Nations urged to support Gambia
DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT, Dhaka
The international community has been urged to extend their support to The Gambia to ensure justice for the victims of the genocide committed against Rohingyas in Myanmars Rakhine state. The call came up at a reception hosted in honour of the Gambian minister of justice, Abubacarr Marie Tambadou, and the special envoy to the prime minister of Canada to Myanmar, Bob Rae. The reception was jointly organised by the embassies of Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Malaysia in The Hague, according to a press release. The Gambian minister of justice and attorney general of the Gambia, Abubacarr Marie Tambadou; Bangladesh foreign secretary Md Shahidul Haque; special envoy of the prime minister of Canada to Myanmar, Bob Rae; OIC director Dr Hassan Ahmed Abedin; UAE ambassador to the Netherlands, Dr Hissa Abdulla A. Alotaiba; Charge dAffaires, a.i. of the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in The Hague, Nasser A. Alghanoom; and Charge dAffaires, a.i. of the Embassy of Malaysia in The Hague, Dr Mohd. Norhisyam Mohd. Yusof spoke on the occasion.
The president of the International Criminal Court, director-general of the OPCW, Gambias Legal Team, Dutch politicians, and senior government officials, ambassadors, members of diplomatic corps, representatives from The Hague-based international organisations, representative from the OIC Secretariat, members of international media and international civil society organisations, Rohingya representatives, among others, participated in the reception.
The foreign secretary in his speech explained the historical background of how Bangladesh has been bearing the brunt of the systematic persecution against the Rohingyas in Rakhine state by the Myanmar authorities.
Narrating the horrors unleashed on Rohingyas on August 25, 2017, in Rakhine state by the Myanmar authorities, the foreign secretary highlighted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas humanitarian drive to open the borders for the persecuted Rohingyas despite Bangladeshs multi-dimensional constraints. He also touched upon the Prime Ministers vow to bring the perpetrators accountability issue before the international community in the UN General Assembly in 2018. Thanking the international community for their support to Bangladesh on the Rohingya issue, he urged them to raise their voice to ensure justice for the persecuted Rohingyas.
He also lauded The Gambia for instituting the case against Myanmar at the ICJ under the 1948 Genocide Convention and thanked the OIC to back The Gambia in this endeavour.
Abubakar Tambadou highly praised Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for hosting the persecuted Rohingyas and extending support to them. He expressed his appreciation to the OIC for its support and endorsement to The Gambia to file the case against Myanmar before the ICJ to ensure accountability for the genocide committed against Rohingyas by Myanmar. The Gambian minister of justice said his countrys fight against Myanmar is not a fight between two states, but the fight of the international community for humanity.
He urged the international community to extend their political, diplomatic, and moral support to ensure justice for Rohingya genocide victims.
Bob Rae highly lauded Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for hosting around a million Rohingyas and extending support to them.
Referring to the joint statement issued by the governments of Canada and the Netherlands on December 9 to support The Gambia in all possible means for the case against Myanmar, the Canadian special envoy urged all governments to extend their support to The Gambia as well.
The ambassador of UAE, Charge dAffaires of Saudi Arabia and Malaysia, and OIC representative in their speeches also praised Bangladesh for hosting Rohingya refugees. They assured their support to The Gambia for the case against Myanmar at the ICJ. Bangladesh ambassador to the Netherlands, Sheikh Mohammed Belal, received the guests at the reception on behalf of the host countries of Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Malaysia.
