The U.N. Security Council passed a resolution on Monday demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza for the duration of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan as well as the unconditional release of all hostages. The resolution, which passed to widespread applause, is the first to be approved by all U.N. Security Council members after four previous attempts during the past five months of war. The U.S., which vetoed three previous resolutions and put forward its own failed proposal last week, abstained. U.N. Security Council resolutions are binding on member states, though it remains unclear how it will be enforced. Despite some efforts to take U.S. edits to the resolution into account, U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that the U.S. “did not agree with everything in the resolution,” most notably its failure to include explicit condemnation of Hamas. “For that reason, we were unfortunately not able to vote yes.” The U.S.’s decision to abstain from the resolution comes amid heightened tensions between the Biden Administration and the Israeli government, the latter of which has been unwilling to heed international calls for greater humanitarian access to Gaza, where experts warn that famine is imminent. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also rebuffed the Biden administration’s warnings against launching a ground invasion on Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians are currently sheltering. Although President Biden invited an Israeli delegation to Washington this week to discuss alternative approaches to a ground invasion, Netanyahu threatened to cancel those meetings if the U.S. didn’t veto the resolution. After the resolution passed, Netanyahu’s office announced that the delegation would not leave for Washington as scheduled. White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that the Biden Administration is "very disappointed about Netanyahu's decision not to send his advisers for talks at the White House about the Rafah operation." While human-rights organizations have praised the resolution’s passage, many of them, such as the International Rescue Committee, continue to call for a sustained ceasefire beyond Ramadan, which is due to end in just two weeks. Source: Time  

A new resolution has been introduced in the United States House of Representatives titled “Recognizing the 65th anniversary of the Tibetan Uprising Day of March 10, 1959, and condemning human rights violations related to the hydropower dam construction project in Derge”. The resolution that condemns China’s mass arrest of peaceful Tibetan protestors and reaffirms the support for Tibetan self-determination was introduced by Representatives Jim McGovern, D-Massachusetts, and Young Kim, R-California, on Monday, March 11. The resolution acknowledges the historical events surrounding the Tibetan Uprising Day, particularly the efforts of Tibetan people who formed a human barricade around the Dalai Lama’s residence to protect him from Chinese troops in 1959. Additionally, it acknowledges the recent protests in Derge County, eastern Tibet, against a hydropower dam project that would displace residents and destroy Buddhist monasteries. Rep. McGovern said: “It’s been 65 years since His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama was forced to flee as the People’s Republic of China forcibly took control of Tibet. Every day since, the Tibetan people have been defending their human rights and fighting for their self-determination. The PRC must comply with its laws and its international human rights obligations, and stop oppressing Tibetans.” Rep. Kim said: “The Tibetan people have suffered the Chinese Communist Party’s oppression and control for 70 years, and the CCP shows no signs of slowing down until it has erased Tibetan culture. The freedom-loving people of Tibet deserve our support. I’m proud to join Rep. McGovern in a bipartisan call to stand with the Tibetan people and urge the Biden administration to enforce laws in place to hold the CCP accountable.” The resolution reaffirms the House’s support for Tibetan human rights and condemns China’s efforts to erase Tibetan cultural identity, particularly by condemning projects like the hydropower dam project in Derge. It demands the immediate release of protestors and prisoners of conscience, along with apologies and redress for rights violations.  Additionally, it calls on the Biden administration to urge China to halt the dam project and respect Tibetan input into development projects. This resolution adds to previous Congressional actions supporting Tibet, including the passage of the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018 and the Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020. The House also recently passed the Resolve Tibet Act, aimed at pushing China to negotiate peacefully with Tibetan leaders to resolve the conflict in Tibet. Source: Phayul

