On Saturday 18 March, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service (EEAS) called on the Burmese government to implement as quickly as possible the recommendations in the interim report of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, which was published on 16 March.
"The European Union is fully behind the recommendations of the report, which should be implemented swiftly by the government of Myanmar", the EEAS spokesperson stated in a press release, adding that the EU stood ready to provide support to the government.
The spokesperson said that the statement by the Burmese government, which concurred with the report's recommendations and promised speedy progress towards implementation, "is a welcome step when it comes to the government's commitment to find viable and sustainable solutions to the complex situation in Rakhine State". Several civilians and members of security staff were killed and thousands of people uprooted during the violence and resulting security operations in October 2016. Rakhine State is populated by the Rohingya Muslim minority, among others.
The EEAS spokesperson said that the recommendations of the report from the Advisory Commission, which was established by State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and led by former UN secretary general Kofi Annan, "reaffirm earlier EU calls to address underlying causes, including elimination of statelessness and discrimination, providing equal access to education and health care by all communities and lifting impediments to the freedom of movement". (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)