Allegations of some Rohingya prisoners being moved to different penitentiaries in advance of an upcoming UN visit are circulating. Authorities have moved certain individuals that would most likely complain when Special Rapporteur Tomás Ojea Quintana arrives, according to an official that didn’t want his name mentioned.
“The jail authority received orders from their superiors to shift Rohingya prisoners who are educated and can able to complain about human rights violations to the United Nations Special Rapporteur Tomás Ojea Quintana.”
Quintana is visiting Arakan (Rakhine), Kachin, Shan and Chin states, and Meikhtila. in Mandalay Region, from August 11 -21.”
The Burmese government is trying to hide the human rights abuses it commited against the Rohingya community, according to an elder. There are 32 Rohingya prisoners from the Maungdaw jail and 30 from Buthidaung affected, the elder said.
“In Buthidaung jail, more than 1000 Rohingya prisoners were sentenced without trail since June 2012 on false allegations of being involved in the riot. Some have died in the jail after suffering torture and the family members still didn’t know where their body is being kept, or buried.”
The 11 day tour will allow the UN to review the conditions on the ground, according to Quintana.
“The government’s agreement to provide me with such wide-ranging access to different parts of the country will give me an excellent opportunity to assess how the human rights situation is evolving as the reform agenda moves forward,” said the special rapporteur according to UNOG website.
“In Rakhine state, I will be looking at the steps being taken to implement the President’s vision of developing a harmonious, multi-cultural society in Myanmar, which respects and protects the human rights of all. This will include measures to ensure that the perpetrators of human rights violations, including state officials, are held to account.”
During his visit to Burma, Quintana intends to visit the remaining prisoners of conscience and the detained INGO humanitarian staff, the website also mentioned.
“I will also be looking for progress in addressing the long-standing discrimination against the Rohingya community there,” Quintana said.