World cannot be a bystander as Rohingyas face genocide, say Salman Rushdie and other celebrities

Writer Salman Rushdie and dozens of other notable actors, comedians and writers have penned an open letter stating the international response to the Rohingya crisis has fallen ‘far short’ and calling for urgent action.

“We must not be bystanders to this genocide. We cannot allow people to be slaughtered and burnt out of their homes, while the world watches,” they wrote in an open letter published in The Guardian.

They called upon world leaders to increase political pressure on the Myanmar government to stop the military operation in Rakhine state, grant Rohingyas citizenship and allow them to return home.

The authors of the letter urged countries to fully fund the UN appeal for aid to provide food, water and shelter to the refugees.

The letter also pressed corporations invested in the region to speak up and divest or risk being complicit in atrocities.

The letter compared the urgency of the Rohingya crisis to the Rwandan genocide.

“Over the past two months, more than 600,000 Rohingya people have been driven from their homes, had their land destroyed, and endured torture and rape while searching for safety. Remember what happened in Rwanda? Now, pay attention to Myanmar,” it said.

It also commended Bangladesh for opening its borders and making efforts to aid the refugees, but acknowledged the country faced its own challenges of population density, poverty and climate change.

The list of 72 signatories also included actor Riz Ahmed, actor and comedian Aziz Ansari, writer Kiran Desai, actress and food writer Madhur Jaffrey, actress Mindy Kaling, actor and comedian Kumail Nanjiani and actress Freida Pinto.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Rohingya - 1Rohingya refugees cross the Naf River with an improvised raft in Teknaf, Bangladesh, Nov 12, 2017. Reuters