Latest information of Arakkan State on August 7, 2012

Maungdaw Township:   

A Rakhine youth son of Maung Pru from Ward number 4 organized 40 Rakhine youths from Maungdaw, threaten Rohingya village – near Shwe Tha Zine Hotel – to set on fire tonight and the Rohingyas from Muangdaw are all alert and watching the situation. The Rohingyas also informed to the authority about threaten of Rakhines, said a Rohingya from Maungdaw.

The security officer on duty at Nyoung Change ordered to the Rohingya villagers not to go out from the village tomorrow and it is to protect the situation of unwanted event, said a villager from Myothugyi village “The officer ordered the curfew will stay 24 hour from tomorrow,”
Today, at about 6:30 pm, the government ordered the villagers of Maungdaw south through loudspeaker that not to light any lamp. If anyone not complies with, he/ she will be shot to death, said a youth.
Police and Nasaka personnel raided Ward number 2, Fayazi para at night without informing to the villagers to check the family lists yesterday night at about 10:00pm. When the Police and Nasaka personnel entered to the village, all the male are run away from the village and the security forces loot the Rohingyas’ house, according to a villager. “The security forces also toke the family list when they didn’t get all the family members.”
Yesterday, at night, a group of police accompanied by Rakhine youths led by police officer U Kyaw Than went to Bhumu Para of Maungdaw town and seized some of family lists and asked the villagers to choose it after paying money, the next day. When the police went to the village, male villagers ran away for fear of arrest leaving their women. Taking this advantage, the police assaulted the women. Police become hero in Maungdaw town as government lets them to commit any crimes against the Rohingya community. Every day, police hareaaas, loot Rohingya people who go to market to buy somewhere else.
Moreover, yesterday, at about 3:00 pm, the Nasaka personnel of Nasaka area No. 6 of Maungdaw Township arrested two Rohingya youths –Abdullah (25), son of Kamal  Hussain and Zubair ( 21) , son of Mohamed Hussain while they were walking on the road. They are still detained in the camp, according to a trader from maungdaw
In addition, Maulana Mohamed (60) and Mohamed Alam (32), both are from Paung Zaar village of Maungdaw Township were arrested by Nasaka personnel of Nasaka area No. 6, yesterday, at about 4:30 pm, from Darga Bazar only for extorting money, said a village elder.
Abul Hussein (25), son of Mohamed Hussain, hailed from Dura bill village of Nasaka area No. 6 under the Maungdaw Township was killed on July 25, in the Maungdaw police custody.  He was arrested by Nasaka (Burma’s border security force) on July 10, without any fault and brought to the local Nasaka camp where he was severely tortured.  Before one week of his death, the Nasaka offered to the victim’s father to pay Kyat 2.5 million for his release. When the father met his son Abul Hussain, he asked his father not to pay money as he will die soon, not misuse the money. The next day, he was sent to Maungdaw police station, where he was dead after three days later. Being informed, father went to the police station and asked to hand over the dead body, so he was ruthlessly kicked by the police, said a close relative.
Kyauktaw Township
Today, at about 2:00 pm, the big Ambari Para of Kyauktaw Township was attacked by Moghs and torched the village. From early morning, the Moghs are surrounding the village to attack, but no security forces went to rescue them. Therefore, the Moghs are encouraged and torched the village at around 2: 00 pm where fighting was going on between two groups. The Rohingyas have no alternative to choose, so they resist the attack of Moghs.  The Kyauktaw  Rohingya  villagers  were attacked by racist Moghs since August 5. This the first time that the Moghs attacked the Rohingya villages after the UN Human Rights delegation led by Quintana left the country (Burma). It has 150 houses and do not know how many houses were burned down, and how many people were killed or wounded, said a school teacher from the locality.
The present Burmese government policy is religious and ethnic cleansing of Rohingya community, similar to what happened in Bosnia Herzegovina in 1990s and the tragedies in Rowanda and Burundi in Africa, said a politician.

Current Situation of Arakan and Rohingyas (Updated)

Wednesday, 8^th August 2012, 1:00 am

In Sittwe

“Today, three Hindus were arrested at Kyaung Gyi Quarter of Sittwe by the Military and sent to the Police custody. It is informed that these three Hindus were on their way to set fire to the Rohingyas’ villages at the Kyaung Gyi Lan area. According to a local man, the Hindus were asked and made to do so by the chairman of Kyaung Gyi who is a Rakhine. BARUA Buddhists (a sub-group of Rakhine who reside in both Bangladesh and Burma), Hindus of Bengali Origin are of same physical appearance, tongue and language, and similar culture and tradition with Rohingyas. Taking of advantage of their similarities with Rohingyas, they are being misused by the Rakhine extremist leaders for their own advantages. As a result, they have become tools for Rakhine extremists in violence against Rohingyas in Arakan so far. 

