Published 18:47 IST, February 7th 2020
Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina seeks EU's support for return of Rohingyas
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has sought continued support of the European Union countries in order to ensure a safe return of Rohingyas to Myanmar.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has sought continued support of the European Union countries in order to ensure a safe, dignified, and sustainable return of the Rohingyas back to Myanmar. Hasina also extended her gratitude to the European Union including Italy for their support for the cause of the Muslim minority. A Bangladeshi newspaper issued a joint statement of Hasina with her Italian counterpart, Giuseppe Conte, after their meeting in Rome on February 6
Thousands of Rohingyas fled native Myanmar after violent persecution. It was after August 2017 that 700,000 people left Buddhist-majority Myanmar when the country launched a counterinsurgency campaign against the community in retaliation to an attack by insurgents.
ICJ had previously ordered Myanmar to prevent genocide from being committed against the Rohingya Muslim minority. According to international reports, Karim said that Conte appreciated the management by Bangladesh on Rohingya crisis. Conte also encouraged the Bangladesh PM for the country's policy of hospitality.
Furthermore, Hasina’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim reportedly said in a press briefing that both sides have welcomed the decision by United Nation's top court, International Court of Justice taken on January 23 on the crisis faced by the Muslim minority.
EU urged Myanmar to comply with ICJ orders
Even though UN failed to derive a statement on ICJ orders, the European Union members of the council had reportedly urged Myanmar in a joint statement that it should comply with the orders by the top court as they are “compulsory under International law”. France, Germany, Belgium and Estonia along with a former member of the council, Poland had also adjured Myanmar “to take credible action” to bring justice and hold the ones responsible for violation of human rights.
“Myanmar must address the root causes of its conflicts, in Rakhine State, but also in Kachin and Shan States,” the EU members said. “Accountability of perpetrators of human rights and humanitarian law violations is a necessary part of this process.”
Nearly 740,000 Rohingya were reportedly forced to flee into camps in Bangladesh after the military of Myanmar launched a violent crackdown on the group in 2017. This, according to the UN officials was 'genocide'. This case in the International Court of Justice was the first legal attempt by the peace-making body to bring the country into justice over the crisis. It was also a rare example of a country suing another over an issue to which it is not directly a party. The tiny west African state of The Gambia, which is acting on behalf of the 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Corporation asked the court to halt the 'ongoing genocidal actions'.
Updated 18:47 IST, February 7th 2020