Rohingya protest turns unruly

KUALA LUMPUR: Several people at the Rohingya protest at Ampang Park were arrested after they allegedly turned unruly.

Dang Wangi OCPD Asst Comm Mohd Sukri Kaman said some of the protesters started banging on passing vehicles and caused massive traffic jams in the area.

“I do not have the exact number at the moment but several were arrested,” he said after the rally here yesterday.

The protesters gathered at the shopping centre in Jalan Ampang here at around 11am to demonstrate against the treatment of the Rohingya people by the Myanmar government.

Led by several NGOs, the group marched to the Myanmar Embassy and handed over a memorandum to an embassy representative before dispersing about two hours later.

ACP Mohd Sukri said police also arrested several protesters who did not have proper travel documents.

Reports of the demonstrators’ unruly behaviour spread on social media but police said the situation was under control.

Meanwhile, an Islamic NGO has called on the Government to expel all Myanmar nationals from the country if the violence against the Rohingya people there does not stop.

The Malaysian Consultative Council of Islam Organisations (Mapim) said such atrocities could no longer be tolerated.

“You have nothing to do with us and you must go back. We are not going to have problems without you here. You don’t have to be here,” Mapim president Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid said after handing over a memorandum to the Myanmar Embassy here yesterday morning.

There was heavy police presence around the embassy and the Rohingya were not allowed near the premises.

A number of them gathered at the Ampang Park LRT station and Tabung Haji building.

The Rohingya in Myanmar are considered by the United Nations as one of the most persecuted minorities in the world.

As of June, there were 59,100 Rohingya refugees registered with the United Nations High Commis-sioner for Refugees in Malaysia, although unofficial estimates are substantially higher.

“It’s not only affecting the Rohin-gya but the whole of Myanmar. We want a peaceful region and country. We want to have a good relationship,” said Mohd Azmi.

He said Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi was also to blame for the atrocities against the Rohingya and called for her Nobel Peace Prize to be revoked.