– As delivered –

Remarks by H.E. Mr. Volkan Bozkir, President of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly

15 June 2021

His Excellency Abdul Momen, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh,

Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

I thank you for inviting me to this important discussion. I commend the Government of Bangladesh, as well as the Permanent Missions of Canada, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, and the Global Centre for Responsibility to Protect, for convening this event.

In particular, it is good to see my dear friend, brother, Minister Momen here today after my visit to Bangladesh. Thanks to the Minister, Ambassador Fatima, and the government of Bangladesh, I had the privilege of visiting the country just a few weeks ago. The visit deepened my understanding of the challenges facing the Rohingya people, and Bangladesh, as a result of the situation in Myanmar. I am pleased I can share my experience with you today.

At the outset, I must reiterate my deep concern regarding the situation in Myanmar. As we work to address the recent political turmoil in Myanmar, we must not forget about the plight of the Rohingya Muslims and other minorities. I am deeply concerned about the humanitarian implications of the military’s actions, for vulnerable communities, including the Rohingya Muslims, ethnic minorities, women, and youth. I emphasize the importance of unrestricted humanitarian access to Rakhine State and other parts of the country.

As a result of the deteriorating political situation, humanitarian needs are growing in Myanmar. Around 46,000 people were displaced in the south-eastern part of Myanmar between April and May due to the conflict and insecurity, including the clashes in Kayah.

In all conflict-affected areas, the humanitarian response remains severely constrained due to insecurity, banking disruptions, road blockages and pre-existing access challenges. In the Southeast, humanitarian needs include food, shelter and access to hygiene and sanitation facilities.

Additionally, there have been reports of cases of water-borne diseases among the displaced population as result of extended lack of access to hygiene and sanitation facilities compounded by the early arrival of the rainy season.  In a global pandemic, this has taken on an even greater urgency. A food security crisis is also looming if people are unable to return to their villages of origin to tend to their crops and livestock.

This is not just a crisis for the people of Myanmar on their long and difficult path towards democracy and a better life; this is a crisis for the more than one million displaced Rohingya people who are currently in Cox’s Bazar.

Right now, there is no defined path to the future, to a permanent home.  Voluntary, dignified and safe return is the ultimate goal, but this is contingent on conditions in Myanmar improving.  This, in turn, requires the concerted attention and action of the international community and regional partners. 

I commend the Government of Bangladesh for stepping up to meet the needs of its most vulnerable neighbours in their darkest hours. In Bangladesh, I heard tales of the valiant host community members in Cox’s Bazar who jumped into action as first responders when the first groups of refugees arrived seeking shelter and protection.

On the day I visited Cox’s Bazar, the threat of a cyclone loomed large.  It underscored the precarious situation of the Rohingyas and the local coastal communities.  In the camp I met with cyclone response volunteers who were there, ready to protect the most vulnerable people from another extreme weather event.  

Weeks before I travelled to Cox’s Bazar, a fire had broken out in Camp 9. When I arrived, I was impressed that the essential services in the camp had been re-built rapidly by the camp authorities and partners and the Turkish authorities also.

It was a privilege to meet the Rohingya people living there, women and children in particular, who remain undefeated despite the unimaginable horrors they have survived.

They are continuing to fight– not just for their own survival, but that of their community, their people. Perilous sea journeys took the lives of many of their loved ones, and they still fear for those remaining in Myanmar – some 600,000 stateless Rohingya, of whom 144,000 are living in displacement camps.

Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Dear colleagues,

There is a watch tower in Camp 8W from where you can see the full expanse of the camp. As far as the eye can see it is camp structures.  Shelters disrupt the horizon. On that day, rain fell and a grey sky hung heavily over these shelters. But the camp authorities, UN country team and humanitarian partners are working to ensure that the Rohingya people are safe and protected.

This must necessarily include protection from the pandemic. I welcome recent commitments to purchase and share vaccines and I urge all countries to continue to mobilize resources to ensure Vaccines for all. The Rohingya people need to be vaccinated.  The host community needs to be vaccinated. We are not safe until we are all safe. This must be our first line of rapid response.

And we must work together to reverse the negative trajectory inside Myanmar.

The rights of Rohingya to citizenship and to freedom of movement must be assured so they are not again subject to unimaginable violence. This is intimately linked to the creation of conditions conducive to the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return of all Rohingya refugees and IDPs. 

We must work together to make this a reality.

More broadly, rights to freedom of expression, including access to information and of peaceful assembly have been infringed repeatedly by the military-led authorities. Heinous acts of sexual and gender-based violence against women protestors are particularly alarming, as are reports of civilian casualties, many of them young people and children, and damage to, and occupation of, civilian infrastructure.

The indiscriminate use of lethal force against peaceful demonstrators is unacceptable. I extend my deepest condolences to the families and those who have lost loved ones who were killed while exercising their human rights in the pursuit of a better future.

Let me be clear: peaceful assembly, association and freedom of opinion and expression are fundamental pillars of any democracy and must be respected. I call for the immediate release of those who have been arbitrarily detained.

Dear colleagues,

A system built on brutality and bloodshed will not survive. It is not too late for the military to reverse the negative trajectory on the ground, exercise restraint, and respect the will of its people.

I thank you, and once again I thank Minister Momen, Ambassador Fatima, and all of the co-sponsors here today for ensuring that the international community does not forget about the plight of the Rohingya people.  We must not, and we will not forget. 

I thank you for having me in this meeting and I wish you all the best.