KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Malaysia described the violence against Myanmar's Muslim Rohingya minority as "ethnic cleansing" on Saturday, ahead of a planned solidarity march in Kuala Lumpur expected to be led by Prime Minister Najib Razak.

The strongly-worded statement came after Myanmar said on Friday that Malaysia should respect sovereign affairs and follow Association of Southeast Asian Nations' (ASEAN) policy of non-interference in other member countries' internal affairs.

"The fact that only one particular ethnicity is being driven out is by definition ethnic cleansing," Malaysia's foreign ministry said in a statement.

"This practice must stop, and must be stopped immediately in order to bring back security and stability to the Southeast Asian region."

Muslim-majority Malaysia has been increasingly critical of Myanmar's handling of violence in northern Rakhine state that has sent hundreds of people fleeing across the border to Bangladesh, amid allegations of abuses by security forces.

The violence is the most serious bloodshed in Rakhine since communal clashes in 2012 that killed hundreds.

Persecution and poverty led thousands of Rohingya to flee Myanmar following the violence between Buddhists and Muslims there four years ago. Many of them were smuggled or trafficked to Thailand, Malaysia and beyond.

The Rohingya issue posed a threat to Malaysia's own security, Malaysia's foreign ministry said, adding that the high number of Rohingya in Malaysia and other neighbouring countries made this an "international matter".

Myanmar's deputy director general of the President's Office U Zaw Htay told the Myanmar Times on Friday that Malaysia should respect sovereign affairs.

Malaysia summoned Myanmar's ambassador last week over the crackdown on Rohingya. It also cancelled the national soccer team's friendly under-22 matches with Myanmar in protest.

Senior government leaders, led by Najib, are expected to participate in the solidarity march on Sunday. (Reporting by Praveen Menon; Editing by Nick Macfie)

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. </s> KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia’s government has defended plans for a protest to condemn what it called ethnic cleansing of Myanmar’s Muslim Rohingya minority, saying it has an obligation to ensure that its neighbor takes steps to prevent the crisis from deteriorating.

Prime Minister Najib Razak is expected to attend the rally on Sunday but Myanmar has warned Muslim-majority Malaysia not to interfere in its internal affairs.

Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry says the high number of Rohingya refugees in Malaysia and neighboring countries “makes this matter no longer an internal matter but an international matter.” It says the fact that “only particular ethnicity is being drive out is by definition ethnic cleansing.”

It said in a strongly worded statement Saturday that the practice must stop immediately to bring back security and stability to the region. </s> KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysia's government on Saturday defended plans for a protest rally to condemn what it called "ethnic cleansing" of Myanmar's Muslim Rohingya minority, saying it has an obligation to ensure that its neighbor takes steps to prevent the crisis from deteriorating.

Prime Minister Najib Razak is expected to attend the rally at a Kuala Lumpur stadium on Sunday. Myanmar has warned Muslim-majority Malaysia not to interfere in its internal affairs.

In a strongly worded statement, Malaysia's Foreign Ministry said the high number of Rohingya refugees in the country and other neighboring nations has made the crisis "no longer an internal matter but an international matter."

"The fact that only one particular ethnicity is being driven out is by definition ethnic cleansing. This practice must stop, and must be stopped immediately in order to bring back security and stability to the Southeast Asian region," it said.

U Zaw Htay, the deputy director general of Myanmar president's office, was quoted by the Myanmar Times as saying that Malaysia should respect a non-interference policy observed by the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations. He said the protest appeared to be a calculated political decision to win the support of Muslim Malays in Malaysia.

Malaysia's Foreign Ministry rebutted the claim, saying the crisis was not a religious issue but an immediate humanitarian concern. It said Malaysia has repeatedly offered its assistance to Myanmar to find a just and durable solution to the persecution of Rohingya.

Malaysia has summoned the Myanmar ambassador over the issue, and withdrew from two scheduled friendly football matches against Myanmar this month. Hundreds also protested outside the Myanmar Embassy last week to denounce the Rakhine "genocide."

