Recognition:
The Rohingya were recognized as an indigenous ethnic community by the Burma’s first prime minister U Sao Shawe Thaik and again repeated the declaration as an indigenous ethnic community of Myanmar by U Nu government in 1954.
(A History of Arakan, Past & Present)
But, the 1982 citizenship law denied the Rohingya to be a national ethnic group or full citizenship. As well as, others types of Muslims in Burma are also applied similarly. They are also like Rohingyas not allow to recourse to become new citizenship with own identity under the new constitution act.
In 2003 Nov, Malaysia Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Alber had been concerned about Rohingyas but Myanmar Government is not willing to accept and Embassy of Myanmar Counceller U Khin Maung Lynn said that Rohingya is not among from Ethnic groups and infected from Bangladesh in 1970s.
Burma citizenship law denied citizenship to member of Muslim minority in Arkan State, generally known as “Rohingya”. (“according to a join statement release by six independent human rights expert in 04 April 2007”).
A Letter on 9 Feb 2009, A Burmese diplomat by the name of Ye Myint Aung at the Burmese Consulate in Hong Kong used very politically incorrect language in describing the Rohingyas, an Muslim ethnic minority that has created controversy for the Burmese government, because they are not recognized as Burmese but as Bengali immigrants. Ye Myint Aung, in the letter above, refers to the Rohingyas as very “dark brown” and as “ugly as ogres.”
http://viss.wordpress.com/2009/02/25/rohingyas-as-ugly-as-ogres/
However, the Rohingya’s long rooted in Arakan is considered as an indigenous ethnic group of Arakan rather than the Burmese ethnic.
Today Rohingyas sprung up and seeking refuge from the world but the Refugee Agency remains through ignoring their plights by turning to the other issues of around the world. The fact that Rohingya belief, Rohingya is not one of the group prioritized by developed countries.
A short Point of Earlier than others: Tibeto-Burman speaking Burmans, or the Bamar, began migrating to the Ayeyarwady valley from present-day Yunnan‘s Nanzhao kingdom starting in 7th century AD. Filling the power gap left by the Pyu, the Burmans established a small kingdom centred in Bagan in 849. But it was not until the reign of King Anawrahta (1044 – 1077) that Bagan’s influence expanded throughout much of present-day Burma. It was also known as Burma’s first emperor, Bagan Dynasty.
After Anawrahta’s capture of the Mon capital of Thaton in 1057, the Burmans adopted Theravada Buddhism from the Mons. The Burmese script was created, based on the Mon script, during the reign of King Kyanzittha (1084 – 1112). Prosperous from trade, Bagan kings built many magnificent temples and pagodas throughout the country – many of which can still be seen today.
Bagan’s power slowly waned in 13th century. Kublai Khan‘s Mongol forces invaded northern Burma starting in 1277, and sacked Bagan city itself in 1287. Bagan’s over two century reign of Ayeyarwady valley and its periphery was over.
(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma)
Other Groups: other facts Between Muslim and Others:
There are Thet, Mru, Khami, Dainet, Maramagyi ethnic groups in Arakan, are also speak in Rohingya dialects, but they are not violated because they are being non-Muslims. In detail,
- 19th Century descendent from Han-China, Wah are recognized and given citizenship.
- 18-19th Century descendent from Muslim-China, Panthey, are not recognized and but given foreigner-ship.
- 18th Century descendent from Malay , Pashu, are not recognized but given citizenship.
- Later from Colony war, non-Muslims are recognized and given citizenship but Muslims are not recognized and given temporary card.
- 17th Century descendent from India-Archer, Kaman, are recognized but given to few and disputation is still existed.
Because of the Rohingya are not being religious of them, they were being expelled by Burma rulers and often by local groups causes of instigations. However, how deny by military government, the root cause and historical existences, proves will not be dimmed forever.
If we have mechanism which can generate changes in Burma with people elected government firstly with initiation of genuine federal democracy system which could grantee the dignity and the rights of the entire people and sustainable economic gains, Rohingya could found their rights!
However, the Democracy means majority representatives therefore acception of millions of Rohingya refugees from around the world is unrealistic, no matter who rule in the future.
The Slang Word ‘Kala’: (by MSD-KN)
In philology, the word ‘kala’ is origin from pali-word and its correct spelling is (ku-la / ukvm;), but not as (kuu-la / ul;vm).’. Pali is a Middle Indo-Aryan language or prakrit of India. It is best known as the language of the earliest extant Buddhist scriptures..
