M'sia calls on Myanmar government to address violence in Rakhine
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia has called on the Myanmar Government to take necessary action to address alleged ethnic cleansing in the northern Rakhine State.
Malaysia's Foreign Ministry said it would summon the Myanmar Ambassador to Malaysia to convey the Malaysian Government's concern over the issue.
It said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman would also meet the State Counsellor and Myanmar Foreign Minister Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at the earliest possible date.
"Malaysia calls on all parties involved in the recent violence to refrain from taking any action which would aggravate the situation," the ministry said in a statement here today.
The statement said Malaysia condemned the escalation of violence in the northern Rakhine State over the past months, resulting in the loss of innocent lives and displacement of people.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak today joined thousands of Muslims at Friday prayers at the Putra Mosque where special prayers were said for the safety of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom delivered a sermon on the Rohingyas.
He said it was important that Asean and other countries play a serious role in helping to resolve the Rohingya ethnic issue, besides sending humanitarian aid as Malaysia did.
The Rohingyas in Myanmar had yet to get the proper attention although their plight had been highlighted to various quarters at the international level including the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, he said.
Jamil Khir said the persecution of any community was not something new and that the oppressor did so because of the fear of or hatred for the influence of that community.
"This is what's happening to the Rohingyas in Myanmar now. Every day, they are being tortured and killed, as though they are being subjected to genocide.
"It is clearly a violation of human rights and an affront to the Muslim minority in Myanmar," he said.
Jamil Khir said the Rohingyas had been much insulted by having been labelled as refugees and stateless people by some international and local organisations, and their plight had been worsened by the denial of citizenship by the authorities. — Bernama