The children were released to their families in the presence of senior Government officials as well as representatives from the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Myanmar.

By the terms of an action plan signed with the UN last year, the Myanmar Government has agreed to locate all children recruited by the Tatmadaw with a view to ensuring their unconditional release, and committed to discharging and facilitating their quick reintegration back into their families and their communities.

“We expect the Tatmadaw will now be in a position to speed up the release of all children,” said UN Resident Coordinator Ashok Nigam. “We are very happy for the 42 children and their families today but we must accelerate efforts so that many more children benefit from release.”

The action plan also includes commitments to allow UN monitoring teams to access military facilities and to training military personnel on how to better protect, respect and promote the rights of Myanmar’s children.

“All parties recognize this is about the future of Myanmar. No child should have to endure the hardship of being taken away from their families, friends, schools and communities,” said Mr. Nigam.

“Nothing justifies the recruitment of children in armed forces. An army is not a place for a child to grow up. We will continue working with the Myanmar Government and the Tatmadaw towards expanding access for UN monitoring teams, addressing identified systemic procedural weaknesses, and mobilizing the Myanmar public in support of ending this practice for the sake of their children and the whole country,” he added.

The UN Resident Coordinator’s Office and UNICEF are the co-chairs of the UN Country Task Force charged with facilitating Myanmar’s implementation of Security Council resolution 1612 in the country together with representatives from other members of the Task Force.

Adopted in 2005, resolution 1612 asked the Secretary-General to establish a monitoring and reporting mechanism to provide timely and reliable information on six grave children’s rights violations, including the recruitment and use of children in armed forces and armed groups.

The six grave violations monitored and reported are: killing or maiming of children; recruitment and use of children in armed forces and groups; attacks against schools or hospitals; rape or other grave sexual violence; abduction of children; and denial of humanitarian access for children.

In his recent report to the Council on children and armed conflict in Myanmar, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the fact that, while children are still being recruited into the Tatmadaw following the signing of the action plan, the number of new recruits have decreased.

“Through today’s discharge and by moving away from recruiting new children, the Myanmar Government and its armed forces continue to demonstrate their desire to end this deeply saddening practice,” said UNICEF Representative Bertrand Bainvel.

“The action plan continues to be a unique opportunity to once and for all ensure that the Tatmadaw is a child-free armed force and is removed from the annex of the Secretary-General’s report, which lists parties to the conflict that recruit and use children,” Mr. Bainvel added.

The Tatmadaw (together with its integrated border guard forces) is listed in Annex 1 of the Secretary-General’s report, alongside seven other non-State armed groups that are persistent perpetrators in Myanmar.

A UN-led convoy is currently moving to areas beyond Government control in Kachin, the spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Jens Laerke, told reporters in Geneva.

The convoy is carrying life-saving items to some 5,100 displaced people in camps along its route between Maija Yang town and Bhamo. The items include food, special nutrients for children, household kits, hygiene kits and sanitation supplies such as water tabs.

Since June 2011, fighting between the Kachin Independence Organization and the Government of Myanmar has forced an estimated 100,000 people from their homes. An estimated 60,000 of those displaced are living in areas beyond the Government’s control. OCHA said it hopes this is the first of many convoys to those areas.

“The cross-line convoy represents a positive step forward by the Government to help all people in need across Kachin State,” said UN Humanitarian Coordinator Ashok Nigam.

Previously, the agency had been unable to reach these people because of lack of access but also because of a shortage in funding – $ 50.9 million had been requested, of which only $ 4.2 million had been received.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says that it stands ready to support the Government in registering all internally displaced persons (IDPs) and to promote reconciliation for safe and sustainable voluntary returns.

UNHCR has been working with the authorities and partners to provide water, sanitation and healthcare services to those uprooted by the violence between Buddhists and Muslims.

Some 75,000 people were uprooted in the first wave of riots in northern Rakhine state last June. Another 36,000 were displaced by a second wave of unrest in October.

“Many others who were not directly affected by the violence have lost their livelihoods as a result of restricted movements due to the security situation. Some have been forced to leave their homes in search of assistance,” UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards told reporters in Geneva.

There are an estimated 13,000 people living in makeshift sites around the state capital Sittwe and some 2,800 people in Maungdaw who are not formally considered IDPs by the authorities and who have therefore not received aid systematically.

