The United Nations security council was making an effort to push Myanmar to work with the UN on Monday, in order to address all the Rohingya refugee crisis, but however, Russia and China have, so far, boycotted the talks over a British-drafted resolution.
According to news reports, the diplomat said that the draft resolution was aimed to draw a timeline over Myanmar allowing about more than of 700,000 Rohingya refugees to return back to Myanmar from Bangladesh and addressing an accountability.
Since last year’s August, Rohingya have fled from Myanmar’s Rakhine state to its neighbours Bangladesh and India in order to refuge there after several attacks on Rohingya – a major setback of crack down of Myanmar military, which the UN, the United States and Britain with other countries describes as an ethnic cleansing. Though, Myanmar denied all the accusations of ethnic cleansing.
The diplomat said the draft resolution warned that 15-member security council could further consider steps including sanctions, if progress by Myanmar does not meet the need. It was still unclear whether the draft resolution would be a part of vote or not. The resolution only needed nine votes in the favour and the no vetoes from China, Russia, France, Britain and the US to pass.
Russian UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia on Monday, said, “I think it’s inappropriate, untimely and useless.” Chinese UN ambassador Ma Zhaoxu rejected to comment further. Myanmar’s UN ambassador Hua Do Suan has not responded to the request to comment over the topic.
Late last month, the draft resolution was circulated into the council members and as according to diplomats, several rounds of meetings were held regarding it. Diplomat reported that the initial meeting was attended by China and Russia, but further declined to attend any other meetings.
The draft resolution would make an effort to push Myanmar to implement a system of understanding with the UN refugee agencies and development, which was signed by noble laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s government in June, in fact was recommended by Rakhine advisory commission – former UN chief Kofi Annan. Diplomats said that there are referrals of situations of Myanmar into the international criminal court in draft resolution.