London, 29 June 2015

 

The May 2015 tragedy that unfolded as thousands of Rohingya were left stranded at sea, alongside discoveries of trafficking camps and mass graves in Thailand and Malaysia, is the latest chapter in a decades-long saga of acute abuse and limited protection experienced by Rohingya.

Despite increasing media attention, the human rights challenges faced by stateless Rohingya in the Asia-Pacific region continue to grow, and the international community is yet to respond adequately.

 

This Thursday 2 July, the Equal Rights Trust and partners will focus on ‘Protecting the Human Rights of Stateless Rohingya’ at a side meeting of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) NGO Consultations. Panellists will provide an overview of the human rights situation of the Rohingya within Myanmar and neighbouring countries, and will outline solutions for this complex and entrenched problem.

 

The meeting offers the chance to strengthen UNHCR’s statelessness and refugee mandates on the Rohingya issue; to increase support to the #Ibelong campaign to end statelessness in Myanmar and other countries with large stateless populations by 2024, and to maintain UNHCR attention on immigration detention and protection at sea.

 

 

Chris Lewa (Director, Arakan Project) - will provide an overview and update of the human rights situation in Rakhine State Myanmar, with a focus on North Rakhine State.

 

Jim Fitzgerald (Head of Advocacy, Equal Rights Trust) - will speak on regional aspects of the crisis. He will also share insights on draft discriminatory laws in Myanmar.

 

Daisy Dell (Director, Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, UNHCR) - will speak on the way forward towards solutions for the Rohingya population.

 

Amal de Chickera (Co-Director, Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion) – Moderator