4th anniv of Rohingya exodus
Myanmar govt in exile assures Rohingya of all civil rights
The exiled government has given such statement for the third time in favour of the Rohingya people
The Myanmar government in exile, known as the National Unity Government, has assured that it would ensure civil rights for all the ethnic groups including Rohingya. It also said that the atrocities committed against the ethnic group will never be repeated.
The National Unity Government (NUG) made the pledge in a statement issued on Tuesday marking the fourth anniversary of the vicious violence on the Rohingya in Myanmar’s Rakhine state.
The exiled government has given such statement for the third time in favour of the Rohingya people. In the first statement in May it said, NUG would provide all types of assistance to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Rohingya genocide case. In the second statement in June it called on the Rohingyas to join hands with NUG along with the pledges of recognising them as Myanmar citizens, ensuring their return to Rakhine with dignity and guaranteed a trial for the atrocities against them.
The same military responsible for those atrocities have perpetrated crimes against humanity and war crimes against people in Myanmar on the basis of race, religion, sexual orientation, or political belief, especially people living in the ethnic areas over decades
In the latest statement it said, the NUG is deeply saddened by the horrendous violence, gross human rights violations, and massive displacement that the Rohingya people suffered four years ago, resulting in hundreds of thousands fleeing their home and taking refuge in neighbouring countries.
The statement continues as, the same military responsible for those atrocities have perpetrated crimes against humanity and war crimes against people in Myanmar on the basis of race, religion, sexual orientation, or political belief, especially people living in the ethnic areas over decades. Since 1 February 2021, the entire nation of Myanmar, have been experiencing atrocities and violence, witnessed by the whole world through different media.
Myanmar’s military seized power on 1 February by overthrowing the Aung San Suu Kyi-led NLD government. They annulled the results of last November’s national election, accusing the NLD of vote-rigging. After that, some of the MPs who won the election formed a national unity government on 16 April as an alternative government. The main partner in the exiled government is the Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD). However, it was joined by representatives of different ethnic groups and some smaller political groups.
The NUG vowed to seek justice and accountability for all crimes committed by the military against the Rohingya and all other people of Myanmar across the country throughout our history.
Citing voluntary, safe and dignified return of the Rohingya to their original home is at the top of their list of priorities, the statement said, “We believe that repealing the 1982 Citizenship Law with a new one that bases citizenship in Myanmar or birth anywhere as a child of Myanmar citizen and abolishing the process of issuing National Verification Cards will also contribute to solving problems during the repatriation process.”
Myanmar’s exiled government says Rakhine is the main source of the Rohingya crisis. Therefore, in order to solve this problem, the recommendations of the international organisations as well as the Rohingyas should be taken into consideration.
*This report, originally published Prothom Alo Bangla Online, has been rewritten in English by Farjana Liakat