Burma Rohingya Crisis: UN cannot rule out 'elements of genocide', says human rights chief

Rohingya refugees, who crossed the border from Myanmar two days before, walk after they received permission from the Bangladeshi army to continue on to the refugee camps, in Palang Khali, near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh Reuters

The United Nations' top human rights official said on Tuesday Rohingyas were continuing to flee northern Rakhine state in Burma, where he said the crime of genocide by state forces could not be ruled out against the Muslim minority.

Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, addressing a special session of the Human Rights Council, said that none of the 626,000 Rohingya who have fled violence since August should be repatriated to Burma unless there was robust monitoring on the ground.

Prosecutions for the violence and rapes against Rohingya "appear extremely rare", Zeid said. "Can anyone - can anyone - rule out that elements of genocide may be present?," he told the 47-member state forum in Geneva.

In response, Burma's ambassador told the UN human rights council the country was still finalising terms for a join working group with Bangladesh, and that the process of returning Rohingya Muslims would be launched within two months.

The ambassador said Burma was ready to work with international partners to ensure "voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable repatriation" and resettlement of the displaced, adding: "There will be no camps."