Foreign minister Dipu Moni has said the OIC must urge Myanmar authorities to revisit the disputed 1982 Citizenship Act so that the Rohingya Muslims could get back their nationality rights and live as Myanmar citizens in safety and with dignity.
‘The current official attempt in Myanmar to term the Rohingyas as “Bengali or Bangladeshi immigrants” in a general sweep does not have any historical or legal basis,’ she said while addressing the foreign minister-level OIC Contact Group meeting at the OIC headquarters in Jeddah on Sunday.
Dipu said the Rohingya nationality question has some added urgency in view of the national population census in Myanmar slated for next year.
‘The issue of safe and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh to Myanmar as well as the large number of Rohingya Muslims in an irregular situation also remains an outstanding concern for us.’
In 2011, Dipu said the two governments had started a process of verification of a small number of registered refugees in Bangladesh for their possible voluntary repatriation to Myanmar.
But the outbreak of sectarian violence in the Rakhine State in June 2012 stalled the process mid-way.
‘We wish to resume this exercise as early as possible through bilateral consultations with Myanmar,’ she said.
Dipu sought the OIC’s support to address some immediate and short-term priorities for improving the situation on the ground which include convincing the Myanmar authorities, and particularly the Rohingya and Rakhine communities, that the OIC’s offer of humanitarian assistance is meant for all distressed and displaced people in the Rakhine State.
Secondly, she said the shelter and health conditions in the Rohingya makeshift camps are likely to get worsened with the onset of monsoon. The OIC should urge the Myanmar authorities to allow adequate access to UNHCR to set up flood-resilient shelters in the Rohingya camps ahead of monsoon.
Thirdly, Dipu said the international community should encourage the Myanmar government to create an environment conducive to dialogue between the Muslims and Buddhists in the Rakhine State and other sectarian flashpoints.
The foreign minister said the OIC could possibly offer to play the role of a facilitator for holding inter-communal and inter-faith dialogues to reinforce mutual respect and understanding.
Fourthly, she said the OIC should continue to urge the Myanmar government to create better economic opportunities for the Muslim minorities in Myanmar.
Lastly, Dipu said there is a rising trend of irregular movements at sea by Rohingyas from the coasts of Myanmar and Bangladesh, mostly towards Malaysia and Thailand.
A large number of Rohingyas, including women and children, are reportedly falling prey to the trafficking and people smuggling networks operating in the region.
‘We need to enhance further cooperation among the concerned regional countries to prevent such irregular movements and provide necessary support to the victims,’ she said.
Dipu said the situation in Myanmar is evolving fast and the situation of the Muslim minorities there is getting ever more complicated.
‘Within the OIC, we must rise to the occasion and get things done to end the systematic persecution and discrimination against the Rohingyas and other Muslim minorities in Myanmar,’ she said.
Dipu expressed concern that there has been no progress with the proposed visit of a ministerial delegation of the OIC Contact Group to Myanmar.
She said, ‘We must send out a clear message to our Muslim brethren in Myanmar that we shall continue to stand by them and never give up till we find a lasting solution to their problems.’ (Source)
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