Speaker's Advisor: Myanmar Scene of Organized Genocide Against Muslims

Rasa - Senior Advisor to the Iranian Parliament Speaker Hossein Amir Abdollahian blasted the massacre of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar and the silence of the international community about it.

News ID: 432535

Date: 19 September 2017 - 21:11

RNA - "The concerns of the Islamic Republic of Iran are rooted in two things; firstly what we are witnessing in Myanmar is a textbook example of organized genocide practiced against Muslims, and secondly is the fact which is not irrelevant to our region and that is the point that war and insecurity in the world of today will yield in more terrorism which is harmful for the region and the whole world," Amir Abdollahian said in a meeting with Ukrainian Ambassador to Tehran on Monday.

In relevant remarks on Sunday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani condemned the crimes committed by the Myanmar government and army against the Muslims, and urged the world community to show firm reaction to such crimes.

"The Myanmar issue is highly catastrophic and unfortunate and is among the rare crimes in history and everyone should be sensitive to this catastrophe and condemn the acts by Myanmar government and army and help the displaced people," President Rouhani told reporters before leaving Tehran for New York to participate in the annual UN General Assembly meeting.

Noting that he will meet the leaders of Belgium, Sweden, Austria, France, Britain, Japan, Pakistan, South Africa and Bolivia during the trip, he said, "We will have negotiations on bilateral ties, regional issues, the nuclear deal and issues related to other parts of the world, including Myanmar."

President Rouhani stressed that Iran wants to have extensive and constructive relations with the world states, and added, "The regional problems don’t have military solutions and should be resolved through political means and the issue of terrorism should be resolved by all countries."

The Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar have long been subjected to discrimination in Buddhist-majority country, which denies them citizenship.

Myanmar's government regards them as illegal migrants from Bangladesh, even if they have lived in the country for generations.

Refugee camps near Bangladesh's border with Myanmar already had about 300,000 Rohingya before the upsurge in violence last month and are now overwhelmed.

Tens of thousands of new arrivals have nowhere to shelter from monsoon rains.

Those flocking into Bangladesh have given harrowing accounts of killings, rape and arson by Myanmar's army. Myanmar authorities deny any wrongdoing.

Most have walked for days and the UN says many are sick, exhausted and in desperate need of shelter.

847/940