Yangon made ‘little’ progress to stem Rohingya escape, says Malaysia

Women hold up placards during a protest against the persecution of Muslim ethnic minority Rohingya in Myanmar, in Kuala Lumpur, in this August 30, 2017 photo. (AFP)

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia on Tuesday summoned Myanmar’s ambassador to express displeasure over violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, which has displaced nearly 125,000 Rohingya Muslims.
Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said the latest incidents of violence showed that the Myanmar government had made “little, if any” progress in finding a peaceful solution to problems facing the Rohingya minority, most of whom live in the northwest Myanmar state near the Bangladeshi border.
“Given these developments, Malaysia believes that the matter of sustained violence and discrimination against the Rohingyas should be elevated to a higher international forum,” Anifah said in a statement.
Muslim-majority Malaysia has been particularly outspoken in its concern about the plight of the Rohingya.
Myanmar says its security forces are fighting a legitimate campaign against “terrorists” responsible for a string of attacks on police posts and the army since last October.