Global outcry grows louder

[Banglar Bir]

Rohingya Muslims in Crisis

In the most recent outbreak of violence, 400 Rohingyans are dead and tens of thousands have fled their destroyed villages to neighbouring Bangladesh, many with injuries.

The displaced have stories of bloodshed and frantic escapes from villages where they had to leave behind all their belongings and in many cases family members.

The UN said on Monday that 87,000 mostly Rohingya refugees had arrived in Bangladesh since the 25th of August. About 20,000 more were massed on the border and waiting to enter, it said.

“There is an urgent need to ensure that displaced people and other civilians affected by the violence are protected and are given safe access to humanitarian assistance including food, water, shelter, and health services,” Peron said (UN Representative)

Human rights organisations along with the International media have described the Rohingya people as one of the most persecuted ethnic groups in the world. They have no legal protection and are denied citizenship in Myanmar, leaving them vulnerable to discrimination, exploitation and violence. Most Rohingya Muslims live in the impoverished area of western Rakhine State, and are subject to harsh restrictions on their ability to work and travel.

Human Appeal Australia, together with its field partners, is on the ground providing food, water and medical assistance to help the victims.

With your generosity we will be able to save lives, provide necessities and support during this difficult time.

Please act URGENTLY. Help us relieve their suffering
$100 you can provide food parcel to 5 refugee families.
$125 you can provide clothing to 5 families.
$200 you can provide tent shelter and utensils to 2 families.
https://www.humanappeal.org.au/emergency/rohingya-muslims-in-crisis

 

[Banglar Bir]

Demonstrations in Kuala Lumpur

https://www.facebook.com/

 

[Banglar Bir]

World Must Join Hands To Stop 'Rohingya Genocide' In Myanmar, Says Shabana Azmi
"We have written a long letter to the UN Security Council which has been signed by me and several other artistes. In such difficult times, there is a need for confidence building"

The violence against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar amounted to genocide and the world must get together to stop it, says actor-activist Shabana Azmi.

Azmi, who was speaking at a book launch here last evening, said eminent global citizens had written to members of the Security Council to draw their attention to the problem.

"Whatever has been happening to Rohingyas is wrong and it is genocide. I think the whole world should get together to stop this.

"We have written a long letter to the UN Security Council which has been signed by me and several other artistes. In such difficult times, there is a need for confidence building," she said.

A group of 12 Nobel laureates and 18 other eminent global citizens led by civil society leader Muhammad Yunus recently sent an open letter to member states of the UN Security Council, urging them to immediately intervene in the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar's Rakhine state.

Rohingyas are minority Muslims in western Myanmar and have been fleeing their homes following an army crackdown on their villages that has left hundreds dead.

Rohingya refugeess face deportation in India with the government terming them illegal immigrants and a threat to the security of the country.
https://www.outlookindia.com/websit...-genocide-in-myanmar-says-shabana-azmi/302031

 

[Banglar Bir]

Malaysia’s dissent on Myanmar statement reveals cracks in Asean facade
Reuters
Published at 12:47 AM September 26, 2017

Malaysia's Foreign Minister Anifah Aman addresses the 72nd United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., September 22, 2017 Reuters
Myanmar objects to the term Rohingya, saying the Muslims of its western state of Rakhine state are not a distinct ethnic group, but illegal immigrants from Bangladesh
Dissent surfaced again in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) after Malaysia disavowed a statement issued by the bloc’s chairman, the Philippines, as misrepresenting “the reality” of an exodus of 435,000 ethnic Rohingya from Myanmar.

The grouping of 10 nations in one of the world’s fastest growing regions has long struggled to reconcile conflicting interests in tackling issues such as China’s claims over the South China Sea and the crisis facing the Muslim Rohingya.

“The Philippines, as chair, tolerates the public manifestation of dissenting voices,” the Philippine foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday.

The move showed a “new level of maturity” in pushing Asean’s principle of consensus when dealing with issues affecting national interests, it added.

Malaysia had made its position clear “in several Asean meetings” in New York, the ministry said, adding that it had to also take into account the views of other members, however.

On Sunday, Malaysia “disassociated itself” from the Asean chairman’s statement on the grounds that it misrepresented the “reality of the situation” and did not identify the Rohingya as one of the affected communities.

