The Hollywood star arrived Bangladesh for the first time since August 2017 when 740,000 Rohingya have taken refuge. The UN envoy has commented on the tragedy, saying that people were ‘treated like cattle’.
Angelina Jolie’s emotional meetings with Rohingya in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar district took place on the second day of actress’ visit to the country. Ms Jolie is visiting for three days before launching a global appeal for $920 million, chiefly to support the refugees’ needs.
In her emotional speech, the actress said that the Rohingya families I have met are no different from other refugees in one crucial respect: they want to be able to return home. “It was deeply upsetting to meet the families who have only known persecution and statelessness their whole lives, who speak of being ‘treated like cattle’,” the UN envoy told journalists.
Angelina Jolie urged Myanmar government to end to violence in Rakhine state whose residents faced the real tragedy in August 2017. According to the UN experts, Rohingya incident should be compared to genocide and demanded action against the perpetrators. More than 700,000 have arrived since August 2017, when Myanmar’s army led a violent crackdown following attacks on security posts by a Rohingya insurgent group.
“I urge the Myanmar authorities to show the genuine commitment needed to end the cycle of violence and displacement and improve the conditions for all communities in Rakhine state,” Ms Jolie said.
In the third day of her visit, Angelina Jolie will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, foreign minister AK Abdul Momen, and other senior officials in Dhaka, a UN statement said.
