35th ASEAN summit’s centre of focus should be the Rohingya Crisis

The Doctors without Borders (MSF) Malaysia Head of Mission, Beatrice Lau stated last Thursday that in the upcoming 35th Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit’s centre of attention should be the Rohingya crisis.

Ms Lau further urged ASEAN leaders should not only address the persecution and discrimination against the Rohingyas in ASEAN meeting but also in the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UN) which is going to held from 23rd to 29th September this year.

Finally, she stated according to Bernama’s reporting, “Over 900,000 Rohingyas are still seeking refuge in Bangladesh. This number includes 759,000 people who have fled the violent campaign launched by the Myanmar military in Rakhine since August 2017. Hundreds of thousands have fled during previous episodes of violence, to Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia, as well as India and other countries further afield. This is indeed an Asian crisis, but Southeast Asia must show stronger leadership,”