ID :
47958
Fri, 02/27/2009 - 17:20
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/47958
The shortlink copeid
MALAYSIA & INDONESIA TO VOICE OUT ROHINGYAS ISSUE
From M. Saraswathi
HUA HIN (BANGKOK), Feb 27 (Bernama) - Malaysia and Indonesia will
raise the issue of stateless Rohingyas Myanmar at the Asean Summit, said
Foreign Minister Dr Rais Yatim Thursday.
He said Myanmar must understand that the issue was not only their problem,
but also that of the other Asean member countries who were at the receiving end.
"I am myself will be very inclined to discuss this matter when we have
the discussion on matters pertaining to Asean. Having said that, the difficulty
is immense as no specific authority is in charge of this exodus," Rais told
Malaysian reporters at a press conference here, Thursday. He is here for the
14th Asean Summit.
Rais said there were not less than 14,000 registered Rohingyas in Malaysia
and expected the actual number to be more.
"We are made to understand that this people are encouraged to leave the
shores within a situation that is questionable," he said.
Hence, the issue needed to be raised, especially at the foreign ministers
level discussion and "perhaps at a later date we will resume other forms of
cooperation (on the matter)," said Rais.
He said it would be better for Myanmar to be open about it, especially on
how the matter could be dealt since these people were coming from Myanmar.
Rais said some form of assistance also needed to be set up by the United
Nations to handle the issue, especially if Myanmar did not own up to the
community which would than become a worldwide problem.
"So, it is pertinent for us to engage with the UN in this matter," he said.
Rais also said Malaysia, which will be represented by Prime Minister Abdullah
Ahmad Badawi at the Asean Summit, wanted the human rights issue to
be discussed in the spirit of Asean.
He said Malaysia felt that the human rights aspect in the Asean region
should be slightly different from the universal aspect which was currently being
structured according to the United Nations schedule.
Malaysia was also endeavouring to raise the Palestinian issue at the Summit
although it was not related to Asean, he said.
Rais said the Prime Minister was expected to play an active role in
discussions on the world economic and financial crisis, and the Asean leaders
were also expected to sign several important documents at the Summit.
The documents included the Blueprint On Asean Security Community,
Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint, and the Asean Integrating Workplan.
-- BERNAMA
HUA HIN (BANGKOK), Feb 27 (Bernama) - Malaysia and Indonesia will
raise the issue of stateless Rohingyas Myanmar at the Asean Summit, said
Foreign Minister Dr Rais Yatim Thursday.
He said Myanmar must understand that the issue was not only their problem,
but also that of the other Asean member countries who were at the receiving end.
"I am myself will be very inclined to discuss this matter when we have
the discussion on matters pertaining to Asean. Having said that, the difficulty
is immense as no specific authority is in charge of this exodus," Rais told
Malaysian reporters at a press conference here, Thursday. He is here for the
14th Asean Summit.
Rais said there were not less than 14,000 registered Rohingyas in Malaysia
and expected the actual number to be more.
"We are made to understand that this people are encouraged to leave the
shores within a situation that is questionable," he said.
Hence, the issue needed to be raised, especially at the foreign ministers
level discussion and "perhaps at a later date we will resume other forms of
cooperation (on the matter)," said Rais.
He said it would be better for Myanmar to be open about it, especially on
how the matter could be dealt since these people were coming from Myanmar.
Rais said some form of assistance also needed to be set up by the United
Nations to handle the issue, especially if Myanmar did not own up to the
community which would than become a worldwide problem.
"So, it is pertinent for us to engage with the UN in this matter," he said.
Rais also said Malaysia, which will be represented by Prime Minister Abdullah
Ahmad Badawi at the Asean Summit, wanted the human rights issue to
be discussed in the spirit of Asean.
He said Malaysia felt that the human rights aspect in the Asean region
should be slightly different from the universal aspect which was currently being
structured according to the United Nations schedule.
Malaysia was also endeavouring to raise the Palestinian issue at the Summit
although it was not related to Asean, he said.
Rais said the Prime Minister was expected to play an active role in
discussions on the world economic and financial crisis, and the Asean leaders
were also expected to sign several important documents at the Summit.
The documents included the Blueprint On Asean Security Community,
Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint, and the Asean Integrating Workplan.
-- BERNAMA
