Janjua summons Myanmar envoy to condemn violence against Rohingya Muslims
Foreign Secretary Tahmina Janjua summoned Myanmar's ambassador U. Win Myint to the Foreign Office on Saturday to register Pakistan's "strong protest" at the ongoing violence against the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar's Rakhine State.
Janjua demanded that the Myanmar government takes "effective measures to prevent the recurrence of such violence" and ensures that the rights of the Rohingya population are upheld.
The foreign secretary also emphasised that in order to reach a "durable settlement of the problem", the recommendations of the Kofi Annan Commission be implemented that include urgent and sustained action to prevent violence, maintenance of peace, fostering reconciliation, assuring unhindered humanitarian access and addressing the issue of citizenship from which the Rohingya are deprived.
Janjua also called for an investigation into the recent violence and bring those who are "involved in these serious crimes" to justice.
During the visit, Myint assured Janjua that he will convey Pakistan's concerns to the Myanmar government.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif had expressed "deep anguish at the ongoing violence against the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar". He said that the Rohingyas' plight is “a challenge to the conscience” of the world and that Pakistan was committed to providing humanitarian aid to them.
Despite mounting international pressure, Myanmar's military forces allegedly continue to persecute the Rohingya Muslim minority by burning down villages and killing the members of the minority group. The violence has escalated after an alleged Rohingya militant group carried out attacks on security forces. Many have fled to Bangladesh and other neighbouring countries.
Myanmar's democratic icon and leader Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi is facing severe criticism from the global community, with many of her fellow Nobel laureates condemning her silence on the matter. However, Suu Kyi has condemned a "huge mountain of misinformation" without mentioning the thousands of refugees flocking to Bangladesh.
