Diplomats decry China, Russia’s objection against UNSC statement

Foreign affairs experts and serving diplomats on Sunday expressed disappointment at the objection of China and Russia blocking a move in the UN Security Council to issue a statement expressing concern over the tense situation in Myanmar’s Rakhine state. 
‘We’re quite disappointed as they exercised negative influence’ in the UN Security Council on a matter in Rakhine State, former ambassador M Humayun Kabir told New Age on Sunday. ‘We didn’t expect it from countries like China and Russia.’ 
Describing the plight of minority Muslims in Rakhine State, widely known as Rohingya, as a humanitarian problem, Kabir, also non-government think-tank Bangladesh Enterprise Institute vice-president, said all countries and all quarters ‘should take a joint move considering gravity of the problem to resolve it as quickly as possible.’
China and Russia blocked a proposed UN Security Council statement on Friday that would have expressed concern over the tense situation in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, according to Agence France-Presse. 
The proposed British-drafted statement ‘noted with concern renewed fighting in some parts of the country and stressed the importance of humanitarian access to all the areas.’
British ambassador to UN Matthew Rycroft said that ‘there was no consensus in the room’ about the statement.
‘We support the peace process and are one of the largest bilateral humanitarian aid donors, including in Rakhine state,’ said Rycroft, whose country holds the presidency of the Security Council this month. 
Diplomats said that China and Russia had raised objections, but the diplomatic missions of the two countries in the UN did not respond to requests from AFP for information.
An agreed statement expressing concern could have led to further action, but the move by China and Russia, both of whom have veto power, was seen as a clear signal that Myanmar should be left off the council agenda, the diplomats said.
Myanmar’s military carried out a five-month offensive since October 9, 2016, against Rohingyas in northern Rakhine that UN human rights investigators said likely resulted in atrocities and crimes against humanity. 
UN rights officials accused the Myanmar military of extrajudicial killings, gang rapes and probable ethnic cleansing during the campaign against the Rohingyas.
Expressing his annoyance over the decisions of China and Russia blocking the Security Council statement, a top serving diplomat of Bangladesh said that these two countries ‘could remain neutral in the process.’ 
If the Security Council ‘cannot make a statement’, let along granting sanctions, he said, from where and how the victims would get a way out?
Another senior foreign ministry official said that objections by Security Council UNSC members in these cases were ‘absolutely unexpected and unacceptable’. 
The Advisory Commission on Rakhine State led by former UN secretary general Kofi Annan said on March 16 that the Myanmar government should establish a comprehensive and transparent mechanism for restoration of citizenship of Rohingyas, and reverse discriminatory policies to ensure that all communities get equal access to humanitarian services irrespective of religion, ethnicity, race, gender and citizenship status.
Out of 92,000 Rohingyas fled indiscriminate killing, rape, arson and violence by Myanmar security forces in Rakhine State, at least 69,000 had entered Bangladesh since military crackdown that began October 9, 2016, and living in makeshift shelters in Cox’s Bazar, according to the United Nations. 
About 33,000 registered refugees of Myanmar and 3,00,000 undocumented Myanmar national have been living shoddy life in camp houses, including in registered camps, in Cox’s Bazar for years. 

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