Iran warns against systematic crimes in Myanmar

The Zionist regime's plan to cover up its cruel face, its practice of filicide and encouraging cruelty and violence against children, the elderly and innocent people in Myanmar, carried out in coordination with Myanmar government, are indicative of a horrendous and systematic crime against Rohingya Muslims, Velayati said in the statement released on Saturday.

The oppressed and deprived people of Myanmar, only because they are Muslims, have been exposed to the most brutal atrocities and cruelties, the statement read.

Observing such inhuman scenes, especially the outrageous treatments of the children, women and helpless elderly prick every freedom-seeker's conscience, the statement said.

The sinister and systematic conspiracy of international Zionism will bring about Muslim genocide, suppression and compulsory immigration of the Muslims, homelessness, ethnic cleansing, manslaughter and regional instability, the senior Iranian official said in his statement.

Velayati also condemned the horrendous incidents in Myanmar and he urged global figures, elites, parties, governments, as well as the international bodies including, the United Nations, Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and Human Rights Watch to make use of all the leverages including, public diplomacy to put pressure on Myanmar government to stop crimes against Muslims.

He also empathized creating fact-finding delegations, sending humanitarian aids and addressing the issue of refugees.

Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar have been subjected to brutal ethnic cleansing in the past two years.

Prior to the 2015 Rohingya refugee crisis and the military crackdown in 2016 and 2017, the Rohingya population in Myanmar was around 1.1 to 1.3 million. They used to reside mainly in the northern Rakhine townships.

Many Rohingyas have fled to neighboring states. More than 100,000 Rohingyas in Myanmar live in camps for internally displaced persons, not allowed by authorities to leave.

Probes by the UN have found evidence of increasing incitement of hatred and religious intolerance against Rohingyas while the Burmese security forces have been conducting 'summary executions, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and detention, torture and ill-treatment and forced labor' against the community.

International media and human rights organizations have often described Rohingyas as one of the most persecuted minorities in the world. According to the United Nations, the human rights violations against Rohingyas could be termed as 'crimes against humanity'.

Translator: Ali Izadi
Editor: Reza Bahar

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