Myanmar's Rakhine state, home to Rohingya Muslims in the predominantly Buddhist nation, was the scene of intense ethnic violence in 2012 that left hundreds dead and drove 140,000 people into camps for the internally displaced, most of them Rohingya. The latest outbreak was triggered by attacks on Myanmar border posts on Oct. 9 that killed nine police officers. The identity and motives of the attackers are unclear, but in response, the government began military sweeps, sparking a major confrontation in mid-November when villagers resisted troops. The government has cut off access to the area to aid agencies, diplomats and journalists.

Many of the estimated 1 million Rohingya, who face widespread discrimination and are excluded from Myanmar citizenship, have lived in Rakhine for generations but are treated as illegal settlers from Bangladesh. </s> KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has led a protest rally against what he called a “genocide” of Muslim Rohingya minority in Myanmar.

Najib says Sunday’s rally at a stadium Kuala Lumpur in Muslim-majority Malaysia sends a strong message to Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her government that “enough is enough” as he vowed to fight for the rights of the Rohingya.

He said: “The world cannot stand by and watch genocide taking place.”

The plight of Rohingya in predominantly-Buddhist Myanmar has galvanized Muslims in Southeast Asia and beyond.

Some critics accuse Najib, who is grappling with a financial scandal, of using the rally to win the support of the country’s Muslim Malays ahead of general elections due in 2018. </s> KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak led a protest rally Sunday against what he called a “genocide” of Myanmar’s Muslim Rohingya minority, as he urged Asian neighbors and the world to step up the pressure to stop the violence.

Najib said the rally at a stadium in suburban Kuala Lumpur will send a strong message to Aung San Suu Kyi’s government that “enough is enough.”

“U.N. please do something. The world cannot sit by and watch genocide taking place,” Najib said to loud cheers from thousands of Muslims, including Rohingya refugees. “The world cannot say it is not our problem. It is our problem,” he said.

The plight of Rohingya in predominantly-Buddhist Myanmar has galvanized Muslims in Southeast Asia and beyond. Denied citizenship although they have lived in Myanmar for generations, Rohingya have faced persecution that exploded in intercommunal violence in Rakhine state in 2012 that left hundreds dead and forced more than 100,000 into squalid camps.

The violence has again flared up as Myanmar’s military launched attacks on Rohingya villages following deadly strikes by unknown assailants on police posts along the border with Bangladesh in October.

The top U.S. diplomat for East Asia, Daniel Russel, said that the escalation of violence risks inciting jihadi extremism in Myanmar and Bangladesh and called on neighboring countries, including Malaysia and Indonesia, to resist the urge to stage protests that could further stir religious passions.

Najib said the persecution of the Rohingya is an insult on Islam. He said he had asked Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to stage a similar rally in Jakarta to put the pressure on Myanmar, because he said the charter of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, to which all three countries belong, ensures the protection of human rights.

The Malaysian government-led protest marks a departure from the long-standing policy of non-interference by ASEAN members in each other’s affairs.

“I will not close my eyes and shut my mouth. We must defend them (Rohingya) not just because they are of the same faith but they are humans, their lives have values,” Najib said.

Some critics accuse Najib, who is grappling with a financial scandal, of using the rally to win the support of his country’s Muslim Malays ahead of general elections due in 2018, which may be called earlier.

In a strongly worded statement Saturday, Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry said there were some 56,000 Rohingya refugees in Malaysia. It said it has an obligation to halt the “ethnic cleansing” of the Rohingya and ensure security and stability in the region.

Malaysia has also summoned the Myanmar ambassador over the issue, and withdrew from two scheduled friendly football matches against Myanmar this month. Hundreds also protested outside the Myanmar Embassy last week. </s> Muslim-Majority Malaysia has been increasingly critical of Myanmar's handling of violence and allegations of state abuses in northern Rakhine state, which has driven hundreds of ethnic Rohingya to flee across the borders to Bangladesh.

It described the violence as "ethnic cleansing" on Saturday.

