West silence fuels killing of Muslims in Myanmar: Iran MP
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| Rohingya Muslims standing outside their tents at a camp located on the outskirts of Sittwe. |
Press TV
February 18, 2013
An Iranian lawmaker has denounced the Western countries’ inaction vis-à-vis the ongoing violation of human rights in Myanmar, saying the West’s silence ahs intensified the killing of Muslims in the Southeast Asian country.
“The West’s double standards in its alleged struggle against violation of human rights and defense for human dignity make it react to the execution of a criminal and press charges against an independent country, but when such crimes are committed by Western-backed governments on a large scale, no reaction - even from international bodies - is seen,” a member of Iran Majlis Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy Hossein Sobhani-Nia said on Monday.
The lawmaker added that the death of innocent Muslims in Myanmar is a clear example of the violation of minorities’ rights, stressing that a firm international determination is required to counter crimes against humanity.
On Saturday, the United Nations expressed concern over rights abuses by the government of Myanmar, calling for an end to discrimination against ethnic and religious groups in the country.
Tomas Ojea Quintana, the UN special rapporteur on rights in Myanmar, said in a press conference that the use of excessive force by Myanmar’s government against local communities and ethnic groups worried the UN.
The persecuted Muslim minority has faced torture, neglect, and repression in Myanmar since the country achieved independence in 1948.
The Iranian legislator further said that the West’s dual policies have also given rise to a tragedy in the Middle East.
Any time terrorists, backed by Western powers, commit crimes in Syria, Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan, the West stays put in an implicit endorsement of the crimes.
