Humanitarian crisis

There are no words to describe the atrocities being committed against the Rohingya. The Muslim community who has been living in Myanmar for centuries are now driven out of their villages by force. Myanmar government forces have broken all records of brutality. They are burning down villages and slaughtering women and children. These distressed people are starving and are waiting for the help. The endless violence has resulted in the displacement of tens of thousands of people. The death toll is also rising at an unprecedented pace. Thousands of refugees are fleeing Myanmar and reaching Bangladesh. The unrest has raised fears of a humanitarian crisis in overstretched border camps, with another 400,000 of the Muslim ethnic minority estimated to be trapped in conflict areas in western Myanmar. According to some media reports, UN aid agencies are being blocked from delivering food, water and medicine to the Rohingya, while warehouses stocking vital emergency supplies are being looted. The whole world seems helpless.

All countries closely watched what the reaction of Aung San Suu Kyi who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. The hero of democracy has disappointed the entire world. Her stance in the current situation is weak. As an inhabitant of this world, I would ask the relevant authorities to take away Kyi’s Nobel prize.

Nasir Soomro (Karachi)

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The Myanmar army’s treatment of the Rohingya people is brutal. The army has killed thousands of people, burnt down around 30,000 houses, and forced almost 90,000 people out of their homes. During the migration, hundreds of refugees were drowned in rivers. The homeless migrated to Bangladesh and again met with a cold treatment. The neighbouring country didn’t have the heart to open its borders for the oppressed.

The shameful act being carried out against the Rohingya calls for the immediate attention of world powers. The Rohingya have lived in Myanmar for centuries. They should be owned. All international organisations, including the OIC, should take a stand and fight for the right of these people.

Inam Kakar (Distt Zhob)

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The government of Myanmar blames militants for starting the violence. It says that the latest series of crackdown on Rohingya militants started after the latter killed 12 security officers in border post attacks. However how innocent people are being killed in Myanmar is no hidden secret. According to some media reports, another 30,000 people are trapped in hilly terrain without basic food, shelter and clothing. This is the most criminal act of Myanmar government forces. It is unfortunate that there is no help for the oppressed people. It is the rule of the world that ‘everyone stands with the powerful and no one stands with the weak’. The murder of a human is equivalent to the murder of humanity.

The heart cries when we hear and read about the plight of the Rohingya. It is time all Muslim countries stood united to fight the gross injustice. Something must be done at the earliest.

Ahmad Sardar (Gujranwala)