Thousands of Rohingya Muslims protest at Burmese embassy in Kuala Lumpur
June 16, 2012
Thousands of Rohingya Muslims gathered in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, to call for an end to the violence in the western Rakhine state (formerly known as Arakan).
The emotional appeal was made outside the Burmese embassy in Kuala Lumpur, predominantly by Rohingya Muslims living in Malaysia, who make up the bulk of the 80,000 Burmese refugees in the country. Those protesting are calling for UN intervention and emergency medical assistance.
Described by mainstream media as ‘sectarian violence’ many activists and those targeted in the former independent state, have said that the violence is ethnic cleansing by the Rakhine Buddhists against the minority Rohingya Muslims.