In a historic move, on wednesday (15 November), the third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly adopted the annual resolution on the situation of human rights of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar by consensus. Jointly tabled by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the European Union (EU), the resolution was cosponsored by 114 countries, marking the highest level of international support since 2017. This year's resolution highlights several critical developments. It commends the generosity and humanitarian supports of the Government of Bangladesh in hosting more than 1.2 million Rohingya including its extensive investments in Bhashan Char project. Referring to the deteriorating political situation in Myanmar, it calls upon Myanmar to address the root causes of the Rohingya crisis and create conducive environment in Rakhine to facilitate voluntary, safe and dignified return of the Rohingyas to their homeland in Myanmar. It welcomes the recently adopted Security Council Resolution 2669 (2022), in which the Council demanded an immediate end to all forms of violence throughout Myanmar. It also calls for swift implementation of the ASEAN’s five-point consensus to expedite the repatriation of Rohingya from Bangladesh to Myanmar.  It notes the ongoing justice and accountability processes and welcomed the developments in the case against Myanmar in the International Court of Justice and the investigation by the Prosecution of the International Criminal Court. Above all, the member states have been urged to continue its humanitarian support to the Rohingya living in Bangladesh in the spirit of responsibility and burden sharing.  “Bangladesh is a small country with a high density of population and very limited resources. Protracted presence of the Rohingyas in our territory is not an option. They must have to return to their homeland, Myanmar.” said Representative of Bangladesh Permanent Mission to the UN in New York while addressing the meeting following the adoption of the resolution.  Underscoring the need for improving the situation in Rakhine State by the Government of Myanmar for the safe, voluntary and dignified return of Rohingyas to Myanmar, Bangladesh representative urged the international community including ASEAN to continue their support in this regard. Pending the Rohingya's return to Myanmar, she stressed, among other priorities, the need for adequate funding from international partners for those living in temporary camps in Bangladesh. Given the intensive political polarization amid various global conflicts, the adoption of this year's resolution, with an unprecedented level of co-sponsorship, sends a powerful signal of global solidarity and renewed commitment to addressing the Rohingya crisis. Bangladesh extends deep appreciation to OIC and EU for their leadership in keeping this important matter high on the UN agenda.  

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) overwhelmingly adopted late on Friday a non-binding resolution demanding an "immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce" in Gaza. The resolution was put forth by Arab countries. One hundred and twenty countries voted in favor.  Israel's UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan sharply criticized the vote, telling the Assembly that those who voted in favor of the resolution were standing "in defense of Nazi terrorists" instead of supporting Israel. "This ridiculous resolution has the audacity to call for truce. The goal of this resolution truce is that Israel should cease to defend itself to Hamas, so Hamas can light us on fire," Erdan told the Assembly after the vote. Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour told reporters after vote that it "sends the message to everyone enough is enough." "This war has to stop, the carnage against our people has to stop and humanitarian assistance should begin to enter the Gaza Strip," Mansour said. Fourteen countries were against, including Israel and the United States. Forty-five countries abstained,including Germany. A Canadian amendment to the resolution, backed by the US, failed to pass after garnering only 88 votes, less than the two-third majority needed.  The amendment would have added a condemnation of the "terrorist attacks by Hamas ... and the taking of hostages." The amendment urges the immediate release of those hostages. 

