Several member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Thursday called for ‘strong actions’ through the United Nations (UN) and the Human Rights Council to end Rohingya crisis.
They conveyed the message at the extraordinary meeting of OIC Council of Foreign Ministers on the situation of Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar, held in Kula Lumpur, Malaysia.
Countries generally expressed a consensus view that this crisis surrounding the Rakhine Muslims is not merely a humanitarian issue rather it deserves to be addressed within a human rights perspective. Bangladesh demanded urgent measures from Myanmar for a sustainable repatriation of all documented and undocumented Myanmar nationals staying in Bangladesh to their centuries old homeland – Rakhine State – with safety, security and ensured livelihood. Bangladesh has stressed the need for ensuring basic rights of the Rakhine Muslims for a durable solution of the problem with particular emphasis on restoring their citizenship through necessary review of the existing exclusionary citizenship law.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam conveyed the message at the extraordinary meeting of OIC Council of Foreign Ministers on the situation of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar, held in Kula Lumpur.
He also urged the OIC to continue working for a durable solution of the problem, according to a message received here.
Shahriar Alam led Bangladesh delegation to the extraordinary session of the meeting. In his intervention, State Minister expressed deep concern on the recurrence of instability in Rakhine resulting in Rakhine Muslims being displaced and uprooted from their ancestral homeland and compelled to take shelter in Bangladesh.
Referring to the recent influx of Rakhine Muslims into Bangladesh for shelter, he demanded Myanmar to bring back normalcy in Rakhine immediately and take steps for rehabilitation and reconstruction. Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Razak inaugurated the session of the OIC CFM.
In his opening remarks, Najib Razzak highlighted that the international community cannot remain silent at the continued suffering of the Rohingya Muslim Community. He forcefully demanded an end to the denial of basic rights of Rohingya Muslims and atrocities and violence inflicted on them. OIC ‘s Special Envoy to Myanmar Dr Hamid Albar presented a report on the plight of the Rohingya Muslims and highlighted their subjection to atrocities, gross violation of human rights and collective punishment under state sponsored violence.
He stressed the need for engaging the international community including Human Rights Council with Myanmar and called upon Myanmar to stop the violence.
The OIC countries in general expressed concern on the plight of the Rohingya Muslims, called for end of discrimination and violence against them, and stressed on the need for restoring basic rights including citizenship.
The resolution and the communique adopted at the end of the meeting emphasized immediate halt of atrocities, unhindered humanitarian access, end to discrimination, ensuring basic rights including restoration of citizenship through reviewing the existing law and sustainable return of refugees and displaced Rohigyas to Rakhine.
OIC member States urged the OIC Secretary General Dr Yousef bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen to engage more with Myanmar, UN and international and regional organizations to address the humanitarian situation and to find a durable solution.
Member States also appreciated Bangladesh’s generosity and efforts in hosting hundreds of thousands Rohingya Muslims for decades and called for early repatriation to Rakhine.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi thanked Bangladesh for facilitating her visit in Cox’s Bazar to meet the Rohingya refugees and the new arrivals from Rakhine and informed the meeting that she would be visiting Sittwe shortly.
On the sidelines of the event, State Minister Shahriar Alam held a bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister of Malaysia Anifah Aman where they discussed different aspects of the bilateral cooperation.
State Minister also had a meeting with the OIC Secretary General Dr Yousef bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen.
He also had bilateral meetings with State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Qatar Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi and Ahmet Yildiz, Deputy Foreign Minister of Turkey.
