The sight of a tearful Emine
Urdugan, wife of the prime minister of Turkey, meeting and embracing Rohingya
refugees moved many men into tears. It took this visit by both the wives of Turkey's
prime minister and foreign minister to jolt other diplomats scurrying into
action and the latest development being the OIC convening an emergency summit
on the issue in the holy city of Makkah.
Turkey showed its concern, made
clear its abhorrence of the appalling treatment of Rohingyas and undertook the
initiative to bring the plight to the world. The scene was dramatic and
stirring. The Rohingyas suffer from being a nation forgotten, stripped of
identity and belonging, further subjected to persecution and bouts of ethnic
cleansing. The latest attack on them left hundreds dead and thousands in exile ending
up in a state of limbo. They had no one to turn to and their neighbour
Bangladesh harshly rejects them even as refugees.
Some have accused Western and
Asean countries of being silent on the issue due to economic reasons. China
has been staunchly supporting the reclusive and repressive Myanmar regime
consisting of a military junta. Meanwhile, Myanmar's darling democrats have
been pathetic on this issue. Myanmar is seen as a potential emerging market
predicted to be to be liberalising and opening up to eager capitalists. Greed
drives many nations to overlook human rights and seemingly condone gross
violations in favour of profits and opportunities.
If we were to leave issues of
humanity to callous political leaders and hopeless diplomats, there can be no
change and people like the Rohingya shall forever keep being trampled on.
What can we do?
1. Petition the foreign ministry Wisma Putra to condemn ethnic cleansing and human rights violations of the Rohingya and
seek guarantees for protection of the Rohingya community.
2. Demand the government to commit
immediate aid for the refugees
3. Support worldwide efforts to
deliver much needed food, medicine and shelter for the Rohingya
4. Donate to the emergency fund
launched by Global Peace Mission Malaysia. Look up http://gpm.com.my/archives/1309
At the local level, it is time to
reflect on our attitudes and feelings towards fellow human beings. It is time
to face up to the realities of immigration, to refugees, asylum and the grave disconnect
between the rich and the poor. We should not look down upon the already
downtrodden, victims of circumstances and suffering from economic conditions many
a time brought about by ruthless tyrants and corrupt benefactors. We should
reflect on how we have been treating others who are not so fortunate.
There are Rohingya refugees in our
country who need our help. The UNHCR through Future Global Network FGN with
WADAH's help has managed to set up two Rohingya educational centres (REC). Rohingyas are already being deprived of a home, nationhood and a bleak prospect of return,
surely we must not allow them to remain illiterate and uneducated in our own
midst of wealthy splendour.
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