In detail;
ku (uk) is health/treatment/medication
la (vm;) is professor
If bound in one word, Kula means Treatment Professor or Medical Professor (in Pali-word). So, it is meaning as treatment officer in combining or descendent of racist Buddha. Therefore, the God-Buddha is an Indian descendent and son of ‘A Tow Ka’ king, and a kala too.
If someone called to someone as kala, s/he would be angry. But, someone welcome because of the person proud to be a racist of God-Buddha.
Emotionally, the word kala was most popular and used for Asia-Chinese when the time natioanlization in Burma in 1960 and Indian-Burman Roit in 1930-38
(known as Coolie Strike). Other in ‘The Thaluan Myanmar-English Pocket Dictionary’ produced by U Win Naing in Nov 2000, translated the word ‘kala’ as native of India. If so, Rohingya is being native Indian who are origin native of Arakan firstly entered from India in about 5,000 years ago.
Also, different ethnic group from Arakan-Burma are using the word ‘kala’, to Rohingya Muslim people from Arakan-Burma. Later, this usage broadens into new society and widely using ‘kala’ to Muslim, Hindu and foreign people as well. Ironically, they never use when face by face but widely use at when behind or as far as those-‘kala’, that-‘kala’. As, they misspell ‘ku-la’ and accusing such groups as migrants. For Example: It was sophisticated as ;
Ka-la-fru (ukvm;jzL) to white people (white ka-la)
Ka-la-mae (ukvm;rJ) to black people (black ka-la)
Regarding this, later of 1992, the military Junta has widely accused to Noble Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi as ‘kala fru mayaa Suu Kyi’ (‘fru’ is white and ‘mayaa is wife in Burmese). Accusing that wife of a white kala from European. And it is publishing widely in Burmese newspapers.
Definitely, it is verbally insulting and so you are the best person to decide whether true or false. But, you would not find this usage in developed society.
We have the latest note from our first Prime Minister, a Shan ethnic, U Saw Shawe Theit saying that if Rohingyas are not our ethnic, none of us will be ours. Beside this, we must acknowledge that written words in scriptures were not written in today literature but the writer wrote with today literature to understand better therefore, we must confirm these facts whether true or not.
The below is letter sent to new Burma’s prime minster Thein Sein and its defends the existance of Rohingya long rooted.
Letter to Thein Sein
Questions & Answers
1) Unknowing of Burmese official language or literature? (by Thida)
Basically, a citizen of the nation is keen to know its official language. But, the people from like where practice full democratic rule are using native language rather than its official language. We have many examples, one of that is Tamil Nadu from Mizo state is part of world No.1 democratic country, India.
So, there are many ethnics and its individual has own language and literature in Burma, and it is not being part of important while the military rulers did not welcome the developing processes of opening schools, transportations, rescue works, communications even self reliance processes. And it was defined as national language and religion in later of 1974.
2) Problem on Rohingya? (by ASN)
Perception is that Ethnic Identity of an individual in every society is the result to involve a sense of loyalty to’ and tend to base their definition and interpretation of social reality on their ethnicity. However, Muslims in Burma has no problems to become Burmese Muslims or Rakhine Muslims or Arakanses Muslims.
The existing problems are not for ‘Rohingya’. We, Burmese people know Rohingya but strange with the term
‘Rohingya’. If it is trued, have you heard that Rohingyas in Burma claimed themselves as Rohingya. If not, so why the rulers of Burma defined them as Bengali instead of Burmese or Rakhine Muslims.
Worst in later of 1962, the root causes is that country rulers denied their rights and dignity and demolished their existences and trying to blend them as Bengali while depopulation of Rohingya and burmanizing are in practice, in the absent of public(neighbours) supports.
3) Impact in recognition? (HR-Fd)
If we do not recognized Rohingya, Rohingya would be isolated as well as the land which belong to them, thus, it can not be achieved the unity of our nation what we need today both in lower and upper Burma even to restore the origin of the Arakan state.
We must also acknowledge that the country’s recognition on the other groups later than Rohingya.
4) Overcrowding in ‘Mayu’ Frontier region? (by ASN)…… There are 3 townships which situate along the Mayu River namely; Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Rathedaung, were named as Mayu Region or District.
Violations against Arakanese Rohingyas mostly in every power transition period, communal riot, political occasion, made them to flee to neighbour countries and the exoduses into Bangladesh had been unforgotten. Relating to this, unavoidable conditions engaged them to relocate mostly in border lands such as Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Rathedaung rather than in their origin lands. Whereas, they remained in theses regions overcrowdingly. Amongst them, those displace patriotic Rohingyas had claimed for restoration of their rights and demands included relocation at their origin home land. Most of them are from Rohingyas and Rakhines who fled during Burma Bodawpaya king conquered the Arakan in 1785, were allowed to re-enter in 1824 when the British rule was installed.