Najib called on the United Nations, the International Criminal Court and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to intervene.

"The world cannot just sit by and watch genocide taking place," he told the crowd.

Najib's attendance came despite warnings from Myanmar that Malaysia risked violating the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' (ASEAN) principle of non-interference in other members' internal affairs.

In response, Najib said ASEAN, which agreed to declare itself a single community last year, had also pledged in its charter to uphold basic human rights.

He also accused Myanmar leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi of inaction, saying that she had declared the Rohingya issue off-limits during bilateral discussions.

"How can this be? We should be allowed to discuss everything," he said.

The gathering, organized by Najib's ruling United Malay National Organisation (UMNO) and the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, attracted around 10,000 people, mostly Rohingya.

Malaysia summoned Myanmar's ambassador last week to express concern over the crackdown on Rohingya. It also canceled the national soccer team's friendly under-22 matches with Myanmar in protest.

Rohingya Society in Malaysia president Faisal Islam Muhammad Kassim said he appreciated Malaysia's efforts to find a solution to the crisis.

"We want the Malaysian government to (send a) message to the Muslim world and the Western countries, to pressure the Myanmar government to solve this Rohingya issue," he said.

The violence in Myanmar is the most serious bloodshed in Rakhine since communal clashes in 2012 that killed hundreds.

Persecution and poverty led thousands of Rohingya to flee Myanmar following the violence between Buddhists and Muslims there four years ago. Many of them were smuggled or trafficked to neighboring countries, mostly to Thailand and Malaysia.

Najib, who has been buffeted by graft allegations he denies, vowed on Thursday to fight to the end for Malays and Islam, as he called on UMNO to prepare for elections that are "coming soon". </s> The conflict in Rakhine has sent hundreds of Rohingya Muslims fleeing to neighboring Bangladesh and poses a serious challenge to leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who swept to power last year on promises of national reconciliation.

At least 86 people are reported to have been killed in escalating violence that has displaced about 30,000 in the region's most serious bloodshed since hundreds were killed in communal clashes in 2012.

The Malaysian foreign ministry called on all parties involved to refrain from actions that could aggravate the situation.

"Malaysia also calls on the government of Myanmar to take all the necessary actions to address the alleged ethnic cleansing in the northern Rakhine State," it said in a statement.

"The ministry will summon the ambassador of Myanmar to convey the government of Malaysia’s concern over this issue," it added, without giving a timeframe.

Hundreds of Rohingya Muslims marched in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, condemning the bloody crackdown on the persecuted minority and slamming Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi for her inaction.

Protesters demanded humanitarian aid for Rakhine, and urged that the military seize all attackers.

"The Myanmar government says the claims are all fabricated but they are not fabricated," Rohingya community leader Muhammed Noor told reporters, referring to reports of incidents of killing, rapes of wives and daughters and home burnings.

"This movement has to continue, to pressure the government to stop the killing."

This week, Muslim-majority Malaysia it was considering pulling out from a regional soccer tournament co-hosted by Myanmar in protest against the crackdown. But it later decided to continue.

Protests were also held simultaneously in Bangkok, the capital of neighboring Thailand, and in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta.

Protesters in Jakarta called for the Nobel panel to cancel its award to Suu Kyi.

Indonesia is "ready and willing" to help Myanmar initiate dialogue, its foreign minister, Retno Marsudi, said this week.

Many among the Buddhist majority in Myanmar view its 1.1 million Rohingya as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Persecution and poverty led thousands of Rohingya to flee Myanmar following the violence between Buddhists and Muslims there four years ago. Many of them were smuggled or trafficked to Thailand, Malaysia and beyond. </s> A protesters wears a headband with "Help Rohingya" on it during a demonstration. Pic: AP

IGNORING calls from Burma not to get involved in their “internal affairs, Malaysia’s prime minister Najib Razak was present at a rally in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday to protest the persecution of the Rohingya Muslims.

The rally was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, and the president and youth chief of Islamist political party Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS). Local media reports about 7,000 people gathered at Titiwangsa Stadium to participate.

