Bangladesh, UN must act immediately to increase safety, security in such locations
MYANMAR Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organisation Malaysia (Merhrom) is very saddened by the killing of six Rohingya refugees in the Cox’s Bazar refugee camp in Bangladesh yesterday.
We regret that this killing happened after the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) chief prosecutor Karim Khan visited the refugee camps. We believe this is another propaganda to disrupt the prosecution process at the ICC on the Rohingya genocide case.
The recent killing of the six Rohingya shows how serious the security problem has been in the refugee camps for many years. This definitely is not the first and the last killing. The security issues in the refugee camps must be dealt with utmost urgency without delay.
This requires immediate actions by the Bangladesh government and the United Nations in particular to increase safety and security in the refugee camps.
We have witnessed how many Rohingya have been killed since the assassination of Mohib Ullah. We have witnessed lack of action taken by the Bangladesh government resulting in the ongoing killing and crimes in the refugee camps.
We call upon the United Nations, Bangladesh government, USA, EU, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Asean, OIC, civil society organisations and the Rohingya leaders to restore safety and security for the Rohingya in the refugee camps. We must hold consultation with the Rohingya in the refugee camps on how to improve safety and security in the refugee camps.
If refugee camps are no longer safe, it will force the Rohingya to flee the refugee camps again and again where they will face another challenge in exile including falling into human trafficker’s hands. Therefore, the safety and security in the camps must be restored without delay.
The dire situation in the refugee camps worsened by the cutting of food ration from US$12 to US$10 and finally refugees received US$8 per month since May 2023 which only allows them to buy rice.
This has contributed to increasing crimes in the refugee camps. We believe the Bangladesh army should maintain the safety and security in the refugee camps. The refugee camps must be cleared from arms, drugs and crimes. How can arms and drugs be brought into refugee camps?
The innocent Rohingya are suffering continuously due to the ongoing Rohingya genocide. The United Nations, US, EU, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Asean, OIC, civil society organisations and international community must initiate specific measures to pressure and to stop the Myanmar junta from committing the ongoing genocide against the Rohingya.
The perpetrators of the Rohingya genocide must be prosecuted without delay. They must receive punishment after killing millions of innocent people over decades.
The perpetrators forced innocent people to flee the country and we became refugees. Rohingya were stranded in dire refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar and in transit countries with little opportunity for a durable solution for long decades where their basic rights were denied.
This includes Rohingya who are stranded on Bashan Char Island since 2021 and for many more decades to come.
We call upon the United Nations and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the ICC to speed the process of prosecution against the Myanmar junta and perpetrators. If not, many more will die and this is a total shame to the human race as we advance in human rights in this century.
The provisional measures require Myanmar to prevent all genocidal acts against the Rohingya, to ensure that security forces do not commit acts of genocide, and to take steps to preserve evidence related to the case.
However, none of this are followed and the genocide continues. As a consequence, the Rohingya people face ongoing impacts of genocide both in Myanmar and in exile.
Therefore, the ICJ and ICC process must proceed without delay. Justice delayed is justice denied. – The Vibes, July 8, 2023
Zafar Ahmad Abdul Ghani is president of Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organisation in Malaysia (Merhrom)
Myanmar Ethnic Rohingyas Human Rights Organization Malaysia (MERHROM) 