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UNITED NATIONS COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS

Fifty-ninth session

17^th March – 25^th April 2003

Oral intervention by Anti-Slavery International delivered on 7 April 2003

Item 10 – Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Policies of food deprivation in Myanmar

Madame Chair,

Anti-Slavery International would like to inform the Commission that deprivation of civil and political rights in Myanmar also results in denial of economic, social and cultural rights.

The Rohingya Muslims in Northern Arakan State are the worst affected. They are discriminated against on the basis of race and religion and are denied citizenship rights. A policy of severe restrictions of their movement aims at containing them, and food insecurity is deliberately created to induce flight to Bangladesh. Policies of exclusion become policies of expulsion through food deprivation.

Madame Chair,

This past year, a new refugee influx of more than 10,000 Rohingya has been reported in Bangladesh. The high price of rice, caused by shortage but also by a ban on transportation of this essential food, has led already impoverished families into starvation.

Food insecurity is used as a tool to target and compel the most vulnerable Muslim population into leaving the country and once they flee, their names are deleted from their family lists, preventing them from ever returning home.

Food security is affected by several major human rights violations:

1) Compulsory labour deprives villagers of their daily income. In 2002, it again increased with more frequent sentry duty and the building of a new army camp [in Kha Moung Seik] and two “model villages” for Buddhist settlers in Maungdaw Township. Other forced labour such as brick baking, shrimp farm maintenance, bamboo and woodcutting produces commercial benefits for the army and the NaSaKa. This was a particular issue of concern to the ILO on its field visit in Northern Arakan State in January 2003.

2) There have been many complaints of a significant increase in illegal taxation and extortion. Forced contribution in material, provisions and cash is widespread, and the rare payment for compulsory labour is usually cancelled out by increase of arbitrary taxation, or arrests for minor offences and demands for high bribes in exchange for release. Since 2002, Muslim couples had to pay exorbitant fees to get permission to marry.

3) Restriction of movement is a major constraint on decent livelihoods for Muslims. It curtails their economic activities by blocking access to markets and employment in other areas.

4) The system of license and brokerage, whereby exorbitantly-priced business licenses are sold for monopolies for trading in specific commodities, prevents villagers from gaining a fair income for their produce.

5) Confiscation of land to build villages for new Buddhist settlers and expansion of military facilities continues. Local authorities have also begun to implement land policies very strictly, leading to a number of evictions. Families who had built their houses on land registered as paddy fields decades ago were suddenly issued with expulsion orders and forced to dismantle their homes.

Madame Chair,

The right to food lies at the core of human rights ensuring physical and mental well being. Access to food should not be used as a tool of oppression and expulsion, and we would therefore urge the Commission to pursue all possible measures to guarantee this right to the Rohingya Muslims of Arakan State as well as to all people in Myanmar.

Thank you.