Arakan News Agency
A UNHCR representative’s comments about violence in Arakan State have sent the government into public relations overdrive, with a senior cabinet member describing the UN official’s remarks as “just allegations” and calling into question his professionalism.
According to a statement released by the State Counsellor’s Office yesterday, Myanmar’s delegate to the UN has lodged an official complaint in response to the UNHCR official’s interview with the BBC on November 24.
U Htin Linn, Myanmar’s permanent representative to the UN in Geneva, demanded an urgent meeting with the UN refugee agency to protest the remarks, and on November 25 met with UNHCR’s assistant high commissioner for protection, Volker Türk, the statement said.
John McKissick, head of the UN refugee agency in the Bangladeshi border town of Cox’s Bazaar, reportedly told the BBC that the Myanmar government has an “ultimate goal of ethnic cleansing of the Muslim minority in Myanmar”.
In the same report, the BBC also quoted deputy director general of the President’s Office U Zaw Htay as saying Mr McKissick “should maintain his professionalism and his ethics as a United Nations officer because his comments are just allegations”.
According to the State Counsellor’s Office statement, Mr McKissick’s interview “not only breaches the code of conduct of UN personnel but also undermined the trust and confidence placed [in], and the cooperation extended to, the UNHCR by Myanmar”.
Mr Türk of the UNHCR said the BBC remarks were not the refugee agency’s official position but were made only in an individual capacity, according to the State Counsellor’s Office statement. “The UNHCR would look into the matter and would give appropriate response to the Myanmar permanent representative’s request,” the statement said.
