ASEAN parliamentary mission suggests sanctions against Myanmar army
A fact-finding mission of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) on Rohingya crisis today suggested arms embargo alongside targeted sanctions against Myanmar military and its key commanders.
"Asian leaders can talk to China and India to stop arms deal with Myanmar to create pressure on them . . . it's time to think of it," chief of the mission and Malaysian lawmaker Charles Santiago told journalists at a press briefing at a city hotel.
He said the sanction was required to mount pressures on Myanmar to ensure security of Rohingys on their return home under a repatriation process.
The ASEAN parliamentary mission chief also proposed deployment peacekeeping forces in Myanmar's Rakhine state, the homeland of Rohingyas to ensure the security of the ethnic Muslim community who are exposed to threats of persecution.
"It is (however) too early to say about the nature of peace keeping force or whether it will be under ASEAN, European Union or the United Nations, but we can assume without any peace keeping force the repatriation is not possible," he added.
The mission is set to brief the foreign ministers of ASEAN nations which Myanmar to sit together for putting their efforts in ensuring safe repatriation of the Myanamr refugees from Bangladesh.
"Our foreign ministers must put pressure to the government and army of Myanmar to resolve the issue . . . this (Rohingya) is no longer an issue of Myanmar or Bangladesh alone, it became a crisis for the region," Santiago said.
He said the fact finding mission identified five major points which should be resolved to end the crisis with the prime one being making Myanmar accountable over safe repatriation of Rohingyas.
The four other points are: appropriate compensation to affected Rohingyas, ensuring their citizenship; rights to practice their own religion and bearing the "peace keeping cost".
"There are 135 different (official) ethnic groups in Myanmar. The Rohingyas must be declared as the 136th ethnic group of Myanmar," the ASEAN parliamentary mission chief said.
The ASEAN lawmakers lauded Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in tackling this humanitarian issue terming her steps as "bold and positive".
The media briefing came as the mission wrapped up its assignment to review the field level situation against the backdrop of the proposed repatriation under a bilateral arrangement between Bangladesh and Myanmar.
The mission chief said they also sought to gauge potential regional responses and what is needed to push their governments and the wider international community into action.
Current and former parliamentarians from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia attended the event and shared their experience.
Singaporean MP Louis Ng, former Thai MP Rachada Dhnadirek and former Indonesian MP Lena Maryana Mukti are among the members of the team.
During the mission, the ASEAN lawmakers visited the refugee camps around Cox's Bazar and listened to the horrifying stories of atrocities of Myanmar army from the victims.
The delegation also held meetings with local parliamentarians, government and non-government officials.
Source: BSS
