Islamic nations call for aid to Rohingya

DHAKA, Bangladesh — A grouping of Islamic countries said Burma’s treatment of Rohingya Muslims is a “serious and blatant violation of international law” and it is calling for international support in solving the crisis.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation issued a joint statement Sunday at the end of a two-day conference in Bangladesh, which has taken in more than 700,000 Rohingya who have fled violence in Burma since August.

The statement said the group will continue to work the U.N. and other global platforms to address the rights violations taking place in Burma. The group echoed previous international statements saying ethnic cleansing is taking place in Burma.

Burma is often called Myanmar, a name that military authorities adopted in 1989. Some nations, such as the United States and Britain, have refused to adopt the name change.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister A.H. Mahmood Ali said delegates pledged solidarity with his country “in the face of the huge Rohingya influx with its humanitarian and security consequences.”

Security forces in Buddhist-majority Burma began a scorched-earth campaign in late August in response to attacks by a Rohingya insurgent group. Thousands of people are believed to have been killed in the crackdown, which many rights activists believe was a calculated attempt to drive Rohingya from the country.

Rohingya are denied citizenship in Burma, where they have long faced persecution.