Speaking to EU Today exclusively after the event, German MEP Maximillian Krah, when asked about his impressions of the European Parliament resolution stated: “I was against it, because in general I’m really sceptical against these resolutions because first of all they come very urgently and presently from the NGO bubble. “They usually care about cases which are not double-checked and then I try at least to double-check them. So, I give the embassies the chance to give their arguments and I google it on all sides and usually I don’t think that these cases are convincing. Maximilian Krah MEP “The same is true about Bangladesh. The case was not convincing because an NGO activist made a wrong statement on police violence and there was a risk that this would cause a real upspring or riot and such misinformation is punishable in Europe as well. So, we blame the Bangladeshis to prosecute the behaviour that we in Europe would prosecute too and that is not at all convincing.”  Fake NGOs, which frequently issue human rights reports, are often commissioned by dubious actors seeking to subvert the legislative process. They are sometimes, as in the recent Qatargate scandal, linked with organised criminal activities, but most often are commissioned by foreign actors seeking to influence the EU’s foreign policy.. This is a phenomenon the EU institutions are currently seeking to address. When asked for his own recommendations on how to deal with the matter, Mr. Krah said “The first thing of course is to act more proactively when it comes to disinformation, but in general you have to focus on the whole structure of this NGO power. “There is a huge human rights industry that is also a powerful tool to promote Western foreign policy interests throughout the world. That means that you have to be aware that human rights issues are emotional issues and that there are wonderful NGOs that are dedicated to it, but you also have to be aware that this is now the most powerful tool of the West to push its foreign policy agenda in the whole world. “To focus on the human rights alone and then demand changes based on the special experiences of the Global South, we risk double standards: We must look into regulating these international and national NGO structures because we will invite foreign influence in our domestic politics if we don’t.” When asked if he thought the European Parliament’s resolution would have a negative impact on trade relations with Bangladesh, – the EU is now Bangladesh’s main trading partner – he said “We are doing everything we can to bring trade relations to the next higher level. In the case of Bangladesh, I consider the case for this so clear that at the very end this resolution, which has no legislative power whatsoever, will not be a threat we cannot overcome.” Also addressing the European Parliament conference was Dr. Rayhan Rashid (DPhil, Oxford University) Legal Consultant at Oxford Matrix. Dr. Rashid was equally dismissive of the resolution, describing it as “largely misinformed.” Dr. Rayhan Rashid He continued, “It was well-meaning. Of course, the parliamentarians meant well after they heard a story about human rights abuses. I can fully understand that they were sensitised, but they were not fully informed about the whole picture”.  When asked how this could happen, Dr. Rashid told us: “This whole case was misrepresented. The reason the case started is because of the Hefazat-e-Islam incident in 2013. “The country was on the verge of a Talibanist militant uprising and Hefazat was their party, meaning that they were moving into important spheres. Therefore, there was a crackdown on this, but it was open, and in the presence of some national and international journalists, including the BBC. The police crackdown wanted to disperse this kind of Islamist militants in the presence of media. “The next day, Odhikar (a a Bangladesh-based human rights organisation) came up with a story that 63 people were prosecuted. Hefazat (a far-right Islamic advocacy group of madrassah teachers and students) even came up with bigger numbers, such as 20,000 people. Based on Hefazat’s version, Odhikar said that 63 people had disappeared because of the crackdown. Personally, I’m a human rights activist. Everyone was concerned and asking questions and after a few days, we saw that actually most of the people claimed to have been disappeared, actually turned up. So, at the beginning at the height of things, I can understand this. Media or human rights organisations have scoops but with all the occurring corrections, they didn’t reject their claims.” We asked Dr. Rashid if Odhikar made any particular demands on the government? “When they came up with this scoop, they asked for an investigation, because in a country, even with an Islamic uprising or attempt of uprising, 63 people disappearing is not acceptable. “That was the situation. Everyone asked for an investigation, including myself. But then it was debunked. The problem with Odhikar was that they didn’t correct their story which they then repeated international media and among other friendly human rights organisations. And those organisations don’t have an office in Bangladesh, they don’t have an active investigative mechanism within Bangladesh, they have to rely on Odhikar’s version. So, that’s how Odhikar’s story got recycled over and over again.”  