Tuesday, November 12, 2013

OIC Secretary-General To Visit Myanmar To Discuss Rohingya Muslim Issue

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 (Bernama) -- Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) secretary-general Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu is set to leave for Myanmar on Tuesday to discuss the humanitarian, political and legal situation of Rohingya Muslims.

He said the visit, together with seven foreign ministers and senior officials from members of the OIC contact group on the Rohingya minority, would be a milestone in relations between the Muslim world and Myanmar where serious steps towards drawing a roadmap to improve the situation of Muslims in the country would begin.

The visit would include meetings with Myanmar's political leadership, Muslim and Buddhist members in Myanmar's parliament, as well as visiting affected Muslims in Arakan, Ihsanoglu said in an OIC statement Monday.

According to the statement, OIC has been at the forefront since the outbreak of the first spark of violence against Arakan's Muslims in June last year.

Numerous steps have been undertaken to highlight the issue through the media and several international contacts, including putting the issue on the agenda of the UN General Assembly and Human Rights Council.

Since last year, Rakhine State has experienced ongoing conflicts between Rohingya Muslims and ethnic Rakhine in the northern Rakhine State of Myanmar, which have been condemned by most people on both sides of the conflict.

Ihsanoglu said his visit to Yangon would not have taken place if the OIC had not undertaken a series of measures, including the meeting of OIC Foreign Ministers in New York and formation of a contact group on the issue, as well as the OIC Islamic Summits in Makkah in August last year and in Cairo in February this year.

-- BERNAMA

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