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Malaysia today summoned the Myanmar ambassador to express its displeasure at the continuing violence against the ethnic Rohingyas in the Rakhine state.
The problems faced by the mainly Muslim minority of the Rohingyas, in the northwest of the country near the border with Bangladesh, has led to violence and displacement of 1,25,000 Muslim Rohingyas.
The problems faced by the mainly Muslim minority of the Rohingyas, in the northwest of the country near the border with Bangladesh, has led to violence and displacement of 1,25,000 Muslim Rohingyas.
Rohingya refugees from Myanmar rest in a mosque in Bangladesh Photo: The New York Times
In a statement, Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said Myanmar lacked the will to find a peaceful solution to the issue despite repeated calls by ASEAN member states to do so.
He said that, though the Myanmar Government has given its assurance to implement measures to solve the problem, the recent incidents of violence, as widely reported by the media, showed that the Myanmar government has made little progress towards finding a peaceful solution.
According to Anifah, the international community had placed high expectation on state councilor Aung San Suu Kyi to achieve national peace and reconciliation in Myanmar.
Indonesia has also voiced concern about the matter, with Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi being dispatched by President Joko Widodo to Myanmar earlier this week in a bid to pressure the government to do more to alleviate the crisis.
Rohingyas walk through rice fields into Bangladesh on Sep 5, 2017. (Photo: AP/Bernat Armangue)
In the light of these developments, Malaysia believes that the issue of continuing violence and discrimination against the Rohingyas should be elevated to a higher international forum.
Myanmar claims security forces are fighting a legitimate campaign against "terrorists" responsible for a series of attacks on police and military positions since last October.
The latest episode of violence began on August 25, when Rohingya gunmen attacked dozens of police posts and an army base. which prompted a major counter-offensive that reportedly killed around 400 people, mostly Rohingya.
The United Nations has estimated that 38,000 people had sought refuge in Bangladesh while another 20,000 were amassing along its border, barred from entering the country.
(Sourced from channelnewsasia, pattayaone.news, todayonline )