57-nation Bloc OIC Convenes Global Leaders at UN General Assembly to Tackle Myanmar War Crimes and Rohingya Crisis

NEW YORK, September 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Yesterday (Sep 27^th), the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the world's largest inter-governmental body after the United Nations, organised a high-level event at the UN General Assembly to address the Rohingya crisis and war crimes by Myanmar's armed forces against the Muslim Rohingya minority. The meeting was attended by representatives of the UN, EU, World Bank, UNHCR and Oxfam as well as global leaders and politicians including Prime Minister of Bangladesh and Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Ireland amongst others.

The meeting comes in response to recent findings by UN investigators that Myanmar's armed forces took actions that "undoubtedly amount to the gravest crimes under international law".

Remarks and statements at the event were delivered by the following:

• H.E Dr Yousef bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen, OIC Secretary General  
• H.E Sheikh Hasina Wazed, Prime Minister of Bangladesh
• H.E Adel bin Ahmad Al-Jubeir, Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia
• H.E. Christine Schraner Burgener, UN Special Envoy on Myanmar
• H.E. Retno Marsudi, Foreign Minister of the Indonesia
• H.E. Simon Coveney, Foreign Minister of The Republic of Ireland
• Foreign Secretary of Pakistan, Tehmina Janjua
• Senior Vice-President of the World Bank
• Ambassador Masud Husain, Special Envoy of Canada to the OIC
• Representatives from Oxfam, Save the Children and UNHCR

OIC Secretary General, H.E Dr Yousef bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen said: "The OIC strongly condemns all violations and abuses of human rights in Myanmar, as set out in the report of the UN Fact-Finding mission including widespread, systematic and gross human rights violations and abuses committed in Rakhine State."

"This includes the presence of elements of extermination and deportation and systematic oppression and discrimination of the Rohingya."

He added: "The OIC has for years worked to address the persecution of the Rohingya. This meeting reflects how seriously the OIC and other international actors are now taking the issue, but more must be done."

A report by the UN Fact Finding Mission released in September 2018 provides credible evidence of mass killings, ethnic cleansing and genocide of the Rohingya people and called for Myanmar officials to face charges. The report states that Myanmar's armed forces had forced more than 730,000 Rohingya to flee starting in late August 2017.