10 July 2025 | 11:25 CAT
2-minute read

Yasmin Ullah, a Rohingya author and social justice activist based in Vancouver, has cautiously welcomed the recent United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution aimed at holding Myanmar’s military regime accountable. But she warns that without sustained global attention and concrete measures, it risks becoming symbolic theatrics.

Ullah, whose advocacy grew from her work with the Rohingya Human Rights Network, noted that the July 4 resolution—adopted without a vote—formally condemns the junta’s gross human rights violations and for the first time calls for reparations for victims of land dispossession. She described the resolution as “recognition in words, but it is meaningful regardless.”

Yet Ullah cautioned that words mean little if they lack follow-through. The UN’s recent resolution builds on the precedent set in April, where the Council condemned indiscriminate airstrikes, forced conscription, blockages on humanitarian aid, and crimes potentially amounting to war crimes.

Still, the activist urged the international community to keep up the pressure. She emphasiSed that “perpetrators are one and the same,” linking Myanmar’s abuses with other global crises—from Palestinian communities to Uyghur forced labor.

“Chinese government, for example, have been a huge supporter of the military junta in Myanmar. And that is something that we need to take into account.”

For Ullah, accountability must extend beyond rhetoric. She pointed to deadlines—such as the September 2025 High‑Level Conference in New York—wherein the UN Assembly is expected to discuss “voluntary, safe and dignified return” of Rohingya refugees. She said the challenge now lies in turning internal UN mechanisms into enforceable actions.

“There are connections in terms of weaponry, transfer of these weapons, oil and gas companies,” she asserted, stressing the role of corporate accountability.

The scale of the crisis in Myanmar remains dire. More than 3,5 million people are internally displaced, and over 20 million rely on humanitarian aid. Rohingya communities, still living in refugee camps in Bangladesh, continue to suffer poor conditions: more than 120 000 have been newly displaced, many facing inadequate shelter and sanitation, worsened by funding cuts.

Ullah stressed that international cooperation must prioritise capacity-building in these camps, rather than indefinite dependence on aid.

“How about we ensure that the Rohingya can actually build on the skill set that they already have?” she asked, highlighting the community’s agrarian background and artisanal heritage, which have been stifled by prolonged displacement.

Education, too, is a casualty. Over 2 000 learning centres in the camps have shut down due to funding shortfalls.

“Children’s education…over 3 000 learning centres…have been completely closed down because of this funding cut,” Ullah lamented, calling for renewed investment.

With no immediate hope of return—even if a junta collapse occurs—Ullah urged policymakers to shift from repatriation fantasies to pragmatic empowerment. Only then, she argued, can Rohingya individuals contribute to their nation’s eventual rebuilding—akin to South Africa’s post-apartheid renaissance.

“If people are kept in this kind of squalid condition, they will not be able to contribute,” she said. “We hope that after…we rebuild the country…and the military has been kicked out, we would need a lot of people to be able to build this nation back up.”

The UN resolution may mark a turning point on paper. But as Ullah’s words underline, diplomacy must now translate into decisive, lasting change—through accountability for perpetrators, tangible reparations, and enabling Rohingya agency rather than dependency.

Listen to the Asia Pacific Report on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat.