Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Fw: Take action to protect the Rohingya in Burma - write to the UK Foreign Secretary



----- Forwarded Message -----
From: UN Association UK <website@una.org.uk>
Sent: Wednesday, 21 November 2012, 17:55
Subject: Take action to protect the Rohingya in Burma - write to the UK Foreign Secretary

 
Please click here if the email is not displaying correctly
Take action to protect the Rohingya What is UNA-UK?
Dear Friend,
UNA-UK is urging all its members and supporters to take action to help protect Burma's Rohingya minority.

Denied citizenship by the Burmese government, the Rohingya, a marginalised Muslim community, have suffered persecution for decades. Violence against them escalated this summer, with over 100,000 Rohingya forced to flee their homes and unknown numbers – thought to be in the hundreds or more – killed. Although the Rohingya are the worst affected, other minorities have also been subjected to violence and the Burmese government has repeatedly failed to curb what increasingly resembles ethnic cleansing.

In 2005, all UN Member States endorsed the 'Responsibility to Protect', which affirms the duty of all states to protect those within their borders, and the international community's responsibility to act if a state fails in this duty. The Burmese government has proved time and again that it is manifestly unwilling to uphold its responsibility to protect the Rohinyga and other minorities in the country.
 
UNA-UK is therefore urging the UK government to push for:
  • A UN Security Council resolution reminding Burma of its responsibility to protect and agreeing to the dispatch of international observers to monitor the situation
  • Neighbouring states to help, with the support of the international community, those fleeing violence
  • An inclusive national reconciliation process involving all minorities

We believe that the UK, and the international community as a whole, must act now to help prevent further violence against the Rohingya community before it is too late and we once more cry 'never again' and resolve to do better in the future.

Thank you,

The UNA-UK Team
 
UNA-UK is the UK's leading source of independent analysis on the United Nations and a UK-wide grassroots movement campaiging for a safer, fairer and more sustainable world.
We believe that a strong, credible and effective UN is essential if we are to achieve this goal. We therefore advocate strong government and public support for the UN and seek to demonstrate why it matters to people everywhere.
UNA-UK derives great strength from its members and supporters around the country, and from its links to the World Federation of UN Associations. Together, we form a critical mass of support for the UN around the world.
Our networks comprise:
• UNA-UK members
• UNA Youth
• Generation UN
• UNA-UK Young Professionals
What else has UNA-UK been working on?

The United Nations Association - UK (UNA-UK) is a charitable company limited by guarantee (no. 1146016).
Registered office: 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL.

all banner photos © UN Photo
This email was sent to Friend, our ref 510230
You are receiving this email as a supporter of UNA-UK


at