United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has warned that stability in Myanmar’s Rakhine state cannot be achieved unless the government addresses the issue of citizenship for Rohingya Muslims minority.
“Long-term stability in Rakhine will remain unattainable without comprehensively addressing the issue of status and citizenship of the Muslim populations — particularly the plight of those who self-identify and are known by many as Rohingyas,” Ban told a meeting of a group of countries called “the Partnership Group on Myanmar” in New York on Friday.
The Partnership Group on Myanmar is a reconfiguration of the Group of Friends of Myanmar, which itself consisted of over 10 regional countries and blocs, that broadens the scope of the partnership between Myanmar and the UN.
“Myanmar’s top leaders must send a unified message against incitement of hatred and promote harmony and social cohesion,” the UN chief added.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Ban referred to Myanmar’s general elections, slated to be held by year’s end, and described them as “an important milestone” for the Southeast Asian country.
Myanmar officials categorize most of the 1.3 million of Rohingyas as Bengalis, implying they are illegal migrants from neighboring Bangladesh.
Reports say hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas in Myanmar are suffering from a severe shortage of food and drinking water. Humanitarian aid deliveries have slowed down in Rakhine, where many Rohingyas live, due to an escalation of violence.
The UN recognizes Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslims as one of the world’s most persecuted communities.
Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar have been persecuted and faced torture, neglect, and repression since the country’s independence in 1948.
The Myanmar government has been repeatedly criticized by human rights groups for failing to protect the Rohingya Muslims.
MSM/AS/MHB
No comments:
Post a Comment