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UN chief: Discussing humanitarian aid corridor from Bangladesh to Myanmar

March 17, 2025/in News

Amid fighting in Rakhine state, immediate ‘dignified return’ for refugees is difficult, he says. DHAKA, Bangladesh — The United Nations is discussing the possibility of a humanitarian aid corridor to Myanmar from Bangladesh in an effort to create equitable conditions for Rohingya refugees to eventually return, the U.N. chief said in Dhaka on Saturday. However, […]

Rodrigo Roa Duterte makes first appearance before the ICC: confirmation of charges hearing scheduled for 23 September 2025

March 15, 2025/in News

Today, 14 March 2025, Rodrigo Roa Duterte (“Mr Duterte”) appeared before Pre-Trial Chamber I (“the Chamber”) of the International Criminal Court (“ICC” or “Court”). Mr Duterte is suspected of the crime against humanity of murder, allegedly committed in the Republic of the Philippines (“the Philippines”) between 1 November 2011 and 16 March 2019. The Chamber […]

UN chief: Discussing humanitarian aid corridor from Bangladesh to Myanmar

March 17, 2025/in News

Rodrigo Roa Duterte makes first appearance before the ICC: confirmation of charges hearing scheduled for 23 September 2025

March 15, 2025/in News

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UN chief: Discussing humanitarian aid corridor from Bangladesh to Myanmar

March 17, 2025/in News

Amid fighting in Rakhine state, immediate ‘dignified return’ for refugees is difficult, he says.

DHAKA, Bangladesh — The United Nations is discussing the possibility of a humanitarian aid corridor to Myanmar from Bangladesh in an effort to create equitable conditions for Rohingya refugees to eventually return, the U.N. chief said in Dhaka on Saturday.

However, the Rohingya refugees sheltering in Bangladesh could not make and immediate, “dignified return to their homeland in Myanmar’s Rakhine state amid the continued fighting there, added U.N. Secretary General António Guterres at a media briefing.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and Bangladesh Foreign Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain speak to reporters in Dhaka, March 15, 2025. (Jesmin Papri/BenarNews)

“We need to intensify the humanitarian aid inside Myanmar to create a condition for that return to be successful,” Guterres said on the penultimate day of his four-day visit to Bangladesh.

Setting up a humanitarian aid channel “is obviously a matter that would require authorization and cooperation,” he said without further specifying.

Humanitarian corridors are designated and secure routes that allow for the safe passage of humanitarian relief, according to Southeast Asian NGO Fortify Rights.

The NGO said this week that the Bangladesh government and the rebel Arakan Army comprising ethnic Rakhine should immediately facilitate humanitarian aid and cross-border trade to reach war-affected civilians the state.

U.N. chief António Guterres at a photo exhibition in Dhaka for the 50th anniversary this year of Bangladesh joining the United Nations, March 15, 2025. (Chief Adviser GOB via Facebook)

“The crisis in Myanmar demands urgent global attention and action,” said Ejaz Min Khant in a statement Wednesday.

“A humanitarian corridor between Myanmar and Bangladesh would be a lifeline for civilians impacted by the conflict.”

The statement said Bangladesh should also lift restrictions on border trade with Myanmar “to help ease access to basic commodities for civilians in Rakhine state.”

The NGO noted that Bangladesh’s interim leader, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus had said in an interview aired earlier this month on Sky News that his government was in ongoing negotiations with the Arakan Army to create a “safe zone” for Rohingya refugees to return to Rakhine.

Bangladesh’s Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain, who also spoke at the joint media briefing, said the establishment of a humanitarian channel was not discussed with the U.N. chief during his visit.

“This is much more of an operational matter, which we will of course deal [on] with the local offices of the U.N.,” Hossain said.

Nearly a million Rohingya, a persecuted minority Muslim community in Myanmar, live in refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar in southeastern Bangladesh.

Almost 800,000 of them crossed into neighboring Bangladesh to flee a deadly Myanmar military crackdown in 2017.

Their return to Rakhine has been prolonged after civil war broke out in Myanmar following the military coup of February 2021.

U.N. human rights experts had said on Thursday that the Myanmar junta had not been allowing in relief supplies, with the situation “particularly critical in Rakhine,” which is home to the Rohingya and other ethnic minorities.

Rakhine State was “on the brink of famine,” with two million people at risk of starvation, the statement added citing another U.N. agency.

Meanwhile, heavy fighting continues in Rakhine between the Myanmar military and the rebel Arakan Army, Guterres said on Saturday.

“There is a consensus that it would be extremely difficult in such a situation for an immediate and dignified return of the Rohingya,” he told the mrdia in Dhaka on Saturday.

Guterres further noted that in the past, the relationship between the ethnic Rakhine and the Rohingya has not been an easy one.

“So I think it is important to engage with the Arakan Army in order for ensure full respect of the rights of the Rohingya population in Rakhine,” the U.N. chief said.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres observes a traditional tool used by Rohingya to thresh rice, March 14, 2025. (Press Wing of the Chief Adviser)

The Arakan Army founded in 2009 is fighting to “liberate” Rakhine towards its goal of self-determination. It has made significant gains over the past year to root out the military and now controls a majority of Rakhine’s townships, reported radio Free Asia, a news service affiliated with BenarNews.

Comprising mainly Rakhine Buddhists, the Arakan Army claimed it respects the rights of Rohingya. But experts have said there was plenty of evidence that the Arakan Army carried out mass arson attacks on Rohingya villages in May and August last year.

