Southeast Asian MPs stand in solidarity with the survivors of the Rohingya genocide

On this Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day, we, the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), stand in solidarity with the survivors of the Rohingya genocide. We are committed to advocating for their concerns and calling for the protection of Rohingya communities and all those affected by the crisis, both inside and outside of Myanmar.

We are deeply troubled that, despite seven years having passed since the Myanmar military’s genocidal campaign against the Rohingya, the international community has yet to secure justice for the victims or hold those responsible accountable. The Myanmar military has committed murder, arrest, torture, sexual abuse, and other atrocities to exterminate this ethnic and religious minority, forcing over 800,000 Rohingyas to flee to neighboring Bangladesh.

This genocidal campaign has exacerbated the Rohingyas’ already precarious situation, as they had long been subjected to state-sponsored persecution, discriminatory legislation, and communal violence. The persecution, which began before August 2017, has continued and has reached new heights of brutality.

Following the breakdown of a ceasefire in November 2023 between the Arakan Army (AA) and the Myanmar military, violence between the two groups has intensified, with Rohingya and other civilians caught in the crossfire.

The situation is profoundly troubling and demands decisive, coordinated action to ensure justice, prevent further atrocities, and support the Rohingya in their struggle for survival and dignity. Therefore, we call on ASEAN and the international community to:

• Support the immediate and unhindered delivery of cross-border assistance into Rakhine State.
• Impose a comprehensive arms embargo against the junta, including a complete ban on all sales, transfers, and diversions of aviation fuel to Myanmar.
• Immediately send humanitarian aid to the trapped population in Rakhine state. 

Additionally, we call on the ASEAN Foreign Ministers to send an urgent fact-finding mission  to Rakhine to investigate the crimes against the Rohingya. 

We also remind Myanmar that, according to the International Court of Justice’s Report of January 23, 2020, under the Provisional Measures Order, Myanmar is obligated to take all necessary measures to protect and prevent all genocidal acts against the Rohingya ethnic and religious minority, which is recognized as a “protected group” under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.