In Myay-Bone

The houses of Rohingyas amid Rakhine villages were razed to the ground by the Rakhine hooligans in Myay-Bone today. Consequently, Rohingyas have become homeless and nowhere to take shelter. They are now in the situation of starvation and in the state of trauma with no hope. Besides, Rakhine brainwashed extremist youths have constantly been harassing Rohingyas and throwing stones at Rohingyas’ houses all the time (mostly at night). Even though Martial Law, which forbids ones to go out of their houses after 6pm, is declared and still in effect, Rakhines can freely move around and no authorities do anything to them who have been consistently attacking Rohingyas. Therefore, the Martial Law declared in Myay-Bone is effective to Rohingyas only. 

In Buthidaung 

On 6th August 2012, seven Rohingyas from Buthidaung Township were sentenced to ten years imprisonment. They were, at first, arrested from their respective homes and locked in the jail without any trial. Shockingly, later, they were prosecuted under “three sections of acts” though the cases against them were fabricated and pre-planned by the police head. As of the situation today, the police and court (which were made up of Rakhines) in collaboration with other hate-mongering extremist Rakhines can arrest, charge any Rohingya and put them into the jail anytime” reported by Thant Myo from Buthidaung. 

In Kyawk Taw 

We reported to you yesterday that one village in Kyawk Taw called Ambaari were torched by the Rakhine terrorists with the help of local Security Guards, Police and Military. “The village was razed to the ground today. Thousands of Rohingyas were displaced and are living with no shelter and food. All their (Rohingyas’) ways of access to foods are blocked by Rakhine murderers and authority. Hence, they are starving to death. Furthermore, we are informed many Rohingyas are being killed by Rakhines and local authorities. It is not confirmed yet how many numbers of Rohingyas were killed today” Alam reported from Buthidaung. 

“Rohingyas have been being shot dead on their way back homes from their farmlands, bazaars and wherever they are found. Rohingyas who go out of their homes in search of foods, medicines are being arrested and put into the police custodies without any reason. They are, there, tortured by the authorities and Rakhines through different means and some of them are released after the extortion of huge amount of money. When Rohingyas defend to save their lives and properties, they are put into the prison for a long-term imprisonment with no reason. When Rakhines terrorize Rohingyas, they (Rakhines) are portrayed as victims. Hence, they are playing double standard. They are treated like slaves in the Dark Age from whom authorities always try to extort ransom amount of money for their releases and tortured whenever they like. They have become like animals or birds that are killed with no hesitance” an elderly Rohingya from Maung Daw exclaimed.

Is Burma ready to embrace diversity? | BENEDICT ROGERS

-Benedict Rogers is Asia Team Leader at the international human rights organisation Christian Solidarity Worldwide and is the author of three books on Burma, including his new book “Burma: A Nation at the Crossroads” (Random House. June 2012).

7 August 2012

Rohingya people gather at a local mosque before Friday prayers in a village north of the town of Sittwe on 18 May 2012.


Mo Farah is a British athletics hero. Last Saturday, he stood holding the Union Jack flag, while the British national anthem was sung and he received a gold medal for Great Britain after winning the 10,000 metres race in the Olympic Games. As he ran, Mo was cheered on by British crowds, and when he won, the crowds went wild with patriotic pride and delight.

Mo, a Muslim, was born in Somalia, and did not come to Britain until he was eight years old, when his family fled his war-torn country. The Somali community are among the poorest, most marginalised ethnic groups in Britain, and are often associated in the media with violence, crime and terrorism.

No one in Britain would describe Mo as indigenous Anglo-Saxon. Yet no one today would deny that he is British.

Similarly, many of our Olympics team are Afro-Caribbean. We have one Cuban-born athlete. Jessica Ennis, face of the 2012 Olympics and winner of the 800 metre race, is of mixed ethnicity. As The Times newspaper wrote in an editorial yesterday, “the face that Britain is showing the world is tolerant, diverse and at ease.” Britain has not always been so – we have our own history of racial intolerance in the not-too-distant past – but we have learned, by and large, to value our multi-cultural society, while at the same time celebrating, as the Olympics opening ceremony showed, our own distinct history and heritage.

