EU ambassador to Myanmar has been getting a mixture of responses to his to his tweets over the last few days, with some applauding him for exposing the Myanmar government’s anti-Rohingya plots and other accusing him of parroting government propaganda.
On Friday, when Schmidt was traveling around northern Rakhine State with a group of foreign diplomats, Schmidt tweeted a series of aerial photos of barren, bulldozed patches of land where Rohingya villages used to be, prompting accusations that the Myanmar military is attempting to erase evidence that Rohingyas used to live there. The tweet was welcomed by human rights advocates and by media organizations as an important reminder of what Myanmar authorities are trying to do behind the curtain they have draped over the troubled area.
Less than an hour earlier, however, another tweet by the ambassador had the opposite effect.
The earlier tweet showed photos of an immigration office where Rohingya refugees will ostensibly be given National Verification Cards (NVCs) upon their return home from Bangladesh.
The ambassador’s unqualified repetition of the government’s claims in the caption came off as an endorsement, triggering a wave criticism from people who know that the government’s preparations repatriation and verification have not lived up to its commitments so far.
For instance, the government has promised that Rohingya returnees will be able to live in or near their original villages, but the military has been burning and bulldozing Rohingya villages and neighborhoods, making this impossible.
Newly built facilities for returnees have also been described as unsanitary “prison-like,” sparking protests by refugees in Bangladesh who say they will not return to Myanmar until their safety and freedom of movement is truly guaranteed.
Critics also pointed out that Rohingyas should not be required to undergo a verification process at all since they were considered citizens of Myanmar until the military government stripped them of their citizenship in 1982.
Here’s what they told the ambassador:
But your writing seems to and accept and promote it: “NVC = free movement within Rakhine State.” What do you mean by this?
— dr. Hla Kyaw (@drkhubyb) February 9, 2018
I don’t know you @EUAmbSchmidt but you appear to be lending legitimacy to the #Myanmar army, BGP and deeply flawed National Verification Process in #Burma. Can you confirm that you condemn the genocide of #Rohingya? And that full citizenship is a precondition for repatriation.
— Thomas MacManus (@tmacmanus) February 9, 2018
So, stop promoting a Verification Process which is merely based on HATRED for minorities (with different appearances) & Racial Supremacism. Stop promoting Racism & Supremacism.
Stop promoting Destruction of one’s IDENTITY which is a part of GENOCIDE.
Hope this enlightens you.
— MS Anwar (@mdskar) February 9, 2018
NVC means lose your rights as a citizen of Myanmar. Get real Kristian.
— RohingyaSource (@RohingyaSource) February 9, 2018
Dear Amb, NVC mean nothing freedom.Even Kaman Ethnic canot go freely yet.Why u support Suu Kyi regeme?
— John Soe (@JohnSoe017) February 10, 2018
What do u mean free movement within Rakhine State but why not whole Burma
— Ro Tareque Aziz (@TarequeAziz6) February 10, 2018
After reading your post I feel that you are either employed by the #SuuKyi‘s gov or you are absolutely clueless of the crisis. For your information, this is a very damading tweet for victims [Rohingyas]. Shouldn’t you be more responsible for your reckless tweet?
— Ro Anwar (@ShahArkani) February 12, 2018
“Free movement” within Rakhine state sounds very like the “free movement” within the Warsaw Ghetto, 1940 – 1943.
— MmeRose (@MmeRoseMD) February 10, 2018
Please don’t endorse NVC. We aren’t foreigners. You have a moral duty to stand with Rohingya to get back our identity. And no Rohingya can travel within Rakhine state. You should have known that.
— Chan Min Maung (@chanminmg) February 9, 2018
Ambassador Schmidt was apparently concerned enough about the criticism to respond to it personally.
No, neither of your two assumptions are correct. I am sharing the information received, not my assessment of the visit.
— Kristian Schmidt (@EUAmbSchmidt) February 9, 2018
It does not. And it was clearly a quote.
— Kristian Schmidt (@EUAmbSchmidt) February 9, 2018
He also tweeted a clarification to his followers, saying his tweet was a “factual description of the set-up at the border” and “not an endorsement of the NVC.”
He also said the EU is committed to the recommendations of the Annan Commission, which were released last August and call on the Myanmar government to guarantee citizenship, safety, and freedom of movement to Rohingya residents of Myanmar.
Perhaps in an effort to help the ambassador avoid making the same mistake again, Annan Commission member Laetitia van den Assum tweeted to him:
Always good to look at recommendations 11 – 17 of the Annan report which contains conditions that are important for a credible verification process. https://t.co/epOzTlaeLD
— LaetitiavandenAssum (@lvandenassum) February 9, 2018
