The Malaysian Insight

MALAYSIA will look into the latest allegations of rights abuses of the Rohingyas in Myanmar following Naypyidaw’s refusal to allow a United Nations mission to investigate the matter.

Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi, who is also home minister, said today he would meet Foreign Minister Anifah Aman to discuss the next course of action for Malaysia in response to Myanmar barring the entry of UN investigators probing into rights abuses of the Muslim minority ethnic group.

“I will discuss with the Minister for Foreign Affairs Anifah Aman to get detailed information about efforts that can be done by Wisma Putra.

“We will also pay attention to what is happening in Myanmar and will provide humanitarian help and diplomatic actions according to what Anifah advises,” he said at a press conference in Putrajaya today.

Malaysia has an interest in the plight of the Rohingya as the country hosts some 58,600 asylum seekers from the ethnic minority fleeing persecution and unrest in Myanmar.

Yesterday, it was reported that the Myanmar government, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, will refuse entry to members of the UN missoin that wil probe violations of minority Rohingya Muslims’ human rights by the country’s military.

About 75,000 Rohinya refugees fled western Rakhine state to Bangladesh late last year after the Myanmar army carried out a security operation in response to attacks by Rohingya insurgents that killed nine border police.

Myanmar insists that a domestic investigation led by former leutenant general and Vice President Myint Swe is sufficient to look into the human right’s violations in Rakhine.

An advisory panel headed by former UN chief Kofi Annan is set to propose solutions for the broader issues in Rakhine but has not been asked to investigate human rights abuses. – July 1, 2017.