MYANMAR WARNED AGAINST FEEDING EXTREMISM
FOREIGN Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman says Naypyidaw must end the brutal oppression of the Rohingya or risk fomenting terrorism. He tells the United Nations General Assembly that ‘prolonged frustration, anger and deprivation’ will send the desperate peo
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FOREIGN Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman has called on the Myanmar government to end atrocities against the Rohingya, saying that such violence could fuel terrorism.
In presenting the national statement at the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Anifah warned that continuous brutality would eventually result in victims turning to extremism.
“If the current situation is not addressed judiciously, the desperate people in Rakhine will become easy prey to recruitment by extremists. Prolonged frustration, anger and deprivation provide fertile breeding ground for it.
“Though the Myanmar government has given its repeated assurances to implement measures to resolve the issue, recent incidents of violence have not assuaged our concerns for effective safeguards to be put in place.
“Therefore, I call upon the government of Myanmar to end the violence and stop the destruction of life and property, and allow immediate unimpeded access for the delivery of humanitarian aid.”
Anifah said over the past few weeks, there had been a recurrence of violence instigated by “a delusional and desperate militant group of Rohingya” in Rakhine.
He said subsequent “clearance operations” by Myanmar had claimed the lives of civilians and caused more than 400,000 Rohingya to flee their homes.
“Such atrocities have unleashed a full-scale humanitarian crisis that the world simply cannot ignore, but must be compelled to act upon,” he said.
He also lauded Bangladesh for providing aid to the Rohingya, as well as receiving almost half a million Rohingya refugees in the past three weeks.
He said sheltering such a huge number of refugees would put a strain on any country.
“Malaysia despatched humanitarian aid to Bangladesh on Sept 9 and will do more. In the spirit of compassion and humanity, I call on the international community to support the humanitarian efforts in Bangladesh,” he said.
The recent violence, which began last month when a small Rohingya militant group ambushed border posts, is the worst Rakhine has witnessed in years, with the UN saying Myanmar’s army may have committed ethnic cleansing in its response.
Commenting on the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, Anifah urged the North Korean government to stop its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, as well as desist from conducting further nuclear tests and missile launches.
“Malaysia reiterates its strong condemnation of North Korea’s nuclear tests and missile launches, which seriously undermine the global disarmament and nonproliferation regime,” he said.
On the Palestine-Israel conflict, Anifah said the world’s failure in resolving the conflict was appalling and unacceptable.
As the violence entered its 50th year, Anifah said, Malaysia remained concerned about the lack of accountability by the Israeli occupying forces, as well as the blockade of Gaza and the resulting humanitarian crisis.
“The plight of some five million registered Palestinian refugees must not be ignored. In view of its weakening financial situation, we urge the international community to strengthen its commitment in providing financial assistance and other relevant assistance to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East,” he said.