OIC Mission Hosted Delegates From FIDH, OIC-MCG, ARU, And Ethnic Minorities In Myanmar; Violence Issues Updated And Pursuit For Peace And Reconciliation Highlighted

New York - The Permanent Mission of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to the United Nations in New York received delegates from International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH - Fédération internationale des ligues des droits de l'homme), representatives from OIC Ministerial Contact Group, Director General of the Arakan Rohingya Union, and a delegation of certain ethnic minorities from Myanmar.

The representative of FIDH to the United Nations Michelle Kissenkoetter provided extensive coverage on the violence and discrimination against the Rohingya ethnic minority and Muslim population, violence and attacks against civilians in Kachin and Shan states, and new arrests and re-arrests of prisoners of conscience, and continued serious violations against civilians by Burmese forces with impunity. The representatives of the ethnic minority groups from Myanmar briefed the current situations in their respective regions, highlighting violence, atrocities, internal and external displacement of minority victims, rape cases and sex slaves issues, along with hate speech by radical monks that instigates violence in various regions of the country. Dr. Wakar Uddin, Director General of Arakan Rohingya Union, also briefed the meeting participants on the issues such as the eruption of new waves of violence against Kamen Muslims in Thandwe, attempts by the RNDP leadership and hardliners in the Burmese Government for making IDP camps permanent or semi-permanent, the RNDP’s relentless attacks on voting rights of Rohingya white-card holders, night time raids of Rohingya households in Northern Arakan and arrests of household members, sentencing Rohingya victims to life imprisonment and long jail terms, human smuggling of Rohingya victims by Rakhine cartels through sea routes to Thailand and Malaysia, and other issues. Dr. Uddin also commented on President Thein Sein’s recent brief visit to Maungdaw. “It is a good sign and a warm gesture, but the Rohingya people are anxious to see that more positive actions are taken by the Burmese Government on providing security for Rohingya people, promoting peaceful-coexistence, and facilitating dialogue between Rohingya leadership and the Burmese Government along with moderate Rakhine leadership. “Taking the first step and breaking the tip of the stagnant situation in Arakan by the Burmese Government is pivotal; we are confident that such positive step by the Government will pave the way for more dialogue for reconciliation, eventually bringing Rakhine to the table to be a partner for peace” Dr. Uddin added.

Representatives from OIC Ministerial Contact Groups such as Egypt, Turkey, Djibouti, Bangladesh, Iran, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei expressed their great appreciation for the efforts by the minority women delegates from Myanmar in the process of finding a solution to the ethnic minority issues. The Ministerial Contact Group representatives also discussed a number of diplomatic approaches to find a durable solution to the problems faced by Rohingya, Kachin, and other ethnic minorities in Myanmar. The theme of the two-hour meeting was overwhelmingly voicing the rights of the ethnic minorities during the democratic transition in Myanmar and peaceful co-existence of all people of Myanmar.