Myanmar objects to the term Rohingya, saying the Muslims of its western state of Rakhine state are not a distinct ethnic group, but illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Senior diplomats and foreign ministers of Asean nations discussed the contents of the statement on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York before it was published, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Malaysian government sources said.

The chairman’s statement released by the Philippines did not reflect Malaysia’s concerns, said one of the officials, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.
http://www.dhakatribune.com/world/s...yanmar-statement-reveals-cracks-asean-facade/

12:00 AM, September 26, 2017 / LAST MODIFIED: 02:28 AM, September 26, 2017
UN to work with Asean to resolve crisis
Wants the regional body to intensify its actions on Rohingya issue

Rohingya children ask for relief as aid workers distribute that among them in a playground in Ukhia's Balukhali area yesterday. Photo: Rashed Shumon
Staff Correspondent

The UN wants the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to intensify actions to solve the Rohingya refugee crisis, in which, it says, it is ready to cooperate with the 10-member regional body.

“The time to act is now,” said UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in a meeting with the foreign ministers of the association members on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York over the weekend.

The UN welcomes constructive approaches by the Asean as well as the provision of humanitarian assistance for the Rohingyas, reports Myanmar Times yesterday.

Antonio Guterres called for three immediate actions -- suspension of military and security operations, unfettered access for humanitarian agencies to affected communities, and allowing the safe return of those who fled the country facing attacks.

About 450,000 Rohingyas fled violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state into Bangladesh after Myanmar security forces began a crackdown on the community in response to August 25 Rohingya insurgents' attacks on Myanmar police posts and an army base.

Rights bodies said actions against the Rohingyas were disproportionate as Rohingya villages were burned down, men killed and women raped. The UN termed it a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing".

Last week, Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi claimed clearance operations had ended on September 5 and that humanitarian aid was delivered to the affected areas in Rakhine without discrimination.

However, fire was still seen on September 23 burning the Rohingya villages, Amnesty International said, while Doctors Without Borders said hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas internally displaced in Rakhine were facing shortages of life-saving assistance.

The issue was a major agenda in the UN meeting last week.

The UN secretary general said multilateralism and regional integration are absolutely vital in today's world, representing an opportunity to promote prosperity as well as advance human rights and the rule of law.

Under the Asean-UN Comprehensive Partnership, both sides can intensify and integrate efforts to ensure peace and security, sustainable development, human rights and humanitarian action, Antonio Guterres said.

Given the threat of terrorism and violent extremism worldwide, including in Southeast Asian nations, he pointed out that the new UN Office of Counter Terrorism and the UN as a whole stand ready to support the Asean in addressing these complex threats through regional cooperation.
MALAYSIA DISASSOCIATES FROM ASEAN STATEMENT ON RAKHINE VIOLENCE
Meanwhile, Malaysia on Sunday said it "would like to disassociate itself" from a statement issued by the Asean on the situation in Myanmar's Rakhine state, reports cable television news agency, Channel News Asia.

The Asean chairman in a statement issued on the sidelines of the UN general assembly condemned the Aug 25 attacks on Myanmar security forces, as well as "all acts of violence which resulted in loss of civilian lives, destruction of homes and displacement of large numbers of people".

Malaysia's Foreign Minister Anifah Aman in a separate statement said his country felt the Asean statement was a "misrepresentation of the reality of the situation".

"The statement also omits the Rohingyas as one of the affected communities," he said.

Malaysia urged Myanmar to immediately implement recommendations made in an advisory commission's final report on the Rakhine state, Anifah added.

The Asean statement called the situation in Rakhine a "complex inter-communal issue with deep historical roots", and "strongly urged" all parties to avoid actions that could worsen the situation on the ground.

APRRN URGES INTL COMMUNITY TO PRESSURE MYANMAR
The Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN), meanwhile, urged the international community to apply all possible measures to pressure Myanmar into halting military operations, protecting civilians and ensuring unfettered humanitarian access to Rakhine State.

In a statement by APRRN Programme Coordinator Evan Jones, the Thailand-based rights body demanded implementation of all recommendations of the Rakhine Advisory Commission led by Kofi Annan.

"Nations cannot stand aside and watch hundreds of thousands of people being forcibly displaced, thousands indiscriminately killed, in a government-sponsored operation amounting to ethnic cleansing," it said.

