Aaron Bunch Journalist with Australian Associated Press | Collection of published work | + 61 484 008 119 | abunch@aap.com.au

Aaron Bunch
Rohingya supporters rally in Sydney

Refugee advocates and the Rohingya community have rallied in Sydney to protest the killings in Myanmar while calling on the Australian government to do more.

September 7, 2017

The Rohingya community and refugee advocates have rallied in Sydney to urge the federal government to speak out against the growing number of Muslim deaths in Myanmar.

Representatives from Amnesty International and Union Aid Abroad addressed the rally on Thursday calling for an end to the killings in the Rakhine State.

At least 400 people have been killed in recent clashes and more than 100,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh.

However, a field worker for the Action Contre Le Faim (ACF) based in Buthidaung, in the northwest of Rakhine State, has reported up to 10,000 Rohingyan civilians have been killed, casting doubt on official figures supplied by the Myanmar government.

Fighting back tears, Mohammad Sidek begged the Australian government to help.

“Please help us. Our Rohingyan people are dying … they are being killed,” he told AAP at the front of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The construction worker, who has lived in Sydney for five years, said three members of his family were killed on Monday by Myanmar’s military.

Their deaths had caused his remaining family to flee 50km on foot to the Bangladesh border where fishermen had ferried them to safety across the Naf River.

Amnesty International Australia president Gabe Kavanagh said the Myanmar military was attacking the Rohingya minority in Myanmar.

“They are burning homes and communities. They are shooting at civilians and they are restricting aid to communities in need,” she told AAP.

“We need to put an end to this”.

The speakers also condemned recent comments by Myanmar’s de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, describing reports of ethnic-cleansing and the murder of Rohingya as ‘fake news’ promoted by terrorist elements in Rakhine State.

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