PUTRAJAYA, April 12 — Malaysia is against any form of violence or harsh treatment against civilians, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir in responding to the Myanmar military junta’s deadly airstrike on a village gathering organised by what it (the junta) claimed as its insurgent opponents.
Expressing Malaysia’s concern, Zambry said Indonesia — as Asean Chair this year — has alerted Malaysia about the current development in Myanmar.
“We are quite concerned about this (airstrike) and I suppose Indonesia will come up with a statement anytime soon.
“Malaysia’s position (is that) we are against any form of violence taking place now in Myanmar and that is the position of Asean as a whole,” he said at a press conference after hosting an Iftar with Wisma Putra staffA and diplomatic corps.
According to media reports, Myanmar’s military said it carried out a deadly attack on a village gathering it claimed was organised by insurgent opponents this week – and if civilians were also killed, it was because they were being forced to help the ‘terrorists’.
At least 100 people, including children, were killed and dozens injured in a horrific aerial attack by junta forces on civilians in Pazigyi village in Kanbalu Township in the Sagaing Region of Myanmar on Tuesday (April 11).
The junta jets dropped bombs, and attack helicopters fired machine guns, on more than 100 people gathered in the village for the inauguration ceremony of a local civilian administration office on Tuesday morning.
Later on the same day, the junta launched a second round of aerial attacks on the village as people were attempting to locate and identify the dead.
In conjunction with the event, Zambry also presented a contribution totalling RM561,996 (US$124,179) from the Humanitarian Trust Fund for the People of Palestine (AAKRP) to the Palestinian Ambassador to Malaysia Walid Abu Ali.
Out of the total, US$50,000 (RM220,625) was contributed to Al-Aqsa Mosque through the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs of Jordan.
A sum of US$30,000 (RM132,375) was presented to the Ministry of Education of Palestine for solar system facilities for two schools in the West Bank — a joint collaboration project between the Malaysian Embassy in Jordan and the Education Ministry of Palestine.
Meanwhile, US$44,179 (RM194,939) was distributed to Global Peace Mission (GPM) Malaysia for home reconstruction project in Gaza.
The AAKRP, established (officially) in 2002 under Section 9 of Akta Acara Kewangan, is mandated to channel funds from the public to the Palestinian people.
Thus far, more than RM20 million has been channelled to Palestinians through various projects and initiatives.
— Bernama