It also urged the international community to rally around Bangladesh that is under extreme pressure in the face of this humanitarian emergency.

HRW SLAMS INDIA
Human Rights Watch has slammed India for “mistreating” the Rohingya refugees.

It referred to Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh who said in a recent tweet that his government is “not violating any international law” if it deports Rohingya refugees as India is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention.

“If India had not signed the Convention against torture, would Indian authorities have carte blanche to torture and ill-treat anyone in custody?” said Bill Frelick, HRW's refugee rights programme director in a statement on Sunday.

Indian government says it is worried about the entry of refugees with links to Rohingya militants. "If that's the case, they should produce evidence and prosecute individual suspects," Frelick said.

"When your neighbour flees his burning house, you are not at liberty to push him back into the flames because you consider him a trespasser," he added.
http://www.thedailystar.net/frontpa...e-crisis-un-work-asean-resolve-crisis-1467718

 

[Banglar Bir]

UK PM: Myanmar must stop violence
Tribune Desk
Published at 11:16 AM October 13, 2017
Last updated at 12:21 PM October 13, 2017

A screenshot taken from the video which shows British Prime Minister Theresa May addressing the Q&A session in Parliament on October 11, 2017
Theresa May says the Rohingya exodus is a major humanitarian crisis
The international community has delivered a clear message to Myanmar that it must stop the violence, British Prime Minister Theresa May has said during a Q&A session in Parliament.

She was replying to Will Quince, the Conservative MP for Colchester, on Wednesday. Quince, who recently visited Bangladesh, asked May what pressure the UK could put on Myanmar to end the persecution, so that the Rohingya can go back home.

Prime Minister May said the UK remained “deeply concerned” by what was happening to the Rohingya.

“We now know that there are over 500,000 refugees in Bangladesh,” she said. “It’s a major humanitarian crisis.”
Also Read- UN: Army in systematic bid to drive Rohingya from Myanmar
Myanmar said it launched a “security operation” after insurgents attacked police posts and an army base on August 25. However, a UN investigation found that the military operations had begun earlier, possibly in early August.

The crackdown targeting the Rohingya forced more than half a million members of the mainly-Muslim minority to flee to Bangladesh since August 25.

May said: “We have raised this [Rohingya issue] three times at the UN Security Council. There’s been a clear message delivered from the international community that the Burmese (Myanmar) authorities must stop the violence, allow safe return of refugees and allow full humanitarian access.”

The Rohingya are the largest stateless community and often described as the most persecuted minority in the world. Naypyitaw denies them citizenship and claims they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

But the latest chapter in violence is unprecedented, which the UN described as a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing” and said the military campaign aimed at permanently driving away the Rohingya from Rakhine state.

British Prime Minister May said her country had suspended “any practical defence engagement that we had with Burma because of our concerns”.

In the last UN General Assembly, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina proposed creating a “safe zone” in Myanmar for the Rohingya under UN supervision.
Also Read- Bangladesh PM: If necessary, we will eat one meal a day to feed the Rohingya
Will Quince told parliament that what he had seen during his visit to the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh “was truly harrowing”. “It can only be described as a humanitarian disaster,” he said.

Bangladesh already had been hosting an estimated 400,000 Rohingya before the latest influx. Hundreds of thousands of forcibly displaced persons are believed to be waiting along the Myanmar border, waiting for a chance to sneak into Bangladesh.

May said the UK had been providing support through its international development and aid. “We provided money to the Red Cross in Burma and have been providing bilateral donations to deal with the refugees, to support the refugees who have crossed into Bangladesh,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina has said that her government would continue to provide support to the Rohingya until they returned to their homeland.

“If necessary, we will eat one meal a day and share another meal with these distressed people,” she said. “After all, we are human beings and we stand for mankind.”
Click here to read more stories on Rohingya Crisis 2017
http://www.dhakatribune.com/world/2017/10/13/uk-pm-myanmar-must-stop-violence/

 

[Jlaw]

Even though your spreading filth in the usual fashion i felt compelled to correct you that conflicts you mentioned cannot be classified as genocide. There's no agenda to erase specific people. The Rohingya crisis is a genocide, so much that Myanmar has even unwittingly admitted it as a genocide.

