MALACAñANG on Saturday insisted “isolation and censure” would only add to the difficulty of Rohingya Muslims, in explaining the Philippines’ opposition to a UN draft text which calls for full and unhindered humanitarian aid access and for Myanmar to grant them full citizenship rights.
In a statement, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque explained the Philippines remained “fully aware” that the conflict in Rakhine State “has deep historical roots,” hence Manila’s opposition to the UN draft text.
“The issue in the Rakhine State is a complex one; and we believe that isolation and censure would only add to the difficulty the people there are now facing,” Roque said.
“This explains the vote of the Philippines in the UN resolution,” he added.
But Philippine Ambassador to the United Nations Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Saturday said the country should have abstained instead of voting against a United Nations General Assembly committee draft resolution on the human rights situation in Myanmar.
Responding to a query by ABS-CBN News, Locsin said in a Twitter post he would push for Manila’s abstention once the resolution goes to the plenary since it is the “right thing” to do.
He noted that a “yes” vote would “kill” the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, where Myanmar is a member.
“It will be different when it goes to plenary. I will push for abstention. It is the right thing. But a yes is divisive and will kill Asean. Sorry but Asean does not correct Britain’s mistakes in Burma,” Locsin said, calling Myanmar, once a British colony, by its former name.
The Philippines, which recently hosted the biannual Asean Summit, was among 10 nations that opposed the draft text which calls for full and unhindered humanitarian aid access and for Myanmar to grant full citizenship rights to Rohingya Muslims, who are treated by Buddhists as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.
A total 135 countries voted in favor of the resolution while 26 abstained, paving the way for the revival of the text which was dropped last year due to the country’s progress on human rights under the leadership of Aung San Suu Kyi.
Among Asean nations, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar voted against the draft, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam were in favor, while Singapore and Thailand abstained.
Roque also said Manila acknowledged Myanmar’s efforts towards resolving the issues faced involving the Rohingya—including Myanmar’s setting up of an Advisory Commission on Rakhine State led by former UN Secretary-General Dr. Kofi Annan and establishment of a ministerial-level committee to ensure that the recommendations of the Commission were implemented expeditiously.
“Asean leaders have been briefed about these efforts during the recently concluded 31st Asean Summit, and Asean is committed to assist Myanmar in implementing the Advisory Commission’s recommendations,” the Palace official added.
On Thursday, the Philippines voted against a United Nations General Assembly committee draft resolution on the human rights situation in Myanmar.
During the Asean Summit plenary sessions earlier this week. Myanmar agreed to repatriate thousands of stranded Rohingya Muslims currently in Bangladesh, which will begin in three weeks after it signs a Memorandum of Understanding.
Viewed by the UN and the US as one of the world’s most persecuted minorities, the Rohingya, an embattled Muslim minority in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, has seen more than 600,000 of its members flee in two and a half months.
In the name of putting down a supposed Rohingya rebellion, Myanmar’s military has since late August waged a sweeping military campaign, burning villages and sending thousands into what has become the largest exodus in today’s world.
The United Nations has denounced the campaign, including allegations of killings and mass rape, as “ethnic cleansing.” The Kofi Annan report, produced by an advisory commission tasked with finding solutions to the ethnic conflict in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, has warned of a further radicalization in the area.
In a 63-page report, the Rakhine Advisory Commission said the Rakhine Muslim community, the Rohingya, had become vulnerable to human rights abuses due to a protracted conflict, statelessness and discrimination.
The report also pointed out that about 10 percent of the world’s stateless people live in Myanmar and that Rohingya make up the single largest stateless community in the world. John Paolo Bencito