OIC chief condemns spreading violence against Burmese Muslims

JEDDAH, March 25 (KUNA) -- Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu on Monday strongly condemned the recent spread of violence against Muslims in Myanmar at the hands of extremist Buddhists.
Violence in Arakan region (Rakhine State) in west Myanmar (also known as Burma) continues uninterrupted since last June and has spread to other cities and areas, particularly in the Miektila city in the central Mandalay region, Prof. Ihsanoglu regretted in a press release by the Jeddah-based organization.
"As a result of this violence, scores of Muslims were killed and their homes and properties burnt, in addition to the burning of eight mosques and a number of schools. Hundreds of families fled their homes. Such violence should not continue," he stressed.
"The Secretary General expresses concern over the Myanmar government's failure to protect the lives of its innocent civilians. It is the responsibility of the authorities to address the root causes of the issue and safeguard the lives and property of all the peoples of Myanmar," according to the statement.
He recalled the resolutions passed by the two OIC extraordinary summits in Makkah in August, 2012, and in Cairo in February, 2013, as well as the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) in Djibouti November, 2012.
The resolutions call for immediate end to repression against the Muslim minority in Myanmar with particular reference to the right of citizenship for Rohingya Muslims in the Arakan Region.
Prof. Ihsanoglu added that the recent outbreak of violence highlighted the urgency for evolving a comprehensive approach to address the root causes of the issue.
He voiced profound concern over on the situation of human rights in Myanmar as reflected in the recent resolution of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
He called upon the government of Myanmar to address the concerns of the international community as reflected in the relevant UN and OIC Resolutions in particular the restoration of the citizenship of the Rohingya Muslim minority as well as the recommendations of the UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar.
"The situation of Rohingya Muslims remains to be a priority item on the OIC agenda," the Secretary General said, noting that he was consistently in touch with the international political organizations as well as the OIC groups in Geneva and New York with a view to ensuring all possible assistance to the victims of violence.
He reiterated OIC's willingness to provide humanitarian assistance, without discrimination, to the affected Arakan Region in Myanmar and calls on the Myanmar authorities to remove obstacles hindering the delivery of the urgent humanitarian assistance.
He added that OIC was willing to cooperate and coordinate for humanitarian assistance with the Aid Agencies, NGOs and other national and international organizations working in the region. (end) yms.gb KUNA 252113 Mar 13NNNN