NCF United Nations Liaison Officer Chia yu Chen delivers an oral intervention to the United Nations Human Rights Council 52nd session, Item 9. Chiayu addresses the United Nations in the context of ongoing Rohingya refugee issues.

Transcript:

Dear Mr. President,
We urge the United Nations member states to protect Rohingya refugees.
Systematic racial discrimination against the Rohingyas in the Republic of the Union of
Myanmar has caused refugees to flee in waves for decades. We appreciate the UN’s
joint Response Plan in 2022 has improved living conditions in the refugee camps.
However, the stateless Rohingyas are still exposed to violence and persecution in the
camps in Cox’s Bazar. Since the Armed Police Battalion of the People’s Republic of
Bangladesh took over security in the refugee camps in July 2020, Rohingyas have
faced arbitrary arrest and extortion. We call for the government of Bangladesh to
stop police abuse in the refugee camps.
Furthermore, because of these dire conditions, Rohingyas take risky sea journeys to
Malaysia or Indonesia to maintain their basic needs. In 2022, more than 348
refugees died or went missing on these sea journeys. The Next Century Foundation
calls for the governments of the Commonwealth of Australia and of New Zealand to
take action to cope with this human rights crisis.