Kofi Annan to chair new commission on Arakan State

Kofi Annan to chair new commission on Arakan State

RANGOON: -- Former United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan will chair a new nine-member advisory commission on the Arakan State, The Irrawaddy Online reported on Wednesday.

The formation of the new commission was announced by Burma’s State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in the state-run newspapers on Wednesday. The announcement said the commission would recommend “lasting solutions to complex and delicate issues” in Arakan State.

A memorandum of understanding will be signed between Burma’s State Counselor’s Office and Kofi Annan Foundation.

News of the formation of the commission, minus Annan’s participation, was delivered during meetings in Arakan State capital of Sittwe on August 15. The new commission will comprise three members from the international community, including Mr Annan and six from Burma – two Buddhist Arakanese members, two Muslim members and two government representatives. Both the Arakanese and the Muslim members are from Rangoon.

Communal violence, mostly affecting the stateless Rohingya community, took place across Arakan state in 2012 and 2013, displacing up to 140,000 people, most of them Muslim. Buddhist and Muslim communities remain segregated across most parts of the state, with restrictions placed on displaced Muslims and access to public services.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/kofi-annan-chair-new-commission-arakan-state/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2016-08-25