Islamabad The Pakistan Interfaith League (PIL), a socio-political movement, has strongly condemned the inhuman conditions in which Rohingya Muslim minority has been pushed in their native land, Myanmar, and the lack of response from the international community, especially the United Nations, which is continuing to cast a blind eye to
Islamabad
The Pakistan Interfaith League (PIL), a socio-political movement, has strongly condemned the inhuman conditions in which Rohingya Muslim minority has been pushed in their native land, Myanmar, and the lack of response from the international community, especially the United Nations, which is continuing to cast a blind eye to this serious humanitarian crisis that is brewing up for quite some time now.
"The issue of this poor community facing ethnic cleansing at the hands of Budhist monks in Myanmar is being raised by the international media and the human rights organisations. Unfortunately no serious efforts were made by the international bodies, the UN, the UNHCR or even by the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC)," PIL Chairman Sajid Ishaq said.
"Finding no respite in their land these hapless Rohingya Muslims started looking for safer lands outside Myanmar and boarded rickety boats to flee but were denied refuge in other countries. They were left to die a tortuous death in the boats floating in the ocean. After tremendous international pressure following the media coverage of their miseries, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand finally agreed to grant them landing permission on their shores but they are being kept in the camps like prisoners," The PIL chairman pointed out.
"This is an insult to humanity in this modern day and age to let people die in this manner. The fact that the Indonesian government budged under international pressure and allowed some of these Rohingya Muslims to land on their shores is encouraging and the Indonesian government should be thanked for this act but the fact remains that they are still being turned away by Thailand and Malaysia," Sajid Ishaq said.
He said that it is the paramount duty of the United Nations (UN) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to take emergency steps on war footings to save the lives of these poor Rohingya Muslims who are being crushed between the
territorial disputes of Bangladesh and Myanmar.
"I urge the UN, the UNHCR, the OIC and the world human rights bodies to rise and take some practical steps to protect the lives of this poor minority, the men, women, and children of which are dead, dying or facing stark death. They have a right to live and all of us must unite to grant them their right," Sajid Ishaq said.