FILE PHOTO: Rohingya refugees take part in the 'Genocide Remembrance Day' rally to mark the anniversary of their mass exodus from Myanmar following a military crackdown, at a refugee camp in Cox's Bazar on August 25, 2025. - AFP
DHAKA: Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), a platform of former and present lawmakers of South-East Asian countries, on Wednesday (Sept 3) proposed to hold an international conference involving Bangladesh, China and Asean countries to resolve the Rohingya issues, United News of Bangladesh (UNB) reported.
The APHR made the proposal when a delegation from the advocacy group called on Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna, said Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder.
"Two things should be done on a priority basis. One is an Asean-led effort to raise funds for Rohingyas. The other is a high-level Asean-Bangladesh-China political summit to resolve the Rohingya issues,” said a former member of the House of Representatives, Malaysia, and Co-Chairperson of APHR Charles Santiago.
Seeking Asean co-operation to resolve the Rohingya crisis, the chief adviser reiterated his call for Bangladesh to be included as a member of the regional body.
"We want to be a sectoral dialogue partner of Asean. This is one thing we keep repeating. Since we are not part of Asean, we cannot bring the issue to Asean. It is important for us because the issue needs to be addressed,” said the chief adviser.
The chief adviser also urged APHR to form an Asean parliamentary group and Bangladesh to join it as an invitee.
"It is also important for us because the issue has become a burden for us,” he said.
"Create a platform of Asean which does not exist now. Asean should tell the rest of the world about the crisis we are facing,” he added.
Santiago said Aseab parliamentarians visited Rohingya camps in 2018 and have since been following the issue.
"We are always trying to flag the Rohingya issue as an Asean issue. But I must confess, for the last two-three years we had been quiet because we were focusing on restoring democracy in Myanmar,” he said.
Member of the House of Representatives, Malaysia, Wong Chen; former member of the Congress, Philippines, Raoul Manuel; and the Programme Director of APHR, Chonlathan Supphaiboonlerd, were among others present on the occasion. - Bernama/UNB
