Sait Demir stated that the ineffectiveness of the OIC and Turkey to find a solution to the plight of the Muslims in the country was because Myanmar's authorities have not reciprocated the goodwill.
World Bulletin/News Desk
May 04, 2013
The Organization of
Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has failed to prevent increasing acts of violence
against Muslims in Myanmar committed by extremist Buddhists due to the
insensitivity of both the Myanmar government and the member states of the
organization.
Observers believe
that the violence against Muslims in Myanmar should alarm the international
community, particularly OIC, and that more than ever they should increase their
efforts to prevent the violence against the Arakan Muslims who have been forced
to flee their homes due to violence and who now face hunger, thirst and disease
as the bloody ethnic massacre in the country has reached to an unbearable point
in the recent months.
Two outbreaks of
unrest between Buddhists -- supported by the state because of ethno-religious
differences -- and Arakan Muslims in June and October left nearly 200 people
dead and forced tens of thousands of people, mostly Muslims, to flee burning
homes.
The violence
appeared to begin spontaneously, but by October had morphed into anti-Muslim
pogroms across Arakan province, the location of the recently escalating
violence that spread last month in the Southeast Asian country.
Sait Demir, who has
been serving in Myanmar with Turkey's Humanitarian Aid Foundation (IHH) for
nine years, stated that the ineffectiveness of the OIC and Turkey to find a
solution to the plight of the Muslims in the country was because Myanmar's
authorities have not reciprocated the goodwill of the organization and Turkey.
Demir told Turkish
press that the visit of Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and Emine
Erdoğan, the Turkish prime minister's wife, to Myanmar in mid–August to observe
the situation of the Arakan Muslims, who are seen as foreigners by nationalist
Myanmar leaders and extremist Buddhists, in the Banduba refugee camp in Arakan,
was a milestone.
“After Davutoğlu's
visit, the Myanmar government started to close its eyes to the violence in the
country. The OIC wanted to open an office in Myanmar but the extremist
Buddhists protested and therefore, the Myanmar government did not give
permission for the office to be opened. Turkey wanted to play an active role in
the country but this was also prevented by the Myanmar authorities,” said
Demir, adding that currently the IHH is also prevented from being functional in
the country.
Turkey was hopeful
at the time of Davutoğlu's visit to Myanmar, but all these hopes were dashed by
the recent violence in the conflict-torn country.
Davutoğlu had
discussed possible steps to take to help the Arakan Muslims in Myanmar with
Secretary-General of the OIC Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu and with Bangladesh, where a
great number of Arakan Muslims have taken shelter. However, so far, these
efforts haven't yielded any results.
As a step to
increase Turkey's role in the issue, the Turkish parliamentary Human Rights
Commission decided this week to conduct investigations in order to watch for
any violations of the rights of Arakan Muslims in Myanmar.
Human Rights
Commission Chairman Ayhan Sefer Üstün told Turkish press that the commission
will establish investigatory committees and pay visits to Myanmar so as to
observe the situation as necessary.
“There is a
humanitarian tragedy going on in Myanmar. We cannot be indifferent to this
tragedy. We are planning to send a letter to the presidents as well as the
prime ministers of many countries about the situation of the Muslims in
Myanmar. We will do our utmost to keep this issue at the top of the agenda.
Buddhists are killing Muslims and the government in Myanmar is only watching it
happen. This is noteworthy,” said Üstün.
Muslims in Myanmar
are the victims of a global power struggle, said Demir, adding that the
Buddhists were carrying out “genocide” against Muslims. “Turkey, a country
which is active in the UN, should force that organization to take action on the
issue. The International community is staying silent on this genocide for its
own interests. This problem is a world problem!” said Demir.
OIC's structure led
to failure of organization to take action in Myanmar
Although the OIC
held several meeting to discuss the issue of violence against Arakan Muslims in
Myanmar, so far it has not been able to take concrete action on the ground to
stop the violence which is believed to be due to the ineffective structure of
the organization and unwillingness of the member states.
“Our expectation
from the OIC and the Muslim countries was to play an active role in preventing
massacres in the country. However, the increasing violence in Myanmar is enough
proof for us to see the ineffectiveness of the OIC. This organization is unable
to wield its own power” Association of Human Rights and Solidarity for
Oppressed Peoples (MAZLUM-DER) Secretary-General Üstün Bol told Turkish press.
İhsanoğlu has
several times complained that though the OIC has been working to resolve the
issue through engagement and proactive action, Myanmar's authorities have not
responded to the calls of the organization.
However, Bol
believes that the OIC should be activated and the Muslim world should use its
influence over the issue. “The Muslim world has significant potential but its
fails to benefit from its potential,” said Bol.
The UN estimates
the Arakan population in Myanmar at 800,000 individuals, but nationalist
Myanmar leaders, officials and fanatical Buddhists do not recognize them as one
of the country's 135 ethnic groups and most are denied citizenship and are
exposed to discrimination.
Keeping mum
tantamount to being partner in crime
Touching on the
reluctance of the international community, Chairman of the Felicity Party (SP)
Mustafa Kamalak stated that the Buddhists in the country were openly carrying
out massacres of Muslims and added that those who stay silent in the face of
these massacres were partners in the crimes.
“It is most
regrettable to witness the insensitive attitude of Muslim countries and the OIC
over the issue. I am speaking openly; this tragedy cannot be kept at bay by
weak speeches! Remaining silent will encourage the wrongdoers to continue their
atrocities. Deterrent measures should be taken immediately and international
organizations should be mobilized. The world should stop this massacre in
Arakan that will go down in history as the greatest massacre of the 21st
century. Or else, no one can justify this in history,” Kamalak told Turkish
press.
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