Guterres again made an impassioned plea to donor nations for more humanitarian aid for the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, whose food ration is set to be cut by more than half starting next month due to a funds shortage.

“With the announced cuts in financial assistance, we are facing the dramatic risk of having only 40% in 2025 of the resources available for humanitarian aid in 2024,” he said.

“This would have terrible consequences starting with the drastic reduction of food rations. That would be an unmitigated disaster. People will suffer and people will die.”

He said that by offering the Rohingya refuge, Bangladesh had shown its humanitarian spirit.

“By offering Rohingya refugees sanctuary, Bangladesh has demonstrated solidarity and human dignity, often at significant social, environmental and economic cost,” he said.

“The world must not take this generosity for granted.”

RFA News

Rodrigo Roa Duterte makes first appearance before the ICC: confirmation of charges hearing scheduled for 23 September 2025

March 15, 2025/in News

The Chamber verified the identity of the suspect and ensured that he was clearly informed of the crimes he is alleged to have committed and of his rights under the Rome Statute of the ICC in a language he fully understands and speaks.

Mr Duterte participated in the hearing via video link from the ICC Detention Centre, as authorised by the Chamber. The hearing was held in the presence of the ICC Prosecutor and the Defence. Mr Duterte was represented during the hearing by Mr Salvador C. Medialdea, and assisted by the Office of Public Counsel for the Defence.

The Chamber provisionally scheduled the confirmation of charges hearing to begin on 23 September 2025. The purpose of the confirmation of charges procedure is to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to establish substantial grounds to believe that the person committed the crimes he or she is suspected of. If the charges are confirmed, totally or partly, the case will be transferred to a Trial Chamber, which will conduct the subsequent phase of the proceedings: the trial.

Image

Judges of Pre-Trial Chamber I during the initial appearance of Rodrigo Roa Duterte on 14 March 2025 ©ICC-CPI

Background: On 10 February 2025, the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC applied for an arrest warrant against Mr Duterte for the crimes against humanity of murder, torture and rape. The Chamber assessed the material submitted by the Prosecution and found reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Duterte is individually responsible as an indirect co-perpetrator for the crime against humanity of murder, allegedly committed in the Philippines between 1 November 2011 and 16 March 2019.

The warrant of arrest against Mr Duterte was issued by the Chamber as “Secret” on 7 March 2025 and reclassified as “Public” on 11 March 2025. On 12 March 2025, Mr Duterte was surrendered to the International Criminal Court after being arrested by the authorities of the Republic of the Philippines in accordance with the warrant of arrest. He is currently in ICC custody.

The Philippines, an ICC State Party since 1 November 2011, deposited a written notification of withdrawal from the Statute on 17 March 2018. Under article 127 of the Statute, that withdrawal took effect on 17 March 2019. Nevertheless, the ICC retains jurisdiction over crimes allegedly committed in the Philippines while the country was a State Party to the Statute.

Warrant of Arrest for Mr Rodrigo Roa Duterte

More information on this case

Photographs of the hearing

Audio-visual materials:

YouTube (for viewing): Floor; English; French
Video (MPEG-4) for download: Floor; English; French
Audio (MPEG-3) for download: Floor; English; French

Questions and Answers on the Initial appearance: English; French

ICC

Other Human Rights Reports

Human rights situation in Myanmar plummets to new low amid unrelenting violations and unregulated exploitation of natural resources – UN reportAugust 26, 2026 - 8:34 am
GENEVA – The human rights situation in Myanmar, in particular that of minority communities, has plummeted to a new low, from the ever-worsening brutal abuse of the Rohingya population to the devastating impact of illicit economies, notably illegal mining for rare earths, a new UN Human Rights report has found. The report details how unrelenting violence and a […]

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Civil Society Position Paper on ASEAN’s Goal of a Myanmar-Owned and -Led SolutionDecember 18, 2024 - 12:11 pm
Recommendations to ASEAN and Its Member States (1) Move beyond the 5PC to achieve a Myanmar people-led and people-centered solution to the crisis in Myanmar. ASEAN’s “Myanmar-owned and -led” approach must be backed by genuine political will that aligns with and supports the collective aspirations of the people of Myanmar. (2) Cease all pressure on […]
The Airstrikes after the journey to the China of the Junta Military LeaderDecember 10, 2024 - 1:28 pm
Operation 1027 was a coordinated military attack against the junta on October 27th, 2023. It was carried out by the Northern Brotherhood, which includes the Arakan Army, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army. Several months later, the Three Brotherhood Alliance held three meetings to negotiate with China on January 11 […]

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ND Burma

ND-Burma formed in 2004 in order to provide a way for Burma human rights organizations to collaborate on the human rights documentation process. The 13 ND-Burma member organizations seek to collectively use the truth of what communities in Burma have endured to advocate for justice for victims. ND-Burma trains local organizations in human rights documentation; coordinates members’ input into a common database using Martus, a secure open-source software; and engages in joint-advocacy campaigns.

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UN chief: Discussing humanitarian aid corridor from Bangladesh to Myanmar

Rodrigo Roa Duterte makes first appearance before the ICC: confirmation of charges hearing scheduled for 23 September 2025

UN chief: Discussing humanitarian aid corridor from Bangladesh to Myanmar

Rodrigo Roa Duterte makes first appearance before the ICC: confirmation of charges hearing scheduled for 23 September 2025

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UN chief: Discussing humanitarian aid corridor from Bangladesh to Myanmar

Rodrigo Roa Duterte makes first appearance before the ICC: confirmation of charges hearing scheduled for 23 September 2025

ND Burma

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