UN, 8 August 2014 – A senior United Nations human rights official today declared the situation in Eastern Ukraine “extremely alarming” with intensifying fighting, mounting casualties and serious damage to infrastructure.
Briefing the Security Council, Ivan Šimonović, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, expressed concern over the “rapid professionalization of armed groups, which are increasingly well-organized and equipped with heavy weaponry.”
“Fighting in and around population centres has resulted in heavy loss of life and very significant damage to property and civilian infrastructure. Both sides must be reminded of the imperative that they act proportionately and take precautions to avoid deaths and injury of civilians: otherwise,” he warned.
- The human rights situation has deteriorated significantly in pockets of territory in Luhansk and Donetsk, which are controlled by armed groups and where the Government has been undertaking its security operations.
“The fabric of society is being torn apart by the continuous and ongoing violence and fighting; the misinformation being spread is building divisive narratives, hardening people’s resolve and deepening social divides,” warned Mr. Šimonović.
- In the Crimea region, harassment and discrimination has intensified against Ukrainian nationals, Crimean Tatars, religious minorities, and activists who opposed the 16 March “referendum”. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) estimates that more than 15,200 people have left Crimea, while tens of thousands of people continue to flee the fighting in the east. The total number of internally displaced persons in Ukraine stands at over 117,910.
- Worrying trends show the rise of hate speech, particularly in social media, and a number of incidents targeting Russian-owned banks and businesses on the grounds that they are allegedly ”financing terrorism.” Journalists have also come under attack, especially in the east, where attempts at media manipulation have been especially egregious, said Mr. Šimonović.
- He called for a multi-year human rights action plan for Ukraine based on the recommendations of the UN human rights mechanisms and the work of the Human Rights Monitoring Mission. The Government will need to address wider systemic problems, such as corruption, facing the country with respect to good governance, the rule of law and human rights.
As for the shooting down of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17, which killed 298 people on 17 July, he said that while the downing of the aircraft may constitute a war crime, a thorough, effective, independent and impartial investigation is needed to determine the facts and circumstances of this act.
- “This investigation is now underway, led by the Netherlands,” he said, underscoring in that regard that it is disturbing to learn that the volatile security situation at the crash site continues to hamper the investigators, despite the ceasefire zone declared by the Government of Ukraine around the area.
[un.org]
8/8/14
--
-
No comments:
Post a Comment