After British troops retreated to India by end of March 1942, the Rakhine comunalists led by commissioner U Kyaw Khiang connivance with Burma Independence Army (BIA) led by Bo Ran Aung brought a pogrom massacring and drove-out them to east Bangal. On 9 June 1942, Rohingyas from Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Rathedaung drove-out BIA and Rakhine comunalists then declared North Arakan as a Muslim State on 10 June 1942. The British Military Administration declared similar as Muslim national Area on Dec 1942 and promised to grand autonomy. In 1945, our Independence Father General Aung Sann’s summons achieved to re-enter some Rohingyas who were driven in 1942. But, today dictator military rulers and Rakhine historians untruely quote them as resent infiltrators.
As a result of Rakhine control many town through Arakan, the Mujahid Party was founded by popular singer Jafar Hussain. It gained influenced in 1950 against the Burmese central government therefore the government finally appeased by offering some governmental posts and a special district call ‘Mayu Frontier District’.
On 1st May 1961, Burmese government created Mayu Frontier District covering Maungdaw, Buthidaung and western part of Rathedaung townships. It was not autonomy by a military administration.
In 1962 March, general Ne Win cancelled to grant state-hood of Arakan and abolished MFD on 1st feb 1964.
5)Terror In Burma? (by Soe Myint)
There are presently 33 National Arms groups in Burma and none of Muslim groups is involved. They can be seen as 13 cease-fire groups and 20 non-cease-fire groups. Non-cease-fire groups are SSA, SSNA KNU, KNLA, KNNP, ABSDF, DBKA, MTA, MNLA, MNDAA are major groups and PSLA,
ALP, LDF, WNA, HRP, M-TUF, LNO, NSCN, CNF,
NUPA are smaller group. Cease-fire groups are UWSA, KIA, NMSP, NDA-K, MNDAA, MKO, KDA, PNO, PSLP, KNG, KNPLF, KNLP and SNPLO.
Professional inquiry into who are they accurately and behaviors, found that no group’s behaviors is terrorized for either Burma or its own people
.
The results of the country has multi ethnic groups, they each has their own rights which can’t be deprived by Burman or country ruler. Originally, their own culture, language, tradition, territory are going to be lost by ethnic cleansing by means of Burmanizing policy which make up 86% of today major population.
The changed of Federal government of the country into central control and origin of several cultures of different ethnic groups into a truely Burmese national culture, lead to establish patriotic defense army for own community, is leading on the right path in deed. Thus, they might not be named as rebel or guerilla group. And no group or an individual should quote them as terror group.
In Rohingya, a short lived ‘Mujahid’ movement in the early 1950s had not received widespread support of Rohingyas. But although the ‘Mujahid’ movement dissolved by Federal government’s engagements in May 1961 and northern regions (Maungdaw, Buthidaung, and Rathedaung) is separated as ‘Mayu Frontier Administration (MFA)’, later Revolutionary government’s oppressed roles lead hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas into neighbor Bangladesh. It needed to preserve against Burmese oppressions therefore some Rohingyas established the Rohingya Patriotic Front (RPF) in Bangladesh in 1973.
Later in Bangladesh, RPF splitted into an armed trained
Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO) and Arakan Rohingya Islamic Front (ARIF). RSo did not received certain support from Rohingya community and its leaders were settled-down in Europe. Despite RSO received international supports and funds, it ended up by exploitation of international funds and Rohingya plight. That made RSO itself to disolve from an armed group as well as to work on possible platform as demand by Rohingya community. Hereafter, some of the rest of its members left in Bangladesh founded social organizations called Rohingya Liberation Organization (RLO) and Arakan Rohingya National Organization (ARNO) in order to gain its community supports.
Side by side, in Rakhine, ALP and NUPA are armed groups and confronting for their courses. The other groups like United Mara liberation Party, Rakhine Pray Communist Party and Democratic party of Arakan were disappeared when ARIF, RLO of Rohingya organizations were also disappeared. Today therefore no Rohingya armed organization is existing both in home or exile.
However, Rohingyas are wrongfully accused as terror group by today extremist group and some individual, as well as, the above mention groups are also accused similarly. Regarding this, the Australian security analyst
Andew Selth has pointed out in 2003 that “any Muslim in Burma had been connected terrorism incident even though they are likely to be terrorized by the Burmese military than to be terrorists. And another recommendation by World Human Rights Watch (WHRW) is that “a few numbers of those who travelled to Middle East were evidently not returned as any Jihadist designs”.
