ADVISORY COMMISSION ON RAKHINE STATE
Recommendations:
18. In general, the Government should ensure freedom of movement
for all people in Rakhine State, irrespective of religion, ethnicity,
or citizenship status. The freedom of movement and access to
services are deeply interlinked, and therefore should be addressed
in parallel. All communities should have access to education, health,
livelihood opportunities and basic services.
19. The Commission reiterates that the Government should conduct
a mapping exercise to identify all existing restrictions on movement
in Rakhine, as recommended in the interim report. The mapping
should include all formal, informal and social restrictions affecting
all communities, and be conducted at the village and township
level. Following the mapping, the Government should establish a
road map for the lifting of restrictions – with clear timelines and
milestones. The various steps of this process should be accompanied
by well-developed and conflict-sensitive communications strategies
to prepare all communities prior to initiation.
20. The Government should introduce measures to prohibit informal
restrictions that include, among others, unofficial payments, arbitrary
roadblocks, and requirements for the Muslim community to pay
for security escorts. Perpetrators should be prosecuted in accordance
with the law.
21. Pending the eventual lifting of all above-mentioned movement
restrictions, the Government should immediately simplify the travel
authorization system to allow movement across townships and
outside the state.
22. The police should uphold the rule-of-law and ensure that anyone
who obstructs movement – for instance by using violence or threats
of violence as a means of preventing movement – is held accountable
in accordance with the law.
23. To ensure equality before the law, the Government should undertake
a mapping and legal review of all local regulations and orders in
Rakhine State which restrict the rights and freedoms of minorities.
34 Towards a Peaceful, Fair and Prosperous Future for the People of Rakhine