International Rohingya Youth Conference Statement - UK
Rohingya
Youth Call on the International Community to Act at Landmark Conference
Young Rohingya people and other ethnic minority activists
have come together at a landmark conference to demand justice and an end to
human rights violations in Myanmar, the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK
(BROUK) announced today.
The first-ever International Rohingya Youth Conference
was held between 29 November and 1 December at Queen Mary University in London,
UK. More than 45 participants from 9 countries attended, representing not just
Rohingya but also Karen, Kachin, Burman, Tibetan, and Uyghur groups.
“With the survival of the Rohingya people at stake, young
people are more important than ever. They are our future leaders, who can
provide ideas, energy, and urgency to our cause. This week’s conference was a
unique opportunity not just to listen to their voices, but also to foster
solidarity with other minority groups living through oppression,” said Tun
Khin, President of BROUK.
“Young people are united in their calls to end all abuses
against Rohingya, and for those responsible to be brought to justice. It is
time for the world to listen and take action.”
At the conference, whose theme was “Cultivating and
Mobilizing a Rohingya Youth Movement”, Rohingya youth leaders from around the
world to discuss a range of social and political issues that affect their
communities. These include how to strengthen the movement’s capacity, how to
support refugee and IDP communities, and how to build solidarity and create
learning opportunities with other civil society allies.
“Rohingya are oppressed in Myanmar today, just as Kachin
people are oppressed. We are the same victims. It is time for us to join
forces in solidarity to get justice. This youth conference was extremely
encouraging. it helped build bridges between communities united in their desire
for a life in dignity and safety,” said Hkanhpa Sadan, Foreign Affairs
Secretary of the Kachin National Organization.
“What Rohingya are facing today, Karen people have also
faced more than 60 years. Massacres, rape, burning of villages, killing
of children. When the government and military say the reports of human rights
violations against the Rohingya are false, we remember they said the same thing
about the same human rights violations against us. That is why we are standing
in solidarity with our Rohingya brothers and sisters, and we hope our combined
efforts will bring positive change for all our communities.” said Nant Bwa Bwa
Phan Karen activist.
The conference participants:
-Express their commitment to form an international
Rohingya youth movement that works for all Rohingya and actively engages
refugee communities and the diaspora.
-Express their strong support for the development of
international justice mechanisms and legal proceedings, including through the
UN Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM), the International
Criminal Court (ICC), the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and Universal
Jurisdiction (UJ). Only through sustained support of and engagement with these
international legal efforts will the Myanmar military perpetrators of genocide,
crimes against humanity, and war crimes finally be brought to account for their
crimes against the Rohingya people.
-Acknowledge the systematic and long-term nature of the
Myanmar military’s crimes and persecution against all of the country’s ethnic
minorities. The Rohingya people stand in solidarity with our ethnic Karen,
Kachin, Shan, Rakhine and many other brothers and sisters in Myanmar who have
suffered at the hands of the military. We firmly believe that international
justice for the Rohingya represents a victory for all of the country’s ethnic
minorities. We are ready and eager to work together to achieve our shared goal
of creating a democratic and federal Union of Myanmar where human rights
including citizenship are enjoyed by all of our country’s people.
-Demand that the long-term struggle for justice and
accountability must be comprehensive. Resources and engagements in
international justice should be expanded to include restorative and
transitional justice efforts that directly support grassroots survivors,
refugees, and IDP communities in Bangladesh, Myanmar, and beyond.
-Advocate that
international governments, NGOs, and other actors ensure that their programs
aimed at assisting Rohingya communities empower Rohingya organizations and
individuals – particularly youth and women – to take the lead in their
communities and participate in broader policy and development decisions. The
Rohingya community has faced exclusion, marginalization, and discrimination in
nearly every aspect of its existence, and only through active support and cultivation
of Rohingya leaders can the community finally realize justice, equality, and
human rights.
At the conference, it was agreed that for the 2020
elections to be credible it is essential that Rohingya in Burma are once again
able to take part in the election.
Conference delegates discussed the need for domestic and
international action on military-economic interests in order to reduce their
income, which is used for the commission of violations of international law.
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