Abdulmohsen Alsabti Okaz/Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Ambassador Mohammad Tayab of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Makkah region met recently with a delegation from the Burmese community in the framework of a team assigned to study the situation of Burmawis living in the Kingdom. Tayab briefed the delegation on the Saudi government's efforts to improve their living conditions. He clarified the role of the Kingdom in supporting their cause at Islamic and international levels in order to restore peace and stability and begin the process of rehabilitation and national reconciliation in their country. The Kingdom is pursuing all means with human rights organizations in resolving the situation in Myanmar to allow the displaced people to return home. Tayab affirmed the importance of recording the status of the Burmese residents in the Kingdom. He pointed out that the most important issue was to identify their numbers to facilitate residency and passport procedures, which would solve 70 percent of the problems they face. A team with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Interior, the Emirate of Makkah and the Passport Directorate is tasked with resolving the issue on a priority basis. Abdulmajeed Abul Shama, a Burmese sheikh who led the delegation, thanked King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and other Saudi leaders for their noble stand, saying the community enjoyed special care in the Kingdom. Abul Shama also discussed the progress within the community that contributed to reducing the crime rate involving the Burmese residents to 37 percent as reported by the Interior Ministry. He briefed the audience on some of the community's activities such as charitable associations and schools run by government agencies, and called for a solution to their expired passports that were issued by the embassies of Bangladesh or Pakistan. Dr. Nourul Hag, a surgeon at King Fahd Hospital in Madinah, said the suffering of the community has increased due to voiding of passports issued by Bangladesh, causing many to leave schools and jobs. They also find difficulty in getting treatment at government hospitals.
