Rohingya crisis

UN concerned over police shooting at Rakhine camp

The United Nations has expressed deep concern over shooting of Rohingyas by Myanmar police at an internally-displaced camp (IDP) housing in the country. The government officials concerned have described such action as unhelpful for the repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas, who had to cross into Cox’s Bazar to escape the brutalities of the Myanmar security forces, local Buddhist mobs and people from other ethnic groups in Rakhine.

Meanwhile, UN secretary-general António Guterres has pointed out to the plight of Rohingya, saying that the persecuted community is subjected to the ethnic cleansing in the hands of Myanmar authorities. “Knut Ostby, the UN resident coordinator in Myanmar, said that he is deeply concerned about the reports of shooting in Ah Nauk Ye camp in central Rakhine state, which holds internally displaced people who fled violence in 2012,” Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN secretary-general, told a regular briefing in New York on Monday.

“He called for calm, non-violence and restraint, expressing his appreciation for the work of the organisations, which provide first aid on‑site to the injured,” he said, adding, “The UN will continue to monitor the situation and is committed to supporting sustainable solutions to the situation in Rakhine state.”

Quoting eyewitnesses, the Reuters news agency said the Myanmar police shot and injured four Rohingyas on Sunday,

while detaining two men accused of smuggling people out of a camp for displaced people in western Rakhine state.

The report said that about 20 police descended on Ah Nauk Ye camp, 15km east of the state’s capital Sittwe, and apprehended the two men who were accused of owning a “rickety vessel,” used in an attempt to smuggle 160 people, including 25 children, out of the camp. The watercraft was stopped south of Yangoon.

An eyewitness told Reuters that when the police came into the camp “people from the camp went out to look and police shot at people.”

When contacted, couple of Bangladeshi officials concerned would not speak much about the incident, but said that such action is not helpful for the repatriation for which both the governments agreed.  

At the opening of the Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations in New York today, UN chief Guterres said, “Think no further than the desperate plight of the Rohingya people of Myanmar, subjected to ethnic cleansing in the only place that they can call home.  Or the ordeal of the Yazidi people in Iraq, overrun by ISIS [Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant], their men slaughtered, and their women and girls sold into slavery.”

“These peoples, and many more around the world, are guilty of nothing except being different from their persecutors,” he said, adding, “That is why we must all work together to build societies that are truly respectful and inclusive, where diversity is seen as a richness, not a threat.  But this will not necessarily happen spontaneously.  It needs the investment and commitment of political, community and faith leaders.”

 

Rohingya crisis

UN concerned over police shooting at Rakhine camp

The United Nations has expressed deep concern over shooting of Rohingyas by Myanmar police at an internally-displaced camp (IDP) housing in the country. The government officials concerned have described such action as unhelpful for the repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas, who had to cross into Coxs Bazar to escape the brutalities of the Myanmar security forces, local Buddhist mobs and people from other ethnic groups in Rakhine. Meanwhile, UN secretary-general Antnio Guterres has pointed out to the plight of Rohingya, saying that the persecuted community is subjected to the ethnic cleansing in the hands of Myanmar authorities. Knut Ostby, the UN resident coordinator in Myanmar, said that he is deeply concerned about the reports of shooting in Ah Nauk Ye camp in central Rakhine state, which holds internally displaced people who fled violence in 2012, Stphane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN secretary-general, told a regular briefing in New York on Monday. He called for calm, non-violence and restraint, expressing his appreciation for the work of the organisations, which provide first aid on‑site to the injured, he said, adding, The UN will continue to monitor the situation and is committed to supporting sustainable solutions to the situation in Rakhine state. Quoting eyewitnesses, the Reuters news agency said the Myanmar police shot and injured four Rohingyas on Sunday, while detaining two men accused of smuggling people out of a camp for displaced people in western Rakhine state. The report said that about 20 police descended on Ah Nauk Ye camp, 15km east of the states capital Sittwe, and apprehended the two men who were accused of owning a rickety vessel, used in an attempt to smuggle 160 people, including 25 children, out of the camp. The watercraft was stopped south of Yangoon. An eyewitness told Reuters that when the police came into the camp people from the camp went out to look and police shot at people. When contacted, couple of Bangladeshi officials concerned would not speak much about the incident, but said that such action is not helpful for the repatriation for which both the governments agreed. At the opening of the Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations in New York today, UN chief Guterres said, Think no further than the desperate plight of the Rohingya people of Myanmar, subjected to ethnic cleansing in the only place that they can call home. Or the ordeal of the Yazidi people in Iraq, overrun by ISIS [Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant], their men slaughtered, and their women and girls sold into slavery. These peoples, and many more around the world, are guilty of nothing except being different from their persecutors, he said, adding, That is why we must all work together to build societies that are truly respectful and inclusive, where diversity is seen as a richness, not a threat. But this will not necessarily happen spontaneously. It needs the investment and commitment of political, community and faith leaders.