ASEAN Rohingya Centre Proposes 2017 as Int’l Rohingya
Solidarity Year
By Arifa Sultana | January 10, 2017
Kuala Lumpur — The ASEAN Rohingya Centre (ARC) held forum to
discuss ‘Rohingya plight’ at Malaysia Institute of Integrity in Kuala Lumpur
last Sunday (Jan 8) and proposed that the Year 2017 be regarded as the
International Solidarity Year for the Rohingya.
The forum was named “2017: International Year of Solidarity
for Rohingya” and accompanied with singing activities by the Rohingya refugee
school children.
The ARC executive director, Dr Mohd Helmi Ibrahim, said to
the nst.com that the declaration is supported by various non-governmental
organizations (NGOs). “The purpose of the declaration is to increase regional
awareness (of the need to put) an end to the abuse of human rights,
discrimination and violence against the Rohingya in Myanmar’s restive Rakhine
state,” he said.
The forum was inaugurated by the former Malaysia FM and
Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)’s Special Envoy to Myanmar Tan Sri
Syed Hamid Albar with an opening speech.
In the opening speech, he said “these people, Rohingya do
not pose any threats to Buddhism in Myanmar. But I have learned through my
experiences as an OIC Envoy to Myanmar that some Burmese monks and most of the
Burmese Buddhists view that they would take over the country if they are given
freedom. There is a common hatred against Rohingya in Myanmar, unlike other
ethnic groups persecuted by the government such as Kachin and Karen. No one
wants to take the name of the Rohingya. This is a result of the state
instilling fears and racial hatred in the hearts of the common people.
“Most of ASEAN countries were once Hindu states and then
became plural states like Muslim-Buddhist-Christian-Hindu states as they are
today. Myanmar especially Arakan (or Rakhine) state has historically been
similar. The Rohingya are also traced back to the millennium and related to
Hindu origin. No matter what, the reality today is we must be inclusive of all
religions and practice pluralism. So, Myanmar needs to practice the same if it
is to be regarded as a democratic country and respected internationally.”
He added “when Aung San Suu Kyi was under house-arrests, we
campaigned for her release. We went to Myanmar especially for that. However, what
she is letting the persecution of the Rohingya go on which is unacceptable
because she won the Nobel Peace Prize as a defender of the HUMAN Rights.”
The opening speech was followed by the discussion forum with
the distinguished panelists of distinct/different religious backgrounds. The
panelists that discussed in the forum are Tan Sri Sayed Hamid Albar, SUHAKAM
Commissioner, Mr. Jerald Joseph; ABIM Vice President & CEO Global Peace
Mission Malaysia, Fahmi bin Shamsudin; Dato K. Sri Dhammaratana, Malaysia
Buddhist Highest Priest (Temple Maha Vihara, Brickfields); Dr. Heman Shastri,
General Secretary, Council of Churches of Malaysia (Protestant Umbrella); and
Mr. M.S. Anwar, Editor of Rohingya Vision TV.
At the end of the fruitful forum, the panelists came to the following
conclusions.
The genocide against the Rohingya in Myanmar is more
politically and economically motivated than religiously is.
What’s happening in Myanmar today has nothing to do with
Buddhism. That’s unfollowing of Buddhism.
Although the violence in Myanmar is portrayed religiously,
this is more of a humanitarian concern and should be responded as an urgent
international issue of human being issue. We are one people. We are human
being.
The new form of insurgency ‘Harakah Al-Yakin or the Faith
Movement that has emerged among some members of the Rohingya, has emerged due
to the decades-long persecution of the Burmese/Myanmar government(s) and
international irresponsiveness to their plight. And they don’t have links to
foreign militant groups.
The Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and other countries in the
region directed affected by the Myanmar’s on the Rohingya have the legitimate
ground to effectively respond to the crisis, rather just being vocal.
The bold-step taken by the Malaysian PM is welcome and
Malaysia should rectify 1952 Refugee Convention to be in a better position to
help Rohingya and other refugees in the country and at least 1984 Child
Convention so that the refugee children in Malaysia enjoy basic human rights.
The whole Malaysia should do something exemplary like its
state, Kedah, did where the refugee children are allowed to enroll in the
government schools without holding official status such as citizenship.
The Malaysian PM and his wife are requested to pay a visit
to the Arakan State to give hopes to the Rohingya like former Turkish FM, Ahmet
Davutglu, his wife and the wife Turkish President Erdogan did. This way,
Malaysia can become an example for the rest of the world.
The forum proposes the Malaysian authorities to resume the
documentation program for the Rohingya refugees named IMM13.
During a press conference, Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar said
that Malaysia had to keep on pressuring Myanmar to solve the Rohingya issue and
should not create a situation where more refugees will come to the country from
Myanmar’s Rakhine state.
He said “if we had allowed refugees to enter Malaysia during
last Boat-people crisis, it would be like doing favor to the Myanmar
government. So, Malaysia is always at the receiving end for what happens in
Rakhine state. So, our stand and policy is changed since we publicly criticized
Myanmar for the Rohingya genocide. We need to interfere because the Rohingya
problem is not affecting Myanmar alone, but other ASEAN countries, too,
including Malaysia.”
He also urged the Malaysian government to document the
Rohingya refugees estimated to be 150,000 so that they can employment and said
“Instead of bringing in people from other places, they can be employed here and
earn a living.”
The ASEAN Rohingya Centre (ARC) is an organization based in
Kuala Lumpur to address the plight of Rohingyas, an initiative by 60 NGOs
throughout ASEAN taken in the wake of the ongoing genocidal operation on
Rohingya people in Arakan, Myanmar, that began October 9, 2016.