REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, CIANJUR -- Buddhists in Cianjur, West Java Province, have strongly condemned the acts of violence committed against the Muslim Rohingya ethnic minority in Rakhine, a Buddhist-majority state of Myanmar.
The atrocities involving hard-line Buddhists in Myanmar had nothing to do with the Indonesian Buddhism followers who are prohibited from committing violence and murder, Suwita Gunawan, an advisor of the Buddhist Tri Dharma in Cianjur, stated here, Friday.
"We strongly condemn and denounce the acts against humanity, particularly when it involves monks. Their monk titles were lost when they got involved in acts of violence, such as murders," he remarked.
The perpetrators of violence can be categorized as terrorists, he noted.
"Buddhism teaches living in harmony and mutual respect among nations and races. The Rohingya crisis is not a religious problem but a socio-economic one," he pointed out.
He called to put an end to the Rohingya genocide and urged Cianjur residents belonging to diverse faiths to demonstrate their solidarity with Rohingyas.
"We support the efforts being undertaken by the Indonesian government," he emphasized.
Also read: Suu Kyi says Myanmar try to protect all citizens in Rakhine
Meanwhile, in Purwokerto, Banyumas District, Central Java Province, some two thousand students of Al Irsyad Al Islamiyyah performed special prayers and collected donations for Rohingyas.
Students of kindergarten, elementary, junior, and senior high schools, as well as teachers participated in the event, organized at the city's square.
They carried posters and banners reading "Save Rohingya" and "Save Rohingya from Genocide."
They lauded Foreign Affairs Minister Retno L. P. Marsudi for being among the first to visit Myanmar to offer solutions to solve the humanitarian crisis.
The students demanded the Nobel Committee to revoke the Nobel Prize awarded to Myanmar's de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Marsudi had visited Myanmar to meet State Counselor and Foreign Minister Suu Kyi and several high-ranking officials on Monday to address the ongoing armed skirmishes in Rakhine State.
Indonesia has submitted a proposal to Myanmar calling to apply the 4+1 Formula in Rakhine State to restore peace and allow immediate access to humanitarian assistance in the conflict-hit region.
The formula includes four main elements to recover security and stability, maximize self-restraint and avoid use of force, protect all citizens of Myanmar regardless of ethnicity and religion, as well as open access for humanitarian assistance.
The one positive element is to implement the recommendations from the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State led by Kofi Annan, the former UN security general.
"The Myanmar authority should stop any form of violence, which occurs in Rakhine State, and provide protection to all (members of) society, including Muslims," Marsudi remarked.
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