NEW YORK – Malaysia has called on the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to collaborate with Asean to resolve the Rohingya humanitarian crisis.
In making the call, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said both OIC and Asean should ask for de-escalation and cessation of violence, especially by the military authorities in Myanmar.
“Both organisations must coordinate humanitarian assistance without discrimination, including in areas not controlled by the military,” he told a press conference here.
Zambry said he made the remark during the OIC Contact Group On Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar meeting held on the sideline of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) here Tuesday.
According to him, the situation in Myanmar continues to spiral down, following the military coup in February 2021, and Malaysia and Bangladesh are among the countries badly hit as both currently sheltering about 200,000 and one million Rohingya refugees respectively.
“The dire situation of the Rohingya Muslims is still not improving. The Rohingya Muslims are still subjected to extrajudicial and arbitrary killings, various forms of sexual violence and systematic evictions from their homes,” he said.
Zambry also said Gambia’s legal case at ICJ against Myanmar needs more funding, adding that Malaysia has contributed US$100,000 to the OIC Fund for Rohingya in 2020.
At the same time, he said Rohingya Muslims need to develop their resilience and self-reliance to prepare for their new life in Myanmar.
“For them to resettle agreeably, member states must strongly urge the Myanmar government on the importance of safe, voluntary, and dignified repatriation of the displaced Rohingya Muslims,” he added.
On the scheduled bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan here Wednesday, Zambry said both leaders would discuss Islamophobia and how to address it on the global stage.
The meeting will take place on the sideline of UNGA. – September 20, 2023