MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Myanmar, in particular the situation of Rohingyas

12.9.2017 - (2017/2838(RSP))

with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 135 of the Rules of Procedure

Cristian Dan Preda, Jeroen Lenaers, Sandra Kalniete, Jarosław Wałęsa, Pavel Svoboda, Ivan Štefanec, Luděk Niedermayer, Tunne Kelam, Bogdan Brunon Wenta, Tomáš Zdechovský, Lefteris Christoforou, Željana Zovko, Marijana Petir, Claude Rolin, Dubravka Šuica, Francis Zammit Dimech, Laima Liucija Andrikienė, Ivana Maletić, László Tőkés, Sven Schulze, Agnieszka Kozłowska-Rajewicz, Milan Zver, Adam Szejnfeld, Elisabetta Gardini, Ramona Nicole Mănescu, Roberta Metsola, Joachim Zeller, Eduard Kukan, Seán Kelly, Deirdre Clune, Ivo Belet, Andrey Kovatchev, Ramón Luis Valcárcel Siso, José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra on behalf of the PPE Group

See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B8-0525/2017

B8‑0531/2017

European Parliament resolution on Myanmar, in particular the situation of Rohingyas

(2017/2838(RSP))

The European Parliament,

̵having regard to its previous resolutions on Myanmar,

-  having regard to the joint communication by the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to the European Parliament and the Council, entitled ‘Elements for an EU strategy vis-à-vis Myanmar/Burma: A Special Partnership for Democracy, Peace and Prosperity’,

-  having regard to the Council conclusions on the EU strategy with Myanmar/Burma of 20 June 2016,

-  having regard to the Statement by the Spokesperson of the EEAS on the Final report of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, Myanmar of 25 August 2017,

-  having regard to the Statement by the High Representative/Vice-President on the situation in Rakhine State, Myanmar of 6 September 2017,

̵having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 10 December 1948,

̵having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 1966,

̵having regard to Rules 135(5) and 123(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.  whereas Rohingya insurgents staged a major attack on police posts and an army base in Rakhine state on 25 August 2017;

B.  whereas the Rohingya represent the largest percentage of Muslims in Myanmar, with the majority living in Rakhine State;

C.  whereas the approximately one million Rohingya are one of the world’s most persecuted minorities, and have been officially stateless since the 1982 Burmese Citizenship Law;

D.  whereas the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, chaired by Kofi Annan, has submitted its final report on 23 August 2017; whereas the report is the outcome of over 150 consultations and meetings held by the Advisory Commission since its launch in September 2016;

E.  whereas the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein has warned all sides against further fuelling the violence and has called on the political leadership to condemn the inflammatory rhetoric and incitement to hatred that is proliferating;

1.  Is extremely concerned about the violence in Rakhine State; stresses that the perpetrators of the attacks must be brought to justice; underlines that this must be done in accordance with human rights standards and obligations;

2.  Welcomes the final report of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, which puts forward recommendations to surmount the political, socio-economic and humanitarian challenges that currently face Rakhine State; calls for the implementation of these recommendations without delay;

3.  Urges the Government of Myanmar to guarantee humanitarian access to northern Rakhine State and insists that the authorities should, as a matter of urgency, ensure free and unimpeded access to Rakhine State for humanitarian actors, the UN, international human rights organisations, journalists and other international observers;

4.  Notes with concern that thousands of Rohingya Muslims have fled from Myanmar into Bangladesh since the attacks on 25 August 2017, adding to the tens of thousands who have been arriving in Bangladesh since October 2016;

5.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Government and Parliament of Myanmar, the Secretary-General of ASEAN, the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and the UN Human Rights Council.