Asean foreign ministers urged to keep Rohingya issue in sight

The special envoy of the United Nations secretary-general on Myanmar Noeleen Heyzer has urged Asean foreign ministers to keep the Rohingya issue high on their agendas, highlighting as well the community's need for education to prevent a "lost generation". 

A media advisory issued yesterday during her two-day visit to Kuala Lumpur at the invitation of Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said Noeleen had also stressed the importance of legal employment and protection for Myanmar migrant workers and refugees in Malaysia.

She expressed her appreciation to the Malaysian people and government for being host of the largest Rohingya refugee population in Asean, and called for innovative solutions for Rohingya.

"Noeleen also acknowledged the important role of the Asean secretary-general and the ad hoc support team as part of Asean's commitment on Rakhine, ahead of the Asean foreign ministers’ meeting on Aug 3," said the advisory issued by the foreign ministry. 

Noeleen said it was Myanmar’s responsibility to address the underlying issues affecting the Rohingya and establish durable solutions for the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return of all refugees and forcibly displaced persons. 

"Recognising women’s crucial role in communities and the gendered dimension of the conflict, Noeleen is encouraged by the resilience of women leaders in her engagement to ensure that Myanmar-led solutions include women’s voices and concerns," the advisory said.

"We must not allow the Rohingya people’s sense of being forgotten and abandoned to take root," Noeleen said. 

"Their right to live in dignity as human beings must be supported and safeguarded by all, including the international community."

According to the UNHCR website, Malaysia was host to some 181,000 refugees and asylum-seekers as of January 2022. Almost 85% of them are from Myanmar, including about 103,000 Rohingya who fled the Rakhine state.

Meanwhile, in a joint press conference with Saifuddin at the Parliament building, Noeleen said that she had tried her best to complement her role as a special envoy on how the humanitarian issues in Myanmar should be implemented through the Five-Point Consensus. 

She described the Myanmar crisis following a military coup on Feb 1 last year as a multi-dimensional crisis, weakening state and economic institutions, adding that the crisis had pushed 50% of the country's population into poverty.