Prime minister Sheikh Hasina and speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury exchange greetings with participants in Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference at Ganabhaban in the capital on Tuesday.— Focusbangla photo
The 63rd general assembly of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association on Tuesday called for urgent action from the international community to resolve the ongoing humanitarian crisis facing the Rohingya community.
The call was made in a statement unanimously adopted by the 63rd general assembly of CPA in Dhaka city.
The CPA in the statement called on all Commonwealth parliaments and parliamentarians to condemn the atrocities, oppression, ethnic cleansing, displacement and all gross violation of human rights including loss of innocent lives in the Rakhine state of Myanmar.
The general assembly of the CPA annual conference also urged the government of Myanmar to stop violence and practice of ethnic cleansing in the Rakhine state immediately, unconditionally and permanently and to ensure the sustainable return of all forcibly displaced Rohingyas sheltered in Bangladesh and other countries to their homes in Myanmar within the shortest possible time.
It also called upon the Myanmar to implement the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State immediately, unconditionally and completely.
The general assembly also urged the Commonwealth member states to request the government of
Myanmar to take urgent measures to ensure the sustainable return of forcibly displaced Rohingyas and internally and externally to their homeland in the Rakhine State in safety, security, dignity and with guaranteed livelihoods.
In the statement, it appreciated the efforts of the Bangladesh government, particularly that of prime minister Sheikh Hasina for her decision to open the borders of Bangladesh to the forcibly displaced Rohingyas from Myanmar and to help close to one million distressed Rohingyas with shelter, food, sanitation, water and medical attention.
Following requests from Commonwealth lawmakers at the Bangladesh Foreign Minister’s briefing on Sunday last, the CPA placed the statement in the general assembly of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference.
The statement requested the CPA secretary general to convey the present statement to all the CPA member parliaments, UN secretary general, and the relevant international and regional organisations, and invite Commonwealth parliaments and parliamentarians to remain seized of this matter regarding further developments in Myanmar with a view to bringing back any concerns to the CPA secretary general to be placed before the 64 th general assembly of the CPA.
The content of the briefing made on November 5 by Bangladesh foreign minister AH Mahmood Ali to delegates participating in the 63rd Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference on Rohingya issue was included in the statement.
CPA secretary general Akbar Khan read out the statement and some delegates made their remarks before the adoption by vote in the general assembly of the 63rd conference at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the evening.
Despite proposals from many commonwealth lawmakers, the CPA could not place a resolution on Rohingya issue in the general assembly due to CPA’s constitutional limitation and time constraint, Khan said.
Taking floor in the general assembly, Malaysian MP Mohd Hatta Md Ramli thanked the assembly for adoption of a ‘strong statement’ on Rohingya issue.
Outgoing CPA chairperson Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury formally concluded the general assembly.
However, the eight-day conference that began on November 1 is scheduled to end today with optional tour and departure of the delegates.
Source: New Age
