Rohingya ethnic cleansing must be recognised as genocide

Published : Sunday, 2 September, 2018 at 9:25 PM Count : 970

Criminology department chairperson Professor Ziaur Rahman

Academics and diplomats on Sunday called upon the international community to recognise the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya people by Myanmar force as genocide.

They came up with the call at the concluding session of a two-day international conference titled 'Rohingya: Politics, Ethnic Cleansing and Uncertainty' at Dhaka University (DU).

Department of Criminology of DU organized the conference with the strategic partnership of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) at Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban on the campus.

While addressing the programme, Professor Dr Salimullah Khan of University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) said that clear cut genocide has taken place at the Rakhine state of Myanmar.

“The act of genocide is clear. But why are we afraid of using the word ‘genocide’? ....The Myanmar army want the lands of the Rohingya people, the ethnic people of the land, he said.

UNHCR Deputy Representative Mr. Papa Kysma Sylla said that UNHCR is interacting with the governments and civil societies so that the 1 million Rohingya refugees can go back to Myanmar from Bangladesh.

DU Economics department Prof. Dr. Abul Barakat said that the government should strengthen diplomacy with the ASEAN countries to solve various regional issues like the Rohingya crisis.

He said that a prime cause behind the Rohingya crisis is a very special type of economic transition which takes place in Myanmar in the global capitalist system.

"90% natural resources of Myanmar geographically located at ethnic area and large part of that is located at the Rakhine state. This makes the economic transition," he added.

DU Philosophy department professor Dr Anisuzzaman also spoke, among others.

The speakers also urged for a safe, dignified and voluntary repatriation of displaced Rohingya as a durable solution to their plights.

Criminology department chairperson Professor Ziaur Rahman conducted the function.

In this conference, around 50 researchers, academics, lawyers and students from home and abroad presented 72 papers in 21 sessions on the Rohingya refugee crisis.

AK / AIMD