Indonesian Parliament Urges Myanmar to recognize Rohingya

Nusa Dua, Bali - The Indonesian parliamentary delegation to the two-day interfaith dialog ended here on Friday urged the Myanmar parliament to press its government to settle the question of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar's western state of Rakhine. "At the dialog earlier in the day (the Myanmar parliament) pledged to encourage their government to recognize the Rohingya people as Myanmar citizens," deputy chief of the Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Board at the House of Representatives Hayono Isman said. He expressed hope that the Myanmar government will change its stand to accept the Rohingya Muslims as Myanmar citizens because they were born in the country. Meanwhile, members of the Myanmar delegation, Aung Kyaing and Nang Khen Pou, said the conflict between Rakhine and Bangales ethnic groups in Myanmar was not desired by both sides and the Myanmar citizens. They said the Rakhine authorities have made every effort to create peace and tranquility in the region. Rakhine is Myanmar's western state and a Rohingya conflict has never happened in Myanmar, they said. He made it clear that what has happened in Rakhine had nothing to do with racism or religion. But it is violence between two ethnic groups who have different faith. "If that is called race or religion issue, clash between groups with different faith will occur in other places in Myanmar," he said. He said Myanmar gives priority to tolerance among adherents of different faiths, including Buddhist, Christian, Islam and Hinduism. "All Islamic organizations in Myanmar have obviously condemned the violence in Rakhine." he said. (*)