DUBAI: The recent extraordinary session of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation (OIC) released a 14-point communiqué to pressurise the Myanmarese government to stop the widespread discrimination and administrative hostility being faced by Rohingya Muslims in Arakan State.

This was disclosed by Professor Wakar Uddin, director general of Arakan Rohingya Union (ARU), in an exclusive interview with The Gulf Today on Monday.

He was in the UAE for a short period after attending the fourth extraordinary OIC summit on August 14-15.

“Two weeks ago, the OIC had sent the first ever delegation along with the Red Crescent officials and others to Myanmar, who visited camps full of Rohingya Muslims after they were forced to leave their houses and stay in these camps in a pathetic condition. The second delegation is all set to leave for Myanmar next week and that will be led by the secretary general, OIC, as an exploratory visit to find out facts about the atrocities by the Myanmarese police and other groups on the Rohingya Muslims,” he said.

The ARU was formed on the directives of Dr Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary general of the OIC, who called on the Myanmarese Muslims around the world to form a union.

“The ARU was formed in May 2011 and initially we had 25 organisations of Myanmarese Muslims working worldwide and soon others will joined us as a single platform to represent Rohingya Muslims,” he added.

Professor Wakar, while shedding light on the objectives of the ARU, said that they had three main objectives. “Our first objective is to engage with the Myanmarese government to reclaim our basic rights as minority, especially the citizenship right they have stopped since 1962.

“The second major task we have to fulfil is to bring overall development for the Rohingya Muslims in the sectors of education and economy, by providing them with basic infrastructure and the third is to start a dialogue between other Muslim minorities who arrived from China, India and other parts of the world and are residing in different parts of Myanmar and other minorities,” he said.

According to Professor Wakar, Myanmar has around 3 million Muslims of which 1.5 million are Rohingyas and are living in the Arakan state.

“The literacy rate among Rohingya Muslims is very low and only one per cent has higher education facility. We have a huge challenge in front of us to target this sector on a long-term basis once peace is restored in Arakan,” he said.

He further said that Dr Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu had invited him to the recent session. “I was there to testify on behalf of ARU and present a 45-minute speech in front of the executive body and they were very emotional when they listened to accounts of atrocities by ethnic groups and now by the Myanmarese police against Rohingya Muslims,” he shared.

He added that next week a Malaysia-based NGO is planning to sent a flotilla consisting of over a dozen ships with relief goods to Myanmar. “This will be a major breakthrough and massive help for the Rohingya Muslims who are facing every type of discrimination, from proper food supply to a decent accommodation,” he added.

He stated that soon the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) would organise a massive convention in Washington DC from Aug.31 to Sept.2 with the expected participation of 10,000 to 15,000 representatives from around the world to focus on Rohingya Muslims.

“All major Muslim bodies, humanitarian organisations and NGOs will have their representation in this annual three-day convention to raise the issue of Rohingya Muslims on a wide scale,” he said.