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QNA
Kuala Lumpur
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs HE Sultan bin Saad al Muraikhi on Thursday called for finding a solution to the issue of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar through peaceful and comprehensive settlement and dialogue so as to achieve national unity.
The minister made the remark during his participation in a meeting of foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation's (OIC) member states in Kuala Lumpur to discuss the situation of the Rohingya Muslims minority in Myanmar.
Muraikhi stressed Qatar's belief that conflict settlement should be done through peaceful means and through moderation so as to bring closer points of view of the parties to the conflict, noting that impacts of disputes and conflicts are not confined to a certain geographic area but rather go beyond borders to threaten global security and peace.
He added that the Muslim world still faces several challenges that affect its unity and stability and limit cultural interaction and global cooperation. The minister said that stability in the Muslim world will reflect on the whole world and settling disputes in Muslim states will help in building global peace and consolidating human values.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs said the Rohingya issue is a humanitarian issue in the first place and requires dialogue and new patterns of cooperation and partnerships, adding that settling disputes is not inseparable from development projects, achieving transitional justice, the rule of law and good governance, and addressing human rights violations.
Muraikhi said Qatar supports national reconciliation and backs all efforts that aim to raise regional and international awareness of the effects of the issue, adding that Doha has pledged financial aid to some neighbouring countries to cover the costs of hosting Rohingya refugees as well as aid inside Myanmar, particularly in Rakhine state.
The minister added that Qatar's keenness on a peaceful settlement stems from its firm belief that if clashes, hate speech and incitement to violence continue, an environment of violent extremism from all sides as well as chaos might be created, which, he added, will negatively affect the peace and stability of the whole region.
Muraikhi said OIC and the international community have a responsibility to play a major role in raising the level of cooperation so as to establish a mechanism at the regional and international levels to solve the issue of Rohingya. He added that all concerned sides must cooperate to settle the issue in a way that helps Rohingya live with dignity in a safe environment where stability, prosperity, growth and national unity prevail.
On the sidelines of the meeting, the Qatari minister met with Malaysian Prime Minister Dato'Sri Mohammad Najib Tun Abdul Razak, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and Bangladeshi State Minister of Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam.
