29th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council
Item 2: Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on the Human Rights of Migrants
Oral Statement Delivered by R. Iniyan Ilango on behalf of
Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
Monday, 15 June 2015
Thank you Mr. President, FORUM-ASIA expresses concern at the situation of the thousands of Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants found adrift at sea. We stress that a holistic and long-term approach to address this crisis is essential. FORUM-ASIA welcomes the convening of the “Special Meeting on Irregular Migration in the Indian Ocean”, in Thailand last month. We note recommendations made at the meeting on immediate response to the humanitarian crisis and on addressing the root-causes of the crisis. We call on all governments that participated in the meeting to ensure the effective implementation of its outcomes.
All efforts to mitigate the current crisis including the implementation of recommendations by the Special Meeting, must be in full compliance with international human rights and humanitarian law standards. These include ensuring non-discrimination in reception arrangements, granting temporary registration and the identification of asylum seekers. Furthermore principles of international customary law such as non-refoulement of refugees and asylum seekers should be applied and respected at all times.
Mr. President, we wish to emphasise on the importance of addressing the root causes of this crisis. Particularly in the case of the Rohingya, we wish to point out that resolutions adopted by both this Council and the UN General Assembly, as well as recommendations by the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, have over the years set out clear recommendations. We call on the government of Burma/Myanmar to address the continued and ongoing human rights violations against minorities in the country, especially in the Rakhine State, by implementing these recommendations. We further call on member states of this Council to work with the government of Burma/Myanmar to this end.
Finally, we urge all governments to ratify the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, and all other relevant international human rights treaties, including the ICRMW, ICCPR and the ICESCR.
Click here to download the oral statement (PDF)
Cover photo credit: AP Photo/S. Yulinnas
