1
Sarajevo Declaration
The Rohingya Crisis: What Next?
7 May 2022
Preamble:
This Conference unequivocally reiterates:
• That the right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness are inalienable rights of
every human being and such rights cannot be suspended, usurped or violated
by any government, people, or community;
• That perpetrators of genocide and crimes against humanity – whether State
or non-state actors and those who aid and abet such acts must be held
accountable and must face justice individually and collectively;
• That it is the duty of all actors (individuals, groups, communities, states and
agencies) to prevent torture, atrocities, acts of genocide and mass violence
and restore, protect, promote and respect human rights for all; and,
• That those who support and protect the persecuted and vulnerable and are
engaged in mitigating such harms should be recognised for their role.
We the participants of the International Conference on the Rohingya Crisis:
• Welcome the convening of the Sarajevo Workshop on 6 and 7 May 2022 as a
follow-up to the International Arakan Conference on The Rohingya Crisis and
Solution, organised by Hasene International, Cologne, Germany in 2018 and
also welcome the next Conference in 2023 which will be entitled “The
Rohingya Genocide: Carving the Way Out”.
• Demand that the International Community firmly keep the Rohingya cause at
the forefront of the diplomatic agenda, including that of the United Nations
Security Council, General Assembly, and Human Rights Council.
• While we express satisfaction at the positive developments at the ICJ since
the Cologne Conference and the determination of Myanmar state crimes in
Arakan as genocide by the US Government, we are deeply concerned at the
continued genocidal acts by the Myanmar authorities in Arakan and at the lack
of progress to bring about a political solution. We are distressed at the plight
of the internally displaced Rohingyas, with a substantial number virtually
2
incarcerated behind barbed wire fences, and those who had to flee the land
as refugees in Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand, India, and elsewhere.
• We call upon the international community to comprehensively investigate the
ongoing acts of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in
Myanmar, and demand the prosecution and punishment of the perpetrators of
such violations, and to protect the Rohingya from further harm.
• In that vein, we firmly support the establishment by the United Nations Human
Rights Council through resolution 39/2 of an Independent Investigative
Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) that is mandated to collect, consolidate,
preserve and analyse evidence of the most serious international crimes and
violations of international law committed in Myanmar since 2011, and to prepare
files in order to facilitate and expedite fair and independent criminal
proceedings, in accordance with international law standards, in national,
regional or international courts or tribunals that have or may in the future have
jurisdiction over these crimes, in accordance with international law.
• We firmly underscore that it is the duty of the international community to
ensure that the Myanmar authorities comply with their international
commitments and thus create enabling conditions in Rakine (Arakan) for the
voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return of the forcibly displaced
Rohingya population.
• We regret to note that the National Unity Government of Myanmar’s policy on
Rohingya lacks direction, coherence and transparency.
• We also demand the respect of Rohingya people’s human rights.
• We unequivocally stress that the right to return to one’s homeland, and the
right to self-determination are inalienable rights of every person, as enshrined
by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 1966 International
Covenant for Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
• While we acknowledge the generous admission and support granted to
Rohingya refugees by several countries, especially Bangladesh, we urge
them to continue to extend their support and ensure protection of all refugees
including women, children, the elderly, widows and persons with disabilities.
• We call upon host States
o To continue to treat Rohingyas with compassion, while maintaining a
humanitarian perspective and upholding international standards. We
also urge those States to provide appropriate documentation to
Rohingyas with irregular status, so that their rights and dignity are
protected; to offer amnesty to those in detention for irregular entry and
to uphold the principle of family unity. We further appeal host States
3
not to forcibly deport the Rohingyas to Myanmar as life and liberty in all
likelihood would be at risk.
o To involve members of the refugee community in decision making
processes that affect them and their community in line with the 2018
Global Compact on Refugees, and,
o To repatriate refugees only after ensuring their protection in Myanmar
and only after securing informed consent of the individuals and
households concerned.