In the last year, UNHCR has distributed relief supplies such as plastic sheets, sleeping mats and kitchen sets for 75,000 IDPs. Supplementing the Government’s shelter programme, it has provided tents, temporary or permanent shelters to 45,000 people. Additional shelters are being built by UNHCR for 25,000 IDPs in Pauktaw and Myebon townships who are vulnerable to flooding during the rainy season.

“UNHCR has been working with the authorities and partner agencies to make sure that the IDPs receive adequate water, sanitation and health care services,” said Mr. Edwards, adding that this has been difficult in some areas, with aid workers being harassed or threatened and displaced people unable to move freely to access basic services.

UNHCR has highlighted the urgent need to register all IDPs in order to improve aid delivery and better respond to the needs of the most vulnerable among them.

“While humanitarian assistance remains the priority for now, we are also working with the Government to advocate for action to promote dialogue and peaceful co-existence between the communities to pave the way for voluntary return,” Mr. Edwards stated.

The agency added that active steps must be taken to stem the flow of people out of Rakhine. Since last June, more than 27,000 people – believed mostly to be from there – have embarked on dangerous boat journeys in search of safety and stability in other countries.

UNHCR has appealed to Governments in the region to keep their doors open to people in need of international protection. It is also asking authorities in Myanmar to urgently address the root causes of this outflow of people.

The agency also noted that it needs $80 million to meet the needs of people of concern in Myanmar – including IDPs in Rakhine, Kachin and the south-east – until the end of the year. It has so far received 18 per cent of that amount.

“While tropical storm Mahasen reached the coastline of Bangladesh on Thursday weaker than anticipated, the preparedness work undertaken by the Government and humanitarian partners saved countless lives,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a news release.

An estimated one million people were evacuated from 13 coastal districts in the 24-hour period prior to the storm hitting on Thursday. Through its Cyclone Preparedness Programme, the Government activated a number of measures including mobilizing thousands of community volunteers, sending alerts and information to at-risk communities and advancing cash payments, as well as collaborating with international humanitarian partners to ensure a coordinated response was on standby.

Preliminary assessments from the Government indicate that 13 people died and some 1.2 million people were affected by the storm.

“While unfortunately there has been a loss of life, the Government demonstrated its commitment to disaster risk reduction and hase taken the necessary preparedness steps to prevent a catastrophe” said acting UN Resident Coordinator Pascal Villeneuve.

“This part of the world is regularly hit by major cyclones and so everyone took the threat extremely seriously and made sure the right measures were in place, and ensured communities in the path of the storm were safe and well informed.”

OCHA said it would continue to work with Bangladesh to restore livelihoods, shelter and provide clean water, sanitation and hygiene in affected areas.

Bangladesh has extensive experience in disaster risk reduction since adopting a series of preparedness measures following Cyclone Bhola in 1971 that killed more than 400,000 people. In 2009, when Cyclone Aila struck, many volunteers helped move thousands of people out of the disaster area, ultimately saving lives. The death toll from that tragedy was less than 200.

“Mahasen could be life threatening for millions of people in Bangladesh, Myanmar and India,” warned Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos. “Humanitarian organizations are working with Governments in Bangladesh and Myanmar to help people prepare for the cyclone.”

While the storm has weakened, it remains a category-1 cyclone, with wind gusts of 85 to 90 kilometres an hour. It is expected to hit just north of the Bangladeshi city of Chittagong, near the border with Myanmar, according to an update issued today by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which is headed by Ms. Amos.

“This part of the world is regularly hit by major cyclones and so everyone is taking this threat extremely seriously and making sure the right measures are in place to mitigate the impact and place everyone on alert,” Oliver Lacey-Hall, the head of OCHA’s regional office for Asia and the Pacific said earlier.

In Bangladesh, the Government has raised the cyclone signal level to seven – on a scale of 10 – and humanitarian agencies in areas most likely to be affected have started preparedness activities, including pre-positioning emergency supplies. OCHA also reports that the Government has ordered the evacuation of some 1 million people from 15 coastal districts.

The low-lying, heavily populated and disaster-prone country has carried out a number of measures, including the training of community volunteers, the establishment of disaster-preparedness drills and the construction of cyclone shelters, which have helped to reduce the impact of cyclones.

The devastating 1971 Cyclone Bhola claimed an estimated 400,000 lives in Bangladesh. In 2009, when Cyclone Aila struck, volunteers helped evacuate thousands of people from the disaster area, saving countless lives. The death toll from that tragedy was less than 200.

