CCMUN 2018

United Nations Human

Rights Council
Welcome Letter to Delegates
Welcome delegates to the committee of United Nations Human Rights Council! We
are honored to have you as delegates, representing a country, participating and
discussing about the current topic that we have prepared for you. In this committee
we invite you to get involved into solving humanitarian issues. Nowadays there is
people dying, suffering, and being discriminated. It is your job to find solutions
regarding the violation of human rights. We did it with a lot of love for you, and we
hope you enjoy this simulation as much as we do.

I. Committee Background
The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations
system responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights
around the globe and for addressing situations of human rights violations and make
recommendations on them. The Council was created by the United Nations General
Assembly on 15 March 2006. It has the ability to discuss all thematic human rights
issues and situations that require its attention throughout the year. It meets at the UN
Office at Geneva.

The Council is made up of 47 United Nations Member States which are elected by
the UN General Assembly. The Human Rights Council replaced the former United
Nations Commission on Human Rights.

The Council serves as the main United Nations forum for intergovernmental
cooperation and dialogue on human rights issues. Its focus is to help member states
meet their human rights obligations through dialogue, capacity building, and
technical assistance. The Council also makes recommendations to the General
Assembly for further development of international law in the field of human rights.

Topic: The human rights that the Rohingya people deserve in refugee camps.

● Introduction
Recently, the United Nations labeled the Rohingya as the world’s most persecuted
minority. This is due to the fact that at this very moment, the Rohingya population
remains vulnerable thanks to their lack of nationality and denial of basic human
rights, which forces them to migrate in search for refugee camps. Located in the
Rahike state in Myanmar, the minority has been attacked and neglected by the
government. Although a minority, the Rohingya fill up the refugee camps in the
neighboring country of Bangladesh, country that has already closed up their borders
due to the high number of immigrants in the region. Sadly, all the Rohingya people
that stayed in Myanmar, are now suffering from terrible and atrocious acts of
violence against them. Many are currently being killed, tortured, and attacked by the
government of Myanmar which once held them as civilians.

Countries:
1. Saudi Arabia
2. Australia
3. Brazil
4. Canada
5. China
6. Haiti
7. Syria
8. France
9. Indonesia
10. Germany
11. Italy
12. Cameroon
13. United Kingdom
14. Mexico
15. Japan
16. DR Congo
17. Venezuela
18. Spain
19. Russia
20. Sweden
21. Belgium
22. South Africa
23. Ukraine
24. United States
25. New Zealand
 ● History of Topic
Before the United Nations was even a thing, and World War II, was destroying the
human rights of people all over the world, the people of British Burma, (now
Myanmar) had different ideas about who to support. Mostly dominated by the British,
the population of Myanmar decided on siding with Japan, but this wasn’t the case for
the Rohingya.

After being promised a muslim territory, the Rohingya sided with the British. This
event cause mayor conflict between the Rohingya and the people of Myanmar. Not
only did their religious differences made sharing their territory difficult, but this
alliance with Britain just made the tensions worse.

Even after the independence of Burma (now, Myanmar) in 1948, the conflict
remained difficult to assist. With a new constitution, the tensions worsened to the
point that later in 1982, the nation of Myanmar developed a Nationality Law. This
law prohibited the Rohingya from being an acknowledged population from Myanmar.
They are now classified as illegal immigrants, and thus they have been migrating to
the neighboring countries. Such countries, like Bangladesh and Thailand, have been
accepting the refugees, until the year of , that they stopped letting them in.

● Current Situation
This situation is taking place through the persecution, mistreatment and homicide of
the population established in the Rakhine state, originated this because of religious
issues and illegal immigration. The government is subjecting the Rohingya to an
ethnic cleansing for professing the Muslim religion in a country with a Buddhist
majority. Military forces have been finishing with everything in their way, burning
Rohingya villages and at the same time shooting, burning alive, raping and killing the
world’s most persecuted minority being this a total violation of human rights. In
search of survival the only option they have left is fleeing to refugee camps facing all
kinds of danger and injustice along the way. The Rohingya take about 7 days to
cross the border, few survive this long and risky road since most die of hunger. Once
they reach the border, they must pay 50,000 kyat (what they earn in 1 month) to be
able to cross it, which is illegal. The Rohingya have reached their destination which
does not guarantee survival.

There are 2 refugee camps in Bangladesh, one called Kutupalong refugee camp in
Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar, the other one being the Nayapara refugee camp in Teknaf,
Cox’s Bazar. The Rohingya arrive in the aforementioned refugee camps that have
already been occupied by other people that government of Myanmar had taken their
citizenship and rights. The previous refugee camps are in a critical state, since the
lack of resources are putting at risk the existence of the Rohingya. They don’t have
roofs, food, space, electricity nor water, basically their shelters don’t have enough
resources for a good quality of life. The academic education that is given in these
refugee camps is up to 14 years of age, then they must go to the city to continue with
their school preparation. As in every crisis children are the most vulnerable, they are
in hazardous sanitary and nutritional conditions, which predispose them to
contracting infectious diseases such as cholera, measles, malaria, rubella and
diphtheria. More than 50% of children suffer from acute malnutrition and anemia,
according to a UNICEF report.

This region is affected by Monsoon season, it is one of the oldest and most
anticipated weather phenomena and an economically important pattern every year
from May through September, but it is only partly understood and difficult to predict.
Shelters in refugee camps are flooded and destroyed for months.The dramatic
message of Jamal, a Rohingya refugee: "If the world can not give us our rights, let
them kill us directly”. Delegates are expected to find solutions regarding the life
quality and actual situation in refugee camps, in order to aid people as Jamal and
make human right available to the Rohingya.

● Focus Questions
1. How is it that this ethnic group was born in Burma (now Myanmar), a country
with a Buddhist majority?
2. Why are the Rohingya considered the world’s most persecuted minority?
3. What consequences has the promulgation of the law that forbids recognizing
the Rohingyas as a population of Myanmar brought?
4. What are the UNICEF reports about children being the most vulnerable?
5. How does nature interfere with the existence of the Rohingya and what
causes?
6. What are the UNICEF reports about children being the most vulnerable?
7. Should greater economic effort be requested in support of the considered
economic powers belonging to the United Nations with the purpose of solving
the needs caused by the humanitarian crisis that is experienced in the refugee
camps?

● Helpful Links
1. Al Jazeera. (2018, February 05). Myanmar: Who are the Rohingya? Retrieved
April 08, 2018, from
https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2017/08/rohingya-muslims-17083
1065142812.html
2. Myanmar Rohingya: What you need to know about the crisis. (2018, January
16). Retrieved April 17, 2018, from
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-41566561
3. Sky News. (2017, November 15). Explained: The Rohingya refugee crisis.
Retrieved April 17, 2018, from
https://news.sky.com/feature/rohingya-crisis-11121896
4. The Rohingya Crisis in 90 Seconds. (2017, October 16). Retrieved April 17,
2018, from ​https://youtu.be/yRnWtbZv83w
5. Rohingya Crisis - Explained (2 minutes). (2016, July 03). Retrieved April 17,
2018, from ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuogyqaQhHQ