Ensure safe, dignified return of Rohingyas
Human rights activists, Rohingyas and scholars from across the globe have adopted a Dhaka Declaration, calling for an unequivocal commitment from the world community to resolve the Rohingya crisis in a sustainable manner with a regional approach.
In a 15-point declaration, they called upon the UN and all members of the international community to use diplomatic channels to provide sufficient humanitarian assistance and other supports to protect Rohingya rights.
Recalling the promise of the Global Summit 2005, to take "timely and decisive action in accordance with the UN Charter" in situations of mass killings and mass eviction and the Global Compact for Refugees, they urged Myanmar to take responsibility and investigate the alleged genocide against the Rohingyas.
They also demanded that Myanmar provides all the host countries as well as the Rohingya people proper monetary and legal compensation.
The two day long International e-conference on "Connecting the Rohingya Diaspora: Highlighting the Global Displacement" ending on Wednesday night condemned the apathy of Myanmar, regional governments and the international community towards the Rohingya people.
ActionAid Bangladesh, in association with the Center for Genocide Studies of Dhaka University and the Center for Peace and Justice of BRAC University, organised the conference on the occasion of the third anniversary of the massive influx of Rohingyas into Bangladesh.
About 750,000 Rohingyas fled brutal military campaign since August 25, 2017 and joined some 300,000 others who had fled earlier waves of violence in Myanmar.
The International Court of Justice this January issued a provisional order for Myanmar to prevent acts of further genocide and not to destroy evidence.
Participants condemned the persecution by Myanmar, saying it leads to the human trafficking of a sizeable Rohingya population regularly and other forms of exploitation. They urged Myanmar's allies, particularly ASEAN countries, to compel Myanmar to stop Rohingya persecution once and for all.
The e-conference urged the Rohingya diaspora to develop a strong network through a virtual space for raising a strong voice in the international for demanding their due rights from Myanmar.
On the second day, the conference consisted of two panel discussions "Rohingya Diaspora: UK, Canada and Japan" and "Rohingya Diaspora: Australia, England, Bangladesh and Malaysia".
Miwako Hosoda, professor and vice-president of Seisa University in Japan, said, "The Japanese government treats the Rohingya as citizens of Myanmar. However, most of the Rohingya living in Japan are actually stateless. Although Japan is a member state of the 1951 Convention, the Rohingya have been repeatedly denied refugee status by the Japanese government, and some immigration bureaus have even forced them to leave Japan."
Hla Myint, president of Rohingya Intellectual Community, Sydney, Australia, said in his paper, "Around 600,000 Rohingya in Myanmar's Rakhine state are still at risk of genocide. Despite the order of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to protect the Rohingya, innocent people are being killed, looted and tortured."
In the closing remarks, Bangladesh's former foreign secretary Shahidul Haque said the international Rohingya diaspora needs to start uniting and creating a collective identity.
"The division in their leadership has to be addressed in order to realise their true potential and achieve their common goals."
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