UNHCR calls for open borders as the Rohingya flee on boats
UNHCR calls for open borders as the Rohingya flee on boats
Briefing Notes, 13 November 2012
This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Melissa Fleming – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press
briefing, on 13 November 2012, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
UNHCR
is seriously concerned at recent boat tragedies in the Bay of Bengal
involving people fleeing feeling insecurity and violence in Myanmar. We
are calling on countries in the region to strengthen burden-sharing in
the face of this growing humanitarian emergency.
In
the last two weeks, there have been reports of two boats sinking in the
Bay of Bengal with an estimated 240 people, among them Rohingyas from
Myanmar's Rakhine state. UNHCR cannot confirm the figures as we have no
presence near the wreck sites, but available information is that more
than
40 people have been rescued from the two boats. There were reports of
bodies seen floating in the water.
These
two incidents mark an alarming start to the traditional sailing season
in the Bay of Bengal, when a mix of asylum seekers and irregular
migrants risk their lives on fishing boats in the hope of finding safety
and a better life in South-East Asia. An estimated 7,000 to 8,000
people left from the Bay of Bengal during the previous sailing season
from October 2011 to March 2012. There are fears many more could follow
in the coming weeks, driven by desperation and hopelessness.
UNHCR
is urging the government of Myanmar
to take urgent action to address some of the main push-factors
especially issues connected with the problem of citizenship and
statelessness in relation to the Rohingyas. The already precarious
situation in Rakhine state was exacerbated in June and most recently
again in October this year when inter-communal violence broke out,
killing dozens of people, destroying thousands of homes and displacing
more than 110,000 people.
A
fragile calm has returned but tensions remain high. In addition to
providing urgent humanitarian assistance to both affected communities,
the root causes need to be resolved for the Rohingyas so that they can
lead normal lives where they are.
In the meantime, UNHCR is calling on governments in the region to keep their borders open to people seeking asylum
and international protection from Myanmar. We stand ready to support states in assisting and protecting these individuals.
UNHCR
is alarmed by reports of countries either pushing back boats from their
shores or helping them on to another country. We are appealing to these
governments to uphold their long tradition of providing humanitarian
aid to refugees instead of shifting the responsibility to another state.
For more information on this topic, please contact:
- In Bangkok: Vivian Tan, mobile +66 818 270 280
- In Geneva: Babar Baloch on mobile +41 79 557 9106
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