass exodus of the Rohingya people started after Myanmar security launched a crackdown on Rohingya insurgents following an attack on the police posts which killed 12 servicemen. The stateless minority has long been fighting discrimination and persecution, as the Myanmar government claims they are migrants from Bangladesh who occupied the Rakhine territory. Despite the fact that most of the Rohingyas were born in Myanmar, they have no citizenship and are deprived of the social benefits such as health care and education.
Neighboring Bangladesh now shelters over 700,000 Rohingya refugees.
