Myanmar: Stop Persecuting Rohingya, MEPs Keep Urging

• MEPs renew call to end hostilities against Rohingya
• Immediate, unhindered humanitarian access must be provided
• Call on EU to significantly increase pressure on the Myanmar authorities

Since August 2017, more than 646 000 Rohingya have fled for safety to neighbouring Bangladesh. The total number of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh is expected to exceed 1 million by the end of 2017, says the resolution adopted by show of hands.

The European Parliament renews its call “for an immediate end to the violence, to the killing, harassment and rape of Rohingya people and to the destruction of their homes by the Myanmar security forces”. It also urges the Myanmar government to:

• condemn unequivocally all incitement to racial or religious hatred and combat social discrimination and hostilities against the Rohingya minority;
• work with international aid agencies, the EU and the UN to allow immediate, unhindered humanitarian access to Rakhine State;
• end the segregation of the Rohingya population; and
• immediately cease its use of landmines and remove all mines already laid.

Targeted sanctions and extended scope of EU arms embargo

The EU and its member states, as a matter of urgency, should adopt targeted punitive sanctions against individuals responsible for perpetuating widespread human rights abuses in Myanmar, and extend the scope of the existing EU arms embargo against Myanmar, urge MEPs. They call on the EU foreign policy chief to significantly increase pressure on the Myanmar authorities and security services to end the violence and discrimination perpetrated against the Rohingya people.