Responsibility lies with all
Civil society representatives yesterday demanded that the global leaders and the United Nations (UN) put pressure on the Myanmar government to stop “ethnic cleansing” and persecution against Rohingyas.
Condemning Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi's role, they said the decision to put pressure should be made in the next meeting of the UN Human Rights Council scheduled to be held on September 11. The Rohingya issue must get the highest priority, they added.
The Bangladesh government should strengthen its diplomatic activities. The neighbouring and friendly countries have to come forward to solve the issue, they observed.
The observations were made at a press conference organised by Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan), a civil society platform, at the capital's Dhaka Reporters' Unity.
Thousands of Rohingyas entered Bangladesh within the last couple of weeks following the Myanmar government's military drive in its Rakhine province.
At the conference, Dhaka University Professor CR Abrar said Bangladesh alone cannot take responsibility of all the Rohingya refugees.
Although the country is primarily providing shelter to them, other neighbouring countries should take initiatives to rehabilitate them, said Abrar, a professor of international relations.
Strong diplomatic activity is a must to put pressure on the Myanmar government in order to stop the military drive and take back the Rohingyas, he said. He also urged the global leaders to impose economic sanctions on Myanmar.
Writer and columnist Syed Abul Maksud said, “The Rohingya issue has fallen into a vicious political cycle. We want a proper and peaceful solution...”
Echoing Maksud, Shujan Secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar said, “If the issue is not resolved, the situation will worsen.”
Providing shelter to the refugees is not the point, all the Rohingyas should be sent back to their country with an assurance that they would be able to live there peacefully, said Badiul, also the country director of The Hunger Project-Bangladesh.
Dr Tofail Ahmed, former professor of Chittagong University, and Zakir Hossain, joint secretary of Shujan, also spoke.
Meanwhile, Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) expressed grave concern over the recent killing and repression on the Rohingyas, terming it an “extreme violation of human rights”.
In a statement, it condemned the role of Suu Kyi for addressing the atrocity against the Rohingya people as an “anti-terrorist drive”.
Although Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a bilateral treaty in 1978 to recognise Rohingyas as the citizens of Myanmar due to pressure from the international community, the Myanmar government is yet to give the recognition, said the statement issued yesterday.
Many countries condemned the torture against the Rohingyas, but the Myanmar government has been terming them “Bengali terrorists” and spreading propaganda that the Rohingyas are not their citizens, it said.
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