BD is unfortunately part of the genocide . They are pushing the Rohingya back into MM to be killed and not granting them citizenship. BD us no saint either

 

[Flynn Swagmire]

BD is unfortunately part of the genocide . They are pushing the Rohingya back into MM to be killed and not granting them citizenship. BD us no saint either

Is this a raw Chinese logic?

 

[UKBengali]

BD is unfortunately part of the genocide . They are pushing the Rohingya back into MM to be killed and not granting them citizenship. BD us no saint either

Says the person from a country that is protecting Myanmar at UN.
BD is allowing ALL Rohingya in and housing/feeding and attending to their medical needs.
Have some shame my inhuman friend. You sound no better than the hordes of Indian turds we see here.

 

[Banglar Bir]

INSIDE DEVELOPMENT
WORLD BANK ANNUAL MEETINGS
World Bank withholds Myanmar funding, but some call for sanctions
By Michael Igoe @AlterIgoe13 October 2017

Rohingyas who have fled Myanmar in Bangladesh in 2013. Photo by: Pierre Prakash / ECHO / CC BY-NC-ND
WASHINGTON — The World Bank announced Wednesday that in response to the “violence, destruction and forced displacement of the Rohingya,” it will delay the release of a $200 million loan planned for Myanmar.

The money was part of a credit deal reached with the fledgling democracy in August and represented the first instance of direct financial support from the World Bank to Myanmar’s government.

The World Bank is still delivering support to Myanmar and has “strengthened” its engagement in “education, health services, electricity, rural roads and inclusion of all ethnic groups and religions, particularly in Rakhine state,” the statement reads. This loan, specifically designed to support the government on issues of financial and public administration, however, will be withheld for an unspecified period of time.
See more stories on the Rohingya crisis:
► A city-sized refugee camp with even bigger child protection challenges
► Opinion: Here's how the international community should respond to the Rohingya refugee crisis
► EU official warns of threats against aid workers amid Rohingya crisis
► Access greatest barrier to US response to Rohingya crisis
► As the Rohingya crisis rages on, international actors ramp up pressure
► In Bangladesh, WHO hurries to thwart possible Rohingya refugee disease outbreak
Sign up for our daily morning briefings and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for everything you need to know from the annual meetings.

“We … assessed the conditions of our recently approved development policy loan and concluded that further progress is needed for the loan to be made effective,” the statement reads. It does not specify what “further progress” would entail, or how much of it the government will have to demonstrate for the money to be released.

The bank and its shareholders have seen some criticism in recent weeks for not using the institution more proactively as leverage against the Myanmar government’s persecution of the Rohingya ethnic minority. After Rohingya militants attacked security posts in late August, the military responded with a brutal campaign against the civilian population. Since then, a humanitarian crisis has unfolded with more than half a million Rohingya fleeing to neighboring Bangladesh.

“Given the scale of the humanitarian crisis there, the culpability of the government, it meets the test, in my mind, of a case where the owners of the World Bank ought to be looking at the World Bank as a potential sanctions tool,” Scott Morris, senior fellow at the Center for Global Development, told Devex prior to the bank’s announcement Thursday.

One month ago the World Bank issued a statement on the situation in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, where the military has perpetrated its violent repression of the Rohingya. “Along with the international community, we call on the authorities to ensure the protection of all people residing in Myanmar, and work with all actors to mount an immediate humanitarian response to the crisis in Rakhine State,” it read.

In Morris’s view, the World Bank’s assurances at that time that it would support humanitarian relief operations for people displaced by the conflict ignored the culpability of the government in committing violence against an ethnic minority, treating the situation, “as if it were a natural disaster.”

Even with its decision to withhold the $200 million loan until conditions improve, the bank’s shareholders are not doing enough to put pressure on Myanmar’s government, Morris said.

“The bank continues to pull its punches on a direct sanction of the government,” he wrote to Devex in response to the bank’s statement on Thursday. “The language on the development policy loan is ambiguous in the extreme.”
Read more international development news online, and subscribe to The Development Newswire to receive the latest from the world’s leading donors and decision-makers — emailed to you free every business day.
https://www.devex.com/news/world-bank-withholds-myanmar-funding-but-some-call-for-sanctions-91278

 

[Banglar Bir]

OIC calls for imposing sanctions on Myanmar
SAM Staff, October 16, 2017

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) called on the international community to reconsider its economic and diplomatic relations with Myanmar.

