September 9, 2025
DHAKA – UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has urged all member states to create safe and dignified pathways for refugee protection and resettlement, particularly for the Rohingyas.
He made the call at the Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on Myanmar during the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva yesterday.
“I once again urge all governments to do everything possible to protect people fleeing the conflict in Myanmar, including by search and rescue operations at sea, and to refrain from refoulments, including pushbacks,” he said.
The UN is going to hold a high-level conference on the situation of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar on September 30 in New York to highlight the crisis.
Around 1.2 million Rohingyas have fled atrocities in Myanmar and taken shelter in Bangladesh. More are fleeing amid conflicts between the military and the Arakan Army rebel group.
Despite escalating violence, the Myanmar military seeks legitimacy by organising military-controlled elections, Turk said.
“The people of Myanmar demand justice, peace, and democratic civilian-run institutions. Conditions do not exist for free and representative elections. I echo ASEAN’s view that de-escalation and humanitarian access are the way out of this crisis, not elections,” he said.
The military must implement Security Council Resolution 2669, which demands an immediate end to all violence, the release of arbitrarily detained prisoners, and constructive dialogue, reconciliation, and respect for human rights, he said.
The UN rights chief also said humanitarian access must be ensured, and parties in Rakhine must respect provisional measures imposed by the International Court of Justice to protect Rohingya lives.
Turk highlighted that civilians throughout Myanmar are suffering severe consequences.
Since the 2021 coup, over 7,000 civilians have been killed and some 30,000 arrested for political reasons. In August alone, 277 civilians were reported killed.
Some 350,000 people have been displaced in Rakhine and Chin States since November 2023, with 150,000 more Rohingyas seeking refuge in Bangladesh.
Turk said the long-standing persecution of the Muslim Rohingya minority has intensified. Armed groups, including the Arakan Army, have joined attacks on civilians.
Eight years after the Myanmar military massacred tens of thousands of Rohingya, the Arakan Army now controls nearly all of Rakhine State, committing killings, abductions, torture, forced recruitment, and village burnings.
On 5–6 August 2024, drones and artillery strikes killed hundreds of Rohingya attempting to flee across the Naf River, the UN rights chief said.
As the military loses ground, it increasingly targets civilians through aerial attacks and other human rights violations. Rohingya armed groups have also committed abuses, including killings, forced recruitment, and displacement.
Turk reiterated the call for the UN Security Council to refer Myanmar’s situation to the International Criminal Court.
“States need urgently to stop the flow of arms into Myanmar — including jet fuel and dual-use goods – and to resume peacebuilding efforts,” he said.