Slogans such as “Free the Rohingya” and “Rohingya needs your voice to end ethnic cleansing” during the rally. As reported by the Straits Times, Najib was quoted saying: “They warned me, but I don’t care, because I am here in my capacity as representative of the community and the people of Malaysia.

“Asean also protects basic human rights. Don’t read the charter selectively,” he added.

The Burmese government called on Malaysia not to take part in the rally, citing ASEAN principles saying “a member country does not interfere in other member countries’ internal affairs”.

SEE ALSO: Stay out of our internal affairs – Burma warns Malaysia

Deputy director general of the President’s office U Zaw Htay told the Myanmar Times that he believes Najib decided to join the protest in order to appease his countrymen.

But Najib said at the protest today that he would not turn a blind eye towards the plight of the Rohingyas “not just because they are of the same faith, but they are humans, their lives have value”, reports the Straits Times. </s> Myanmar has warned its ASEAN counterpart Malaysia to respect the principle of non-interference after the leader of the Muslim-majority nation reportedly agreed to attend a protest condemning the ongoing military operations in Rakhine State.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak’s office told AFP that the country’s 63-year-old leader would be taking part in the protest, which has yet to have a confirmed location.

“The major gathering on December 4 is to express our concern over the violence taking place on the Rohingya,” Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi was quoted as saying by the Malay Mail Online on November 29.

In response, deputy director general of the President’s Office U Zaw Htay said yesterday that the neighbouring country should respect sovereign affairs.

“According to ASEAN principles, a member country does not interfere in other member countries’ internal affairs. We have always followed and respected this principle. We hope that the Malaysian government will continue to follow it,” U Zaw Htay told The Myanmar Times.

He added that the protest appeared to be a calculated political decision to win the support of the Malaysian public and had little to do with Myanmar.

“We will call on the Malaysian ambassador regarding the protest and to ask if the Malaysian prime minister is participating. If so, we will monitor the event,” said U Zaw Htay.

The announcement by Mr Najib’s office follows a series of recent moves by Malaysia to dial up the rhetoric in response to violence in northern Rakhine State, where the Tatmadaw has been conducting a crackdown since October 9.

On November 25, the Malaysian cabinet discussed Rakhine State and issued a strongly worded statement condemning the escalation of violence “resulting in the loss of innocent lives and displacement of people”.

“Malaysia also calls on the government of Myanmar to take all the necessary actions to address the alleged ethnic cleansing in northern Rakhine State,” the statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Last week, Malaysia summoned the Myanmar ambassador in Kuala Lumpur while around 500 people staged a protest outside Myanmar’s embassy.

Malaysia also abruptly pulled out of two scheduled football matches against Myanmar this week. The last-minute cancellation was announced on November 30 and cited the handling of the Rakhine State crisis as the reason Malaysia would not compete in the December 9 and 12 matches.

According to the Tatmadaw’s True News and Information Team, 69 people have been killed and hundreds of suspects have been rounded up in the Muslim-majority townships of Buthidaung and Maungdaw since the military began sweeps to find suspects connected to a spate of lethal attacks on border-guard posts on October 9. The Myanmar government has repeatedly denied allegations of abuse and has said the situation on the ground is being carried out within the parameters of the rule of law. Journalists and outside observers have been restricted from accessing the military operation zones, making it impossible to independently verify information.

According to the UN refugee agency, as many as 10,000 Muslim residents of Rakhine State who self-identify as Rohingya have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh over the past few weeks. The UN estimates that 30,000 people in northern Rakhine State have been displaced by the violence.

U Zaw Htay said that amid the public denunciations and protests in Malaysia, the government is concerned for the safety of Myanmar citizens living in the country. He advised them to keep in contact with the Myanmar embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

“Myanmar citizens should be careful and they should not go outside without companions,” he said.
The Government of Malaysia claims that violence against Myanmar's Muslim Rohingya minority is "ethnic cleansing" ahead of a march in Kuala Lumpur led by Prime Minister Najib Razak.