Wajid Khan (S&D). – Mr President, three months ago, I raised the plight of the Rohingya. Today, I speak out again about the atrocities being committed by the Burmese military, which clearly amount to ethnic cleansing and genocide. Myanmar and Bangladesh have recently reached an agreement for the return of the Rohingya to their homes, yet any returns must be voluntary and done under UN peacekeeping supervision. But what would they return to? An apartheid system, an open-air prison and a system of repression with every aspect of their daily lives severely restricted.

The world must not stand by in the face of this oppression, and this week’s resolution must demand concerted global action. We must apply maximum pressure on the Burmese military with targeted sanctions against all those involved. The time for rhetoric has finished. We must show the Rohingya community that we stand shoulder to shoulder with their struggle for human rights. The Myanmar Government must be held to account for its actions. We are the hope for our desperate Rohingya brothers and sisters. Let us get justice, dignity and equality for them.