To pre-empt aggressive radicalism, Myanmar should seriously tackle Rohingya crisis — Policy adviser

KUALA LUMPUR: The Myanmar Government has been urged to be more serious in tackling the Rohingya Muslim issue as it could spark aggressive radicalism and threaten peace and stability currently enjoyed in Southeast Asia.

Policy Adviser to Indonesia’s Coordinating Ministry for Law, Politics & Security, Dr Sri Yunanto said the suffering of Rohingya Muslims was believed to contribute to a significant increase in the arrivals of extremists and foreign terrorist fighters to the region that in turn, led to persistent violent acts at several spots and countries.

“I foresee this as a level of potential (threat), therefore, in this regard, (the) Myanmar Government has to show seriousness to bring peace to the Rakhine state, specifically.

“Although the principle of noninterference applies here (amongst ASEAN countries), nevertheless, the Myanmar Government needs to listen that regional stability and peace do matter,” he told Bernama on the sidelines of the Public Venue Security and Counter-Terrorism Summit here yesterday.

Thetwo-daysummitwasattended by 16 speakers, together with security and counter-terrorism experts from, among others, the United Kingdom, Singapore, the Philippines, Australia, Indonesia as well as local officials to discuss various security issues, management, organisational change and preparedness for disaster and event disruptions.

Elaborating, Yunanto said the ongoing ‘dehumanised’ state of heavily-persecuted ethic Muslim minority could also create another form of radicalisation, which indirectly involved other religions and refugees in the region.

“( The) Rohingya has been another issue (other than the Palestine issue) where Muslims, in particular radical Muslims, feel dehumanised as they (the extremists) feel connected to the Rohingyas (their brothers and sisters) who need to be supported and protected.

“Also, another problem is the emergence of terrorist groups among the refugees. As they (the refugees) are vulnerable and can be easily infiltrated, these are the concerns that need preventive measures, (to be taken) not just by Myanmar but also other nations in the region (as well),” he noted.

The Rohingya issue, a local humanitarian disaster with regional consequences unfolded in 2015 after thousands of ethnic Rohignya Muslims fled Rakhine, a restive state in western Myanmar, in boats, and remained stranded in the Andaman Sea.

The plight of hundreds of thousands of these people is also said to be the world’s fastest growing refugee crisis. — Bernama