A Statement from the Global Council of the United Religions Initiative (URI) Regarding the Rohingya People in Myanmar
Escaping discrimination and persecution in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, more than one million Rohingya have died or been displaced, many fleeing to neighboring Bangladesh. As the Global Council of the United Religions Initiative, we call upon the world community to respond to the plight of the Rohingya people.
URI’s Charter calls us to action in moments such as these: to build safe places for conflict resolution, healing and reconciliation; and to support freedom of religion and spiritual expression, and the rights of all individuals and peoples as set forth in international law.
As such, we join with the United Nations who, this week, called upon the international community “to intensify efforts to bring a peaceful solution to the plight of the Rohingya, to end the desperate exodus, to support host communities and ensure the conditions that will allow for refugees’ eventual voluntary return in safety and dignity.”
URI’s Cooperation Circles, our grassroots interfaith groups, in Myanmar and Bangladesh, are responding to the crisis on the ground. Recognizing that local and international crises are complex and multi-faceted, the global URI community will continue to work with the United Nations and other international partners to bring an end to this terrible humanitarian crisis and support the rights of persecuted religious minorities around the world.
Want to help? Donate directly to UNHCR: The UN Refugee Agency.
