Arakan News Agency
US State Department held a meeting on Rohingya issue which was lead by Director General of Arakan Rohingya Union ARU Dr. Wakar Uddin, who briefed the attendees in the meeting about current crisis faced by Rohingya in Burma.
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Southeast Asia, Patrick Murphy, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Scott Busby spoke extensively on current issues faced by Rohingya ethnic minority in Northern Arakan State, Burma.
The 90 min meeting covered a range of issues on U.S. Government efforts on engagement with Government of Burma on cessation of violence by Burmese armed forces and Buddhist Rakhine vigilantes, urgent humanitarian assistance, repatriation of forcefully displaced Rohingya, Hindus, and others, Kofi Annan Commission, and various public security issues in Northern Arakan.
Dr. Wakar Uddin of Arakan Rohingya Union, Dr. T. Kumar of Amnesty International, Simon Billenness of International Campaign for Rohingya, John Knaus of National Endowment for Democracy, Khedidja Ouheb of Zakat Foundation, Katheryn Striffolino of Save the Children, Ronnate Asirwatham of American Jewish World Service, and other participants discussed various issues, including the verification (NVC) scheme, rights of the returnees to go back their original homes/lands, continuous arson by Buddhist Rakhine vigilantes under the police cover, exigency for a UN-administered safe zone for all people of Northern Arakan, and a number other important issues faced by Rohingya people.
Dr. Wakar Uddin and some other attendees spoke on the verification (NVC) scheme, rights of the returnees to go back their original homes/lands, Buddhist Rakhine mobs, exigency for a UN safe zone for all people of Northern Arakan, and a number other important issues faced by Rohingya people.