• We call upon the International Community
o To recognize that all Rohingya have a right to return to their ancestral
homeland in Myanmar.
o To ensure the voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable return with full
citizenship rights along with ethnic identity of the Rohingya population
to Myanmar and insist upon the enactment of legislation upholding the
socio-cultural, political, and economic rights of the Rohingya
population.
o To call the National Unity Government of Myanmar (NUG) to account
on its failure to abolish the discriminatory 1982 Citizenship Law, as was
their promise to do so.
o To further call on the NUG to accept the UN Fact Finding’s Mission
report and to recognize the Rohingya genocide.
o To consider the above mentioned three-points as a key benchmark in
affording both support and international coverage to the NUG.
o To increase funding, solidarity and support to the Government of
Bangladesh in their efforts to provide for and protect the persecuted
Rohingya community and to find durable solutions.
o To also extend solidarity and support to the Gambia as it defends its
case referral to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and to explore all
avenues of justice and accountability for the Rohingya people,
including through invoking universal jurisdiction.
o To constructively build on the strengths of the Rohingya population,
particularly women, and engage them as leaders in the design of any
future sustainable development solutions in line with the SDGs and
support Rohingya-led initiatives to constructively showcase and build
on their genocide survivors’ narrative.
• We call upon the Bangladesh authorities
4
o To uphold the rule of law and international norms and practices in the
treatment of the Rohingyas including their right to education, skill
development, right to work, health, security and lift restrictions of
movement within the camps.
o To ensure proper and credible investigation in cases of deaths, arson,
harassment and violence involving Rohingya refugees and provide
them with access to justice.
o To allow registered NGOs and donor agencies safe and unhindered
access to continue to provide humanitarian aid.
o To play a key role in mobilizing the international community and
continue to lobby the United Nations (Security Council, General
Assembly, Human Rights Council) with a view of finding a constructive
solution for all.
o To ensure that any relocation of Rohingya refugees to Bhashan Char
is voluntary and the rights of the people on site are upheld and
respected.
• We call on the National Unity Government (NUG) of Myanmar
o To abolish the discriminatory 1982 Citizenship Law, accept the UN Fact
Finding Mission’s report and to recognize the Rohingya genocide.
o To make an unequivocal statement committing to genuinely include the
Rohingya people in their decision-making processes so as to
incorporate the Rohingya’s concerns with a view to restoring their
rights.
o To act through its National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) to
include the Rohingyas as a representative ethnic group and to conduct
a thorough, open and transparent consultation with Rohingyas and
other affected minorities so as to reflect their views.
o To include Rohingyas and other affected minorities in the designing of
an inclusive federal democratic Myanmar, and constitutionally
guarantee individual and ethnic rights that should be assured by the
Constitution.
• We call upon the Arakan Army/United League of Arakan
o To cease the ongoing violence, harassment and seizure of Rohingya
lands and arbitrary tax on the Rohingya people and create enabling
conditions for peaceful coexistence.
o To uphold and respect the human rights of the Rohingya people.
5
• We call upon States, individually and collectively as well as on regional and
international bodies, including ASEAN, BIMSTEC and the OIC
o To impose targeted sanctions directly to those individuals in the
Myanmar military regime that are responsible for the atrocity crimes,
until such time as Myanmar ends genocide, recognises Rohingya
ethnic identity under the Myanmar state framework, restores citizenship
rights to the Rohingya people, rescinds oppressive and apartheid type
laws and returns properties and land to the displaced Rohingya people
and other affected minorities.
o To form an international coordination group consisting of States and
displaying regional balance, in collaboration with the UN Special Envoy
of the Secretary-General for Myanmar and the ASEAN Special Envoy
for Myanmar, with a view to fostering constant dialogue and
engagement on the progress in achieving the ASEAN five-point
consensus in the region and bring about a peaceful solution in the
interest and with the voices of all peoples of Myanmar, including
Rohingyas.
No comments:
Post a Comment