The U.N. special rapporteur for Myanmar says the international community, including the U.N. Security Council, is still failing to provide protection against the Myanmar junta’s violent attacks on the people of Myanmar.
More than 100 people, including women and children, were killed Tuesday when Myanmar’s military junta bombed the Kanbalu township in the Sagaing region, according to witnesses contacted by VOA Burmese.
“More innocent people killed, more children killed, more violations of international law and human rights. We need to stop as an international community and recognize this fact,” Tom Andrews told VOA via Skype on Wednesday.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
VOA: How serious are the Myanmar junta's airstrikes against its own civilians under international law?
U.N. Special Rapporteur for Myanmar Tom Andrews: They're extremely serious. First of all, we've seen a significant uptick, a significant increase in the use of fighter jets dropping bombs, the use of helicopter gunships descending on villages and opening fire. There is an increasing use of these types of weapons. These weapons kill without any kind of discrimination. They wipe out entire villages. I've even seen them [bombs] dropped on the centers [for the internally displaced], where people have gone for safety, and children have been killed.
These are the characteristics of war crimes. These are the characteristics of crimes against humanity. This is not only unacceptable from a moral point of view, it is illegal from an international law point of view. So we must do more to stop this carnage and impose the fundamental foundations of international law with respect to Myanmar. The people of Myanmar deserve nothing less.
VOA: The junta's spokesperson confirmed the Kanbalu airstrike, in which dozens of civilians were reportedly killed, but he said the attacks there were justified because, according to him, the National Unity Government, which had just opened its local office, is an armed terrorist group. What is your view on the junta's response?
Andrews: Citizens are not terrorists. Children are not terrorists. Those who are opposed to the junta and its killing of innocent people are not terrorists. They are patriots. They are those who are committed to a just democracy for Myanmar, human rights for Myanmar. These are not crimes. These should be embraced and applauded by everyone. The people of Myanmar, fighting for their future, trying to create justice and human rights for their children, are not terrorists. They are patriots.
VOA: What kind of action should the international community, including the U.N. Security Council, take against the junta to protect the Myanmar people?
Andrews: Step one is recognize that what has happened to this point is failing. It's simply not working. And more of the same is going to mean more of the same in Myanmar: more innocent people killed, more children killed, more violations of international law and human rights. We need to stop as an international community and recognize this fact. We are failing the people of Myanmar. That's step one.
Step two is to examine all of the options that we have to stop this carnage. The international community, even though the U.N. Security Council was not willing to support an action resolution after the invasion of Ukraine, nevertheless formed a coalition. That coalition formed a coordinated strategy to support the people of Ukraine. And the world has worked together to put maximum pressure on Russia and provide maximum support for the people of Ukraine.
This is exactly the approach that we need for the people of Myanmar. The international community, who support the people of Myanmar, who condemn these attacks, who support human rights, democracy, need to form an action coalition — not a word coalition — an action coalition in which all the options can be put on the table and examined, and everyone can coordinate these actions together. We need to find the vulnerable spots in the junta, identify them clearly and work together to seize this opportunity to deny them the resources that they need, the weapons that they need, the capacity that they need in order to continue these horrific attacks. That's what the international community needs to do. If we don't do this, then we can only expect that there's going to be more attacks, more carnage, more innocent people killed, more violations of human rights. And frankly, if that happens, then we have aided and abetted those horrific actions that are being taken against the people of Myanmar.
VOA: The Rohingya repatriation program, which is being coordinated with the U.N., the Bangladeshi government and the junta itself, is being criticized by human rights organizations because they say it isn’t safe to return to parts of Myanmar. Can you shed some light on the U.N.'s role in the repatriation process, especially regarding its interactions with the junta?
Andrews: No one, including the United Nations, should be supporting a repatriation process in which the Rohingya who are in Bangladesh under very harsh conditions are nonetheless brought to Myanmar in very unsafe conditions — conditions that are not conducive whatsoever to a safe, dignified return; repatriation that does not include protection of human rights, protection of citizenship, protection of life and safety.
No one should be supporting that kind of repatriation process, because it won't work. It's unfair. We could see even more hardship for those people who are in Bangladesh, who have suffered so much. So, whether it's the United Nations or any other entity, we should not be moving forward with any repatriation process, including a pilot program, under these conditions.
VOA: Your position as U.N. special rapporteur has been renewed for another three-year term. What will your main focus be regarding human rights in Myanmar in the short term and in the long term?
Andrews: Well, I'm very grateful to have my service as special rapporteur renewed by the Human Rights Council. I will be doing some very basic things going forward with this mandate. Number one, first and foremost, is to listen to the people of Myanmar, those who are providing me with extraordinarily important information and analysis and insight as to what is going on inside of the country, what is going on for those who have escaped the country and what needs to be done, what the United Nations and the international community needs to do.
Number two, it is reaching out to those nations who are in a position to provide stronger support for the people of Myanmar and try to engage them in efforts that can do just that. I've been traveling in the region. I was in Thailand this past year. I traveled to Malaysia this past year. I am preparing right now to travel to Japan. I was in the Republic of Korea a few months ago. I'm planning to travel during this year to Indonesia. And I'm going to be doing everything that I can to sit down and work with leaders of the region and leaders throughout the world to make it very clear that it's in no one's interest to allow this catastrophe to continue to unfold before our very eyes. And it's in all of our interests as an international community to work together to support the human rights and justice of Myanmar people and to oppose this military junta. So, that is primarily what is on my agenda as I seek to serve the U.N. Human Rights Council and the United Nations General Assembly in this coming year.
