OIC Sec-Gen Disappointed With Myanmar's Leadership

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 19 (Bernama) -- Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary-General Dr Yousef Ahmad Al-Othaimeen has voiced his disappointment over the new Myanmar government's leadership which has failed to stop the continued violence against the Rohingya community in that country. He said the victory of Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar's landmark elections in 2015 had given the organisation hope, that the country would finally enter the dawn of a new era for an inclusive government, without exercising ethnic or religious segregation. "Yet despite the progress that has been achieved in the democratic process and the transition to a new leadership, there is evidence of a sustained and organised campaign of violence and intimidation perpetrated against Rohingya Muslims inside Myanmar. "This was clearly indicated in the report issued by the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein on June 20, 2016 which documented a wide range of human rights violations, particularly against the Rohingya community," he said. Yousef said this in Arabic when addressing the delegates during the open session of the Extraordinary Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers on the Situation of the Rohingya Muslim Minority in Myanmar, here, Thursday. His speech was translated into English and issued to the media. Yousef said due to the policies of the Myanmar authorities, thousands of Rohingyas and other displaced persons had ended up taking shelter in neighbouring countries and the number was expected only to increase as they were denied the ability to return to their homes. "This situation is a potential threat to the stability of the wider Asian region, both over the near and longer term," he said. Given the unfortunate development, Yousef stressed that the plight of the Rohingyas could not be simply ignored as an internal matter of the country concerned. "It is a human rights issue and one of global concern," he said. Thus, he called upon OIC member states, particularly those in ASEAN to continue their efforts in urging the Myanmar authorities to allow humanitarian aid access and transparent investigation on the incident. "The defence of Muslim minorities being targeted in this manner is a Charter obligation upon all member states," he said. He also once again praised the leading role Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak had taken in advocating solutions to the deteriorated conditions borne by the Muslim Rohingyas. "I equally commend Malaysia and several other OIC member states for the humanitarian aid and care they have provided to the refugees in need of assistance," he said. -- BERNAMA