KUALA LUMPUR: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is expected to finalize and arrange a visit to Myanmar for discussions on ways to resolve the crisis faced by minority Rohingya Muslims. According to the OIC, the visit will be led by Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, and a number of foreign ministers from its member states. “The ministers will assess the humanitarian needs of those affected by the violence in the Rakhine state, and also coordinate with the Myanmar authorities to develop a plan for it,” it said in a statement. The visit is part of the resolutions adopted at the recent OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) meeting in Djibouti. The 39th CFM urged member states to intensify efforts in the restoration of the Rohingya Muslims' nationality and citizenship rights, and the return of refugees, as soon as possible. It comes as the situation for Myanmar's Rohingya continues to face an uncertain future as violence continues in Rakhine state. Malaysia, which has a large Rohingya refugee population, has been pushing for greater aid to the Muslim minority in Myanmar in recent months. 1Malaysia Putera Club's main Humanitarian Mission team, led by President Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim, was in Myanmar last month. The 35-member team, said they were assisted by Prime Minister Najib Razak to gain permission to enter the country based on Malaysia's close ties with Myanmar. An estimated 500 tons of food, medicine and other items had been sent by ship followed by 14 volunteers on surveillance mission on September 29. Meanwhile, the humanitarian mission included singer Irwan Shah Abdullah, better known as DJ Dave, as the representative of the 1Malaysia Artistes Foundation. Since mid-June, Bangladesh authorities have admitted to forcing back at least 1,300 Rohingya trying to flee to Bangladesh, though the actual number is likely substantially higher, Human Rights Watch said. Rohingya are escaping killings, looting, and other sectarian violence in Arakan State, as well as abuses by the Burmese authorities, including ethnically motivated attacks and mass arrests. A United Nations senior official expressed serious concern about reports of human rights violations committed by security forces in Myanmar's Rakhine state, after clashes between its Buddhist and Muslim communities reportedly killed at least 78 people and displaced thousands in July. “We have been receiving a stream of reports from independent sources alleging discriminatory and arbitrary responses by security forces, and even their instigation of and involvement in clashes," the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, said in a news release. “Reports indicate that the initial swift response of the authorities to the communal violence may have turned into a crackdown targeting Muslims, in particular members of the Rohingya [Muslim] community," she added. According to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the violence between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims in the state, located in the country's west, was triggered when an ethnic Rakhine woman was raped and murdered on May 28. This was followed by the killing of 10 Muslims by an unidentified mob on June 3. Pillay called for a prompt, independent investigation, noting that the crisis reflects the long-standing and systemic discrimination against the Rohingya Muslim community, who are not recognized by the Government and remain stateless. “The government has a responsibility to prevent and punish violent acts, irrespective of which ethnic or religious group is responsible, without discrimination and in accordance with the rule of law," Pillay said. She also called on national leaders to speak out against discrimination, the exclusion of minorities and racist attitudes, and in support of equal rights for all in Myanmar. She also stressed that the UN was making an effort to assist and protect all communities in Rakhine state. “Prejudice and violence against members of ethnic and religious minorities run the risk of dividing the country in its commendable national reconciliation efforts, undermine national solidarity, and upset prospects of peace-building," Pillay said. Meanwhile, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said it is delivering aid to the more than 30,000 people that were affected by the violence. “As we speak, additional tents are being airlifted from the Republic of Korea to meet urgent shelter needs on the ground," a UNHCR spokesperson, Andrej Mahecic, told reporters in Geneva.
