Briefing Notes, 22 February 2013
This is a
summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Andrej Mahecic – to whom
quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 22 February
2013, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
UNHCR is
concerned about a rising numbers of deaths in the Indian Ocean involving
people fleeing their countries for safety and better lives elsewhere.
This includes many Rohingya from Myanmar.
Already in
2013, several thousand people are believed to have boarded smuggler's
boats in the Bay of Bengal, among them Rohingya from Rakhine state or
from Bangladesh's refugee camps and makeshift sites.
Most are men,
but there are also increasing reports of women and children on these
often-rickety boats making the journey southwards. We estimate that of
the 13,000 people who left on smugglers' boats in 2012, close to 500
died at sea when their boats broke down or capsized. While UNHCR is
still gathering data from 2012 on deaths at sea, it is clear that the
Indian Ocean has become for people fleeing their countries one of the
deadliest stretches of water in the world.
In the latest
incident, only a week ago, some 90 people – believed to be Rohingya –
are said to have died of dehydration and starvation during a journey
that lasted almost two months. More than 30 survivors were rescued from
this vessel last weekend by the Sri Lankan navy off Sri Lanka's east
coast. Earlier in February, around 130 people reportedly originating
from Myanmar and Bangladesh – were also rescued at sea by the Sri Lankan
navy. We are seeking independent access to the survivors to assess
their situation and needs.
UNHCR is
greatly saddened by this latest terrible ordeal, and commends the quick
action of the Sri Lankan navy in rescuing this group and providing
immediate medical attention. UNHCR is ready to support the Sri Lankan
authorities in assisting any among them who are in need of international
protection.
Violence in
western Myanmar's Rakhine state erupted last June between different
communities there. Since then some 115,000 people – the majority of them
Rohingya – have been uprooted. Most continue to be internally displaced
within Rakhine state, but others have resorted to smugglers to flee
their country.
About 1,700
people have arrived in recent months on the southern coast of Thailand,
where the Royal Thai Government has granted them six months of temporary
protection until solutions can be found. UNHCR teams are talking to the
men, who are held in detention facilities, and to the women and
children who are in government-run shelters, to assess their situations.
In addition to
those who have landed in Thailand, an estimated 1,800 people have
arrived in Malaysia since the start of the year. When notified, UNHCR
intervenes to secure their release from detention and seeks access to
assess their protection needs.
UNHCR
recognizes the regional dimension of the irregular movements of
refugees, asylum seekers and migrants by sea. Genuine cooperative
regional approaches that promote sharing of burdens and responsibility
could offer asylum seekers and refugees an alternative to dangerous and
exploitative boat journeys. UNHCR offers its expertise and good offices
to play a constructive role in this process.
Repeated
tragedies at sea also demonstrate the need for a coordinated regional
response to distress and rescue at sea. We urge States to agree
protocols for the safe and quick disembarkation of rescued passengers
and the provision of urgent humanitarian assistance. Mechanisms must be
in place to assess the needs of and solutions for different groups,
including access to UNHCR for those in need of international protection.
To help move
this process forward, UNHCR is facilitating discussions between
interested governments and international organizations at a regional
meeting on irregular movements by sea to be held in Jakarta in March.
Amid continuing
news reports of boats being pushed back to sea by some countries, UNHCR
also urges States in the region to keep their borders open to people in
need of international protection, to uphold the principle of
non-refoulement and to offer them temporary assistance and protection
until durable solutions can be found.
In parallel,
UNHCR has been advocating with the Myanmar government to urgently
address the root causes of the outflow. The Rohingya are not recognized
as citizens of Myanmar and face many restrictions in their daily lives
in Rakhine state. To resolve the problem, we encourage the government to
commit to promoting reconciliation and peaceful co-existence as well as
economic development in Rakhine state, pursue practical measures to
ensure basic rights so that the Rohingya can lead normal lives where
they are, and eventually grant them access to citizenship.
For further information on this topic, please contact:
In Geneva: Babar Baloch on +41 79 557 9106
Adrian Edwards on mobile +41 79 557 91 20
Andrej Mahecic on mobile +41 79 200 7617
No comments:
Post a Comment