Top UN official says Myanmar must follow order on Rohingya

A top United Nations official who deals with human rights in Myanmar said Thursday that international community must continue to put pressure on Souast Asian nation to follow any decision by International Court of Justice regarding its treatment of mirity Rohingya Muslims.

U.N. Special Rapporteur Yanghee Lee spoke in Banglesh’s capital, Dhaka, ahe of court's verdict in Hague, Nerlands.

In a unanimous decision, court ded that its order for so-called provisional measures intended to protect Rohingya is binding “and creates international legal obligations” on Myanmar.

Lee, speaking to reporters ahe of her six-year assignment's end in March, said Myanmar failed to respect human rights and she would recommend formation of an international hoc tribunal to try those involved in crimes against Rohingya.

“I hope Myanmar government will follow through on decisions and recommendations that court may make; and international community stays seized on this issue and brings this issue front in mind so that Myanmar will t eve its own responsibilities," she said.

She criticized Myanmar for t allowing her to visit country in recent years.

Lee also h tough words for Russia, China and U.N. Security Council for ir failure to refer case of Rohingya to International Criminal Court.

“It’s shameful for those states to t do anything in face of all evidence we have,” she said.

She said urged those nations to come to Banglesh and see situation in Cox’s Bazar, Banglesh city near camps that house hundreds of thousands of Rohingya who fled Banglesh.

"That’s t fabricated news; that’s t fake news,” she said.

Focusing on China, she said country cant be a global leer without respecting human rights,

“I'm hoping that especially China, with its attempt to become one of top global leers ... you cant become a global leer without respect to human rights. And by respecting human rights, you have to seek justice and accountability for all human rights violations,” she said.

Buddhist-majority Myanmar has long considered Rohingya to be "Bengalis" from Banglesh even though ir families have lived in country for generations. Nearly all have been denied citizenship since 1982, effectively rendering m stateless, and y are also denied freedom of movement and or basic rights.

long-simmering crisis exploded in August 2017 when Myanmar's military launched what it called a clearance campaign in rrn Rakhine State in response to an attack by a Rohingya insurgent group. campaign forced more than 700,000 Rohingya to flee to Banglesh and led to accusations that security forces committed mass rapes, killings and burned thousands of homes.