Zarif's letter to UN on Rohingya Persecution

EghtesadOnline: Iran's Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif in a letter to UN new Secretary-General called for serious attention to the plight of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.

News ID: ۷۳۹۰۸۶

07 January 2017

Zarif in this letter to UN new Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres expressed his concern about deteriorating condition of Rohingya Muslims, called for essential steps for ending the anxieties of international community in this regard.

According to ISNA, here is the full context of the letter:

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

06 January 2017

Excellency,

I would like to draw your kind attention to an issue that is of international concern. Based on valid information, including the statement by Mr. Vijay Nambiar, your Special Adviser on Myanmar, made on 8 December 2016, the situation of the Rohingya Muslim community is increasingly deteriorating.

Not only are the Rohingya Muslims deprived from their most' basic rights, which include the right to a territory and a government that supports them, they are also subject to atrocities and inhumane behaviors on a daily basis.

Many of them have been forced to leave their homes and are now displaced in other countries. This situation, which constitutes a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter and runs counter to the most fundamental principles enshrined in human-right documents, is a matter of deep concern for the international community and Muslims all over the world. The extraordinary meeting of the OIC foreign ministers, set to take place on 19 January 2017 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to consider the situation of the Rohingya People, testifies to the depth of the concern in Islamic countries.

Obviously, the systematic and extensive violation of the basic rights of the Rohingya Muslims, their deprivation of citizen rights they enjoyed for centuries and their banishment from their homes, will have adverse consequences for peace and security in Myanmar, its neighboring countries and the whole region.

The international community expects from the Government of Myanmar to assert control over the Rohingya region and act immediately and effectively towards the restoration of the rights of the Rohingya Muslims as a part of the Myanmar society. It should not allow the violent and extremist groups to blur the peaceful nature of the Buddhist faith.

Given the concern over the fate of the Rohingya Muslims, I expect that Your Excellency and your Special Adviser on Myanmar communicate actively with the Government of Myanmar and convey to Myanmar's officials the view of the international community on the need to stop the violation of the rights of the Rohingya Muslims and allow unfettered access of humanitarian assistance to the violence-stricken regions.

H.E. Mr. Antonio Guterres,

Secretary-General of the United Nations, New York

I hope that the international community and the relevant UN mechanisms, including the

Consultative Commission for Rakhine State, consider the situation, act swiftly and take essential steps towards allaying international concern about the situation of the Rohingya Muslims.