NU senior figure condemns violence against Rohingya muslims

Jakarta, NU Online
Senior figure of Indonesia's largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) KH Ma'ruf Amin has condemned the violence against Rohingya Muslims in Arakan (Rakhine), Myanmar.<>

The chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) said that he did "criticized the Myanmar government for not stopping the genocide against the Rohingya Muslims." he said at a press conference here on Wednesday.

"Around 6,000 Rohingya Muslims were killed in Arkan. This is a gross violation of human rights and a crime against humanity," he said at a press conference here on Wednesday (25/7).

Kiai Ma'ruf expressed disapproval of Myanmar President Thein Sein's recent statement that the Rohingya Muslims did not belong to Myanmar because they were illegal immigrants.

"This is contrary to history because Rohingya Muslims had been living in Arakan long before Burma became Myanmar, which achieved independence from Britain in 1948," he pointed out.

The former chairman of supreme council of the CentralBoard of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) urged the Indonesian people to push the government to make efforts to stop the violence against the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.

"All Muslims in the world are brothers and sisters, so we must help the Rohingya Muslims who are being treated unjustly in Myanmar," he said.

"It`s very regretful that the UN Security Council has not sent any peacekeeping forces yet to protect the Rohingya Muslims," Ma'ruf stated.

Editor : Sudarto Murtaufiq