Protest in Unison Over Cruelty Against Rohingya

MELAKA, Sept 6 (Bernama) -- The Malay and Islamic World Organisation (DMDI) has urged ASEAN nations, United Nations and the Organisation of Islamic Countries to jointly protest against the atrocities of the Myanmar army against the Muslim Rohingya populace. DMDI president Mohd Ali Rustam said it was time countries in the region put off any political agenda with the Myanmar Government and impose economic sanctions against that country if the situation warranted it. In a statement here Wednesday, he said the world (in general) and the Western powers were becoming increasingly quiet when the situation in the Rakhine region had become tense...and was proven the Myanmar Government had now failed to solve the problem of persecution of the Rohingya. The international media reported Tuesday that Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi was now facing pressures from Islamic countries including Bangladesh, Indonesia and Pakistan to stop the atrocities in Rakhine which saw the houses of Rohingya Muslims being torched, forcing them to escape to Bangladesh. According to the reports, 125,000 Rohingya had fled to Bangladesh while 3,000 were killed. In the meantime, Kuala Selangor MP Irmohizam Ibrahim said the United Nations (UN) must send peacekeepers to tackle the atrocities faced by the Rohingya in the Rakhine State. He said the move would also facilitate humanitarian aid to be given directly to the oppressed community. “The role and urging of the UN are truly necessary and very important so that the oppression is ended immediately,” he said in a statement in Kuala Lumpur. Irmohizam also wanted ASEAN to act more firmly in the matter because pressure alone was not enough to stop the operations of the Myanmar army. -- BERNAMA