Jamaat General Secretary writes to Suu Kyi on plight of Rohingya Muslims

Date: 20 Nov 2012

Jamaat General Secretary writes to Suu Kyi on plight of Rohingya Muslims

New Delhi: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind has termed as disappointing the silence of Myanmar’s Opposition Leader Ms Aung San Suu Kyi on the atrocities and violation of human rights of Rohingya Muslims in the Rakhine state of her country. Jamaat hoped Ms Suu Kyi will break her silence and impress upon the Burmese government to find a justice-based and amicable solution to the problem.

In a letter to Ms Suu Kyi on Sunday, Mr. Nusrat Ali, Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, urged the world-known personality for the cause of democracy that as part of her fight for democracy she must take the issue of Rohingya Muslims seriously to ensure protection of their dignity and human rights.

Mr Nusrat Ali appreciated Ms Suu Kyi’s ongoing India visit and expressed hope it will strengthen bilateral relations between India and Myanmar.

Jamaat leader strongly condemned the alleged rape-murder of a Buddhist girl and the loss of human lives and properties that followed in Rakhine state in last few months.

“Jamaat-e-Islami Hind strongly condemns the reported rape-murder of a Buddhist girl and all kinds of arson and violence that happened earlier this year in Myanmar. This was an issue of law and order which should have been handled properly by the Burmese government,” said Mr Ali in the letter.

“The recent organized attacks on Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state in last few months have resulted in loss of human lives and properties. Even today, a number of innocent people including pregnant women, children, and aged people are dying in relief camps of homeless Rohingya Muslims due to lack of health care facilities. It is the duty of the government to protect the lives and rights of Rohingya Muslims,” he further said.

Jamaat leader said the atrocities on Rohingya Muslims have been going on for decades.

“The atrocities and human right violations of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar have been an international issue since 1970s and discussed at United Nations and other international forums. The situation cannot be undermined considering it to be a simple communal clash. The whole world has been witnessing to the state’s role in ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims. The Rohingyas have been termed as the most persecuted religious minority in the world by the United Nations. It is a well-known fact that under a highly irrational and questionable law passed in 1982 by the Burmese military government, Rohingyas were deprived of Burmese nationality unless they prove that their forefathers were living in Burma back in 1832, which is a most oppressive and undemocratic law found anywhere in the world,” said Mr. Nusrat Ali.

The Burmese government has systematically persecuted the Rohingya Muslims for years, stripping them of their basic rights and subjecting them to poverty and oppression, he added and expressed disappointment over Ms. Suu Kyi’s silence on this issue.

“We are disappointed by your silence and ambivalent attitude towards the continuous atrocities and human rights violations of Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine province,” Mr. Ali said.

He expressed hope Ms Suu Kyi will break her silence on this big issue as the world is looking towards her with a great hope for Myanmar.

“Jamaat expects that as part of your fight for democracy you will take the issue of Rohingya Muslims seriously, strive for protecting their dignity and human rights and impress upon the Burmese government to find justice-based and amicable solution to the problem. The world is looking towards you with great hope for making Myanmar a peaceful and justice-based country,” Mr. Nusrat Ali wrote in the letter.

Source:Here