Malaysia summons Myanmar Ambassador over crisis in Rakhine state

In a statement Tuesday, Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said Myanmar lacked the will to find a solution to the issue despite repeated calls by Asean member states to do so.

“Though the Myanmar Government has given its assurance to implement measures to solve the problem, the recent incidents of violence as widely reported by the media show that little, if any progress has been achieved.

“Given these developments, Malaysia believes that the matter of sustained violence and discrimination against the Rohingya should be elevated to a higher international forum,” he said.

According to Anifah, the international community had placed high expectation on state councillor Aung San Suu Kyi to achieve national peace and reconciliation in Myanmar as she is a Nobel laureate who stood up for the principles of human rights.

“It is Malaysia’s hope that she will be able to fulfil these expectations soon,” he added.

The latest round of violence in Myanmar erupted following attacks by militants on police posts and an army base on Aug 25, which prompted a major counter-offensive that reportedly killed around 400 people, mostly Rohingya.

The United Nations estimated that 38,000 people had sought refuge in Bangladesh while another 20,000 were amassing along its border, barred from entering the country.