Stop ethnic cleansing of Rohingyas, urges Malaysia

PETALING JAYA: Wisma Putra has summoned the Myanmar ambassador to Malaysia over the escalation of violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine state resulting in the loss of innocent lives and displacement of thousands of people.

The Cabinet which met yesterday discussed the situation in Rakhine and directed Foreign Minister Da­­tuk Seri Anifah Aman to meet Myan­­mar State Counsellor and Fo­­reign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi as soon as possible.

In a statement issued by Wisma Putra yesterday, Malaysia condemned the escalation of violence and called on all parties involved to refrain from taking any action that would aggravate the situation.

The Myanmar Ambassador U Zaw Myint met the Foreign Minis­try’s deputy secretary-general (1) Datuk Shahrul Ikram Yakob yesterday.

“Malaysia also calls on the Go­­vern­ment of Myanmar to take all the necessary action to address the alleged ethnic cleansing in the northern Rakhine state,” said the Foreign Ministry.

Meanwhile, a group of protesters gathered outside the Tabung Haji building here to protest against the violence against the Rohingyas.

“Stop the killing! Stop the massacre!” they chanted after performing their Friday prayers.

The protest was organised by the Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organisations.

Associated Press quoted Human Rights Watch as saying that a high-definition satellite image shows 820 structures destroyed this month in five Rohingya Muslim villages in Rakhine state where the military is carrying out counter-insurgency operations.

The human rights group urged the Myanmar government to invite the United Nations to assist in an impartial investigation.

“These alarming new satellite images confirm that the destruction of Rohingya villages is far greater and in more places than the government has admitted,” said Brad Adams, the Asia director for the group.