NEW YORK, Sept 23 (UNB): Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday called upon the international community to take five actions to resolve the prolonged Rohingya crisis, including political and financial support to them.
She made the call at a high-level side event on the Rohingya crisis held at Lotte Palace New York Hotel here.
Focusing on the second action, Sheikh Hasina asked the world community to intervene in the proceedings before the International Court of Justice, International Criminal Court and national courts, including supporting the Gambia in the ICJ, in order to enforce international law and to strengthen the fight against human rights violations in Myanmar.
The three other steps she focused on are to create pressure on Myanmar to stop the continued repression of ethnic and religious minorities; to strongly ask for Myanmar's adherence to its commitments under ASEAN's Five-Point Consensus; and to make efforts so that Myanmar agrees for unhindered humanitarian access.
The PM said Bangladesh last month stepped into the sixth year of the prolonged Rohingya crisis, without seeing a single of them back in their homes.
Bangladesh is hosting about 1.2 million Rohingyas, a majority of them fleeing their homes in Myanmar to escape killings, arson and rapes unleashed by the country's military in 2017.
"We are now witnessing new conflicts arising around the globe, and unfortunately attention is gradually shifting from the Rohingya crisis - both in finding its political solution and in meeting the growing humanitarian needs," she said.
As of August 2022, only 48 per cent of the appealed amount of USD 881 million under JRP 2022 has been funded. "At the same time, the spill-over adverse impact of the internal conflicts in Myanmar in recent times keeps us deeply concerned, as this might create further obstacles for the prospect of commencing their repatriation," she added.
Hasina said the UN and international partners need to undertake tangible actions and projects to create an environment conducive for sustainable repatriation.
ASEAN, as a regional body, and individual member countries, with their deeper historic relationship and leverage vis-a-vis Myanmar, can take the lead role in such comprehensive engagement, she said.
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