UN adopts resolution on Rohingya repatriation to Myanmar

My name is Zafar Ahmad Abdul Ghani, President of Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organization Malaysia (MERHROM). I have been a refugee in Malaysia for the past 30 years. I sought refuge in Malaysia since 1992 and establish MERHROM in 1998 to advocate for genuine democracy in Myanmar, refugee rights protection in Malaysia and ending the Rohingya Genocide. From the time I left Myanmar in 1989 (33 years ago), the situation of Rohingya and other ethnic in Myanmar has worsened. While the Myanmar military continue persecuting the civilian and the human rights defenders in Myanmar particularly after the military coup on 1st February 2021, the Rohingya in Arakan State of Myanmar continue facing the ongoing Genocide causing them to flee the country. This adds on to the number of refugees and asylum seekers in Cox’s Bazar refugee camps and in neighboring countries in particular. The situation in the refugee camp is horrible particularly on the security of refugees in the camps. This forced the Rohingya to seek refuge in other countries and risked their lives as boat people. Many died in the hands of human traffickers. Rohingya in exile continue facing huge challenges especially during covid-19 pandemic including widespread of hate speech and xenophobia against the Rohingya and the human rights defenders which put their lives at risks. On 16th June 2022, two teachers in Arakan State were kidnapped. We are afraid it will trigger another security problem in Arakan State. Rumors spread that the kidnapping is linked to the repatriation of the Rohingya refugees from the Cox’ Bazar refugee camps to Myanmar. We condemn the kidnapping of the 2 teachers and demand for their immediate release. We urge the United Nations, civil society organizations and international community to closely monitor and investigate as the impact of this propaganda will be a disaster to the people of Arakan State. Recognizing the current situation in Myanmar and the situation of the people of Myanmar who fled to the neighboring countries, obviously there is a need to increase pressure to the military junta to stop the Rohingya Genocide and atrocities. The long decades of pressure and advocacy by the United Nations, world leaders, civil society organizations and the international community could not stop the military junta from committing genocide and atrocities against its own people. This is a clear Genocide and crimes against humanity. We have come to the point that we have to take extraordinary steps in dealing with the Myanmar military as the previous efforts doesn’t seem effective to stop the Myanmar military from committing genocide and atrocities. We are struggling to provide humanitarian aid to the Myanmar people including at the IDPs, refugee camps, borders and exile. We lack resources compared to the increasing numbers of Myanmar people alone who became IDPs, asylum seekers and refugees inside and outside of Myanmar. We really need the extraordinary interventions from the United Nations, world leaders, US, EU, UK, Canada, ASEAN, civil society organizations and the international community to end the Rohingya Genocide and atrocities in Myanmar. Therefore, we call upon the United Nations to: 1. take extraordinary measures to end the Rohingya Genocide and atrocities in Myanmar without further delay 2. engage effectively with ASEAN to end the Rohingya Genocide and atrocities 3. deploy UN Peacekeeping Troops to Myanmar to protect civilian, prevent genocide and atrocities, monitor human rights violations and restore peace and security 4. effectively use the 1948 UN Genocide Convention to end the Rohingya Genocide and crime against humanity in Myanmar 5. fully support Gambia for the International Court of Justice (ICJ) process 6. initiate legal actions against the Myanmar military personnel at the ICC 7. immediately stop the Myanmar-Bangladesh Rohingya repatriation plan from Cox’s bazar refugee camps as the genocide is ongoing 8. improve the conditions and facilities in Cox’s Bazar refugee camps including their security while waiting for a durable solution 9. collaborate with the UNHCR and the resettlement countries to increase quota for resettlement for Rohingya Genocide Survivors and human rights defenders at risk 10. advocates to all stakeholders to officially recognize and declare the Rohingya Genocide and collaborate effectively to end the Rohingya Genocide. We thank you so much for your attention and interventions for the Myanmar people. Your interventions are very crucial for the struggle of the Myanmar people for Justice, Peace and Freedom. Thank you. “JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED”. Sincerely yours, Zafar Ahmad Bin Abdul Ghani, President Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organization Malaysia (MERHROM) A Human Rights Defender Tel No: +6016-6827 287 / 018-246 2018 Blog: www.merhrom.wordpress.com Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] https://www.facebook.com/zafar.ahmad. https://twitter.com/merhromZafar