While preparations were under way in Myanmar, one of several boats carrying people from a flood-prone and exposed camp in Rakhine state hit rocks and capsized on Monday. Fifty-eight people remain missing and are feared drowned, according to the Government.

Ms. Amos expressed her sorrow at the tragedy and stressed the need for the Government to ensure that people can reach safety before Mahasen hits.

In Rakhine, the UN and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have started to implement a preparedness and contingency plan developed in March, which also supports the pre-evacuation plan the Government has developed in recent days.

In addition, authorities have started the process of evacuating tens of thousands of people who were displaced by inter-communal violence over the past 12 months, and moving them from camps to safe buildings or shelters.

“We are very concerned about the situation of displaced people in Rakhine state, particularly those in low-lying camps, and we are working urgently with the Government to find solutions that are viable,” said Mr. Lacey-Hall. “But we are running against time and lives are at risk.”

OCHA said that, according to the Rakhine authorities, some 36,000 displaced people have relocated as Cyclone Mahasen approaches. Humanitarian agencies report some reluctance by the uprooted to move due to a lack of understanding and fear that they will not be relocated back to the locations where they are currently living.

Aid organizations in Rakhine, including the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and OCHA, are monitoring as many of the relocations as possible. They are providing the uprooted with information on the storm, on the need to move to safe places and on the Government’s preparedness plan.

The government in Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine, today asked community leaders of both the Rakhine and Rohingya communities to help with the relocations by explaining to the communities the need to move to safe areas. UN agencies and their partners have stressed with both communities and the Government the importance of ensuring safety and the protection of people at risk.

OCHA reports that the Myanmar Government says it has 33,000 gallons of gasoline on stand-by in the event generators are needed due to power outages. The Ministry of Health says that it has disaster kits for 30,000 people on stand-by.

For its part, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has sent additional staff to Sittwe in the past two days. It is also looking to increase its preparedness in other parts of the country, such as Chin State, Mandalay region and Kachin, where strong winds and heavy rainfall may further worsen the situation of vulnerable communities.

More than 140,000 individuals – mostly from the Rohingya Muslim minority – are currently displaced across Rakhine state and have been living in temporary shelters since violence erupted between the Buddhist and Muslim communities in Rakhine state in June 2012. Around half are located in low-lying areas prone to flooding.

According to information released by the US military, cyclone “Mahasen” is expected to reach the area by late Wednesday or early Thursday morning.

“The government has been repeatedly warned to make appropriate arrangements for those displaced in Rakhine state. Now thousands of lives are at stake unless targeted action is taken immediately to assist those most at risk,” said Isabelle Arradon, Amnesty International’s Deputy Asia Pacific Director.

Authorities in Myanmar are said to have taken some measures, including identifying evacuation sites and broadcasting announcements in and around the coastal town of Sittwe to warn residents of the impending storm.

However, several of the identified evacuation sites are within already established camps for internally displaced persons or fail to have adequate storm-ready structures, and storm warnings have not been provided to all at-risk displaced communities outside of Rakhine state’s capital city, Sittwe.

The authorities also continue to impose restrictions on freedom of movement for Rohingya in Rakhine state, including those who are confined to ill-equipped camps.

“The government must facilitate assistance without discrimination, including by lifting any restrictions on movement and ensuring humanitarian groups have access to all individuals in need. The freedom for Rohingya to seek higher ground may be their only chance to avoid potential flooding from heavy rains,” said Arradon.

The Rohingya have faced discrimination for decades in Myanmar. They are not recognized as an official ethnic group and continue to be denied equal access to citizenship rights. Their rights to study, work, travel, marry, practise their religion, and receive health services are restricted to various degrees.

Since the violence last June, Buddhist and Muslim communities have been living largely segregated from each other and tensions remain high.

“Considering continuing tensions between Buddhist and Muslim communities in Rakhine, the authorities need to prepare for the possibility of violence during an evacuation situation or in the aftermath of a storm. Addressing the discrimination of the Rohingya community and taking urgent steps towards accountability for last year’s violence will be crucial to prevent future abuses,” said Arradon.

State security forces carried out human rights violations during last year’s violence in Rakhine state and failed to protect people from attacks, including Rohingya.

The government-appointed Rakhine Commission this week issued a briefing on its investigation into violence between Buddhist and Muslim communities in Rakhine state, western Myanmar, which first erupted in June 2012. The clashes have resulted in a considerable loss of life and left thousands displaced.

The Commission, which did not include any Rohingya on its panel, called on the government to “double” the presence of security forces in Rakhine state, including the Border Security Force (NaSaKa).

