Iranian Students Rally in Front of UN Office to Deplore Massacre of Myanmar Muslims

Rasa - Hundreds of Iranian school students held protest rallies in front of the UN office in Tehran on Tuesday to condemn the crimes committed against the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, urging the world states and international bodies to take action to stop the continued massacre of the oppressed minority.

News ID: 432541

Date: 19 September 2017 - 21:34

RNA - The students, carrying placards, called on the UN to deal with the aggravating conditions of the Muslims in Myanmar, condemning the silence of human rights' advocates on their massacre, suppression and forced displacement.

Addressing the rally, Secretary-General of Islamic Associations of Students in Iran Hamed Alamati voiced regret over the silence of the human rights advocates on the plights of the Muslims in Myanmar.

During the peaceful protest rally in Tehran, demonstrators showed support for the Rohingya Muslims, and called on the UN and human rights organizations to break their silence and end the massacre.

The protest rally was held after Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei strongly blasted the international bodies and those who claim to be advocates of human rights for silence on the plights and pains of Muslims in Myanmar, and called on the Islamic countries to adopt practical measures against the Myanmar government.

"Of course, religious prejudice may play a role in this incident but it is a political issue because it is executed by the Myanmar government which is headed by a cruel woman who has won the Nobel prize, and actually the Nobel Peace Prize died with such incidents," Ayatollah Khamenei said last Tuesday.

He lashed out at the UN secretary-general who has only sufficed to the condemnation of the crimes in Myanmar, and said, "Those who claim to be advocates of human rights and start hues and cries sometimes for punishment of a guilty person in Iran, don’t show any reaction to the massacre and displacement of tens of thousands of people in Myanmar."

Ayatollah Khamenei underlined the need for the Islamic governments' action and practical measures, and said, "Of course, practical action doesn’t mean deployment of military forces but they should increase political, economic and trade pressures on Myanmar government and shout against such crimes in the international circles."

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.

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