French activists rally in support of Rohingya Muslims

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - People have held a rally in Paris in support of minority Rohingya Muslims who have been mistreated by Myanmar government.

People gathered in the French capital to call for an end to discrimination and sectarian violence against Rohingya Muslims. The protesters held signs reading “Stop the killing of Muslims in Burma,” and “Don’t kill my brother.”

The Buddhist-majority government of Myanmar refuses to recognize Rohingyas, claiming they are not native to the country. This is while the Rohingyas migrated to Myanmar as early as the 8th century.

Hundreds of Rohingyas have been killed in recent months, with thousands more being displaced following rising concerns over a state-sponsored ethnic cleansing of Rohingya population in Myanmar.

“First of all their survival is very important. If we have no rights to survive on our homelands then democracy and human rights is nothing for us,” a pro-Rohingya activist, Maung Hla Aung, said.

“Local authorities as well as the police control each and every house of Rohingya people,” he added while describing the violent acts against Rohingyas.

Last month, Human Rights Watch (HRW) condemned the Myanmar government for the killing of minority Rohingya Muslims during a recent wave of sectarian violence in the country.

The UN earlier said that decades of discrimination have left the Rohingyas stateless, with Myanmar implementing restrictions on their movement and withholding land rights, education and public services.

“They are denied the citizenships, they are replaced, I think 3000 of Rohingyas are placed in camps, and in these camps one out of 5 children can’t live longer than 5 years,” said a French protester.

The protester criticized Myanmar’s Nobel Peace Prize winner and leading politician Aung San Suu Kyi for not taking enough actions to stop the violence, saying, “A woman who has been detained for her political views should have compassion to other people.”