When asked if there is  any evidence linking Odhikar to the Taliban, Dr. Rashid replied: “No, I wouldn’t say that for Odhikar. I think it was more about Odhikar’s Secretary Adilur Rahman Khan. He was a human rights activist, but he was also an attorney general during the BNP regime. I don’t know what is going on in his mind or within his organisation or whether there was a political motivation.”  We asked Dr. Rashid to elucidate what Hefazat’s goal was back in 2013?  They raised 13 demands, he explained:  Reinstate the phrase “Absolute trust and faith in the Almighty Allah” in the Constitution as one of the fundamental principles of state policy. Pass a law providing for capital punishment for maligning Allah, Islam, and the Prophet Muhammad and for starting smear campaigns against Muslims. Stop all propaganda and “derogatory comments” about the Prophet Muhammad by “atheist leaders” of the Shahbagh movement, atheist bloggers and other anti-Islamists; arrest them and ensure stern punishment to them. Stop attacking, shooting, killing, and persecuting the Prophet-loving Islamic scholars, madrassa students and people united by belief in Allah. Release all the arrested Islamic scholars and madrassa students. Lift restrictions on mosques and remove obstacles for the holding of religious programmes. Declare Qadianis (Ahmadiyyas) non-Muslim and stop their publicity and conspiracies. Stop foreign cultural intrusions, including free-mixing of men and women and candle-light vigils, and put an end to adultery, injustice, and shamelessness, among other things, committed in the name of freedom of expression and the individual. Stop turning Dhaka, the city of mosques, into a city of idols, and stop installing sculptures at road intersections, colleges, and universities. Scrap anti-Islam women policy and education policy and make Islamic education mandatory from primary to higher secondary levels. Stop threatening and intimidating teachers and students of the Qawmi madrassas, Islamic scholars, imams and khatib s. Stop creating hatred among the younger generation against Muslims by misrepresentation of Islamic culture in the media. Stop anti-Islam activities by non-governmental organisations, evil attempts by Qadianis and conversion by Christian missionaries in Chittagong Hill Tracts and elsewhere in the country. So, we asked, “what, if any, is the connection between this NGO and Hefazat?” “In 2013, this Islamist terrorist group had huge support base coming from madrasas (Islamic schools) and they actually took to the streets demanding an Islamic State, a Taliban-style Islamic State. And their demands were exactly like the Taliban’s decrees. About women, about education, about everything. They were just a carbon-copy. “Unfortunately, they had a lot of support from other Islamic clerics, who also took to the streets and basically the country was on the verge of a shutdown. At that time, the government dispersed these groups in the presence of media. But then after the dispersal, suddenly we started hearing about 20,000 people disappearing, but then it was not 20,000 but 63. Odhikar claimed that 63 persons had disappeared. “Odhikar is a human rights organization led by a person who used to be an attorney general of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) regime so maybe there could be a political motivation. But I cannot get into his mind and know what is going on and I actually appreciated when they first they came up with that story. And I thought that if this is real, it should be addressed. But I was also disappointed that this story about the 63 disappearing people was debunked and a lot of them turned up.”  “What do you recommend the European Parliament should do to prevent such disinformation campaigns in the future?” “Just to do their own homework. Each parliamentarian has their aides, a whole team of researchers. I think that they are far-better equipped than anybody else. They are not ordinary people; they can actually crosscheck. It is always better to hear the other side or hear across the board. “Just pick up different people and listen to different stories and then make up your own mind. I thought their position was poorly researched and very misinformed and that’s not helpful for the cause of human rights or not helpful for the relations or anything.” SOURCE: https://eutoday.net/

