Refutation
Rohingyas are not the problems but problems are in the minds of those people who do not think of Rohingyas equal to them because many of them have darker skin. The then consultant of Myanmar to Hong Kong, Ye Myint Aung (now Myanmar representative to United Nation) described them as “ugly as ogres.” And problems are with those people who do not think of them as Human Beings. Rohingyas have not created any problem in any country where they reside and are given a status. There will be problems for both governments and Rohingyas if they have to stay anywhere illegally without any status.
Allegation #10
They are illegal immigrants. Therefore, if the third countries want to take them, we (Burmese) will pay for fuel for trans-oceanic shipment.
Refutation
As explained above Rohingyas are no way illegal immigrants. Why should anyone else pay for fuel for the trans-oceanic shipment to carry them to third countries? Why should Rohingyas of Indian descends should leave their homes? How shameless can they be? How quickly can they forget that and Siddharta Gautama Buddha son of Siddhodana Gautama and original people in Arakan were Indians who practiced Hinduism, Buddhism and Animism. These Indians simply have converted into Islam. That doesn’t make them foreigners.
Why don’t Burmese Regime and Rakhine Extremists don’t recognize Rohingyas?
Burmese Regime and some extremist Rakhines don't want to recognize the name "Rohingya" not because they want their real identity so as to give them "Nationality" but because once they become successful in branding them as Bengalis, it will become easier for them to drive them out of Arakan land. In fact, now, Burmese pseudo civilian government in cooperation with extremist Rakhines are carrying out genocide against them to root them out of Arakan. Ultimately, Junta's dream of making Arakan into purely Burmanized Bhuddhist region will come true.
Junta wants neither the people called Rakhines nor the people called Rohingyas. Thus, Junta has been setting up modal villages by bringing Bamars from central Burma. Rakhines are well aware of that. Yet Rakhines want to cleanse Rohingyas because they have become a major barrier for them (Rakhines) in achieving their much awaited dream of having an independent Arakan. For that purpose, extremist Rakhines simultaneously want to fight Junta on one side and Rohingyas on another side. It is a very wrong tactic. History has proven that. Hitler lost in the war because he fought Soviet Union on one side and English and French on another side.
If the term “Rohingya” existed in the past, why didn’t they (Rohingyas) use it during British Colonial time? Can they use the term?
In the past, Rohingya didn't feel to call them as Rohingya because the situation and the time had not forced them to call so. In the past, if a Rohingya was asked of what race he or she is, the answer would be Muslims. Till date, they identify themselves as Mussalman (an Indian term for Muslim). It doesn't mean that this people didn't exist before. So, if someone says there is no word as Rohingya in the history of Arakan, then there is no word as Rakhine either.
There might be one more reason why Muslims in Arakan didn’t claim their name before and during British independence. It might be because they tried to offer an olive branch to fellow Rakhines to develop an integrated political culture, based on the common national aspiration of Arakaneseness, through rapprochement of with the spirit of “Rakhine-Rohingya Twin Brothers.” But Rakhine extremist leaders were not receptive to the proposal. Instead, they claimed that Rakhines and Buddhism are synonymous and Muslims or Rohingyas are outsiders. (Nurul-Islam, 2012)
Mons were known as Talaings in history. Bama, majority people of Burma, is a Tibeto-Burman group descended from Kanran (ancestors of majority of Arakanese or Rakhines), Phyu and Thet (known as ancestors of many Chins). They were known as Mierma in the earliest Mon’s records. (Harvery, 1925, 2000)Now they are called both Myanmar and Bama. Zomis are known as Chins today and Wungpang or Jingpho are known as Kachins. Shans are known as Tais or vice versa. Even Rakhines call themselves with different names: Rakhine, Rakan, Rakkha, Rakkhita, Arakan (a name of a place) and Maghs as called by others. If all these people can change their names and call themselves with whatever they like, why can’t Muslim Arakanese call them with the name “Rohingya?”? Why don’t those bigotry historians apply the same logic to Rohingyas’ matter? Why double standard? Why so ignorant?
All in all, Rohingyas who are of Indo-Aryan descendants (i.e. Indian origins) are hated and could be targeted by many extremist Rakhines, other extremist Burmese and by the tyrannical regime of Burma just because they look different from mainstream mongoloid people and practice a different religion. The Burmese regime that has the strong records of creating racial riots whenever they face crises in the country and divert people’s attention from the problems has done it again. The regime were facing so many problems such as the pressure to stop genocidal war against Kachin, Myitsone damn crisis, electricity crisis, water crisis, labors and farmers’ demonstrations on and on. Now, they started cleansing Rohingyas in the name of protecting sovereignty, religion and Rakhines. As expected, the brainwashed Burmese xenophobic society came in support of the regime. I wonder how they could forget their sufferings under the same regime ruled by same people. Ex-generals and whoever behind the current pseudo civilian government have not changed their mind and tinking ways to the least extent but their dresses. If it continues, there will never be democracy in Burma and the rule of the evils will last for next 300 years.
Bibliography
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Buchanan, F., 1799. A Comparative Vocabulary of Some of the Languages Spoken in the Burma Empire. SOAS Bulletin of Burma Research, Vol. 1, No., 1, Spring 2003, ISSN 1479-8484, Vol. 1(1), p.55. Available at: http://www.soas.ac.uk/sbbr/editions/file64276.pdf [Accessed 10 August 2012].
Harvery, G.E., 1925, 2000. History of Burma. Culcutta, New Dehli: Asian Educational Service. Available at: http://books.google.com.my/books?id=vmIVhKXwrFcC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false.
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Nurul-Islam, 2012. Anti-Rohingya Campaigns, Violations of Human Rights. UK.
San-Kyaw-Tun-(Mahawizza), 2010. Zaa Lok Kay Pho Lay. 1st ed. New York: America-Burma Institute (A.B.I).
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Mohammed Sheikh Anwar is an activist, studying Bachelor of Arts in Business Studies at Westminster International College in Malaysia.
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