OIC hails decision on UN Special Envoy to Myanmar

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FE Team | Published: December 26, 2017 23:46:54

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The UN General Assembly has urged Myanmar to end a military campaign against the Muslim Rohingya minority, reports UNB.
A resolution brought by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was adopted by a vote of 122 to 10 with 24 abstentions on Sunday.
The UN General Assembly also called for the appointment of a UN special envoy, despite opposition from China, Russia and some regional countries.
Meanwhile, the OIC welcomed the decision by the UN General Assembly to call upon UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to appoint a Special Envoy to Myanmar.
The decision came as a result of the OIC sponsored resolution, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly on Sunday, according to an OIC statement released Monday.
This is an important step which represents part of the consistent efforts of the OIC to work with all international partners to resolve the grave crisis affecting the Rohingya minority in Myanmar, said the OIC statement.
China, Russia, Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines and Vietnam joined Myanmar in voting against the measure as did Belarus, Syria and Zimbabwe, according to a report carried by British newspaper The Guardian.
The resolution called on the government to allow access for aid workers, ensure the return of all refugees and grant full citizenship rights to the Rohingya. It requested that UN Secretary General António Guterres to appoint a special envoy to Myanmar.
More than 655,000 Rohingyas have fled the Rakhine State of Myanmar and taken shelter in Bangladesh since the military operation was launched on August 25.
Earlier, the Government of Myanmar informed UN Special Rapporteur Yanghee Lee that all access to the country would be denied and cooperation withdrawn for the duration of her tenure.
Lee had been due to visit Myanmar in January to assess the state of human rights countrywide, including the human rights abuses against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State.