(ARU-DG) DR. WAKAR UDDIN MEETS WITH OIC SECRETARY GENERAL H.E. DR. EKMELEDDIN IHSANOGLU IN SAUDI ARABIA

The Secretary General of Organization of Islamic Cooperation, H.E. Prof. Dr. Ekmeleddin Isanoglu, warmly received the Director General of Arakan Rohingya Union, Prof. Dr. Wakar Uddin, at the OIC Headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The meeting was attended by H.E. Ambassador Sayed Elmasry, Special Envoy of the Secretary General for Minority Affairs, HE Ambassador to the United Nations Ufuk Gokcen, and the Director of the Muslim Minority and Community, Mr. Talal Daous. 

The hour-long meeting covered the current situation in Arakan and chronic political and human right issues faced by Rohingya ethnic minority in Arakan. The Secretary General specifically asked Dr. Uddin the cause of the recent violence by Buddist Rakhine against Rohingya people. Dr. Uddin provided perspectives on two different causes the violence. He said “First, there is a long standing hate and bigotry against Rohingya by Buddhist Rakhine in Arakan. They have resorted to these types of violence before. In 1942, thousands of Rohingya people were slaughtered by Rakhine in Arakan, particularly in the central and southern parts of Arakan; therefore, the Rohingya population was drastically reduced to current level in those Rohingya areas”. 

Secondly, he pointed that the hardliners in the current military-dominated government in Myanmar was poised to deprive Rohingya people of flavor of democracy because of their fear that the democracy in Arakan could guarantee human rights for Rohingya. “All evidences that have gathered from the sequence of events on the ground during the violence in Arakan and the Burmese media war on Rohingya are clearly pointing to Rakhine and the military hardliners as the masterminds of the violence with systematic preplanning ; They evidently did not want democracy in Arakan, rather impose military rule which will give them free-hands to continue their old policy of ethnic cleansing and human right violations without any legal ramification” Dr. Uddin added. He also provided a detailed account of how the violence by Rakhine against Rohingya has quickly transitioned to atrocities and cold blooded murder of Rohingya by Burmese forces. He explained that the police force in Arakan, primarily made-up of Rakhine, has been arresting hundreds of Rohingya male adults and transported to various prisons with torture chambers where discharge of dead bodies have been reported by eyewitness. Dr. Uddin appealed to the HE Secretary General to mobilize all the OIC member states and the international community, particularly the West, to pressure the Government of Myanmar to immediately halt the arrests, torture, and murder of Rohingya men. A number of cases of rape by Burmese forces have also been elaborated by Dr. Uddin. One of the most pressing issues discussed at the meeting was the current humanitarian crisis faced by Rohingya in Arakan. “The Rohingya victims are not getting supplies in most areas because local Rakhine and Burmese officials are diverting the food supplies to Rakhine people.

The personnel from the United Nations and other international organizations must be present on the ground, in coordination with the Burmese officials in distribution of food, medicine, and shelter supplies. “We are running out of time. The Rohingya victims are facing starvation in several areas. Losing a day in supplying food to Rohingya areas is tantamount to losing many lives” Dr. Uddin stressed. He also appealed to the HE Secretary General to call on all the 58 member states of OIC to work in concert in pressuring the Government of Myanmar to permanent cease the hostility toward Rohingya ethnic minority to bringing the peace to Arakan. 

The HE Secretary General and the officials of OIC have assured Dr. Uddin that they will continue to work with the Government of Myanmar in coordination with the international community to find a solution to Rohingya political and human rights issue. On behalf Rohingya community worldwide, Dr. Uddin expressed his deep gratitude to HE Secretary General and officials at OIC for their continuous efforts in seeking solution for the crisis faced by the Rohingya people in Myanmar. Dr. Uddin also conveyed his special thanks to the HE Secretary General for the relentless efforts by the OIC Department of Muslim Minority and Community for the cause of Rohingya. 

ARU Director General Prof. Dr. Wakar Uddin meets with OIC Secretary General Prof. Dr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu at the OIC Headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 

OIC Ambassador to the United Nations, H.E. Ufuk Gokcen, ARU Director Prof. Dr. Wakar Uddin, Special Envoy of the Secretary General for Minority Affairs H.E. Ambassador, Sayed Elmasry, and the Director of the Muslim Minority and Community Mr. Talal Daous at OIC Headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia