'Stop genocide, help us return home', Rohingya group's plea to Anwar, Asean

 

The Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organisation in Malaysia (Merhrom) has pleaded with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Asean, and the international community to help put a stop to the ongoing genocide in Myanmar so the refugees can return home.

In a statement today, the organisation’s president Zafar Ahmad Abdul Ghani said the genocide must end to allow Rohingya to return home in a voluntary, safe and dignified manner.

“The genocide must be stopped, and their citizenship must be restored with safety and dignity,” he said.

Zafar added that for the longest decades, the Rohingya were facing ongoing genocide through mass murder, torture, rape, arbitrary detention, arson attacks, enforced disappearances, kidnapping for ransom, forced labour, forced eviction, extortion, restriction of movement and forcible use as human shields.

The impact of the ongoing attacks is permanent, as the Rohingya in Rakhine State have continued living in the internally displaced persons camps since 2012, he added.

“Rohingya, who fled to Bangladesh, had been living in dire refugee camps without basic needs and without security and safety, which forced them to flee again.

“The Rohingya genocide survivors died silently in Rakhine State, in refugee camps, and in the ocean while saving their lives.

“Uncounted numbers died in the hands of human traffickers. Where else should the Rohingya seek safety?” asked Zafar.

Zafar said unless peace and democracy are restored and safety is guaranteed in Myanmar, Rohingya and other ethnic groups will continue to flee.

Therefore, he expressed hope that the Malaysian government, as well as the Asean chair, the Philippines, would take action along with other Asean countries to discuss specific measures to end the genocide and provide humanitarian support for the survivors.

“We also call upon Asean members, the United Nations and the Bangladeshi government to prosecute all human traffickers and to stop the corruption and trafficking networks.

“The tragedy of the boat people must be stopped,” he said.

‘Not a threat’

In the same statement, Zafar also addressed the false accusations against him in 2020 that he demanded Malaysian citizenship and equal rights, which have been making rounds again on social media.

“Most people still believe these (claims), resulting in the Rohingya refugees facing continuous harassment and hate crime.

“Refugees are not a threat. We are victims of war, genocide and conflict, who had fled our countries to seek refuge and protection.

“We do not come here to steal locals’ jobs or to take over the country, (but instead) to seek protection temporarily until the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees finds a durable solution for us.

“This false narrative against the Rohingya must be corrected. If not, it will be cancerous in society, which will not be beneficial to anyone,” Zafar said. - Mkini