On the occasion of the 52nd anniversary of Independence of Bangladesh, the United States (US) Congress has introduced a resolution on March 29 recognizing and commending Bangladesh and its remarkable socioeconomic progress under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Republican Congressman Joe Wilson of South Carolina introduced the resolution at the Congress as the co-chair of the Congressional Bangladesh Caucus, according to a press release received here today. Joe Wilson Sr. has been serving as the U.S. representative for South Carolina's 2nd congressional district since 2001. He earlier served as the South Carolina state senator from the 23rd district from 1985 to 2001. While placing the resolution, Congressman Wilson recalled that 51 years ago on April 4, 1972, the United States recognized Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan. During the nine-month-long Bangladesh Liberation War, members of the Pakistan Armed Forces and pro-Pakistani militias killed hundreds of thousands of people and injured many more. The war for independence was a struggle for democracy and freedom led by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the resolution said. It said Bangladesh has made enormous strides in the last five decades from one of the poorest nations to having one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, with their GDP per capita increasing to $2,457 in 2021 according to the World Bank which now exceeds that of its regional neighbors. The resolution mentioned since its independence in 1971, Bangladesh's economy has grown from $9 billion to $450 billion, life expectancy has risen from 47 years to 73 years, and the adult literacy rate has risen to more than 75 percent. Bangladesh, through the leadership of current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has made substantial socioeconomic progress in food production, disaster resilience, poverty reduction, improved health, education, and women's empowerment, it noted. The resolution said Bangladesh has successfully maintained a moderate Muslim society and curbed extremism in the country, and its people have sought to maintain support for democracy and rule of law rather than descending into authoritarian rule of gun.   The resolution said the United States and Bangladesh have extensive cooperation on matters of regional and global security, counter terrorism, and climate change. The U.S. is the largest export market for Bangladesh and one of the largest sources of foreign direct investment, it said, adding the nation of Bangladesh has also contributed to the U.S. economy through bilateral trade and international security cooperation in return. The resolution said the American people appreciate the generous and indispensable role that Bangladesh performs in accepting and sheltering more than 1 million Rohingya people from a genocide perpetrated by its neighbor, Burma. The United States has contributed the largest amount of humanitarian aid to address this crisis, totaling more than $2 billion. It said the American people welcome that Bangladesh is one of the world's largest contributors to United Nations peacekeeping efforts globally. Both countries seek to enhance their people-to people and government-to-government relationship for shared prosperity. The resolution mentioned that Bangladesh has expressed their gratitude to the United States for contributing more than 100 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to the people of Bangladesh. It said the American people recognize and commend the nation and people of Bangladesh as they celebrate 51 years of independence. The United States extends its sincere determination to remain a constructive partner of Bangladesh in achieving mutual economic, social and national security objectives now and into the future, the resolution concluded.

Five years on from the biggest mass exodus of Rohingya to Bangladesh, people in the camps say there is no end in sight. Human rights groups want global actors to mark the anniversary with a coordinated strategy. Five years after the latest and biggest mass exodus of Rohingya to Bangladesh, people in the camps say that the limbo they are living in is never ending. They don’t see much hope to get their normal lives back. More than 1 million Rohingya currently reside in Bangladesh, but few people would call it home. On a recent day, Hasina Begum asked her father to bring water from the community well because her husband was currently away from the refugee camp. This 23-year-old woman can’t do it herself because of her physical inability, that she is trying to conceal with her yellow dupatta, a shawl traditionally worn by women to cover the head and shoulders. When asked the reason for her disability, Begum told DW with tears the story of a day five years back. They (Myanmar military) hit me with a rod, Begum said. I was drenched with blood, and they thought I was dead. So they left me there. Five years later, she still has pain in her head and feet. Begum was a victim of a brutal clampdown by Myanmar’s military in 2017. The Myanmar military began a sweeping campaign of massacres, rape, and arson in northern Rakhine State on August 25, 2017, following attacks on the border posts by some Rohingya militants. The campaign killed thousands of Rohingya, according to many international organizations, including Doctors Without Borders. At the time of the exodus, the United Nations say more than 745,000 people fled to neighboring Bangladesh. That figure now stands at over a million. Begum and her family now live in a refugee camp. Life in