Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 Ph.D Student of International Relations, Shahid Beheshti University
2 Assistant professor, of International Relations, Kharazmi University
Abstract
Despite the over seven decades of Myanmar's independence, United Nations concerns and at the head of that Secretary-General have remained about the Rohingya Muslim minority. Deprivation of citizenship and lack of recognition as an ethnic-religious have always provided the context to apply discriminatory behavior based on violence, crime and human rights violations against this minority. Along with media reflection about this tragedy in the world and expectation of the United Nations to address this issue, UN Secretary-General has been constantly monitoring and reviewing the situation of the Rohingya people through appointing two special advisers consist of The Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide and The Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect. In this study, with the aim of reviewing the actions and measures had been taken against the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar and UN Secretary-General's reaction to it, the main question is that, what role has the UN Secretary-General played in the violent actions of the Myanmar government against the Rohingya minority during 2016 and 2017? In response, with using descriptive and analytical approach it is assumed that the United Nations Secretary-General with awareness of the unfair and inhuman conditions of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar over the past decades, has played a role in bringing global attention to the situation of Muslim Myanmar by adopting new approaches and new tools at the United Nations. The results of the research illustrate that, despite the efforts of the Secretary-General at the head of the UN Secretariat criminal acts against them have continued in 2016 and 2017.
Keywords
A/CONF.183/9 (17 July 1998)
A/HRC/34/L.8/Rev.1 (22 March 2017)
A/RES/260 (III) (9 December 1948)
A/RES/58/247 (23 December 2003)
A/RES/96-I (11 December 1946)
Azizi, S. & Haji, M. (2016). Making the government responsible for committing genocide:
in opposition to or interacting with the transitional justice process. Journal of Legal
Studies, Shiraz University, 8(2), 147-182. (in Persian).
Beyrer, C & Kamarulzaman. A. (2017). Ethnic cleansing in Myanmar: the Rohingya crisis
and human rights. The lancet Journal, 390, 1570-1573
Danesh, A. (2015). The position of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in
the United Nations system and its role in the developments of Afghanistan. Journal of
Public Law Studies, 45(2), 273-293. (in Persian).
Dieng, A. (2016). Protecting Vulnerable Populations from Genocide. UN Chronicle
Magazine. LIII(4)
Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect. (2017). R2P Monitor. (Last reached on: 18
Jul 2021). Retrived from: https://www.globalr2p.org/publications/r2p-monitor-issue-36-
15-november-2017/.
Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect. International Coalition for the Responsibility
to Protect. (2006). Secretary-General Appoints Advisory Committee on Genocide
Prevention. (Last reached on: 29 Jun 2021). Retrived from:
http://www.responsibilitytoprotect.org/index.php/francis-deng/573-secretarygeneral-
appoints advisory-committee-on-genocide-prevention.
Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect. International Coalition for the Responsibility
to Protect. (2018). Special Advisor on the Responsibility to Protect. (Last reached on: 29
Jun 2021). Retrived from: https://www.globalr2p.org/resources/statement-by-the-un-
special-adviser-on-the-prevention-of-genocide-on-his-visit-to-bangladesh-to-assess-the-
situation-of-rohingya-refugees-from-myanmar-march-2018/.
Guardian. (2017). Who are the Rohingya and what is happening in Myanmar? (Last reached
on: 26 Jun 2021). Retrived from: https://www.theguardian.com/global-
development/2017/sep/06/who-are-the-rohingya-and-what-is-happening-in-myanmar.
Iranian diplomacy. (2017). "In Search of Criminal Justice for Myanmar Muslim Victims."
Retrived from: http://www.irdiplomacy.ir/fa/page/1971607 (in Persian).
Javidzadeh, H. (2011). United Nations preventive policies against genocide. Law and
Political Research Quarterly, 13(33), 1-44. (in Persian).
possibility for the international community? Bachelor Thesis, Master of Laws
programme. Facculty of Law, Lund University, Sweden.
Lederer, E. (2017). UN chief calls for end to ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims as
Security Council condemns violence. (Last reached on: 6 Jul 2021). Retrived from:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/rohingya-ethnic-cleansing-genocide-
latest-aung-san-suu-kyi-refugees-burma-myanmar-un-bangladesh-a7945806.html
Mir Mohammad Sadeghi, H. (2002). Considerations in the position of crime prevention.
