UN urges Myanmar to end discrimination against Rohingyas

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein on Monday urged the Myanmar government to take concrete steps to end discrimination and constant human rights violations against the minority Rohingyas.

A UN human rights report documented a series of abuses and harassment of the Rohingyas, a Muslim minority living in Rakhine state, Xinhua reported.

The Rohingyas, according to the report, are not granted nationality, face restrictions on freedom of movement, experience threats to their security and life, and are denied the right to health and education.

They are also subjected to forced labour, women face sexual violence and their political rights are severely limited.

The report said four years after the attacks on the community and 1,20,000 Rohingyas still lived in camps for the displaced.

Zeid warned that hate speech and religious intolerance by certain ultra-nationalist Buddhist groups could increase and violence could break out again.

The pattern of violations the Rohingyas are subjected to can be considered crimes against humanity, the UN official said.

"The new government has inherited a situation where laws and policies are in place that are designed to deny fundamental rights to minorities, and where impunity for serious violations against such communities has encouraged further violence against them," Zeid said.

The high commissioner acknowledged that more resolve, resources and time would be required to correct the situation, but he urged the new government to take prompt action to end current and prevent future violations.