“There are some positive steps in this report but also several flaws. Deploying more security forces without first suspending — pending further investigation — those who may have been involved in human rights violations during last year’s violence could fuel further abuses,” said Isabelle Arradon, Amnesty International’s Asia Deputy Director.

“Comprehensive reform of the security forces, including the establishment of robust accountability mechanisms, adequate vetting systems and training on relevant international standards, is also essential.”

Since June 2012, the NaSaKa, police and army have arbitrarily detained hundreds of men and boys, mostly from Muslim-dominated areas, and subjected many of them to torture and other ill-treatment.

There are also consistent reports that security forces have failed to protect members of the Muslim community, particularly the Rohingya minority, from attacks. In some cases, security forces have used unnecessary and excessive force that has led to deaths and injuries.

The Commission did recommend the establishment of a Truth-Finding Committee, and stressed the need to ensure that those who break the law are “prosecuted”.

“A Truth-Finding Committee is a positive step, as long as it is part of an independent investigation to determine responsibility for the violence and its findings are released to the public,” said Isabelle Arradon.

“But such a commission should not bar or replace criminal justice, or reparation for crimes under international law.”

The Commission said citizenship claims by Rohingya, who are referred to in the report as “Bengali”, should be addressed in a “transparent and accountable manner.”

However, it failed to call for a review of the 1982 Citizenship Law, which has rendered Rohingya Muslims effectively stateless.

“Under international human rights standards no one must be left stateless. Anything short of granting the Rohingya equal access to citizenship is in itself a form of discrimination which should be urgently addressed,” said Isabelle Arradon

The Commission also called for several measures to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Rakhine state, recognizing that the humanitarian response “still has several gaps”.

According to UN estimates, some 140,000 people remain displaced across Rakhine state with limited access to bare necessities like food and medical care.

Conditions are expected to worsen during the monsoon season, which starts in May, as heavy rains threaten to flood certain internally displaced person (IDP) camps.

“It is deeply concerning that humanitarian organizations still do not have unfettered access to all populations in need of aid, including those living in remote areas or unregistered camps,” said Arradon.

“Immediate arrangements must be made for the displaced living in flood-prone areas to avoid a humanitarian crisis with the approaching rainy season.”

The Commission recommended that the de facto segregation of the Rakhine and Rohingya populations – enforced following the violence – should continue until tensions between the communities subside.

“While there is obviously a need to restore calm, the authorities must also consult internally displaced persons and develop a plan to facilitate their voluntary return home. Segregation and IDP camps cannot be a long-term solution,” said Isabelle Arradon.

The Commission, which was established in August 2012, comprises 27 stakeholders including Muslims, but does not feature a representative from the Rohingya community.

HRW, in a report, describes the role of government of Myanmar and local authorities in the forcible displacement of more than 125,000 Rohingya and other Muslims and the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

According to the report, Myanmar officials, community leaders, and Buddhist monks organized and encouraged ethnic Arakanese backed by state security forces to conduct coordinated attacks on Muslim neighborhoods and villages in October 2012 to terrorize and forcibly relocate the population. The tens of thousands of displaced have been denied access to humanitarian aid and been unable to return home.

“The government needs to put an immediate stop to the abuses and hold the perpetrators accountable or it will be responsible for further violence against ethnic and religious minorities in the country,”
 said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director.

Following sectarian violence between Arakanese and Rohingya in June 2012, government authorities destroyed mosques, conducted violent mass arrests, and blocked aid to displaced Muslims.

On October 23, after months of meetings and public statements promoting ethnic cleansing, Arakanese mobs attacked Muslim communities in nine townships, razing villages and killing residents while security forces stood aside or assisted the assailants, HRW said.

Some of the dead were buried in mass graves, further impeding accountability, HRW added.

Human Rights Watch traveled to Arakan State following the waves of violence and abuses in June and October, visiting sites of attacks and every major displaced person camp, as well as unofficial displacement sites.

The report draws on more than 100 interviews with Rohingya and non-Rohingya Muslims and Arakanese who suffered or witnessed abuses, as well as some organizers and perpetrators of the violence.

Satellite images obtained by Human Rights Watch from just 5 of the 13 townships that experienced violence since June show 27 unique zones of destruction, including the destruction of 4,862 structures covering 348 acres of mostly Muslim-owned residential property.

“Myanmar should accept an independent international commission to investigate crimes against humanity in Arakan State, locate victims, and provide redress,” said Robertson.