the Bangladeshi camps Begum lives with her husband and child in a tiny two-room house in the Balukhali camp in Cox’s Bazaar, the largest refugee camp in the world, hosting about 600,000 refugees, according to figures from a number of human rights bodies, such as the Refugee Council USA. My husband has no work, Begum said. He goes to Tabligh (a religious group) for food and other aid. Most of the people are unemployed, including Begum’s 44-year-old father, Enayetullah. He returns with a pot of water. We had huge farmlands, Enayetullah said. I used to cultivate them. We had cattle, a house and a lot of possessions. We left them all behind. Enayetullah said he did not think of his possessions when he fled Myanmar. But now after five years, he misses his home, and his lands. Seeking work, without prospects Many people in the camps want to work and rebuild their lives. We can’t go out of the camps. Sometimes we get a call to work. But that is rare, says 33-year-old Mohammad Shafi. The Rohingya are also struggling with limited education opportunities. Mohammad Riaz is a 10th-grade student. This will be his last year of education inside the camps. After this year I will have no opportunity to study further, but I want higher education, Riaz told DW. Searching for more opportunities, many Rohingya try to flee the camps to and leave Bangladesh. Elaine Pearson, the acting Asia director at Human Rights Watch, released a statement on the eve of the anniversary of the 2017 exodus, saying: Donors should support Rohingya refugees to study and work freely and safely so they can build independent and self-reliant futures. UN’s Bachelet visits Bangladesh UN Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet recently visited the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, with community representatives telling her that they want to build a better life. One day I want to go home, but I don’t know when I can, Enayetullah said. The life of the Rohingya remains in limbo within the camps, with no end in sight to their current plight. When I remember my homeland, my heart burns. I want to go back, Tasmida Begum told DW. But only if they give us peace and give our possessions back. Tasmida Begum is afraid that the military might attack again if she goes back. She lost a brother and a brother-in-law in 2017. Aung Kyaw Moe, an adviser to the National Unity Government of Myanmar, run by the Suu Kyi led NLD party, told DW that repatriation has not been possible because of a lack of interest from Myanmar’s government. It is not happening because of the lack of political will from the Myanmar side, Moe said. He is the first Rohingya to hold a position in Myanmar’s government. They don’t want them to go back. Repatriation talks are underway among Myanmar, Bangladesh and different UN bodies. A joint task force is in place to finalize the list of Rohingya people to be repatriated. We have already given them a list of 830,000 Rohingya. They have accepted that, Shamsud Douza, an additional commissioner at the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner’s Office, told DW. We are providing them with humanitarian aid, but at some point they have to leave. Bangladesh anticipates sending the Rohingya people back to Myanmar. On Sunday, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen told the press that repatriations could begin by the end of 2022. We are hopeful we can start the repatriation by the end of the year. We are trying to do it for our own interest because they are becoming a burden for us, he said. After two prior repatriation attempts failed, Moe said the list might just be a method of delaying the process. Myanmar has the list. They know very well who have fled, he told DW. If they really want to initiate the repatriation process they would have given a list to Bangladesh, find them and send them back.  Will there be justice? Five years on, nobody has been held accountable for the brutality that happened in Myanmar. Gambia has launched a genocide case about the issue before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The case is being heard. The Myanmar government had filed an appeal, but this has since been rejected. Rights organizations demand that the UN Security Council end its current inaction and urgently negotiate a resolution to institute a global arms embargo on Myanmar. Human Rights Watch said the Security Council should refer the situation to the International Criminal Court and impose targeted sanctions on the junta and military-owned conglomerates. But a UN action on this scale might be vetoed by China and Russia. China has always been a problem for the Rohingya, Moe said. We have to find an innovative way to deal with the blockages created by China and Russia particularly in the Security Council and other UN bodies. Hasina Begum said she had no idea what justice would look like. To her, getting back to a normal life is a long way off, with the mental and physical wounds leaving more than just the visible scars on her body. I don’t know what will happen next, she said. I don’t see a future here or anywhere.

