Activists to besiege Myanmar embassy in Bangladesh

By Mutasim Billah

DHAKA, Bangladesh

In a rare show of solidarity on Saturday two rival groups in Bangladesh threatened to besiege the Myanmar embassy, if persecution of the Rohingya Muslims does not end.

A progressive group, Ganajagaran Mancha, said it will besiege the Myanmar Embassy in Dhaka on Sept.11.

Imran Sarker, spokesperson of Ganajagaran Mancha, gave the Myanmar government three days to stop "genocide" of the Rohingya. Otherwise, he said, they will besiege the embassy.

Another Islamist group, Hefajat-e-Islam, said it will surround the embassy on Sept. 19 if the Myanmar government does not stop violence against the Rohingya in its Rakhine state.

Junaid Babunagri, general-secretary of Hefajat-e-Islam, during a press conference in southeastern city, Chittagong said, that they will besiege the Myanmar Embassy in Dhaka if the “genocide” of the Rohingya does not end.

He added that they will give a memorandum to the UN and Organization of Islamic Cooperation on Sept. 21.

The group also demanded that the Bangladesh government put pressure on Myanmar to stop the persecution of Rohingya people.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday called on the international community to ask Myanmar to take back its citizens who were seeking refuge in Bangladesh.

"Why will a citizen of a country come to another country as refugees? This is not respectable for that country," she said, according to local media reports.

Rohingya described by the UN as the world’s most persecuted people, have faced heightened fears of attack since dozens were killed in communal violence in 2012.

Fresh violence erupted in Rakhine state nearly two weeks ago when security forces launched an operation against the Rohingya.

Bangladesh, which already hosted around 400,000 Rohingya refugees, has faced a fresh influx of refugees since the security operation was launched.

According to the UN, 270,000 Rohingya have sought refuge in Bangladesh as of Friday.

Last October, following attacks on border posts in Rakhine’s Maungdaw district, Myanmar security forces launched a five-month crackdown in which, according to Rohingya groups, around 400 people were killed.

The UN documented mass gang rapes, killings -- including those of infants and young children -- brutal beatings and disappearances committed by security personnel.

In a report, UN investigators said the human rights violations constituted crimes against humanity.