PM places 5-point proposal to end Rohingya crisis

Desk Report: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has floated a five-pronged proposal at the United Nations to thrash out a permanent solution to the Rohingya crisis and called on all countries to back it.

She presented the proposals emphasising swift action to resolve the problem in her speech, given in Bangla as usual, at the 72nd UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday.

In her speech,  Sheikh Hasina sought expeditious UN and global interventions to protect all civilians in Myanmar's Rakhine State irrespective of religion and ethnicity and take effective steps for a permanent solution to the protracted Rohingya crisis.

"Firstly, Myanmar must unconditionally stop the violence and the practice of ethnic cleansing in the Rakhine State immediately and forever," she said in her address at the UN headquarters.

Sheikh Hasina reiterated Bangladesh call to create "safe zones" under UN supervision in Myanmar for the protection of all civilian population irrespective of religion and ethnicity and unconditional implementation of the Kofi Annan Commission recommendations to resolve the crisis.

She called for ensuring "sustainable return" of all forcibly displaced Myanmar Rohingyas in Bangladesh to their homes saying these people must be able to return to their homeland in safety and securely with dignity.

"Hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas from the Rakhine State are entering Bangladesh to flee violence. As estimated by IOM, in last three weeks over four hundred thirty thousand Rohingyas entered Bangladesh," she told the UN's annual meet.

Sheikh Hasina added: "This forcibly displaced people of Myanmar are fleeing an 'ethnic cleansing' in their own country where they have been living for centuries."

The premier said currently Bangladesh was sheltering over 800,000 forcibly displaced Rohingyas of Myanmar while the ongoing atrocities and human rights violations in the Rakhine State "once again aggravated the situation at the Bangladesh-Myanmar border".

"We are horrified to see that the Myanmar authorities are laying landmines along their stretch of the border to prevent the Ronhingyas from returning to their native homes," she said.

Sheikh Hasina simultaneously condemned all kinds of terrorism and violent extremism in Myanmar saying her government maintains a 'zero tolerance' policy against terrorism in any forms and manifestation.

Sheikh Hasina thanked the UN Security Council members and also the UN secretary general for their proactive attempts to denounce the atrocities on Rohingya people in Myanmar and call for bringing in peace, and stability in Rakhine.

risingbd/ Dhaka/Sept 22, 2017/Mukul