28, MARCH 2024
DEAR CHIEF EDITOR,
PRESS STATEMENT
UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL (UNSC) MUST INTERVENE URGENTLY TO STOP THE ONGOING KILLING OF ROHINGYA VILLAGERS IN ARAKAN STATE OF MYANMAR.
Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organization in Malaysia (MERHROM) urges the United Nations Security Council to intervene urgently to stop the ongoing killing of the Rohingya villagers in Arakan State of Myanmar.
For the past few months, the Myanmar military has been intensifying genocidal attacks against the Rohingya villages resulting in deaths of thousands of innocent Rohingya villagers including women and children. Hundreds of Rohingya suffered severe injuries following the attacks. Not only that, the Myanmar military is forcibly recruiting the Rohingya villagers to join the Myanmar military particularly from Maungdaw, Buthidaung, Minbya, Rathedaung and Sittwe Township. This is strange as Rohingya were not recognised as citizens. This has forced an unknown number of Rohingya villagers fleeing Arakan State.
The Rohingya villagers are also facing ongoing genocidal attacks from the Arakan Army (AA) where the Rohingya were arrested, kidnapped, tortured, blackmailed and killed. Hundreds or even more Rohingya villagers were killed during the war between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army. In mid of March 2024, about 100 Rohingya villagers were killed during their war as the military forced the Rohingya to be human shields.
Rohingya women were raped by both parties. In early March, a 4-year-old Rohingya girl was kidnapped by the Myanmar junta’s ally, the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP). They asked for a ransom of 15 million Kyat from the family for her release. However, they did not release her after receiving the ransom money. Finally on 14th March the girl’s dead body was found near the ALP’s office in Bumay. No Rohingya is safe in Arakan.
On 18th March 2024, Myanmar military carried out an air bombardment over Rohingya village in Minbya Township resulting in 25 Rohingya were killed and 60 of Rohingya villagers injured.
This situation has forced the Rohingya to flee the country to seek refuge. Both the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army forced the Rohingya villagers to leave their villages as they wanted to fight each other. The truth is that the fighting between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army is a genocidal strategy by the military as more Rohingya were killed compared to the fighting parties.
Obviously, both the Myanmar military together with Arakan Army have committed genocide against the Rohingya. Last week, United Nations Chief Antonio Guterres warned about the situation of Rohingya in Arakan State. We urge the UN Security Council to take effective measures to stop the ongoing killing of the Rohingya and the genocide by deploying UN Peecekeeping Force to Arakan State. These are the evidence for the International Criminal Court (ICC) and International Court of Justice (ICJ) cases against the Myanmar military and it must be documented carefully and comprehensively.
We regret the genocidal attack against the Rohingya continued during the holy month of Ramadan. The delayed actions by the United Nations, and the international community will only allow the ongoing killing of Rohingya in Myanmar and definitely increase the number of refugees and internally displaced persons and definitely have a tremendous impact on regional security and stability.
The timely interventions and international support to the people of Myanmar is very crucial at this time and the delayed actions definitely sacrifices more lives than ever. The military must be made accountable for the Genocide and atrocities without further delay. The ICJ and ICC process must be ongoing in whatever situation in order to deliver justice to the victims of Genocide and the people of Myanmar.
Thank you.
“JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED”.
Yours sincerely,
Zafar Ahmad Abdul Ghani
President
Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organization in Malaysia (MERHROM)
Tel No: +6016-6827 287
Blog: www.merhrom.wordpress.com
Email: rights4rohingyas@gmail.com
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Myanmar Ethnic Rohingyas Human Rights Organization Malaysia (MERHROM) 