Kuala Lumpur (September 26, 2017): Malaysia has rejected the statement issued by Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that has called Rohingya Muslims Myanmar’s internal issue.
Meanwhile, the Saudi aid team sent by Saudi King has reached the Burmese Muslims who have been forced to take refuge in Bangladesh due the ongoing systematic Muslim genocide in Myanmar. The team will provide aid and relief to Rohingya Muslims after conducting the survey. It may be mentioned here that Saudi Arabia has announced $ 15 million aid to the effected Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar.
In a strongly-worded release today, Malaysia disassociated itself from the Asean chairman’s statement on the humanitarian situation in Rakhine state in Myanmar, calling it a “misrepresentation of the reality”.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman said Malaysia had made known its concerns but these had not been reflected in the chairman’s statement issued in New York on Saturday.
“Hence, the chairman’s statement was not based on consensus. The statement also omits the Rohingya as one of the affected communities.
“While Malaysia condemns the attacks against Myanmar security forces on Aug 25 launched by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), subsequent ‘clearance operations’ efforts by Myanmar authorities were disproportionate (and) led to the deaths of many innocent civilians and caused more than 400,000 Rohingya to be displaced.
“Malaysia expressed grave concerns over such atrocities which have unleashed a full-scale humanitarian crisis that the world simply cannot ignore but must be compelled to act on.
“Malaysia strongly urges the government of Myanmar to end the violence, stop the destruction to lives and properties, allow immediate unimpeded access for the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Rohingya and all affected communities, and to resolve the Rohingya refugee problem,” he said.
Anifah said viable and long-term solutions to the root causes to the conflict must be found in order for the Rohingya and the affected communities to be able to rebuild their lives.
“We also urge Myanmar to fulfil its commitment to immediately implement the recommendations of the final report of the Advisory Commission of the Rakhine State.
“Malaysia on its part has despatched humanitarian aid to Bangladesh on Sept 9 and will continue to do more,” he added.
The Asean chairman’s statement quoted concerns of the foreign ministers of Asean, who expressed condolences to victims and affected communities of the conflict in the northern Rakhine state of Myanmar.
In the statement, the Asean foreign ministers were also quoted as condemning attacks against Myanmar security forces and acknowledged the situation as a complex inter-communal issue with deep historical roots.
However, no mention was made of the operations launched by the Myanmar authorities which led to the death of civilians and displaced over 400,000 Rohingya Muslims.
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