This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.
Monday 18 May 2015 - 12:10 Makkah mean time-29-7-1436
Photo: UNHCR
New York (IINA) – UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson expressed grave concern over the plight of migrants and refugees stranded in the Andaman Sea and Strait of Malacca, according to a UN statement.
Speaking separately to leaders in Southeast Asia, the Secretary General and his deputy reiterated the need to protect lives and uphold the obligation of rescue at sea.
A statement issued here Sunday by a UN spokesperson said that in recent days, Ban has spoken to the prime ministers of Malaysia and Thailand, while Eliasson has spoken to the foreign minister of Bangladesh and deputy minister for Multilateral Affairs of Indonesia.
“In their discussions with leaders in the region, they reiterated the need to protect lives and uphold international law. Furthermore, they stressed the need for the timely disembarkation of migrants. They also urged leaders to uphold the obligation of rescue at sea and maintain prohibition of refoulement,” the statement said.
The UN top officials also encouraged leaders to participate in the upcoming regional meeting in Bangkok on the migrant situation.
Their statement comes in the wake of a strong call issued last Friday by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, who urged governments in Southeast Asia to take swift action to protect the lives of migrants stranded in precarious maritime conditions and warned against the policy of pushing boats back out to sea.
AB/IINA
|
No comments:
Post a Comment