Pressure Myanmar to take back Rohingyas: Commonwealth parliamentarians

The participants of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, now being held in Dhaka, have emphasised unity in the international community to mount pressure on Myanmar to take back Rohingya refugees.

Sajidul Haque Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 6 Nov 2017, 03:49 PM
Updated : 9 Nov 2017, 08:37 AM

The representatives of the Commonwealth Parliament Association have met in the capital at the 63rd CPC.

Some delegates were of the view that there was no quick fix to the crisis when approached by bdnews24.com on Monday.

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali highlighted the Rohingya crisis on Sunday during the plenary session of the conference.

More than 600,000 Rohingyas have taken shelter in Bangladesh in the last two and a half months fleeing persecution in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. More than 400,000 Rohingyas had already been living here as refugees.

Myanmar government has not responded to Bangladesh’s call to take back its citizens, but in the face of criticism from the international community, it has pledged to take them back but still appears reluctant.

George Foulkes, a member of the House of Lords and head of the UK delegation, praised Bangladesh for providing assistance to the Rohingyas including food, shelter and medical care.

The country has spent a lot on making the arrangements. This is a gesture of sheer generosity. Bangladesh and its people must be hailed for that, he said.

He asserted that Rohingyas were being subjected to genocide in Rakhine.

The British lawmaker appealed to the nations across the globe to unite to put pressure on the Myanmar authorities.

Every nation must speak for Bangladesh at the United Nations, he added.

Support from the UN and Commonwealth are essential to solving the crisis, he went on.

Joseph Banadzem, minority chief whip at the Cameroon parliament, said such “inhumanity” could not be tolerated in the 21st century.

People are being driven off from their land and living as refugees at somewhere else’s. This is unacceptable; he said suggesting creating a “safe zone” for Rohingyas in Myanmar in an echo of Bangladesh's proposal.

Banadzem stressed implementation of the recommendations made by the Kofi Annan Commission and the five points suggested by Bangladesh.

Philemon Falaga, whip of state parliament of South Africa, expressed similar concerns and called on the Myanmar government to give the Rohingyas their due rights.