OIC secretary general visits camps in Rakhine State, Myanmar

The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and his accompanying delegation from seven member states visited on Friday, November 15, 2013, the camps of internally displaced peoples (IDPs) in restive Rakhine State, Myanmar. The OIC delegation listened to Rakhine Buddhists and Muslims giving them a message of assurance that the OIC seeks to help both communities in order for them to live together in peace and harmony. Myanmar’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Union Minister of Border Affairs, both of whom and other officials had briefed the OIC delegation before the visit of the Government’s efforts of resettlement, accompanied the delegation’s full-day tour of three camps in the state’s capital of Sittwe and the town of Maungdaw. Chief Minister of Rakhine State, who welcomed the delegation upon arrival, also joined them in the tour. Throngs of Rakhine Muslims, mainly from the Rohingya community, lined the dusty roads cheering the OIC delegation and welcoming it. In his dialogue with members of the Rakhine Buddhists, Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu emphasized on the need to build confidence and trust in the community and that OIC is willing to contribute towards achieving that. Ihsanoglu and the ministerial delegation prayed at Thabuchaung Mosque where thousands of worshipers surrounded them in warm welcome and joy at seeing them. Ihsanoglu spend time listening to their grievances and expressing support and sympathy.