Astatement expressing concern at the violence on the Rohingyas by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) failed to find consensus among its members. We are surprised that the proposed statement, that would have expressed concern over the situation in Myanmar's Rakhine State, where Rohingya Muslims have been subjected to unmitigated violence by the Myanmar's state agencies, was blocked by Russia and China.

The government of Bangladesh has been urging its counterpart in Myanmar to come to a settlement on the Rohingya crisis. Unfortunately, nothing much has happened on that front. We believe that for the spate of violence in the Rakhine State to cease, from where 75.000 Rohingyas have fled in to Bangladesh since military operations began there last October, there is need for the international community to bring concerted pressure on the government of Myanmar. And a statement from the Security Council would have sent the right signals to the Myanmar government about the feeling of the international community on the matter and pave the way for an international effort to stop the humanitarian disaster unfolding across our border.

Needless to say, the quashing of the proposed UNSC resolution will send entirely the wrong message to government in Naypyidaw. Instead of looking into the cases of premeditated murder, arson and rape, the message that has been given is that the world body is not on board on the issue of human rights violation on such a grand scale. We are surprised at the lack of consensus on a humanitarian issue, one that we look towards our friends to help resolve.