Breaking News of June 24, 2012

Habib Ullah (55), son of Nazamuddin, hailed from Nari Bill village of Nasaka area No. 6 of Maundaw was arrested by Nasaka on June 22, at about 7:45. He is a poor laborer and has 12 family members. It is learnt that he was tortured severally in the camp. He didn’t return home till writing report.

Mafuzo Rahaman (20), son of Nazir Ahamed, hailed from Hatia Para of Nasaka area No. 5 of Maungdaw Township was also arrested by Nasaka on June 23, at about 2:00 pm by Nasaka. He is an Arabic student.
Abul Kalam, the ex-village chairman of Lamba Ghona village of Maungdaw township was arrested by Sarapa (Military Intelligence) and army yesterday and brought to their camp where severally tortured.
Mohamed Ayas (20), son of late Habibur Rahaman hailed from Ward No. 2 of Maungdaw town was picked up by Sarapa (Military Intelligence) today at about 10:00 am. He is also a Qurani Hafez and his father was chairman of mosque committee of Maungdaw big mosque.
20 Rohingyas from Dawliya para and Khayoung Khali para under Shwezarr village were arrested today by Nasaka personnel and toke away with a truck from village.
More than 20 Rakhine youths were arrested by police while they threaten Rohingyas from Auckyowa (Ward number 1) in front of Khin Zaw’s resident yesterday at about 10:00pm. Some Nasaka personnel met the Rakhine youths while they threaten Rohingyas in Ward number 1 and ordered them to go back to their village but the Rakhine youth refused it where the Nasaka called police and arrested. But nobody know the Rakhine were in the police custody or not.
Military intelligence and police arrested Kala Meah son of Kawlil, Habib Ullah son of Mohamed Hussin and Abul Kalam son of Mohamed Shawfi from Labagonena village  yesterday evening.
Looting
Yesterday evening, the whole market of Lamba Ghona (Zaw Matet) village was looted by the Natala villagers who are the new settlers in northern Arakan brought from Burma proper. This market has about 250 different types of shops owned by Rohingya Muslims. The Natala villagers looted goods from the market while giving full security to the Natala villagers by army. But, the government declared state of emergency to control the sectarian riots between Buddhist Rakhines and Muslim Rohingyas. But, persecutions are going on against the Rohingyas. What is the meaning of state of emergency? Its intention is to blindfold the international community to do freely ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya community.
Besides, the homes of Kala Meah, son of Kawlil, Habib Ullah, son of Ahmed Hussain were also looted by the Natala villagers with the help of army yesterday evening. All the goods including—rice, pea, onion, garlic, clothes, pots, plates and others were also looted.
In Maungdaw Township, harassment and looting by police have been going on since June 9. After 6:00 am, police go to the Rohingya villages and loot valuables from the well to do family members. But, the government declared state of emergency only for Rohingyas, but not for Rakhines. In practical, it is not working properly. Army and Nasaka also arrest Rohingya youths, educated persons, village elders, rape women and loot the goods of Rohingya villagers. It is a well-planned and systematic ethnic cleansing by the central government with the cooperation of state government.
A group of Natala –Rakhine from Bangladesh who were brought by Military Intelligence in 1980 – had settled east side of Bagonena village, have been looting Rohingya villages near Bagonena since June 16. They loot only gold and money. They raped females in the village if they didn’t get any money or gold.
Rape
6 Rohingya females from Anuckpyin village of Rathidaung Township were raped by Rakhine racists- deputy Administrator Officer U Aung Myo Kyi, Kudaung police officer U Tha Oo, ex-police officer U Maung Kyaw Zan,ex-chairman U Kyaw Win and more – led by RathidaungTownship Administrator Officer where he killed  two females by stabbing on June 22 in the evening. They also burned down the village and killed many villagers.
Destroyed Mosques
The Rakhine racist group destroyed two mosques from Anuckpin village on June 22.
Detained over 500 children
Police personnel and a group of Rakhine racist detained more than 500 Rohingya children including boys and girls, aged 10-13, in a primary school of Anuckpyin village without providing any foods, even drinking water. They were tortured by the authority where more than 300 children became disabled. We don’t know their fate until writing this report.
Stranded people sent to homes:
Yesterday, about 15 Rohingya people were sent back to their homes of Maungdaw from Akyab (Sittwe) by boat and bus with full security that were stranded at Akyab due to riots. Seeing the Rohingya people, at Akyab jetty, a group of racist Rakhines went to the jetty with lethal weapons to kill them, but police barred them.

Perdana Global Peace Foundation Press Release: Persecution of the Rohingya

Persecution of the Rohingya


The recent escalation of events in early June in the Rakhine state of Western Myanmar is a matter of deep concern to the Perdana Global Peace Foundation. It has been widely reported that the Rohingya, a stateless minority, were physically attacked and their homes burnt by the Buddhist majority with some dozens “reported” dead; however it is believed that thousands perished. This has resulted in thousands fleeing their villages and seeking refuge in neighbouring countries, especially Bangladesh.

Reports abound that for decades the Rohingya, who were born and bred in Myanmar have been subject to discrimination and serious human rights violations by the Buddhist majority. It goes well beyond marginalization of a community, which is often experienced by many ethnic minorities worldwide. Most explicit is the denial of citizenship rights which leaves this minority community even more vulnerable to bigotry, intolerance and abuse by the established majority.

That this humanitarian crisis has reached alarming proportions with sufficient prominence in international media, tells us that much needs to be done and that neighbouring countries need to act on their international human rights obligations and reach out to these displaced people in search of a new home. We especially appeal to the people and government of Bangladesh to allow for the fleeing Rohingya to seek temporary refuge. We are fully aware
of the economic and social pressures on the Bangladeshi people who already have had to
accommodate about 200,000 Rohingya refugees with little aid from the international community, but this is a human catastrophe that we cannot ignore.

We also call on the United Nations, in particular the UNHCR to step up and expedite the process of supporting and rehabilitating the stateless refugees who have fled by the thousands to neighbouring countries. Additionally, since the UN itself has acknowledged the Rohingya to be one of the most persecuted minorities in the world, an international panel of observers to monitor the volatile areas could be a deterrent to continued further persecution persecution.

While we applaud recent developments in the democratic progress of Myanmar, we notice that the plight of the Rohingya, has not received the commensurate attention and concern that other ethnic minorities in Myanmar have received.

We are deeply saddened that given the high political stakes in the current democratization cum liberalization process in Myanmar, the issue of the Rohingya wil be relegated to that of a “sacrificial lamb”; an issue that is easily dispensable and of little significance to the overall
political agenda of the major communities there.

Dr Zulaiha Ismail
Executive Director
Perdana Global Peace Foundation