In a statement on Sunday (Oct 15), OIC expressed deep concern over reports presented by UN Human Rights Council’s Myanmar Mission in Cox Bazar, Bangladesh, which proved that Rohingya Muslims faced ethnic cleansing.

Read OIC statement here: OIC Expresses Alarm at Findings of UN Report, Calls for Economic and Diplomatic Measures Against Myanmar
The organization called for imposing trade sanctions on Myanmar if it keeps refusing to end violence against the Rohingya and resolve the situation. The Rohingya are facing one of the most horrible human tragedies in modern history, said the statement, adding that over 500,000 Muslims had fled to Bangladesh since August.

The UN’s report showed that Myanmar’s government had launched organized attacks on Rohingya Muslims to push them out of the country and prevent them from returning. It also showed that Muslims faced executions, rape and torture, while their houses were burnt and mosques attacked, said OIC.
SOURCE KUWAIT NEWS AGENCY
http://southasianmonitor.com/2017/10/16/oic-calls-imposing-sanctions-myanmar/

 

[Banglar Bir]

06:49 PM, October 16, 2017 / LAST MODIFIED: 07:20 PM, October 16, 2017
EU to review all defence cooperation with Myanmar
Suspends invitations to Myanmar army chief, senior military officers

Star Online Report
In a major foreign policy decision, the European Union today decided to review all practical defence cooperation with Myanmar.
The EU also decided to suspend invitations to the commander-in-chief of the Myanmar armed forces and other senior military officers, according to a press statement of the European Council after its meeting in Luxembourg today.

The Council of the European Union Foreign Affairs, which comprises of the foreign ministers of 28 member countries, adopted the conclusions on Myanmar in light of the disproportionate use of force carried out by the security forces and the present humanitarian and human rights situation in Rakhine state that has so far driven more than 536,000 Rohingya people out of the country since August 25.

The EU confirmed the relevance of the current EU restrictive measures which consist of an embargo on arms and on equipment that can be used for internal repression.

The European Council may consider “additional measures” if the situation does not improve, but also stands ready to respond accordingly to positive developments, the council said in the statement.

The council has also adopted the following conclusions on Myanmar in light of the situation over Rohingya crisis:

"1. The humanitarian and human rights situation in Rakhine State is extremely serious.
There are deeply worrying reports of continuing arson and violence against people and serious human rights violations, including indiscriminate firing of weapons, the presence of landmines and sexual and gender based violence.
This is not acceptable and must end immediately.
More than 500 000 people, mostly Rohingya, have fled their homes and sought refuge in Bangladesh, as a result of violence and fear.
When so many people are displaced so quickly this strongly indicates a deliberate action to expel a minority.
Therefore it is of utmost importance that refugees can return in safety and dignity. Access for humanitarian assistance and the media is severely restricted in Rakhine State. Needs can therefore not be fully assessed nor addressed.

2. The EU has called on all sides to bring an immediate end to all violence.
It urges the Myanmar/Burma military to end its operations and to ensure the protection of all civilians without discrimination and to fully observe international human rights law.
The EU also reiterates its call on the Myanmar/Burma government to take all measures to defuse tensions between communities; grant full, safe and unconditional humanitarian access without delay, including for UN, ICRC, and international NGOs; and establish a credible and practical process to enable the safe, voluntary, dignified, and sustainable return of all those who fled their homes to their places of origin.
The EU has stepped up its humanitarian assistance for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and stands ready to extend its activities in Rakhine State in favour of all people in need once access is granted.

3. The EU and its Member States reconfirm their strong engagement underlined in its Strategy on Myanmar (June 2016) to support the country's democratic transition, peace, national reconciliation and socio-economic development.
In this context, the EU stands ready to support the government of Myanmar/Burma in order to ensure the swift and full implementation of the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, including the crucial issue of citizenship for the stateless Rohingya population.
The EU welcomes that the government has set-up an Inter-Ministerial Committee for the implementation of these recommendations.

4. The EU welcomes the State Counsellor's commitment to bringing all the perpetrators of human rights violations and other criminal acts to justice, in accordance with the rule of law to avoid all impunity, and her statement on 19 September that Myanmar/Burma does not fear international scrutiny.
Credible allegations of serious human rights violations and abuses, including brutal attacks on children, must be thoroughly investigated.
In this context the EU urges Myanmar/Burma to cooperate fully with the Human Rights Council's independent international Fact-Finding Mission and to allow it full, safe and unhindered access to the country without delay.
The EU welcomes that the UN Human Rights Council recently extended the mandate of the Fact-Finding Mission.

