Rohingya boat people lived a difficult life in many parts of the world because they were not among 135 ethnic groups granted citizenship under the Burma citizenship law of 1982.Banda Aceh (ANTARA News) - The International Concern Group on Rohingya (ICGR) has expressed hope that the ASEAN Summit would discuss the Rohingya minority ethnic group inhabiting Arakan in western Myanmar to enable to them to lead a normal life as citizens.
"We hope the Indonesian government will propose that the issue of Rohingya ethnic group be discussed at the ASEAN Summit because they have so far caused difficulties to other countries," ICGR Executive Secretary Adli Abdullah said here on Thursday.
Some 1.450 million Rohingya people are currently taking refuge in a number of countries including Malaysia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Middle Eastern countries.
The Rohingya refugees` misery confirmed the bad picture of Myanmar military junta who discriminated against ethnic groups and opposed democracy, Adli said.
Rohingya boat people lived a difficult life in many parts of the world because they were not among 135 ethnic groups granted citizenship under the Burma citizenship law of 1982, he said.
The Rohingya ethnic group must do job as forced labor everyday, is banned from traveling to the rest of Myanmar and could not get married without prior consent from the Junta military, he said.
Adli said the issue of Rohingya ethnic group was once discussed at a meeting in Thailand, attended by 25 delegates from the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Nepal, and the United States late last April.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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