(Photo: Reuters) |
June 12, 2013
Britain’s Foreign Office Minister says investigation into ethnic conflict in Burma is needed.
Britain’s Foreign Office Minister Baroness Warsi noted in parliament
that “independent investigative work” is required for “an informed
assessment as to whether ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity
have been committed” in Burma.
The statement came on Wednesday, 5 June, in which Baroness Warsi was speaking in a debate on Burma in the House of Lords.
The Minister stopped short of proposing a way to set up an independent
international investigation, as called for by Human Rights Watch.
The remarks come as international concern grows over the treatment of
Burma’s ethnic Rohingya. Ethnic tensions between segments of Burma’s
Buddhist majority and the minority Muslim Rohingya have led to riots and
displaced thousands, leading to a “humanitarian crisis” according to
HRW.
In April HRW published a report, ‘All You Can Do Is Pray’, which
provided evidence that ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity had
been committed against the ethnic Rohingya of Burma. The report
documented that up to 125,000 Rohingya have been displaced in Burma.
“If British government platitudes were an effective policy tool, we have
had so many that Burma would be the freest society in the world by
now”, said Mark Farmaner, Director of Burma Campaign UK, a human rights
advocacy group based in the UK.
Mark Farmaner said that it was a meaningless gesture for Britain to ask
Burma’s government to conduct an independent investigation.
“The British government know full well this will never happen. Almost
every UN General Assembly Resolution on Burma for more than 20 years has
made similar calls for investigations into abuses. The only way any
investigation will happen is if an international investigation is set
up.”
Britain, as well as other countries such as the Japan and the United
States, continues to receive criticism from human rights groups over
their decision to lift economic sanctions while Burma’s ability or
willingness to uphold human rights continues to be patchy at best.
“The British government is moving at breakneck speed to embrace the
government of Burma, despite the country still having one of the worst
human rights records in the world.” Burma Campaign UK said in a
statement released to the media.
Adding to the controversy is Britain’s decision to send another trade
delegation to Burma led by Lord Green, following an earlier one in
December, despite the fact that the UK has yet to lead a human rights
mission to Burma.
Mark Farmaner, Director of Burma Campaign UK, hit out at the British government for its stance on Burma and said.
“In its rush to embrace President Thein Sein and seize business
opportunities, the British government is prepared to look the other way
and take no action to try to prevent ethnic cleansing and mass rape in
Burma.”
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