No doubt ethnic cleansing ongoing in Myanmar: British MPs on Rohingyas

Three British Conservative MPs, who have visited Cox’s Bazar and heard ‘horrific’ stories of Rohingyas who fled violence in Rakhine State, say they have no doubt that an ethnic cleansing is going on in Myanmar.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 21 Sept 2017, 04:10 PM
Updated : 21 Sept 2017, 04:10 PM

They have urged the international community to put pressure on the Myanmar government so that over 430,000 Rohingyas who have entered Bangladesh after Aug 25 violence could return home.

Anne Main, Paul Scully and Will Quince are on a private tour of Bangladesh to see ‘social action projects’ funded by the British government. But they visited Cox’s Bazar due to the intensity of the situation and briefed journalists on Thursday.

A fierce crackdown by the Myanmar military from Aug 25, when Rohingya militants launched deadly attacks on security outposts, has been greeted with widespread international condemnation, including at the UN General Assembly this week.

The UN has called it a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing".

However, Myanmar’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi in her speech on Tuesday condemned rights abuses but did not blame the army nor did she address allegations of ethnic cleansing.

Main, who is also the chair of All Party Parliamentary Group on Bangladesh, said they had been “shocked” to hear the horrific stories.

“We have seen horrified things and heard horrific things from the people in the camp. No dispute as far as I am concerned that these people have been driven out of the country and have been abandoned by Burma.”

“We heard stories of people whose children have been killed in brutal fashion. Everyone we spoke to said terrible tales,” she said, thanking the government for allowing them to visit the places they wanted to.

“We spoke directly to them (Rohingyas). They want to go to their own home if they found that safe.”

“This is a manmade tragedy and there is no question about it that this is ethnic cleansing. This is appalling,” Main added.

Quince said he cannot describe “the most horrific experience” that they heard of.

“I’ll not forget the incredible stories we heard. A young lady saw her husband and son murdered before her. Her house was burnt. She did not know where she is going. But she was trying to find safety,” he said.

The MP said landmines on the border, people being shot dead and houses being burned leave “no question in my mind that this is ethnic cleansing”.

He also urged the international community to put pressure on the Myanmar government including on the generals, and said they would tell the stories they heard going back to London.