25 AUGUST 2023
DEAR CHIEF EDITOR
PRESS RELEASE
MERHROM URGE UNITED NATIONS, WORLD LEADERS, HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS AND INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO TAKE ACTION TO STOP THE ROHINGYA GENOCIDE ON ROHINGYA GENOCIDE REMEMBRANCE DAY, 25 AUGUST 2023.
Myanmar Ethnic Human Rights Organization in Malaysia (MERHROM) would like to emphasize that the impacts of the Rohingya genocide are long lasting even after we fled Myanmar. The long decades of genocide had murdered, raped, tortured, burned & imprison millions of ethnic Rohingya. The impacts of genocide continue in Bangladesh refugee camps and in transit countries where we seek protection. We were further victimized and persecuted. We became victims of human trafficking while searching for safety. We were challenged with xenophobia, hate speech and fake accusations which led to increasing hatred and violence against the ethnic Rohingya.
August 25th is the Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day, a day that marks a black chapter in the history of the world, the day that everyone failed the Rohingya, by failing to stop the Rohingya genocide. August 25th is not for the Rohingya alone to remember, but one that the rest of the world must also dwell on. It marks the failure of each and everyone of us and will go down in the history books.
MERHROM continue to condemn the Myanmar military junta for committing the Rohingya genocide for long decades. All our rights were taken away by the State that was supposed to protect us. Today we feel that our plights have been forgotten though the Rohingya are always mentioned by many. The genocide is still ongoing, without any sign it will end. The Rohingya genocide will continue as there is no political will to end it for many interests.
We urge the United Nations, United States of America (USA), European Union (EU), United Kingdom (UK), Canada, ASEAN, Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), CSO, and the international community to continue the pressure and to take action against Myanmar junta to stop the genocide. We urge no more selling and buying arms with the Myanmar junta for killing the Rohingya and the people of Myanmar. The humanitarian aid cannot compensate for the blood of every Rohingya and Myanmar people that you killed. The humanitarian aid cannot heal the trauma, the cries, the pain and the humiliation we went through. By cutting the food aid for Rohingya in the refugee camps Cox’s Bazar by the WFP to $8 per month making their lives more difficult as we cannot guarantee their basic rights to food nor ending the Rohingya genocide. The United Nations must ensure food security and food sovereignty for refugees all over the world.
We urge all Myanmar Military Generals must be prosecuted for genocide against the ethnic Rohingya. The International Criminal Court (ICC) and The International Court of Justice (ICJ) process must be speed up to stop the ongoing genocide and to protect the ethnic Rohingya in Myanmar. If we cannot stop the Rohingya genocide today, next we will celebrate the 100 years of Rohingya genocide.
We urge the United Nations, World Leaders, human rights organisations and the international community to put pressure to stop the forced repatriation of ethnic Rohingya to Myanmar. The transfer of Rohingya refugees from Cox’s Bazar refugee camps to the concentration camps in Myanmar will further prosecute the ethnic Rohingya. The repatriation plan will force the Rohingya to flee the refugee camps and fall into human trafficker’s hand which further victimized the victims of long decades of genocide. Thousands of Rohingya became victims of human trafficking and died in the hands of human traffickers.
Victims of human trafficking are very much in need of protection and support from the relevant agencies and transit countries. However, many of them were detained for very long where they suffered mental health issues in detention without treatment and care.
Lots of ethnic Rohingya fleeing genocide were arrested in transit countries in the region. Many of them were trapped in the dire refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar where they face ongoing security problems which is the pushing factor for the ethnic Rohingya to flee from the refugee camps.
We deeply hope our voices will be heard. We hope the UNHCR and the resettlement countries will increase the resettlement quota for the ethnic Rohingya as we cannot return to Myanmar. Resettlement is the only durable solution for the Rohingya as we were made stateless by the Junta. Through resettlement we will be able to access education and to rebuild our broken lives.
We also call upon all ethnic Rohingya to play our part and to support each other in this difficult time. It is very important we respect each other and the law of the country where we seek protection.
Today, on Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day, MERHROM urge everyone on this earth to take action to stop the Rohingya genocide. Please save the innocent ethnic Rohingya without further delay. We suffered enough. We thank you very much for your support and interventions to end the long decades of Rohingya genocide.
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
Myanmar Ethnic Rohingyas Human Rights Organization Malaysia (MERHROM) 