During the upcoming 57th regular session of the Human Rights Council, Interactive Dialogue with the so-called Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) was held on 9 September 2024.
Myanmar does not recognize the establishment of the so-called IIMM since its inception in 2019 and the resolution 39/2 of the Human Rights Council which created the mandate of the mechanism did not enjoy consensus. Successive resolutions which sustain the mechanism fail to acknowledge the coordinated terrorist attacks committed by Aqa Mul Mujahideen aka ARSA against security outposts, innocent civilians including Rakhine, Bengalis and other groups in 2016 and 2017 in northern Rakhine State. Flawed mandate given by certain countries exploiting the Human Rights Council neglected such violent action for political purposes and conversely, produced the mechanism to influence Myanmar for achieving their desired agenda.
It is not surprised, therefore, to witness numerous ambiguities surrounding the mechanism including its unlimited term, lack of oversight mechanism under the pretext of so-called operational freedom, receiving extrabudgetary funds, personnel and other resources and accepting so-called discrete projects funded by donors among others. Such vague modalities of the mechanism effectively make it possible to generate donor-driven products rather than materials to support truth and justice. Accordingly, such ill-intentioned mechanism does not guarantee independence, impartiality and objectivity in its work.
The so-called IIMM uses over 15 million USD every year amidst the liquidity crisis of the United Nations. Although it claims that it has produced nearly 28 million items of information and evidence, it is shocked to learn the conclusion of so-called analytical report was reached based on a media report along with another report building upon a subject of which definition is yet to reach international agreement. Indeed, similar tactics have been applied by such mechanisms to legitimize unsubstantiated allegations from unreliable sources by misusing the United Nations platforms to discredit the targeted countries. Consequently, the Human Rights Council have been increasingly facing divisions, disagreements and objections against the country-specific mechanisms adopted in contrary to the principles of universality, impartiality, objectivity and non-selectivity, constructive international dialogue and cooperation. It is high time the Human Rights Council discontinued country-specific mandates including the so-called IIMM in addition to the mandates of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar and the High Commissioner for Human Rights which never enjoy the support of the country-concerned. Furthermore, these unwarranted mechanisms waste over 16 million USD every year and that amount does not include other unknown expenses used by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights for hidden projects carried out against Myanmar. Accountability and transparency of these mechanisms including unknown projects only go to the donors not to the member states nor the country-concerned.
These misguided characterization of the situation in Myanmar could amount to abetting terrorism, inflaming violence and instability as well as impeding the Government’s endeavors to maintain peace and stability in the country. Myanmar reiterates its strong objection against the mandate of the so-called IIMM, all of its products including its sixth annual report submitted to the Human Rights Council.
Permanent Mission of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations
GENEVA