5. Furthermore, the EU encourages Myanmar/Burma to enter into a dialogue with its neighbouring countries, in particular Bangladesh, on finding solutions to common concerns, notably the repatriation of refugees to their place of origin, in the spirit of good neighbourly relations.
The EU appreciates the constructive role played by Bangladesh under difficult circumstances.

6. In the light of the disproportionate use of force carried out by the security forces, the EU and its Member States will suspend invitations to the Commander-in-chief of the Myanmar/Burma armed forces and other senior military officers and review all practical defence cooperation.
The EU confirms the relevance of the current EU restrictive measures which consist of an embargo on arms and on equipment that can be used for internal repression.
The council may consider additional measures if the situation does not improve, but also stands ready to respond accordingly to positive developments.

7. The humanitarian situation of populations affected by conflict in Kachin and Shan States, including 100,000 internally displaced people, is also of great concern.
Humanitarian assistance has also been severely curtailed there and the EU calls on the government of Myanmar/Burma to restore humanitarian access to all communities affected in these areas.

8. The EU will continue to address these vital issues and all challenges linked to the process of democratic transition in the framework of its continuing engagement with the government of Myanmar/Burma and in all relevant international fora, notably the UN.
The EU also intends to seize the opportunity of the forthcoming ASEM Foreign Ministerial Meeting (Nay Pyi Taw, 20/21 November 2017) to engage, in the margins thereof, in a constructive dialogue with the government and will also continue to liaise with all Asian partners in this regard.
The EU also encourages its partners in ASEAN and the region to engage in this process."
http://www.thedailystar.net/rohingy...eview-all-defence-cooperation-myanmar-1477222

06:39 PM, October 16, 2017 / LAST MODIFIED: 07:07 PM, October 16, 2017
IPU assembly includes Rohingya issue as ‘emergency item’
BSS, Dhaka
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) overnight included as the top "emergency item" the Rohingya issue as proposed by Bangladesh while its 137th assembly is underway in Russia's St. Petersburg, officials said today.
"The IPU adopted three resolutions as 'emergency items' for discussions in the assembly and of them the Bangladesh proposal on Rohingya issue was accepted receiving the highest 1027 votes," a Bangladesh embassy official in Moscow told BSS by phone.

He said Bangladesh's delegation leader and parliamentary deputy speaker Fazle Rabbi tabled the resolution titled "Stop atrocities and forced displacement of Rohingyas and ensure their return to their homeland in the Rakhine State of Myanmar immediately and unconditionally".

Myanmar, he said, on the other hand, brought on its own a resolution for discussing rights situation in its Rakhine state visibly in an effort to negate the global condemnation about the atrocities there and it was accepted with only 47 votes.

The third resolution was brought by Japan on North Korea's nuclear programme to be accepted with 427 votes.

The IPU, meanwhile, in a separate development denounced Myanmar expressing "grave" concern about the continuing violence, intimidation and forced displacement of the Rohingya Muslim minority from its Rakhine State.

"Reports of documented widespread cruelty against Rohingya children, women and men and the ensuing massive exodus into neighbouring Bangladesh are very disconcerting," the IPU said quoting a joint statement by its President Saber Chowdhury and Secretary General Martin Chungong.

It said the IPU "condemn these human rights violations and stress the Myanmar State authorities' responsibility to protect all the people living in the country".

The statement asked being an IPU member the Myanmar parliament to make every effort to help bring this crisis to an end.

Russian President Vladimir Putin opened the IPU assembly on October 14 as it drew 2,000 parliamentary delegates from across the globe for focus discussions on overcoming intolerance, xenophobia and extremism.
http://www.thedailystar.net/rohingy...myanmar-rohingya-issue-emergency-item-1477219

 

[Banglar Bir]

IPU assembly in Russia includes Rohingya issue as ‘emergency item’
SAM Staff, October 17, 2017

The opening press conference for the 137th Assembly. Photo: IPU/W. Finh Ramsey

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) overnight included as the top “emergency item” the Rohingya issue as proposed by Bangladesh while its 137th assembly is underway in Russia’s St. Petersburg, officials said on Monday (Oct 16).

