 |
| A Rohingya Muslim family from Myanmar, who tried to cross the Naf river into Bangladesh to escape sectarian violence, cry in a Bangladeshi Coast guard station in Teknaf on June 19, 2012, before being sent back to Myanmar. Bangladesh is coming under increasing international pressure to open its border to Rohingya's fleeing the violence, but has so far refused to do so. (AFP Photo/ Munir uz Zaman) |
Jeddah,
Saudi Arabia. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation on Saturday announced it
has received a green light from Myanmar to assist Muslim Rohingya displaced by
sectarian violence.
It said
Myanmar gave its agreement to the OIC following talks in Rangoon on Friday
between a delegation from the pan-Islamic body and President Thein Sein on the
“deplorable humanitarian situation in Rakhine state.”
The
delegation assured Thein Sein that Islamic humanitarian organizations were
willing to provide aid to all residents of the strife-torn state.
Saudi King
Abdullah decided Saturday to grant $50 million to the Rohingya, the country’s
news agency SPA reported, describing them as victims of “several rights
violations, including ethnic cleansing, murder, rape and forced displacement.”
Violence
between Buddhists and Rohingya has left scores dead, with official figures
showing that 80 people died from both sides in initial fighting in June.
The entire
state has been under emergency rule since early June with a heavy army and
police presence.
New
York-based Human Rights Watch has accused Myanmar forces of opening fire on
Rohingya, as well as committing rape and standing by as rival mobs attacked
each other.
Decades of
discrimination have left the Rohingya stateless, and they are viewed by the
United Nations as one of the world’s most persecuted minorities.
The
bloodshed has cast a shadow over widely praised reforms by the president,
including the release of hundreds of political prisoners and the election of
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to parliament.
Myanmar’s
government has rejected accusations of abuse by security forces in Rakhine,
after the United Nations raised fears of a crackdown on Muslims.
In a rare
conciliatory move over the issue, Thein Sein welcomed the OIC delegation’s
visit.
“The
president said he hoped the OIC secretary could witness the reality [in
Rakhine],” state mouthpiece New Light of Myanmar reported on Friday, adding
tens of thousands of displaced people from both sides were being given food and
shelter.
OIC head
Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu had proposed sending a mission to probe “massacres...
oppression and ethnic cleansing” of Rohingya in Rakhine.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.