'Accountability crucial for voluntary return of Rohingyas'

Bangladesh has said accountability would serve as an important confidence building measure for the Rohingyas' to return voluntarily without which the repatriation would not be sustainable.

Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN Masud Bin Momen said this at the general debate of the General Assembly on the report of the Human Rights Council in New York recently.

"While our continued efforts and readiness for safe, voluntary and dignified repatriation of Rohingyas to their original place of abode in the Rakhine state is about to see fruition, one should therefore, not be oblivious of the imperativeness of ensuring accountability for the gravest atrocities perpetrated against them," he said.

Accountability, Ambassador Momen said, would be crucial for implementation of the bilateral instruments and hence should be pursued right earnest.

"We wish to reiterate our commitment to work closely with the Human Rights Council in the coming days," he said.

During the last Council session, Bangladesh had taken evident interest in the follow up to the work of UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar.

"We reiterate our appreciation to the Fact-Finding for its authoritative work on documenting evidence-based information on the gravest crimes under international law committed against the Rohingya and other forcibly displaced people from Myanmar's Rakhine State," said Ambassador Momen.

He said they believe the Council had yet again taken a decisive action in renewing the mandate of the Fact-Find Mission, and in deciding to establish an ongoing investigation mechanism to collate, analyse and preserve the evidence of atrocity crimes against the Rohingya and others affected.

Bangladesh has always maintained that the possibility for repatriation of the Rohingya to their place of origin in Myanmar can be realized only in an environment that restores their safety, dignity, human rights and fundamental freedoms.

"We see the Human Rights Council's engagement to be an effort to safeguard the interest of the Rohingya and other minorities in Kachin and Shan States from the systematic human rights violations they had been subjected to so far," said Ambassador Momen.

He said the outright rejection of the Council's overtures to Myanmar can be construed by those affected as a continued denial by the concerned State of their human rights and fundamental freedoms, including a pathway to citizenship for the Rohingya.

"We regret Myanmar's non-cooperation with the Fact-Finding Mission and the Special Rapporteur so far. The question of the objective of the Mission or the Special Rapporteur could be raised only if Myanmar had constructively engaged with them," he said.

Bangladesh has been elected again to the Human Rights Council this year for the term 2019-2021 representing the Asia-Pacific Group.

Ambassador Momen said Bangladesh is fully committed to redeeming its pledges and commitments that it has made and upholding the high objectives of the Council.

Elections to the Council twice during the terms of the present government is a recognition of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's unstinting efforts to uphold the rights and dignity of people, he said.

Bangladesh delegation finds the Universal Periodic Mechanism (UPR) as a useful tool at the hand of the Human Rights Council to engage with each and every member state on human rights issues.

"We did our Universal Periodic Review in May this year during which the international community highly appreciated our good practices in upholding human rights," said Ambassador Momen.

He said Bangladesh as an elected member to the Council will continue to promote such constructive mechanisms of the Council in the coming days.

The Council membership reflects the diversity of the comity of nations, and is integral to the ownership and effectiveness of its work.

"We do not subscribe to the idea of refusing to engage with a mandate holder on the basis of his or her individual identity. If questions are raised about his or her objectivity or impartiality, the concerned Member States and others concerned should continue to remain engaged in the interest of promoting a balanced approach," said Ambassador Momen.