UN Rohingya report deserves serious consideration, says Guterres

Published: August 29, 2018 13:24:51 | Updated: August 29, 2018 17:30:29

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres is seen int his undated Reuters file photo

A report by UN investigators saying Myanmar’s military carried out mass killings and gang rapes of Muslim Rohingya with “genocidal intent,” and that the country’s commander-in-chief and five generals should be prosecuted, deserves serious consideration, the UN secretary-general has said.

Antonio Guterres told a meeting of the UN Security Council on Tuesday after publication of the report that accountability was essential for genuine reconciliation between all ethnic groups, reports Reuters.

Without himself using the word genocide, Guterres said the report by independent experts found “‘patterns of gross human rights violations and abuses’ committed by the security forces, which it said ‘undoubtedly amount to the gravest crimes under international law.’”

“I believe this report’s findings and recommendations deserve serious consideration by all relevant United Nations bodies,” Guterres said.