Malaysia, Asean must pressure for independent investigation team in Rakhine

PUTRAJAYA: Burmese Rohingya Organisation United Kingdom president, Tun Khin has urged Malaysia to continue speaking out against the oppression of the ethnic Rohingya in Myanmar and channelling humanitarian aid for the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.
He said Malaysia and Asean countries should also pressure Myanmar to allow an international independent investigation team to get into the region of Rakhine and check on the plight of the remaining Rohingya there.
"Since the humanitarian crisis started in the region last year, no international media nor international humanitarian mission was allowed by the Myanmar authority into Rakhine. Nobody witnessed what is the latest situation (there)," he told a media conference at the Centre for Human Rights Research and Advocacy (Centhra), here today.
Khin is in Malaysia for a meeting with 12 Malaysian lawyers early this week on plans to file a complaint against Myanmar to the United Nation's Human Rights Council and the International Criminal Court.
"Malaysia should play an active role with several international bodies in defending the Rohingya rights," he said.
Khin said he appreciated Malaysia's effort in setting up the Malaysian field hospital in November last year to help the Rohingya refugees in the Cox's Bazar refugee camp in Bangladesh.
Malaysia had done a lot for the Rohingya, he added.
The humanitarian crisis in the Rakhine region in Myanmar escalated since August last year with many Rohingyas entering Bangladesh everyday, resulting in many refugee camps being set up.
So far the actual number of Rohingya refugees could not be confirmed but many claim that there are more than one million Rohingya refugees. — Bernama