Press Releases
Establishment of an Independent Commission of Enquiry by the Myanmar Government
and the Agreement on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Myanmar Government
and the UN Agencies concerning their Activities in Northern Rakhine State
(Statement by Foreign Minister Taro Kono)
June 1, 2018
- On May 31 (same day local time), the Government of Myanmar announced that it will establish an Independent Commission of Enquiry, including an international personality, concerning the violation of human rights and related issues in Northern Rakhine State since 25 August 2017, and that the Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population of Myanmar, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) agreed on the texts of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for repatriation and resettlement of the displaced persons to Northern Rakhine State.
- The Government of Japan welcomes these as important key progress towards improvement of the human rights and humanitarian situation and the “voluntary, safe and dignified” repatriation of the displaced persons to Northern Rakhine State.
- The Government of Japan has repeatedly urged the Government of Myanmar to implement an investigation of the alleged human rights violations in Northern Rakhine State. We expect that the Independent Commission of Enquiry will implement a credible and transparent investigation and that appropriate measures will be taken as a result of the investigation.
- This MOU will be the foundation for these UN agencies to conduct activities in Northern Rakhine State for the first time since the attacks in August 2017. Consindering the importance of the prompt and steady implementation of the repatriation, the Government of Japan has made efforts to bridge between the Government of Myanmar and the UN agencies for the early conclusion of the MOU. The Government of Japan strongly hopes that these UN agencies will promptly commence activities in the area based on the MOU, that the Government of Myanmar will accelerate creating conditions for receiving the returned persons, and that this will lead to progress in actual repatriation and resettlement.
- The Government of Japan will continue to support the efforts by the Governments of Myanmar and Bangladesh for improvement of the situation in Rakhine State.