The Malaysian flotilla will deliver aid to the persecuted Muslims in Myanmar and has vowed to go ahead with plans even if permission to enter is not granted.
An aid flotilla carrying food and emergency supplies for Rohingya Muslims will sail from Malaysia for Myanmar's troubled Rakhine state next month, a Malaysian organizer said Friday. But some fear a confrontation with security forces at sea, as the organizers vowed to go ahead with their plans even if they are not granted permission to enter Myanmar.
The Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organisations secretary general Zulhanis Zainol said the flotilla's organizers had applied for permission to enter Myanmar through its embassy in Kuala Lumpur, but had yet to receive a reply.
"Even if we do not receive a response, we will continue to sail as we believe this is an important humanitarian mission," he said. A showdown with security forces could worsen Myanmar's already-frayed ties with predominantly Muslim Malaysia.
Malaysia has been an outspoken critic of the Myanmar government's handling of a violent crackdown in Rakhine, which has killed scores of people and displaced 30,0000 Rohingya amid allegations of abuses by security forces. (Courtesy of telesurtv.net)
December 31, 2016
Global leaders warn Aung Sun Suu Kyi over Rohingya
More than a dozen Nobel laureates have criticised Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi for failing to uphold the human rights of Rohingya Muslims in the country's Rakhine State, urging for immediate action to avoid "ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity".
In an open letter to the United Nations Security Council late Thursday, 23 global icons, including 13 laureates and 10 global leaders, expressed their disappointment at what they see as state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi's failure to ensure Rohingya rights.
"Despite repeated appeals to Aung San Suu Kyi, we are frustrated that she has not taken any initiative to ensure full and equal citizenship rights of the Rohingya," the letter, with signatories including Desmond Tutu and Shirin Ebadi, said.
"Ms Suu Kyi is the leader and is the one with the primary responsibility to lead, and lead with courage, humanity and compassion," it said. (Courtesy of aljazeera.com)
In an open letter to the United Nations Security Council late Thursday, 23 global icons, including 13 laureates and 10 global leaders, expressed their disappointment at what they see as state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi's failure to ensure Rohingya rights.
"Despite repeated appeals to Aung San Suu Kyi, we are frustrated that she has not taken any initiative to ensure full and equal citizenship rights of the Rohingya," the letter, with signatories including Desmond Tutu and Shirin Ebadi, said.
"Ms Suu Kyi is the leader and is the one with the primary responsibility to lead, and lead with courage, humanity and compassion," it said. (Courtesy of aljazeera.com)
Myanmar to take back 2,415 ‘citizens,’ no mention of Rohingyas
Myanmar said on Friday it would take back 2,415 “citizens” from Bangladesh, only a tiny fraction of the 300,000 people who Bangladesh says are Myanmar citizens taking refuge there and should go home.
“There are only 2,415 Myanmar citizens, according to our data,” Kyaw Zaya, director general of Myanmar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, referring to the number of Myanmar citizens in Bangladesh.
“We always stand with our number,” he said, adding he had “no idea” about the Bangladesh figure of 300,000.
He said the Myanmar government had a plan to take back the 2,415 in 2017.
Myanmar earlier agreed to take back 2,415 Rohingyas from the two registered camps in Bangladesh after the eighth foreign secretary-level talks in Dhaka in August 2014. The process was supposed to begin within two months, but it did not happen. After 2005, it was the first time Myanmar agreed to repatriate Rohingyas from Bangladesh. (Courtesy of dhakatribune.com)
“There are only 2,415 Myanmar citizens, according to our data,” Kyaw Zaya, director general of Myanmar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, referring to the number of Myanmar citizens in Bangladesh.
“We always stand with our number,” he said, adding he had “no idea” about the Bangladesh figure of 300,000.
He said the Myanmar government had a plan to take back the 2,415 in 2017.
Myanmar earlier agreed to take back 2,415 Rohingyas from the two registered camps in Bangladesh after the eighth foreign secretary-level talks in Dhaka in August 2014. The process was supposed to begin within two months, but it did not happen. After 2005, it was the first time Myanmar agreed to repatriate Rohingyas from Bangladesh. (Courtesy of dhakatribune.com)
Make Rohingya issue a priority
Twenty-three Nobel laureates and global leaders have urged the members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) to urgently put the persisting Rohingya crisis on the Security Council's agenda and to call upon the UN secretary-general to visit Myanmar as a priority.
“If the current secretary-general is able to do so, we would urge him to go; if not, we encourage the new secretary-general to make it one of his first tasks after he takes office in January,” reads an open letter sent to the president of the UNSC and to all its member states.
The dignitaries, who have made the joint plea for the Rohingyas, one of the world's most persecuted minorities, include the likes of Professor Muhammad Yunus, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Malala Yousafzai, Shirin Ebadi and Arianna Huffington.
The signatories that include 13 Nobel laureates and 10 other business people, philanthropists, activists and politicians of global repute expressed concern that Rohingya persecution in Myanmar bears the hallmarks of genocides and past tragedies like the ones in Rwanda, Darfur, Bosnia, and Kosovo.
They urged the United Nations to do everything possible to encourage the Myanmar government to lift all restrictions on humanitarian aid so that people receive emergency assistance. (Courtesy of thedailystar.net)
“If the current secretary-general is able to do so, we would urge him to go; if not, we encourage the new secretary-general to make it one of his first tasks after he takes office in January,” reads an open letter sent to the president of the UNSC and to all its member states.
The dignitaries, who have made the joint plea for the Rohingyas, one of the world's most persecuted minorities, include the likes of Professor Muhammad Yunus, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Malala Yousafzai, Shirin Ebadi and Arianna Huffington.
The signatories that include 13 Nobel laureates and 10 other business people, philanthropists, activists and politicians of global repute expressed concern that Rohingya persecution in Myanmar bears the hallmarks of genocides and past tragedies like the ones in Rwanda, Darfur, Bosnia, and Kosovo.
They urged the United Nations to do everything possible to encourage the Myanmar government to lift all restrictions on humanitarian aid so that people receive emergency assistance. (Courtesy of thedailystar.net)
Flotilla planned to help Rohingya in Myanmar
An aid flotilla carrying food and emergency supplies for Rohingya Muslims is to sail from Malaysia for Myanmar's Rakhine State in January.
Zulhanis Zainol, secretary-general of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organisations, said on Friday that the coalition organising the flotilla had applied for permission to enter Myanmar through its embassy in Kuala Lumpur, but had yet to receive a reply.
"Even if we do not receive a response, we will continue to sail as we believe this is an important humanitarian mission," he said. (Courtesy of aljazeera.com)
Zulhanis Zainol, secretary-general of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organisations, said on Friday that the coalition organising the flotilla had applied for permission to enter Myanmar through its embassy in Kuala Lumpur, but had yet to receive a reply.
"Even if we do not receive a response, we will continue to sail as we believe this is an important humanitarian mission," he said. (Courtesy of aljazeera.com)
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