Asean MPs hail Malaysia’s stand

Move was necessary to push action in aid of Rohingya, say lawmakers

PETALING JAYA: A group of lawmakers from Asean countries has hailed Malaysia’s decision to dissociate itself from the Asean chairman’s statement on the Rohingya humanitarian crisis in Rakhine, Myanmar.

The Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) said Malaysia’s move – announced by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman – was an important and necessary step to push for more substantial action by the regional body to address the growing crisis.

“The minister’s bold stand is commendable and he deserves praise for going out on a limb to call out what’s really happening in Rakhine and what needs to be done about it,” said its chairman Charles Santiago here yesterday.

The Asean chairman’s statement was issued on Saturday after a closed-door meeting of the regional group’s foreign ministers on the sidelines of the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The statement had expressed the collective concerns of the ministers over the “humanitarian situation” in Rakhine without any mention of the Rohingya community.

On Sunday, Anifah said Malaysia was dissociating itself from the statement as it was a misrepresentation of the reality of the situation.

Malaysia, he added, had also made known its concerns but they were not reflected in the statement.

Anifah, said APHR, had rightly

This is no longer a problem in Myanmar only and has the grave possibility of destabilising the region.

Charles Santiago

called on the Myanmar government to end the violence, stop the destruction of lives and properties, allow immediate unimpeded access for the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Rohingya and all affected com- munities, and to resolve the Rohingya refugee problem.

“This is no longer a problem in Myanmar only and has the grave possibility of destabilising the entire region.

“Asean cannot continue pussyfooting around the issue of targeted violence against Rohingya in Myanmar,” said Santiago, who is also Klang MP.

APHR board member Teddy Baguilat said Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry had set the bar high with its strong statement on the Rohingya crisis.

“Now, other ministries must follow and demonstrate policy consistency and coherence throughout the Malaysian Government,” said Baguilat, a member of the Philippine House of Representatives.

The group also urged other Asean governments to take similar measures to directly address the crisis.

“If the Myanmar authorities want to clarify the real situation on the ground, they should allow for the entry of impartial investigators from the UN-mandated fact-finding mission as well as other observers from relevant regional bodies,” said fellow APHR board member Eva Kusuma Sundari, a member of Indonesia’s House of Representatives.

On Monday, the Philippines’ foreign ministry had said it held “deep respect” for Malaysia’s decision to dissociate itself from the statement.

The Philippines is this year’s Asean chair.