09/23/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/23/2024 12:30
United Nations Human Rights Council
57th session
Interactive Dialogue with the High Commissioner on Myanmar
23 September 2024
EU Statement
The EU welcomes the High Commissioner's report.
The EU is alarmed at the gravity and pervasiveness of the human rights crisis created by the military's actions in Myanmar. Forced recruitment, arbitrary arrest, torture, and death have become common place across the country.
The numbers are staggering: you report that since the coup,at least 5,350 civilians have been killed, more than 3.3 million displaced, and over half the population is living below the poverty line, primarily due to military violence. Rohingya and persons belonging to other minorities continue to bear the brunt of the conflict. You report that 1,853 people have died in custody, including 88 children and 125 women, with real figures probably higher. The descriptions of torture and ill-treatment are harrowing. Sexual violence against detainees is also reportedly increasing.
The documented lack of any form of domestic accountability for perpetrators evidences that disdain for the rule of law and human rights is systemic and widespread. In that light, the role of the IIMM remains crucial.
The EU condemns, and continues to demand accountability for, human rights violations and abuses and other violations of international lawin Myanmar, mainly perpetrated by the military.
High Commissioner,
How can regional efforts best be conducive to an international response to the crisis in Myanmar?