Turkish-German group to hold conference on Rohingya

By Burcu Arik

ISTANBUL

A Turkish-German charity will organize a campaign next week to raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis of Rohingya Muslims fleeing violence in Myanmar, the group said on Friday.

Hasene IGMG, a nonprofit set up by Turkish people working in Germany, said in a statement that the conference of "Rohingya Crisis and Solutions" will be held on May 2 in the Western city of Cologne.

The gathering will focus on the history of the Rohingya, crimes committed against Rohingya Muslims, as well as humanitarian and legal ways out of the situation, which Andrew Gilmour, the UN assistant secretary-general for human rights, has characterized as " ethnic cleansing."

It will host 20 speakers, including former ambassadors and government ministers, academics, historians, and activists who are interested in the Rohingya issue.

Mesud Gulbahar, the group’s head, said in the statement that no solution to the Rohingya crisis in the southeast Asian nation of Myanmar has been found.

"We’re holding a conference to draw attention to the persecution there, to promote the voice of oppressed people, to contribute to their demands for justice, and to put the situation on Europe’s agenda," Gulbahar added.

The 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.

Since Aug. 25, 2017, some 750,000 refugees, mostly children and women, have fled Myanmar since its forces launched a crackdown on the minority Muslim community, according to the UN. At least 9,000 Rohingya were killed in Rakhine state from Aug. 25 to Sept. 24, according to Doctors Without Borders.

In a report last December, the global humanitarian organization said the deaths of 71.7 percent or 6,700 Rohingya were caused by violence. They include 730 children below the age of 5.