Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-09-13-Speech-4-364-000"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20120913.35.4-364-000"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, honourable Members, the violence which broke out last May between Buddhist and Muslim communities in Rakhine State was indeed tragic. It led to loss of life, damage to property, including schools, and places of worship and, at its peak, 100 000 people were driven from their homes.
This was all the more disappointing since the remarkable changes in Myanmar have so far been peaceful. Moreover, it highlighted the plight of the Rohingyas and the ingrained prejudice against them going back to colonial times. Our concern is finding a better future for the Rohingyas in the new Myanmar. For many years, the EU has supported stateless and deprived Rohingya in northern Rakhine State.
Since 2007, ECHO has spent about EUR 24 million for that purpose. In their conclusions in April, EU Foreign Ministers recalled the need to clarify the legal status and improve the welfare of the Rohingya population.
On behalf of the High Representative/Vice President, I therefore welcome the willingness of the government to listen to the concerns of the international community, as expressed by the Border Affairs Minister in recent contacts with EU diplomats in Myanmar. He has invited the UN Country Team and international diplomats to a dialogue on this matter later this month at a workshop in the capital Nay Pyi Taw.
The government should have the space to deal with the situation as an internal matter, but there are external implications since it affects our interests and values and shapes Myanmar’s image abroad. Thus, in ongoing contacts with the government, the High-Representative/Vice-President has passed on the following messages:
First, we expect Myanmar to adhere to international standards as regards human rights, citizenship and treatment of detainees. Second, humanitarian access should continue to be improved, particularly in areas of northern Rakhine State, where interventions have been suspended due to the violence. Some 60 000 people still remain in temporary camps. As made clear by ECHO, the EU is ready and willing to help all those who have been affected by the violence.
The government has allowed official visits by the international community, including the EU, to Rakhine State. That was most welcome, to establish facts and a common understanding of the challenges ahead. But more could be done to help counter negative perceptions, for example, through access for local and international media. The government has publicly stated that the solution has to lie inside Myanmar. Both communities have to learn again how to peacefully coexist alongside each other.
The President’s establishment of the independent Rakhine Investigation Commission with a mandate to propose medium- and long-term solutions is a step in this direction. The Commission is due to report by mid-November 2012. We hope this report will be made public. A permanent separation of the communities should be avoided; a solution must involve finding ways of reintegrating both communities.
The government should reach out to civil society and dialogue to build bridges between the communities in the context of an inclusive, common Myanmar identity. Bearing in mind the large number of the Rohingya in Bangladesh and worries about the refugees in the camps, we hope that the two governments will soon begin talking to each other about how to bring things forward."@en1
|
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata | |
| lpv:videoURI |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples