Saudi Arabia today expressed regret for the continuing wide-spread systematic violence in Myanmar, particularly against the Rohingya Muslim minority according to the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Ms. Yanghee Lee.

Abdulaziz bin Ali Al-Aqla, member of the Saudi Human Rights Commission and member of Saudi Arabia's delegation to the UN Human Rights Council, said in a speech before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva that, after having careful review of the UN report on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, citing that the internationally-authorized writer of the report has not noticed any improvement in the situation of the displaced Rohingya minority in Myanmar compared with her previous visit to the country last July following allegations that they were mistreated by the Buddhist majority in the Myanmar State of Rakhine, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia suggests that this tension would lead to escalation of violence, killings and horror and that the Muslim minority would be the biggest loser because of the decision issued by Myanmar authority depriving all holders of temporary cards from their rights as most of the Rohingya are non-nationality holders.

The Kingdom's representative to the UN Human Rights Commission, Abdulaziz bin Ali Al-Aqla, said that institutionalized discrimination against the Rohingya Muslim minority could lead to mistrust and undermine efforts to enhance dialogue and understanding among peoples on the other.

The Kingdom demanded the government of Myanmar to do more to promote greater understanding and amicability among the country’s different communities in the country through activating the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with the Jeddah-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) as well as plans to provide infrastructure development assistance to Myanmar and specifically to the Rohingya region. The Kingdom has already donated $50 million to this effect.