Rohingya crisis: Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar calls for action against Myanmar

Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar on Tuesday called for action against Myanmar over its alleged crackdown on Rohingya Muslims. [caption id=“attachment_4033859” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AP[/caption] In the terror group’s house magazine, al-Qalam, Azhar, chief of the Pakistan-based terror group warned Myanmar “for the thundering sound of its conquerors”, The Indian Express  reported. Azhar further said, “All of us must do whatever we can for the Myanmar Muslims. Just say your prayers and get up to help them. You don’t need to show off what you are doing: Just do it, and never stop." This is the first time any terror group has called for “action” against Myanmar, according to The Indian Express report. However, in the past terror groups like the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) have instigated Rohingyas to avenge the sectarian violence in Myanmar, reported Hindustan Times. Along with LeT, several militant outfits are training Rohingya militants in Pakistan, with the aim to create sabotage including covert killings in Bangladesh, India and Myanmar, India Today reported. The militants who later formed a group Aqa Mul Mujahideen, recruited Rohingya Muslims, reported The Economic Times . The report also states that the group is allegedly fighting alongside Pakistani extremists in Kashmir. Last year, one of their top leaders, Chotta Burmi, was killed in Kashmir along with JEM commander Adil Pathan. Recently, Islamabad had taken a strong stand against Myanmar and previously expressed “deep anguish” at the violence, The New Indian Express  reported. The Pakistan foreign office also issued an official reaction to mass killings of Rohingya Muslims, stating: “In line with its consistent position on protecting the rights of Muslim minorities worldwide, Pakistan will work with the international community in particular the OIC to express solidarity with the Rohingya Muslims and to work towards safeguarding their rights", Pakistani newspaper  Dawn reported. On Saturday , thousands of Pakistani nationals took to the streets in major cities to condemn the reported crackdown on Rohingyas. In Karachi, more than 2,000 people demonstrated outside the Karachi Press Club, according to media reports. Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai also called upon the international community to intervene to protect Myanmar’s Muslim minority Rohingya fleeing violence and terror, Geo TV reported. “We can’t be silent right now. The number of people who have been displaced is hundreds of thousands”, Malala said, according to the report. India, on the other hand has reportedly avoiding condemning Myanmar over the issue, NDTV reported. In fact, New Delhi refused to sign global declaration against Myanmar at World Parliamentary Forum on Sustainable Development held at Nusa Dua in Indonesia, according to the report. India issued the following statement at the forum:

“The declaration, which was to be adopted at the conclusion of the forum, was not in line with the agreed global principles of sustainable development, and specifying a particular country is unjustified in the forum.”

In its first bilateral visit to Myanmar,  Prime Minister Narendra Modi  said that India stands by Myanmar amid the challenges it is facing. He also asked all stakeholders to preserve the country’s unity and territorial integrity. The violence in Myanmar erupted following an attack by a Rohingya insurgent group on police and military posts in Rakhine state, leading to a violent offensive by the Myanmar army. The death toll has touched 400, according to official figures. Indiscriminate firing at local communities and torching of entire villages and other human rights violations were also reported. Some 290,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh to escape the violence. With inputs from PTI