MEP Sajjad Karim calls for Rohingya to be given official citizenship

ISLAMABAD, Dec 13 (APP):Member European Parliament Sajjad Karim on Wednesday urged the European Union (EU) push for the Rohingya to be given official status as Burmese citizens into speech during the European Parliament complete December plenary session in Strasbourg.
Dr Karim said that if the situation of the Rohingya was ever to be resolved, then citizenship for the displaced people was key to the solving the problem, also using the Pope’s recent visit to “Myanmar – where he was prohibited from using the name Rohingya” to highlight the extent of the problem.
According to a report received from Brussels, addressing the Parliament, Dr Karim said “for many, many years now Member after Member of the European Parliament have stood in this chamber and highlighted the plight of” the Rohingya. It seems that those calls have fallen on deaf ears and today we arrive at a situation where even the Pope cannot go there and call these people by their true identity “It is clear that whilst there is much that is being done by the European Union today” , unless and until we insist on regularisation and status for these people, they are going to continually find themselves in this position time after time.”
The British MEP also insisted – after previous calls – for a review of the suitability of Aung San Suu Kyi to maintain her status as a Sakharov Prize holder have expressed his concern regarding the appropriateness of Myanmar’s premier Aung San holding on to her award for her human rights record, following her on denial and inaction of the persecution of Rohingya Muslims in Burma.
Speaking in the Parliament, Dr Karim said “Madam representative (EU High Representative Federica Mogherini), when you speak about Aung San Suu Kyi and i hear from many that” There is a willingness from her to cooperate with us – the fact of the matter is this, that somebody who holds a prize given by this house – the home of human rights; the Sakharov Prize – if she finds herself unable to speak for her own people, then this house must review its relationship with her “Silence is no longer an option.” “It is not good enough, it must stop, she must speak out now.”
For the past 12 years, Dr Karim has been one of the most active Members of the European Parliament in raising the issue of Rohingya Muslims, including through various resolutions, parliamentary questions and has previously appealed for the European Parliament President, Antonio Tajani, to review Aung San Suu Kyi’s award back in September 2017, as well as writing to Representative Mogherini asking what steps the European Commission intends to take to help the Rohingya.