YANGON - Myanmar has warned its Asean counterpart Malaysia to respect the principle of non-interference after the leader of the Muslim-ruled nation reportedly agreed to attend a protest condemning ongoing military operations in Rakhine State.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak’s office told AFP that the country’s 63-year-old leader would be taking part in the protest, which has yet to have a confirmed location.
“The major gathering on December 4 is to express our concern over the violence taking place on the Rohingya,” Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi was quoted as saying by the Malay Mail Online on November 29.
In response, deputy director general of the President’s Office Zaw Htay said yesterday that the neighbouring country should respect sovereign affairs.
“According to Asean principles, a member country does not interfere in other member countries’ internal affairs. We have always followed and respected this principle. We hope that the Malaysian government will continue to follow it,” Zaw Htay told The Myanmar Times.
He added that the protest appeared to be a calculated political decision to win the support of the Malaysian public and had little to do with Myanmar.
“We will call on the Malaysian ambassador regarding the protest and to ask if the Malaysian prime minister is participating. If so, we will monitor the event,” said Zaw Htay.
The announcement by Mr Najib’s office follows a series of recent moves by Malaysia to dial up the rhetoric in response to violence in northern Rakhine State, where the Tatmadaw has been conducting a crackdown since October 9.
On November 25, the Malaysian cabinet discussed Rakhine State and issued a strongly worded statement condemning the escalation of violence “resulting in the loss of innocent lives and displacement of people”.
“Malaysia also calls on the government of Myanmar to take all the necessary actions to address the alleged ethnic cleansing in northern Rakhine State,” the statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Last week, Malaysia summoned the Myanmar ambassador in Kuala Lumpur while around 500 people staged a protest outside Myanmar’s embassy.
Malaysia also abruptly pulled out of two scheduled football matches against Myanmar this week. The last-minute cancellation was announced on November 30 and cited the handling of the Rakhine State crisis as the reason Malaysia would not compete in the December 9 and 12 matches.
According to the Tatmadaw’s True News and Information Team, 69 people have been killed and hundreds of suspects have been rounded up in the Muslim-majority townships of Buthidaung and Maungdaw since the military began sweeps to find suspects connected to a spate of lethal attacks on border-guard posts on October 9.
The Myanmar government has repeatedly denied allegations of abuse and has said the situation on the ground is being carried out within the parameters of the rule of law. Journalists and outside observers have been restricted from accessing the military operation zones, making it impossible to independently verify information.
According to the UN refugee agency, as many as 10,000 Muslim residents of Rakhine State who self-identify as Rohingya have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh over the past few weeks. The UN estimates that 30,000 people in northern Rakhine State have been displaced by the violence.
Zaw Htay said that amid the public denunciations and protests in Malaysia, the government is concerned for the safety of Myanmar citizens living in the country. He advised them to keep in contact with the Myanmar embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
“Myanmar citizens should be careful and they should not go outside without companions,” he said.