A resolution titled ‘Situation of the Rohingya Muslim Community in Myanmar’ has been adopted unanimously at OIC’s Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) to keep the momentum in exerting continuous pressure on Myanmar authorities.  Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen led a five-member Bangladesh delegation to the 48th CFM held in Islamabad from 22-23 March with the theme of  “Partnering for Unity, Justice and Development” where several political, economic, social, cultural and security issues were discussed.  In his speech, Masud called for taking proactive role by the member  states and international actors to address the Rohingya issue, a foreign  ministry press release said.   He urged to remain involved to put continuous pressure on Myanmar authorities to ensure safe and dignified return of the Rohingyas to their homeland.  He also called the member states for voluntarily contribution to the fund  created by OIC to run the case against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice.   The foreign secretary reiterated Bangladesh’s continued engagements with the OIC which has always been guided by the principles of peace, prosperity, and development.   He highlighted on Bangladesh’s prudent navigation of economy during the COVID-19 period under the leadership of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina while called for fair share of vaccine and transfer of jab technology.  Masud also expressed Bangladesh’s strong commitment to establish peace process for Palestine, denounce Islamophobia, hate-crimes against Muslims, stop all form of terrorism including financing in terrorism, radicalization, and violent extremism.  The Bangladesh delegation was also comprised with Bangladesh’s Envoys to Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and the senior officials of the foreign ministry joined the meeting.  Meanwhile, on Tuesday, an Open-ended Meeting of the OIC Ad Hoc Ministerial Committee on Accountability for Human Rights Violations against the Rohingyas was also held on the margin of the CFM.    Foreign Secretary Momen also delivered statement at the brainstorming Session titled ‘Role of the Islamic World in Fostering Peace, Justice and Harmony’. Since August 25 in 2017, Bangladesh has been hosting over 1.1 million forcefully displaced Rohingyas in Cox's Bazar district and most of them arrived there after a military crackdown by Myanmar, which the UN called a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing" and other rights groups dubbed it as "genocide".      In the last four-and-half-years, not a single Rohingya went back home.  Myanmar agreed to take them back, but repatriation attempts failed twice  due to trust deficit among the Rohingyas about their safety and security in Rakhine state. Source: BSS AH

Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Thursday said India will wait to see the final shape of the UN Security Council resolution on the Ukraine situation before taking a position. "The possibility of UNSC resolution that would be tabled on the evolving situation, we have seen a draft resolution. I am told that would undergo considerable changes. We will wait to see the shape that this resolution takes before we can pronounce ourselves in the position that we will take on this issue," Shringla said at a media briefing here in response to a media query. He said it is an evolving situation both on the ground and in the United Nations. "We are at the cutting edge of many of the issues, many of the areas where these issues will be discussed and will be considered by the international community. And we will certainly play our due role in that regard," he said. The United States is preparing a resolution against Moscow at the United Nations following the Russian military action in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday recognized Ukraine's breakaway regions - Donetsk and Luhansk - as independent entities escalating the ongoing tensions between the two countries. Ukraine gained independence in 1991 after the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Putin said on Thursday morning that special military operations are being launched "to protect" the people in the Donbas region. He also warned other countries that any attempt to interfere with the Russian action would lead to "consequences". Leaders from a number of countries including the UK, the US, Canada, and the European Union have condemned Russia's military operations in the Donbas region. Source: ANI

India on Wednesday at the UN Security Council open debate on the Middle East, reiterated its firm and unwavering commitment to the peaceful resolution of the Palestine issue and supported a negotiated two-state solution. Ambassador TS Tirumurti, Permanent Representative of India at UN supported a negotiated two-state solution leading to the establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine living within secure and recognized borders, side by side at peace with Israel. "Resolution 2334 was adopted by this Council to reaffirm the international community's firm commitment to preventing the erosion of the two-state solution," said Tirumurti. Deeply concerned by recent developments in the West Bank and Gaza, the Indian ambassador said, "Unilateral measures unduly alter the status-quo on the ground, undercut the viability of the two-state solution and pose serious challenges to the resumption of peace talks." He urged the international community to send a strong signal against any step that would prevent the possibility of durable peace between Israel and Palestine.   "Encouraged by direct contacts between Israel and Palestine leadership, initiatives which are in the interest of both parties, help maintain stability and discourage possible recurrence of terror and violence," said Tirumurti. He also stressed on the need for a clear roadmap for early resumption of direct negotiations on all final status issues. "Absence of these direct talks on key political issues has asymmetrical costs for both Israelis and Palestinians and does not augur well for long-term peace in the region," said Tirumurti. The Indian ambassador also expressed strong condemnation of the recent terror attack in Abu Dhabi, in which two Indians tragically lost their lives. "Such an attack on innocent civilians and civilian infrastructure is completely unacceptable. It is a blatant violation of international law and against all civilized norms," said Tirumurti. The two Indians and one Pakistani national were killed and at least six persons were injured on Monday as three petroleum tanker trucks blew up after catching fire near a major oil storage facility in the Mussafah area of the capital of UAE. Tirumurti further said that India stands in solidarity with UAE and extends its full support for an unequivocal condemnation of this terror attack by the Council. Source :ANI