Journal of Legal Research, 5(130), 99-110. (in Persian).
MMR-1982-L-87413 (15 October1982)
Nebehay, S. (2017). Burma Rohingya Crisis: UN cannot rule out 'elements of genocide, says
human rights chief. (Last reached on: 22 Jun 2021). Retrived from:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/burma-rohingya-crisis-genocide-un-
human-rights-chief-muslims-military-forces-a8092461.html.
Rahmanian, H. & Piri, H. (2013). Criminological investigation of international crimes.
Journal of Legal Studies, Shiraz University, 5(2), 25-58. (in Persian).
Reliefweb. (2010). Timeline of International Response to the Situation of the Rohingya and
Anti-Muslim Violence in Burma/Myanmar. (Last reached on: 3 July 2021). Retrived
from: https://reliefweb.int.
Report of the UN Children's Fund. (24 December 2017). Bangladesh: Humanitarian Situation
Report No.16, Rohingya influx.
RSC/EBUT/FB-46 RAH (28 April 1992)
Rustaei, A. & Arashpour, A. (2016). Ethnic cleansing of Myanmar Muslims: a crime against
humanity or genocide? Criminal Law Research Quarterly, 15, 45-73. (in Persian).
S/2007/721 (11 December 2007)
S/PRST/2017/22 (6 November 2017)
S/RES/1366 (30 August 2001)
Saffari, A. (2005). Criminalization and justification of punishment, (2nd Ed), Article in
Criminal Science (a collection of educational articles to improve the knowledge of those
involved in the fight against drugs in Iran). Tehran: Salsabil Publication. (in Persian).
Schabas. W. (2009). Genocide in International Law the Crime of Crimes, (2nd Ed), New
York: Cambridge University Press .
SG/SM/18676 (13 September 2017)
Šimonović. I. (2016). The Responsibility to Protect. UN Chronicle Magazine, LIII(4)
Statement by Adama Dieng. (13 March 2018). United Nations Special Adviser on the
Prevention of Genocide, on his visit to Bangladesh to assess the situation of Rohingya
refugees from Myanmar .
Genocide and Ivan Simonovic, United Nations Special Adviser on the Responsibility to
Protect, on the situation in northern Rakhine state, Myanmar
Statement by Adama Dieng. (25 March 2013). United Nations Special Adviser of the
Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide, on the situation in Myanmar.
Statement by Adama Dieng. (29 November 2016). UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of
Genocide, on the situation in northern Rakhine State, Myanma.
Statement by Adama Dieng. (4 November 2015). Special Adviser on the Prevention of
Genocide and Jennifer Welsh, Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect, on the
upcoming elections in Myanmar.
Statement by Adama Dieng. (6 February 2017). UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of
Genocide, following OHCHR’s report on the situation in northern Rakhine State,
Myanmar.
Tanzimuddin Khan, M., & Ahmed, S. (2019). Dealing with the Rohingya crisis: The
relevance of the general assembly and R2P. Asian Journal of Comparative Politics.1–23
UN News. (2017). Rohingya refugee crisis a ‘human rights nightmare. UN chief tells Security
Council. (Last reached on: 3 July 2021). Retrived from:
https://news.un.org/en/story/2017/09/567402-rohingya-refugee-crisis-human-rights-
nightmare-un-chief-tells-security-council.
UN. (2018). Genocide Background. (Last reached on: 17 Jun 2021). Retrived from:
http://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/genocide.html.
UN. (2018). Secretary-General. (Last reached on: 11 Jun 2021). Retrived from:
http://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/secretary-general.html.
UN. (2018). Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide. (Last
reached on: 27 Jun 2021). Retrived from:
http://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/special-adviser-prevention-genocide.html.
United Nations Economic and Social Council. (24 January 2000). Fifty-sixth session,
Question of the violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms in any part of the
world. Report of Lallah Rajsoomer, the Special Rapporteur. E/CN.4/2000/38.
United Nations Information Center. (2009). Charter of the United Nations and Statute of the
International Court of Justice, (6st ed), Tehran: United Nations Resident Coordinator
Office in Iran.
Worldpopulationreview. (2021). Myanmar Religion, Economy and Politics. (Last reached
on: 27 Jun 2021). Retrived from:
https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/myanmar-population
)
Send comment about this article