Could the
Burmese Navy Attack Malaysia’s Food Flotilla?
By THE
IRRAWADDY
28 December
2016
RANGOON — As
a Malaysian organization pledges to send a “food flotilla” to Burma’s
conflict-ridden Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships, President’s Office
spokesperson U ZawHtay told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday that such a gesture
could be met with a warning or with violence.
The aid
program is being organized by the Malaysia Consultative Council of Islamic
Organizations (MAPIM), a coalition of non-governmental groups, and is expected
to depart Malaysia’s Port Klang carrying 200 tons of rice, medicine and other
goods to Burma on January 10. The outreach effort is to provide food and
support for the Rohingya, a persecuted Muslim minority labeled by the Burmese
government as interlopers from Bangladesh.
Arakan
State’s Maungdaw Township has seen increasing violence in recent months, as
security forces carry out clearance operations after October attacks on border
police outposts. International rights groups have criticized limitations placed
on the distribution of aid to vulnerable people in the region.
ZulhanisZainol,
secretary-general of MAPIM, told Malaysian media that he anticipated the
flotilla encountering one of three potential scenarios: that the Burmese
government would allow for the aid to be delivered; that security forces would
block the ship and instruct it to turn around; or that they would attack the
convoy.
“If do as
they wish without informing [Burma’s government], that will not be our
mistake,” said U ZawHtay, who told The Irrawaddy that the Burmese navy would
warn the ship to return to Malaysia, or it would turn it back by force. Burmese
authorities have reportedly received no official request for the ship to enter
Burmese territory, either from the Malaysian embassy or the aid organization in
question.
If they want
to support Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships’ Muslim communities, MAPIM should
follow procedure, said U ZawHtay, repeatedly emphasizing the importance of not
“exploiting” religion for political purposes and “deliberately trying to fuel
the flame.”
“The first
thing is, don’t exploit religion. The second thing is, respect the government.
The third one is, review what the real purpose [of the aid] is,” the
President’s Office spokesperson said.
U ZawHtay
said that the Burmese government is already collaborating with international
aid initiatives for humanitarian outreach inMaungdaw, highlighting cooperation
with fellow Asean member Indonesia to deliver rice to conflict areas in Arakan
State in cooperation with the Burmese authorities.
“If they are
truly eager to provide support through humanitarian aid to Maungdaw, then
follow the procedures as Indonesia does,” said U ZawHtay regarding the flotilla
effort, adding, “then we will be ready to collaborate with them.”
Topics: Aid,
Asean, Conflict, Foreign Relations, Rohingya