The South Asian Regional Seminar of Communist and Left parties expresses its serious concern about the grave humanitarian crisis regarding the Rohingyas who have been rendered as human beings belonging to nowhere as a result of the incessant terror and acts of violence in the Rakhine state of Myanmar. Rohingya population are forced to leave their homes and hearths and move to neighbouring countries in order to survive. Bangladesh has borne the brunt of such an exodus of refugees. Nearly 4.5 lakhs of Rohingyas are reported to be living in very miserable conditions, as Bangladesh was naturally not prepared to receive such a huge refugee influx. Bangladesh government and civil society has been rendering help, assistance for the survival of this population, but clearly an international effort is required. Rohingyas moving to various parts of neighbouring countries is also happening.

This Seminar feels that this is a humanitarian issue of international dimension and the UN agencies and other international agencies must actively involve to ensure that human beings in the 21st century are allowed to live their life in a decent and dignified manner.

The refusal to undertake the responsibility of the refugees is coming in the name of Rohingyas being involved in terrorist activities that are inimical to the countries into which they are moving as refugees. The participants of this South Asian Seminar unequivocally declare their steadfast opposition to terrorism of all hues and varieties: fight against terrorism is non-negotiable. Action may be taken against investigated and confirmed acts of terrorism by certain groups and involvement of the concerned individuals, but the whole community can never be targeted on the basis of the activities of individuals, or some groups. Non resolution of this issue can be used by various fundamentalist and imperialist backed extremist forces.

Various suggestions and proposals have been made to resolve this humanitarian crisis, including the recommendations of the Commission headed by the former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan earlier and the Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the current, ongoing UN General Assembly session. The governments of South Asia, particularly, Myanmar, Bangladesh, India, Nepal and other countries along with the international community must immediately adopt a road map to resolve this humanitarian crisis and ensure that the harassed and beleaguered Rohingya population live a decent and dignified life.