Secretary General of the Organization ofIslamic Cooperation (OIC) Dr Yousef A Al-Othaimeen has instructed theOIC Permanent Missions in New York, Geneva and Brussels to conveneemergency meetings of the Permanent Representatives of OIC M mberStates to address the crisis situation facing the Rohingya Muslimminority in Myanmar.
The Secretary General has repeatedly condemned the renewed repression and violation of human rights of the Rohingyas.
He stated that the OIC Charter mandates the organisation to assist Muslim minorities and communities outside the member states to preserve their dignity, culture and religious identity, according to an OIC statement.
The organization had hoped with the recent restoration of democracyin Myanmar, oppression against Rohingya Muslim citizens would end and that they would be able to enjoy equal rights and freedoms.
Regretfully this has not been the case.
The Myanmar government must recognise that its position in the international community does not only come with opportunities but also with responsibilities, the statement said.
The OIC Secretary General also emphasised that the Myanmar government as a member of the United Nations and the Asean, must adhere to the international standards and norms, including the relevant conventionsand declarations, for the protection of human rights.
The reports of deliberate targeting and indiscriminate killing and arrest of Rohingya civilians, destruction of homes and religiousbuildings and the widespread abuse of women by the military forcesmust be fully investigated by the international community as they are tantamount to crimes against humanity.