“Mynamar’s donors need to wake up and realize the seriousness of the Rohingya’s plight, and demand that the government urgently stop abuses, promote the safe return of displaced Muslims, and ensure accountability to end the deadly cycle of violence in Arakan State.”

More than 120,000 people fled arson and machete attacks in Rakhine state and thousands have embarked on perilous journeys on rickety wooden boats to other countries, where they are prey to human trafficking gangs.

An estimated 800,000 stateless Rohingyas live in Myanmar, where the authorities restrict their movements and access to employment and consider them illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

“The Government must take immediate action to stop the violence from spreading to other parts of the country and undermining the reform process,” said the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, Tomas Ojea Quintana.

He added that those responsible for acts of violence and destruction against religious and ethnic minorities must be held to account.

“Tackling discrimination is fundamental to establishing the rule of law, and impunity for acts of violence and discrimination must no longer be tolerated,” Mr. Quintana said. “The military and police must now be held to account for human rights violations committed against ethnic and religious minorities.”

Fighting last week between communities in the central region of Mandalay displaced 12,000 people and left an unconfirmed number of people dead. A curfew and state of emergency has been imposed in four townships in Mandalay region, as a result. There are reports of violence spreading to Bago and Yangon.

Senior UN officials, including the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser for Myanmar, Vijay Nambiar, have repeatedly urged leaders from different communities to work together to diffuse tensions.

In June and October last year, inter-communal violence in Rakhine state in north-west Myanmar left 120,000 internally displaced and, according to Government figures, nearly 200 dead.

Noting that warning signs have existed since June, Mr. Quintana said “the Government has simply not done enough to address the spread of discrimination and prejudice against Muslim communities across the country” or to tackle the “organized and coordinated mobs” that are inciting hatred and violently attacking Muslim communities.

The Special Rapporteur acknowledged the President’s televised address to the nation earlier today for compassion, tolerance, understanding, and empathy amongst people of all faiths in Myanmar.

He called on other institutions such as Parliament, the Supreme Court and the National Human Rights Commission to play their role in protecting constitutionally guaranteed rights, including freedom of religion, as well as the need to include civil society and political parties to tackle prejudice and discrimination.

Independent experts, or special rapporteurs, are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back, in an unpaid capacity, on specific human rights themes.

“While the process of reform is continuing in the right direction, there are significant human rights shortcomings that remain unaddressed, such as discrimination against the Rohingya in Rakhine state and the ongoing human rights violations in relation to the conflict in Kachin state,” said the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, Tomás Ojea Quintana.

“Now is the time to address these shortcomings before they become further entrenched and destabilise the reform process.”

Several waves of clashes between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims have left 115,000 people displaced in Rakhine state, while some 75,000 people have fled their homes in Kachin since fighting began in June 2011 between Government troops and the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO). The fighting intensified in September and December last year, before authorities in Myanmar announced a unilateral ceasefire in January.

“The Government must establish the truth about what happened in Rakhine state during the two waves of communal violence last June and October, and hold those responsible for human rights violations to account,” Mr. Ojea Quintana said, offering his support to pursue further investigations.

Mr. Ojea Quintana also urged the Government to ease the harsh restriction on freedom of movement for the 120,000 people who remain in camps for the internally displaced in Rakhine and to begin their relocation into integrated communities before the start of the rainy season, which will flood many camps.

In Kachin, he welcomed the recent de-escalation of violence while highlighting the needs of those who have been displaced by the fighting.

“I’m particularly concerned about the situation of the 40,000 displaced in non-Government controlled areas of Kachin state, and urged the Government to provide humanitarian organizations with regular access to these areas,” he said.

In addition, the Special Rapporteur expressed concern over the rights of journalists in the country due to a draft law that threatens to undo recent progress. “This would be giving with one hand while taking away with the other.” He also noted that while people now can associate freely, protestors continue to be imprisoned and police officers are still using excessive force when managing demonstrators.

Mr. Ojea Quintana acknowledged progress in other areas, such as the release of over 800 prisoners of conscience since May 2011, but called for the immediate release of the over 250 who remain behind bars.

“I welcome the committee set up by the Government to identify remaining prisoners of conscience, and recommend that it be established as a permanent body to guard against future detentions for political reasons and to help ensure that the rights and freedoms of all those released are fully respected,” he said.

Special rapporteurs are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a country situation or a specific human rights theme. The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work.