ASEAN NEEDS A NEW APPROACH TO STOP THE TRAGEDY OF THE ROHINGYA BOAT PEOPLE
19TH DECEMBER 2022
PRESS STATEMENT
ASEAN NEEDS A NEW APPROACH TO STOP THE TRAGEDY OF THE ROHINGYA BOAT PEOPLE.
Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organization Malaysia (MERHROM) calls upon the ASEAN member states and Bangladesh government to adopt a new approach to stop the tragedy of the Rohingya boat people. We hope the new Malaysian government under the leadership of YAB Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim will lead ASEAN to stop the Rohingya Genocide and atrocities in Myanmar so that no more people of Myanmar will be suffering and forced to flee.
It is really heartbreaking to see the Rohingya brothers and sisters and their children die of hunger, drifting on the ocean for months without help. It is more painful and frustrating to know that human traffickers go scot free after killing the Rohingya genocide survivors.
The ongoing boat people tragedy is the manifestation of the worst situation both in Myanmar and Cox’s Bazar Refugee Camps. We will continue to face this situation unless the situation in Myanmar and refugee camps improves. The lack of security, education and recreational activities in the refugee camps, deteriorates the Rohingya’s physical health and mental health and they easily fall into the hands of human traffickers in the region.
MERHROM calls upon the ASEAN countries and South Asia countries to urgently rescue the Rohingya boat people. Saving the lives of the people must be the first priority of every state. More people will die if rescue delays.
We felt very sad that until now the ASEAN and Bangladesh failed to prosecute human traffickers resulting in the increase of Rohingya boat people. We call upon the Asean government and the Bangladesh government to prosecute all human traffickers and to stop the corruption within the trafficking networks. The boat people tragedy must be stopped.
As much as ASEAN and the International community wants the Rohingya to return to Myanmar, the root cause of our problem must be resolved. The Rohingya Genocide must end to allow us to return home in a voluntary, safe and dignified manner. The Rohingya cannot live indefinitely in IDP camps, refugee camps or in exile. This is a gross human rights violation and unacceptable. Therefore, the intervention of ASEAN, United Nations, Civil Society Oranizations and the international community is very much needed to stop Rohingya Genocide and atrocities in Myanmar subsequently combating human trafficking in the region.
“JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED”.
