VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Myanmar Rohingya Muslims protested across refugee camps in neighbouring Bangladesh on Thursday, the fifth anniversary of clashes between Rohingya insurgents and Myanmar security forces that drove hundreds of thousands of Rohingya from their homes.

More than a million Rohingya now live in the world’s largest refugee settlement in southern Bangladesh, with little prospect of returning to Myanmar, where they are mostly denied citizenship and other rights.

Refugees, from children to the elderly, waved placards and chanted slogans across the sprawling camps, many wearing black ribbons to mark what they call “Rohingya Genocide Remembrance”.

"No more refugee life", the placards read. "Enough is enough" and "We want citizenship, we want justice. We are Burma Citizens, we are Rohingya."

"Today we are demonstrating as in 2017 the Burmese (Myanmar) army killed our people in a genocide. They killed my husband and others, the military raped us, then they killed our children," said protester Jamalida Begum.

"For the last five years, we have been saying the same thing to the world. But no one listened to us. Today, we are again demonstrating just to let the world know that we want justice."

The United Nations has said the 2017 military crackdown was carried out with genocidal intent and Myanmar is facing charges of genocide at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

Buddhist-majority Myanmar denies the accusation, saying it was waging a legitimate campaign in 2017 against insurgents who attacked police posts.

Rohingya community leader Mohammad Jobaer said he was keen to return to Myanmar but wanted citizenship rights guaranteed.

"We want to go back to our homeland with all our rights and under the direct supervision of the United Nations. We want security for our life and wealth there," he said.

Densely populated Bangladesh says that the refugees' repatriation to Myanmar is the only solution to the crisis. Local communities have been increasingly hostile towards Rohingya as funds for the refugees have dried up.

U.N. agencies have appealed for $881 million for this year, of which just under half has been received so far.

Save the Children said on Wednesday the Rohingya "fled mass killings, rape and systematic human rights abuses" in Myanmar.

"Two thirds (66%) of children surveyed and nearly all parents and caregivers (87%) say they do not feel any safer now than when they arrived," it said.

"The findings expose that the international community’s efforts, despite being significant, fall short of what is needed to adequately respond to the needs of Rohingya refugees."

Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said his government wanted to ensure that the Rohingya can return to Myanmar safely "where they will no longer be persecuted and will finally receive citizenship".

The United Nations says conditions are not yet right for a return to Myanmar. Myanmar has said it is ready to take back some of the Rohingya but attempts at repatriation failed after refugees refused to return in fear of persecution. (Reuters)

Another group of U.S. lawmakers will arrive in Taiwan on Thursday evening, Taiwan's official Central News Agency reported, the third such visit this month and defying pressure from Beijing for these trips not to take place.

China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory against the strong objections of the democratically-elected government in Taipei, launched military drills near the island after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi came in early August.

Another group of U.S. lawmakers will arrive in Taiwan on Thursday evening, Taiwan's official Central News Agency reported, the third such visit this month and defying pressure from Beijing for these trips not to take place.

China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory against the strong objections of the democratically-elected government in Taipei, launched military drills near the island after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi came in early August.

Another group of U.S. lawmakers will arrive in Taiwan on Thursday evening, Taiwan's official Central News Agency reported, the third such visit this month and defying pressure from Beijing for these trips not to take place.

China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory against the strong objections of the democratically-elected government in Taipei, launched military drills near the island after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi came in early August.

The United States has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan but is bound by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself.

China has never ruled out using force to bring Taiwan under its control.

Taiwan's government says the People's Republic of China has never ruled the island and so has no right to claim it, and that only its 23 million people can decide their future. (Reuters)

 The UN human rights chief said on Thursday that she is still aiming to release a long-anticipated report on China's treatment of its Uyghur minority in Xinjiang by the end of her four-year mandate next week amid "tremendous pressure" from all sides.

But the lack of a firm commitment by former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet in her final press conference stoked further criticism from civil society groups who have accused her of being too soft on China since a May visit. 

The report has been in the works for three years and promised for months but has not been published for unclear reasons.

"We are trying very hard to do what I promised," Bachelet said, referring to a pledge to release the report before the end of her term on Aug. 31.

Asked to elaborate on why it has not been released, Bachelet said she needed time to integrate new information from her visit and to review input on the report's contents from China.

Rights groups accuse Beijing of abuses against Uyghurs, a mainly Muslim ethnic minority that numbers around 10 million in the western region of Xinjiang, including the mass use of forced labour in internment camps. The United States has accused China of genocide.

China has vigorously denied the allegations.

Sophie Richardson, China director of Human Rights Watch, said Bachelet's response was "woefully inadequate" given the scale of abuses. Michele Taylor, U.S. ambassador on human rights in Geneva, called for the report's release, saying "the world deserves an independent and honest account" of the situation.

'UNDER TREMENDOUS PRESSURE'

Reuters reported last month that China had asked Bachelet to bury the report, according to a Chinese letter that was confirmed by diplomats.

Bachelet confirmed on Thursday having received that letter which she said was signed by about 40 other states, adding that her office would not respond to such pressure.

"I have been under tremendous pressure to publish or not to publish but I will not publish or withhold publication due to any such pressure," she said.

While it is normal practice for Bachelet's office to share an unpublished report with the concerned country, rights groups worry this gives China the scope to shape its contents.

"Our concern is that the longer the report is not released, the more likely it could be whitewashed," said Renee Xia, director of the Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders.

In her closing speech, Bachelet also called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to halt the attack against Ukraine.

Bachelet, 70, plans to return to Chile to retire. Many candidates have applied for the job but no successor has yet been named by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres whose choice must then be approved by the General Assembly in New York.

Bachelet, the 8th High Commissioner, said she felt proud of progress on abolishing the death penalty and the recognition of environmental rights, but said she felt hamstrung by COVID-19 restrictions that prevented more country visits.

"It's really sometimes very frustrating not to be able to advance much more. Sometimes you feel that the world is not getting better," she said.

(Reuters)

The Republic of Indonesia Radio Public Broadcasting Institute (LPP RRI) collaborated with International Women University (IWU) Bandung. This collaboration is carried out to utilize the capabilities of each institution in implementing, carrying out and improving the quality of the Tri Dharma of Higher Education.

The cooperation was stated in a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by the Chair of the International Senate of Women University Bandung, Prof. dr. Umi Narimawati, M.Si with the Program and Production Director of RRI, Mistam S.Sos., M.Si at the LPP RRI Office in Jakarta, Thursday (25/8/2022).

"This collaboration also includes education, teaching, research and community service activities and other programs," the MoU between IWU and LPP RRI stated.

In addition, this collaboration aims to improve the quality and develop the potential of human resources in the study program. The study program in question is the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business, on both sides.

Please note that International Women University Bandung is a university that has a mission to provide education. Where they are able to meet the demands of the community using higher education services.

Meanwhile, LPP RRI is a legal entity established by the state that is independent, neutral, non-commercial and functions to provide services for the benefit of the community. So both parties are committed to developing, strengthening and implementing the Tri Dharma of Higher Education.

"The university's Tri Dharma is in the form of education, research, and community service through this collaboration," the MoU wrote. (RRI)