A/HRC/42/CRP.5
ordnance was in an area that civilians populated before the offensive. The Mission is
concerned about reports that some demining operations conducted by the Tatmadaw may
have failed to meet relevant quality standards1401 and did not include agricultural land
surrounding residential areas.1402 The Mission concludes on reasonable grounds that the use
of landmines by all parties in areas where civilian could be present raises serious concerns
about their indiscriminate effects, given that the landmines are unable to distinguish
between civilians and military objects. The Mission also concludes on reasonable grounds
that all parties should minimize their use of landmines and IEDs to limit their short,
medium and long-term effects on the civilian population and must mark and inform
civilians of the location of landmines that no longer serve a lawful military purpose.
E.
Displacement, livelihoods and land
583. By the end of May 2019 there were over 106,500 IDPs living in 169 locations in 20
townships in Kachin and Shan States. Of those, 36 per cent were located in 19 sites in areas
beyond government control where international agencies have had no access since June
2016.1403 Women and children together made up 76 per cent and 78 per cent of the
displaced populations in camps in Kachin and Shan States, respectively.1404 The Mission
received reports that renewed fighting in northern Shan State that began in the second half
of August 2019 has resulted in significant displacement of civilians. In a statement issued
on 21 August 2019, 11 civil society organisations and activists from northern Shan State
called for the urgent prioritization of humanitarian relief for the populations affected by the
recent hostilities, in particular, the elderly, young women, children and people living with
disabilities in conflict-affected areas and IDP camps.1405
584. Although there has been an improvement in humanitarian access to some
government-controlled areas of Kachin State and parts of Shan State in July 2019, 1406
restrictions on humanitarian access in northern Myanmar persisted during the reporting
period.1407 The Government has not permitted United Nations agencies, funds and programs
to deliver assistance in contested areas since June 2016, while access to others even in
government-controlled areas continues to decline.1408 Effective humanitarian access has not
been granted to 55 per cent of IDPs as the Government either failed to approve travel
authorizations for contested areas or approved them with significant restrictions and only
with respect to the main towns in government-controlled areas.1409 Reports received by the
Mission indicate that the procedures for humanitarian agencies to request government travel
authorizations are increasingly cumbersome.1410 While national humanitarian actors do not
require travel authorizations, reports indicate that bureaucratic procedures have reduced and
challenged their access too.1411
585. The existing government restrictions on humanitarian access increasingly affect the
displaced population’s access to food, education and health care. 1412
1401
1402
1403
1404
1405
1406
1407
1408
1409
1410
1411
1412
FFFGEN-1-88349, PM-009, GM-019, V-412.
FFFGEN-1-88349, V-412
A/HRC/39/CRP.2, para. 295-305; Gender Profile for Humanitarian Action, and across the
Humanitarian-Peace-Development Nexus (Rakhine, Kachin and Northern Shan Myanmar) January
2019; FFFGEN-1-86992.
Gender Profile for Humanitarian Action, and across the Humanitarian-Peace-Development Nexus
(Rakhine, Kachin and Northern Shan Myanmar) January 2019.
V-375.
https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/UNICEF%20Myanmar%
20Humanitarian%20Situation%20Report%20%237%20-%20July%202019.pdf.
FFFGEN-1-88346, FFFGEN-1-86992, PM-009.
FFFGEN-1-86992 and A/73/907-S/2019/509 para. 133.
FFFGEN-1-86992.
PM-009, FFFGEN-1-86992.
FFFGEN-1-86992.
FFFGEN-1-86992.
157
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