THE ORIGIN OF RAKHINE ..(from Historical background of Arakan)
In the year 957 AD, a Mongolian invasion swept over Vesali, and killed Sula Chandra, the last king of Chandra dynasty. They destroyed Vesali and placed on their throne Mongolian kings. Within a few years the Hindus of Bengal were able to establish their Pala Dynasty. But the Hindus of Vesali were unable to restore their dynasty because of the invasion and migrations of Tibeto-Burman who were so great that their population over shadowed the Vesali Hindus. They cut Arakan away from Indians and mixing in sufficient number with the inhabitants of the eastern-side of the present Indo-Burma divide, created that Indo-Mongoloid stock now known as the Rakhine Arakanese. This emergence of a new race was not the work of a single invasion. But the date 957 AD may be said to mark the appearance of the Rakhine in Arakan, and the beginning of fresh period.
The new English Dictionary states that the word Mog, Mogen, Mogue appear as names of Arakan and the people in 15-16th centuries. Today the Maghs of Arakan and Bangladesh disown this name because the word Magh became synonymous with sea pirates. For more than two centuries the Maghs of Arakan were known as sea pirates in Bengal. The Maghs earned such a bad name during the last many centuries that it has become a great shame for their descendants of today to own the name Magh. Thus they started calling themselves Rakhines. But according to Phayre, the name Magh originated from the ruling race of Magadha and also a well-known poet of Rosanga (Arakan), Dault Kazi (1622-38) mentioned in his Sati Mayna that the kings of Arakan belonged to Magadha dynasty and was Buddhists by faith.
According to the Maghs of Arakan, they are descendants of Rakkhasa (bilu); the aborigine of the land and the name of their country is Rakkahpura. Ethnically most of the Arakanese Magh belongs to the Mongoloid race. Ethnologists point out that north-western China, the cradle land of mankind between the upper courses of the Yang-Tse-Kiang and of the Hoang-Ho rivers was their earliest home. They entered the area, now known as Burma, through the upper courses of the Irrawadi and Chindwin in three successive waves. In making this entry they encountered the local Mon-Khmer and by defeating them they settled in Burma. However, Arakan Yoma Mountain separates the Arakanese Maghs from the parent stock. Though descended from the same stock, worshipping the same faith and speaking the same language as the Burmese, the Arakanese Maghs have a distinct culture and have preserved a distinct dialect. Hence the Arakanese Maghs of the northern section, close to Bangladesh, exhibit the original Mongoloid features in lesser and subdued degree than their southern brethren. Whether these ethnic differences are due to the intermixture of race or ecological and other factors it is not known. The Arakanese Maghs are short in stature, whose height rarely exceeds five feet six inches. The body seems to be stocky with relatively short legs and body; cheekbone is high and broad. Females are flat chested with thin lips. Black straight hairs, brown small eyes and flat nose are common features of the present-day Rakhine Magh population.
The spoken language of Rakhine Magh is not a separate language but pure Burmese with phonetic variation. Historians commented on the Rakhine language as follows:
“The question of the emergence of the Arakanese Rakhine language is more difficult. No inscriptions in the Burmese script are found in Arakan before 11th and 12th centuries. Whether it was the language of the Mongolian invaders of 10th century or whether it filtered across the mountains after contact with Burma in the 11th and 12th centuries is undecided. As Rakhine language is the same language as Burmese, being merely a dialect, to suppose that it was the language of the invaders is to contend that the Mongolians who extinguished Chandras spoke afterwards became predominant in the Irrawady plain. If the country is postulated, and it is argued that the Burmese language, coming over the mountain road, impinged upon the Mongolian speech of the then Arakanese and created modern Arakanese, linguistic difficulties are raised which are difficult to solve. This question awaits judgement.”
King Anawratta of Pagan (1044-77 AD) conquered North Arakan, but it was not incorporated in his kingdom. It remained a semi-independent feudatory state under its hereditary kings. When Pagan fell in 1287 AD Arakan asserted its independence under the famous Minhti, whose regime, according to the chronicles, lasted for the fabulously long period of ninety-five years (1279-1374 AD). His reign is also notable for the defeat of a Bengali raid. After his death Arakan was for a considerable time one of the theatres of war in the great struggle between Ava and the Mon kingdom of Pegu. Both sides sought to gain control over it. First the Burmese, then the Mons, placed their nominees on its throne.
