KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia on Sunday (Sep 24) said it "would like to disassociate itself" from a statement issued by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on the situation in Myanmar's Rakhine state.
The ASEAN Chairman's statement, which was issued on Sunday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, had expressed ASEAN foreign ministers' concern "over the recent developments in northern Rakhine state of Myanmar".
It condemned the Aug 25 attacks against Myanmar security forces, as well as "all acts of violence which resulted in loss of civilian lives, destruction of homes and displacement of large numbers of people".
However Malaysia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Anifah Aman said in a separate statement on Sunday that the country felt that the ASEAN statement was a"misrepresentation of the reality of the situation".
"The statement also omits the Rohingyas as one of the affected communities," he said.
He added that while Malaysia condemns the Aug 25 attacks, "subsequent 'clearance operations' efforts by Myanmar authorities was disproportionate" and that these had led to the deaths of innocent civilians and had caused more than 400,000 Rohingya to be displaced.
Anifah said Malaysia had made its concerns about the ASEAN statement known but that their concerns had not been reflected. "Hence, the chairman statement was not based on consensus," he said.
He added that Malaysia urged Myanmar to "fulfil its commitment to immediately implement" recommendations made in an advisory commission's final report on the Rakhine state.
Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news...elf-from-asean-statement-on-myanmar-s-9246494
The ASEAN Chairman's statement, which was issued on Sunday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, had expressed ASEAN foreign ministers' concern "over the recent developments in northern Rakhine state of Myanmar".
It condemned the Aug 25 attacks against Myanmar security forces, as well as "all acts of violence which resulted in loss of civilian lives, destruction of homes and displacement of large numbers of people".
However Malaysia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Anifah Aman said in a separate statement on Sunday that the country felt that the ASEAN statement was a"misrepresentation of the reality of the situation".
"The statement also omits the Rohingyas as one of the affected communities," he said.
He added that while Malaysia condemns the Aug 25 attacks, "subsequent 'clearance operations' efforts by Myanmar authorities was disproportionate" and that these had led to the deaths of innocent civilians and had caused more than 400,000 Rohingya to be displaced.
Anifah said Malaysia had made its concerns about the ASEAN statement known but that their concerns had not been reflected. "Hence, the chairman statement was not based on consensus," he said.
He added that Malaysia urged Myanmar to "fulfil its commitment to immediately implement" recommendations made in an advisory commission's final report on the Rakhine state.
Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news...elf-from-asean-statement-on-myanmar-s-9246494
