The Advisory Commission on Rakhine State held its inaugural session on September 5 in Yangon. State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and Kofi Annan of the Kofi Annan Foundation attended the session.
“We hope that the Commission will help us heal wounds,” said Suu Kyi, “We want this to be a country that ensures rights for all its people. We look to the Commission to point a way forward. Let me add that there should be no concerns surrounding Myanmar’s sovereignty which firmly remains in the hands of the people.”
“We look forward to listening and engaging with a wide range of interlocutors in Rakhine state as well as at the national level in order to develop proposals that take full account of the concerns and hopes of the people of the State,” said Annan. The Advisory Commission will submit and discuss its findings and recommendations to the Government of Myanmar through the State Counselor. The report is expected to be published in the second half of 2017.
The Advisory Commission’s mandate is to provide recommendations to the Government of Myanmar on measures for finding lasting solutions to the complex and delicate issues in the Rakhine State, in accordance with established international standards. The nine-member commission comprises three foreign and six local experts.
