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United Nations Economic and Social Council
Commission on Human Rights |
| 55th Session |
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| Item 14(c) Specific Groups and Issues - Mass Exoduses
and Displaced Persons |
| Geneva 19 April 1999 |
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Displacement of populations in Western Burma (Myanmar)
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Madam Chairperson,
In Burma, the widespread repression of ethnic minorities and the countrywide
practice of forced labour as documented in the ILO Commission of Inquiry
report dated 2 July 1998, have led to an unprecedented displacement
of populations.
We would like to call the special attention of the Commission and
of the Special Rapporteur on Myanmar to the situation of human rights
in the western side of Burma, which has resulted in an unknown number
of internally displaced, as well as an influx of over 40,000 people
in the State of Mizoram of India and of thousands more in the Chittagong
Division of Bangladesh. It is important to note that, in these regions,
there is little or no armed opposition which the regime could use
as a justification for such policies. Nevertheless, the presence of
the army has expanded in these areas to implement the junta's policy
of "Burmanisation", and to carry out so-called "development projects"
primarily for the military's benefits. It is clear that the causes
of displacement of populations are not only military, but also political
as well as "development"-induced.
"Burmanisation" is the assimilation into mainstream Burman culture
of the diverse ethnic peoples, and is promoted by the junta in its
policy of "national reconsolidation", the military's monolithic image
of "national unity".
So-called "development programmes" consist mostly of infrastructure
projects carried out with unpaid forced labour and extortion from
the local population. New roads are built to facilitate military penetration
and to control border trade for the economic interest of the military.
These projects have thus provided little improvement to the inhabitants
of these regions, but rather persecution and impoverishment.
In Sagaing Division, Naga villagers are used as forced labour to upgrade
roads for military purposes, and are forced to become porters and
recruits for the troops.
In the Kabaw Valley in Sagaing Division, a resettlement programme
for landless families from Central Burma was implemented, but the
local Kuki villagers were forced to clear the land.
In Sagaing Division, a series of dam projects for irrigation has led
to land confiscation, destruction of sacred sites and forests, as
well as extensive forced labour.
The Kalay-Pakkoku railway was built with the forced labour of thousands
of villagers and prisoners.
In Chin State, similar demands for forced labour, portering, extortion,
as well as increased religious persecutions against Christians have
spread fear and put a toll on the economic survival of the people.
In Arakan State, Rakhine villagers have not been spared from the so-called
"development policies" of the regime. They are constantly used as
forced labour on road constructions, tourism projects, plantations
and shrimp farms for the commercial benefits of the army.
These military practices have meant that many people are no longer
able to grow enough food or otherwise earn enough income to support
their families. They have been impoverished to such an extent that
they have no other option than leaving their homes in search of a
means of survival.
Madam Chairperson,
In particular, we would like to express our deep concern over the
situation of the Rohingya Muslims living in Arakan State. They are
denied the fundamental rights of citizenship, and consequently do
not enjoy freedom of movement. Existing communal tensions have been
stirred up by settling Buddhist Rakhine families on Muslim Rohingya
land in an exercise of demographic engineering. This was one of the
push factors which led to two mass exoduses of Rohingya refugees into
Bangladesh. The majority of those who took refuge in the camps in
1992 have now returned, but the exodus has not stopped. Recent arrivals
are reporting continuous persecutions, excessive forced labour, and
confiscation of their land. Many Rohingya women are found begging
or working in slavery conditions in Bangladesh. While their husbands
were called for forced labour, they were unable to feed their children,
and travel restrictions did not allow them to seek employment outside
their villages. Therefore, there is no guarantee for their long-term
safety, let alone the protection of their basic human rights.
Madam Chairperson,
The UNDP has calculated that from 1988 to 1994, between 5 and 10 per
cent of the population were displaced. We estimate that over 1 million
people are currently internally displaced, and this figure does not
include those, at least another million, who have fled to neighbouring
countries, such as Thailand, Bangladesh, India, or China.
In conclusion, we urge the Commission and the Special Representative
of the Secretary-General on Internally Displaced Persons to make strong
requests to the Government of Myanmar in order to investigate this
issue and assess the full dimensions of the humanitarian crisis.
Thank you.
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Statement made by Chris Belgium |
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