Ugandan MPs ask IPU to condemn Myanmar atrocities

St. Petersburg, Russia | THE INDEPENDENT | The Inter-Parliamentary Union must condemn the reported human rights atrocities committed against mostly Muslims in Myanmar before similar occurrences happen in other countries, Ugandan legislator Latif Ssebaggala has said.

Ssebaggala (Ind., Kawempe North), making a contribution during the ongoing 137th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly and Related Meetings, also urged legislators to condemn Myanmar for trying to block the issue of human rights violations of Muslims from being discussed in St. Petersburg.

The 137th IPU and Related Meetings is being held in St. Petersburg, Russia, 14th – 18th Oct. 2017. The Speaker, Rebecca Kadaga is leading a delegation to the Assembly. The delegation includes Francis Mwijukye (FDC, Buhweju), Raphael Magyezi (NRM, Igara West), Juliet Mukoda (Ind., Mayuge district) and Mourine Osoru (Arua district).

The item on ‘Ending the grave human crisis, persecution and violent attacks on the Rohingyas as a threat to international peace and security and ensuring their unconditional and safe return to their homeland in Myanmar’ was initially not listed for debate, but was only approved as an emergency item on Sunday.

It was sponsored by mainly Muslim countries including Iran, Kuwait, UAE, Morocco, Sudan, Indonesia, Turkey and Bangladesh.

The item was included as MPs made presentations on ‘Promoting cultural pluralism and peace through inter-faith and inter-ethnic dialogue.’

“This item touches on the very pillars of the IPU of human rights and democracy. You do not have to be a Muslim but simply an average human being to condemn what is going on in Myanmar,” said Ssebaggala, who is also the Imam, or Muslim Leader in Parliament.

He urged fellow legislators to take a position and demand that government there immediately stops the practice and allow for the return of the victims to their territory and homes. He also condemned the government of Myanmar for trying to prevent the media from reporting and exposing the human rights violations.

Ssebaggala recommended that the IPU commends the government of Bangladesh for providing shelter to the fleeing Muslims.

“In our countries, we were moved to tears on seeing what was happening in Myanmar. I call for the support of this body (IPU) to ensure that these people can return home safely. What is happening in Myanmar can happen in any other country if we do not condemn and stop it,” said Ssebaggala.

Legislators from other countries including Turkey and Sudan described the atrocities as ethnic cleansing and said that they had sent some medical and humanitarian assistance to the suffering Muslims.

A crack down by the army and government on Muslims in Myanmar has forced thousands of people to flee and cross the border into Bangladesh. Several governments and human rights groups have condemned the atrocities and described the atrocities as genocide and ethnic cleansing.