Solving Rohingya problem through practice of humanitarian values: MPR

Chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Zulkifli Hasan has urged the international community to help solve the ethnic Rohingya issue in Rakhine based on humanitarian values to stop the violence there.

"Humanitarian solidarity for Rohingya is the implementation of human values. We urge the international community to be fair and not set a double standard," he remarked in a press statement here on Sunday.

Reuters reported that nearly 60 thousand Rohingya Muslims have crossed into Bangladesh from Myanmar since last week, adding pressure on the scarce resources of aid agencies and local communities already helping hundreds of thousands of refugees from previous bouts of violence in Myanmar.

Speaking to hundreds of Asshidiqiyah Islamic boarding school students here on Sunday, the MPR chairman called on public elements in Indonesia to lend support to help bring the violence against Rohingya to an end.

Hasan noted that Indonesia condemned the violence in Myanmar, as it did not reflect respect for human values.

In the meantime, Chairman of the Nation Awakening Party (PKB) Muhaimin Iskandar has written to Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi, expressing concern over the Rohingya ethnic group's sufferings.

In his press statement released on Saturday, Iskandar said he found it difficult to restrain himself after finding out the type of treatment being meted out by the Myanmar government to the Rohingya minority group.

"Haven't you felt it for dozens of years? Madam Suu Kyi, 18 thousand Rohingya residents have fled to Bangladesh in less than 24 hours. Most of them are women, children, and old people. You may turn a blind eye to this news," he stated in an open letter.

The PKB chairman admitted to being surprised at why Suu Kyi, who had fought for democracy for years, is turning a blind eye to the fate of Rohingyas.

He also urged the Myanmar ambassador to Indonesia to tender a clarification on the reason behind the violence against Rohingyas.

Source: ANTARA