“The IPU adopted three resolutions as ’emergency items’ for discussions in the assembly and of them the Bangladesh proposal on Rohingya issue was accepted receiving the highest 1027 votes,” a Bangladesh embassy official in Moscow told BSS by phone.

He said Bangladesh’s delegation leader and parliamentary deputy speaker Fazle Rabbi tabled the resolution titled “Stop atrocities and forced displacement of Rohingyas and ensure their return to their homeland in the Rakhine State of Myanmar immediately and unconditionally”.

Myanmar, he said, on the other hand, brought on its own a resolution for discussing rights situation in its Rakhine state visibly in an effort to negate the global condemnation about the atrocities there and it was accepted with only 47 votes.

The third resolution was brought by Japan on North Korea’s nuclear programme to be accepted with 427 votes.

The IPU, meanwhile, in a separate development denounced Myanmar expressing “grave” concern about the continuing violence, intimidation and forced displacement of the Rohingya Muslim minority from its Rakhine State.

“Reports of documented widespread cruelty against Rohingya children, women and men and the ensuing massive exodus into neighbouring Bangladesh are very disconcerting,” the IPU said quoting a joint statement by its President Saber Chowdhury and Secretary General Martin Chungong.

It said the IPU “condemn these human rights violations and stress the Myanmar State authorities’ responsibility to protect all the people living in the country”.

The statement asked being an IPU member the Myanmar parliament to make every effort to help bring this crisis to an end.

Russian President Vladimir Putin opened the IPU assembly on October 14 as it drew 2,000 parliamentary delegates from across the globe for focus discussions on overcoming intolerance, xenophobia and extremism.
SOURCE BSS
http://southasianmonitor.com/2017/10/17/ipu-assembly-russia-includes-rohingya-issue-emergency-item/

 

[Banglar Bir]

The world takes notice
Tribune Editorial
Published at 07:42 PM October 17, 2017
REUTERS
World governments and international bodies need to impose tougher sanctions on Myanmar to stop its operations immediately
Finally.
The World Bank and the European Union have, at last, stepped up and taken measures to try and compel Myanmar to stop its clearance operations in the Rakhine state.

Although the decision comes more than three weeks after Myanmar’s military began its onslaught against the Rohingya in full-force — other measures of aggression and persecution had started even earlier — it is still good to see that influential bodies are finally taking notice.

Up until now, the Myanmar army had been perpetrating crimes against humanity without any tangible repercussions or intervention by the international community, thus giving them a sense of impunity.
But by halting its $200 million development loan to Myanmar, the World Bank is finally playing an active role in bringing an end to the crisis, and thus living up to its own values of non-discrimination and social inclusion.

The EU also announced that it is suspending invitations to Myanmar’s military leaders and reviewing all practical military cooperation with the country.

This is the kind of global action that we have been calling for since the atrocities came to light, but it is not enough; world governments and international bodies need to impose tougher sanctions on Myanmar to stop its operations immediately.

Nevertheless, we commend the World Bank and the EU for taking the lead and, hopefully, showing others the way.

This is how the global community should work in times of crisis, especially when the crisis is an attack on the universal principles of human rights.
http://www.dhakatribune.com/opinion/2017/10/17/world-takes-notice/

 

[Banglar Bir]

Debate in the House of Commons on the persecution of the Rohingya
17th Oct 2017

https://www.facebook.com/

 

[Banglar Bir]

06:10 PM, October 22, 2017 / LAST MODIFIED: 06:34 PM, October 22, 2017
India wants safe return of displaced Rohingyas

Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, on October 22, 2017 says her country wants safe return of Rohingya people. Star file photo
Star Online Report
Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today said her country wants safe return of Rohingyas, who fled to Bangladesh following persecution in Rakhine of Myanmar.
She came up with the India’s stance while addressing a joint press conference at Hotel Pan Pacific Sonargaon in Dhaka this evening after a meeting with her Bangladeshi counterpart AH Mahmood Ali.

She also said her court also supports the recommendations of Rakhine Advisory Commission, headed by former UNSG Kofi Annan.

The commission formed by the Myanmar government has suggested several measures for a “peaceful, fair and prosperous future for the people of Rakhine.

More to follow…
http://www.thedailystar.net/country...-rohingyas-bangladesh-rakhine-myanmar-1480186