ZCZC
BSS-19
UK-ROHINGYA
British MPs for stopping abuses against Rohingya
DHAKA, Dec 22, 2018 (BSS) – British lawmakers have urged their government to publicly press Myanmar to immediately stop all abuses against Rohingyas.
“The UK government should publicly press the Burmese (Myanmar) Government to immediately stop all abuses, remove restrictions on freedom of movement, improve conditions for all Rohingya in Rakhine state,” Labour party’s MP Rushanara Ali said while participating a debate at house of commence on Thursday last.
The UK government must press the Burmese authorities to take steps to address the culture of marginalisation and discrimination of the Rohingya community in Burma and to reform the 1982 citizenship law, which renders the Rohingya stateless and denies them basic human rights, she said according to the official website of House of Commons.
The United Nations has reported more than 700,000 Rohingya people have fled the country to Bangladesh due to widespread and systematic ethnic violence” since August 2017.
The Burmese military has faced allegations of committing abuse, rape and murder of the predominantly Muslim Rohingya while also destroying their homes and villages. “Aung San Suu Kyi’s failure to condemn the violence and stand up to the military has been deeply disappointing. While power over security operations constitutionally resides with the military and her power to halt the military offensive is limited, her ability to speak out in defence of the Rohingya is not,” Ali said.
It should not have taken more deaths and displacement to make the international community take notice she said adding this crisis happened on our watch.
“The fact is that the more attention we generate, the brighter the light we shine, and the more noise we make, the less likely that further murders and atrocities will occur,” Ali said.
Another Labour MP Jack Dromey said Myanmar is now scarred and shamed by the treatment of the Rohingya.
“An unambiguous message needs to be sent today that the government of Myanmar will forever be a pariah state until they end the shameful war crimes against the noble people the Rohingyas,” he added.
Foreign Office minister Mark Field said progress had been made and, although it was slow, the UK had secured support for a collect and preserve mechanism to keep evidence for future criminal trials.
The UK would continue to try to engage China on the need for accountability for this horrendous set of crimes, he added.
Field also stressed that the UK was committed to supporting the Rohingya for the long haul.
“We all know the Rohingya people have a right to live in their home country in safety and dignity …. for that to happen those responsible for their persecution must be held accountable and the Burmese state must show they’re serious about bringing an end to the prejudice and discrimination that ethnic minorities in Burma have suffered for so long,” he said.
He said the UK will stay the course so that one day the people of Burma can live together in peace, justice and prosperity.”
BSS/TA/MRU/1850hrs