By Qutub Shah
December 19, 2016
Kuala Lumpur
A foreign-ministry level conference of the
member nations of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on the plight of
the Rohingya was commenced here in Kuala Lumpur today (Jan 19).
The conference was
inaugurated by the Foreign Minister (FM) of Malaysia, Dato’ Sri Anifah Aman,
with opening speech followed with the speeches by the OIC Secretary General, HE
Dr. Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen and the Prime Minister (PM) of Malaysia, Dato Sri
Mohd Najib.
In the opening speech, the Malaysian FM explained the
purpose of Malaysia’s initiative to convene the extraordinary session of the
OIC Council of Foreign Ministers and said “in line with the objectives and
principles of the OIC, it is our hope to convey need for the Government of
Myanmar to end discrimination and undertake remedial actions to improve the
situation.
“Malaysia, as founding member of the OIC and ASEAN, has
consistently and clearly expressed its stance on this issue. Malaysia also
believes that, this crisis, if left unaddressed, could potentially impact the
security and stability of this region through an influx of refugees and is no
longer be considered purely as Myanmar’s domestic affairs.”
The OIC Secretary General thanked the OIC Member states for
their continuous financial and humanitarian assistances to the Rohingya
refugees in conclusion of his speech and also encouraged all the member states
to continue their supports to the Rohingya cause by engaging in the
articulations of solutions to the challenges that confront the Rohingya.
He ended in his speech saying “I look forward to our (closed
door) discussions on how we can move forward in our efforts to alleviate the
plight of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar.” [Full Speech Below]
The Malaysian PM Najib called the humanitarian crisis in
Myanmar’s Rakhine State is a cause of great and immediate concern to all and
urged the Myanmar government to stop the violence as the loss of life can’t be
disputed.
The PM Najib showing great concerns on the Rohingya plight
said “this not only caused untold suffering to the people who were forced to
flee their homes, but had the potential to impact the security and stability of
the broader region.
“We fear that if the situation of the Rohingya Muslim
minority in Rakhine State is not properly addressed, militant elements could
infiltrate and possibly radicalise this oppressed community.
“We strongly urge the Government of Myanmar to provide
unimpeded access for the delivery of humanitarian aid to the affected areas. At
the same time, we call on the Government of Myanmar to facilitate the safe and
dignified return of refugees to their homes and communities.” [The full speech
of the PM Najib can be read HERE.] http://linkis.com/www.najibrazak.com/e/ZK2tR
First half of today’s conference was an open session with
pre-registration process and it was attended by the OIC foreign ministers,
international diplomats, NGOs, Human Rights Observers, local Malaysians and the
members of the Rohingya diaspora in Malaysia. The second half of the conference
was a closed door session among the foreign ministers of OIC Member nations,
where the ministers are expected to come out with a solid resolution to
effectively put pressures on the Myanmar government and military to stop the
violence against Rohingya.
The conference is being held in the wake of the Myanmar
military offensives on the Rohingya civilians in Arakan especially in Northern
Maungdaw since October 9, 2016. The military have mainly targeted the civilians
on pretext of ‘ the Clearance Operation’ killing more than 500 civilians,
arbitrarily arresting more than 1,000 people, raping more than 200 women and
burning down more than 5,000 homes leading to exodus of mass refugees numbering
more than 50,000.
