Kuala Lumpur, 15 May 2025 – The Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organization in Malaysia (MERHROM) has issued a global appeal to world leaders and international bodies to take immediate action to halt what it calls the “ongoing genocide” against the Rohingya people and to restore democracy in Myanmar.
In an open letter, MERHROM President Zafar Ahmad Abdul Ghani directly addressed leaders including UN Secretary-General António Guterres, U.S. President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and ASEAN Chair Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, urging them to intervene decisively.
Mass Killings, Humanitarian Crisis in Rakhine State
The group highlights that since May 2024, Myanmar’s military and the ethnic Rakhine-based Arakan Army (AA) have conducted large-scale attacks against Rohingya communities in Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships. Reports detail mass killings, drone strikes, and denial of humanitarian aid, resulting in widespread suffering and death.
“No aid is reaching the wounded. People are dying from lack of food, water, and shelter,” the letter states. “Rohingya civilians, including children and the elderly, are being brutally killed.”
School Bombing Sparks Outrage
In a recent attack on 12 May 2025, the Myanmar military reportedly bombed a school in Sagaing Region, killing 22 children and two teachers, despite a declared ceasefire for earthquake relief efforts.
MERHROM condemned the airstrike as a war crime and called for those responsible to be held accountable. “There must be no impunity. Every perpetrator must be identified and face justice,” the organization demanded.
India Accused of Violating Refugee Rights
MERHROM also criticized the Indian government following the arrest and deportation of dozens of Rohingya refugees from New Delhi earlier this month. At least 40 were forcibly returned to Myanmar, where they face persecution. The organization called the deportations a violation of international law and urged India to immediately cease forced returns.
Call for UN Peacekeeping and International Sanctions
Among its 12 key demands, MERHROM is calling for:
- Deployment of UN peacekeeping forces to Rakhine State
- An immediate halt to the sale of arms to Myanmar’s military and Arakan Army
- Legal action through the International Criminal Court (ICC) and support for The Gambia’s genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ)
- Humanitarian assistance for displaced Rohingya and improved conditions in Cox’s Bazar refugee camps
- Increased resettlement quotas and stronger international protection for Rohingya refugees
- Stronger ASEAN engagement, especially by Malaysia as current ASEAN chair
“A 100-Year Genocide”
The statement warns that without decisive intervention, the world may one day mark the centennial of the Rohingya genocide, symbolizing a century of global failure.
“Rohingya continue to die in refugee camps, in detention, and in the ocean,” said Zafar. “How long must we suffer? The international community must prove that humanity still exists.”
MERHROM concluded by urging immediate and extraordinary actions, warning that further delay would cost more lives and embolden perpetrators of mass atrocities.
Contact for Media Inquiries:
Zafar Ahmad Abdul Ghani
President, MERHROM
📞 +6016-6827 287
📧 rights4rohingyas@gmail.com
🔗 www.merhrom.wordpress.com
