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YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Foreign diplomatic missions in Myanmar urged its government on Friday to allow "full and unfettered" humanitarian access to troubled Rakhine state, where operations by aid agencies have been curtailed while the army carries out counterinsurgency operations.
A joint statement Friday by more than a dozen Western nations including the United States raised concerns about northern Rakhine state, where human rights groups accuse the military of abuses against the Muslim Rohingya minority, including rape, killings and house burnings.
The government has prevented most journalists and aid workers from going to the region since the military began cracking down two months ago after nine border guards were killed by unidentified attackers.
The Rohingya, targets of discrimination in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar, are believed to face severe shortages of food and medical care.
The government has stated its intention several times to allow aid agencies access. Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who heads a government-appointed commission to suggest ways to resolve tensions between Rakhine's Muslim and Buddhist communities, recently visited the area and met with Myanmar leaders, and called for aid agencies to be allowed in as soon as possible.
"We have welcomed the government's agreement to allow a resumption of humanitarian assistance and initial deliveries to some villages, but we are concerned by delays and urge all Myanmar authorities to overcome the obstacles that have so far prevented a full resumption, noting that tens of thousands of people who need humanitarian aid, including children with acute malnutrition, have been without it now for nearly two months," the joint embassy statement said.
"Full and unfettered access is essential for humanitarian agencies to conduct a comprehensive assessment of current humanitarian needs," it said.
The Rohingya are largely excluded from citizenship despite many having lived in Myanmar for generations, with their Buddhist countrymen considering them to be foreign immigrants from Bangladesh. More than 100,000 have been living in squalid camps for the internally displaced since 2012, when they were the targets of several waves of deadly violence.
"We continue to discuss with the government the many other issues associated with the situation in Rakhine state, including the need to restore peace in the area after the attacks against security personnel, the allegations of abuse in the subsequent security operations, as well as the importance of enhanced communication," the embassy statement said. "Security forces must ensure protection of all civilians."
The statement was endorsed by the diplomatic missions of Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the United States.
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