Rohingya groups active in Bangladesh and the UK have asked for British intervention to protect their people in the Rakhine state.
Published : 27 Oct 2013, 01:55 PM
On the eve of Myanmar President Thein Sein's visit to UK, these groups have asked British Prime Minister not to give primacy to economic interests at the expense of human rights.
“We urge the British Government to take this opportunity to put pressure on Burmese (Myanmar) President U Thein Sein to ensure several steps to protect the Rohingyas," said a statement of the Arakan Rohingya National Organisation (ARNO) and Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK).
The statement said the UK must pressurise Thein Sein to accept the following:
* To stop forthwith all human rights violations against the Rohingya and other Muslims
* To ensure religious freedom, and reopen all mosques and madrasas in Arakan
* To agree to an international investigation into the abuses against the Rohingya minority
* To allow full, free and unimpeded humanitarian access to all those affected and needy regardless of registered or unregistered IDP camps
* To repeal or amend 1982 Citizenship Law to conform it to international human rights law standards ensuring full citizenship to Rohingyas
* To repudiate publicly the discriminatory decree limiting Rohingya families to two children each