If we can salute as a British legend an athlete from a 250,000-strong Somali immigrant community on the greatest ever night in British athletics history, why is Burma so unwilling to recognise as citizens 800,000 Rohingyas who have lived there for generations?

The levels of violence over the past two months in Arakan state have been horrifying. Perhaps even more shocking have been the attitudes expressed by people who should know better. The levels of irrationality have been staggering. I have received several abusive messages, simply because I have spoken out for human rights and against intolerance. In one message, I was asked why I “hate” Burmese people, a question stemming from the fact that I had said the Rohingyas should be treated as human beings, even though I have spoken up clearly for Rakhine victims of violence too.

To be absolutely clear, it is because I love Burma and all Burmese people that I am speaking out so strongly – not in favour or against any one particular community, but against this spiralling atmosphere of hatred and violence.

In addition to the sheer humanitarian and human rights catastrophe unfolding, the anti-Rohingya pogroms have sparked, predictably, calls for jihad from Islamist extremists from Indonesia, Pakistan and across the Muslim world. There is a high risk that the Rohingyas themselves could be radicalised, if they feel they have nowhere else to turn. More worryingly, the Rohingya plight could be hijacked by radical Islamists and used as a cause celebre and a recruiting instrument. The Rohingyas could become the new Bosnia, Kashmir or Palestine.

Indeed, there are signs that it is already happening.

The last thing Burma needs is jihadis causing devastation, on top of all its existing challenges. I have seen radical Islamism up-close, in Pakistan, Indonesia, the Maldives and on the streets of London. I have friends who have been assassinated by radical Islamists. For that reason, I plead with my Burmese friends to pull back from the brink, for their failure to do so will bring further misery for Burma for years to come.
“Yet for Burma to become truly democratic, it must not only recognise but celebrate its diversity”

The west’s silence is not helping. It may be that the UK, the European Union and the United States are expressing concern about this crisis behind the scenes. But the perception in the Muslim world is that the west is turning a blind eye. All the running has been made, worryingly, by the likes of Iran and the Taliban, as well as by more secular Muslim states such as Turkey and Indonesia, and the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation (OIC). This is dangerous, as it plays into the narrative of the Islamists, that when Muslims are persecuted the rest of the world looks away.

It is not too late to act. The UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Burma, Tomas Ojea Quintana, released a report last week following his visit, in which he called for an independent, international investigation into the crisis in Arakan state. This is crucial. The levels of misinformation are staggering. Photographs and videos circulating on the Internet which have clearly been doctored, claims and counter-claims of violence perpetrated by Rakhines against Rohingyas and by Rohingyas against Rakhines, are widespread.

Just yesterday, news emerged of the destruction of four Rohingya villages in Kyauktaw Township, reports of several deaths, claims from Rohingya sources that they were attacked by Rakhines with poisoned arrows and that in at least one case, a Rohingya was brutally mutilated and decapitated: all with the security forces looking on or supporting. No doubt counter-claims will come from Rakhine sources soon, if they have not already.

Without an independent, international inquiry and international monitors on the ground, it will be impossible to establish the truth and, as Mr Quintana has said, hold the perpetrators accountable. There is no doubt that both communities have suffered, and perpetrators of violence on both sides must be brought to justice.

Human Rights Watch published a report calling for unhindered access to all parts of Arakan state for international humanitarian aid agencies and human rights monitors, an end to the violence and the mass arrests of Rohingyas by security forces, and a sustained effort to promote inter-racial and inter-religious tolerance and reconciliation. Humanitarian aid is urgently needed to help the 90,000-plus people internally displaced as a result of the conflict – and it must be properly monitored to ensure that aid reaches people on the basis of need, regardless of race or religion.

Longer-term, there is a need to have a sober, considered discussion about the 1982 Citizenship Act. There is a common misperception in Burma that citizenship equals ethnic nationality which equals specific territory with a demand for autonomy. That is a painful misunderstanding. The Rohingyas are not demanding their own land, and if the term ‘ethnic nationality’ is too controversial for today it could be put aside. The history of the Rohingyas and when they came to inhabit northern Arakan is a subject that should inspire historical exploration, not incite racial violence.

What should not be up for negotiation is that people who have been born in a country should be recognised as citizens of that country. The Rohingyas’ statelessness, where their citizenship in Burma has been stripped from them and they are not accepted by Bangladesh when they seek refuge, is unsustainable and intolerable.

Some people claim the issue is about illegal immigration. For most Rohingyas, that is not so, as the history books show. Even Thein Sein acknowledged that the Rohingyas have been in Burma since before independence, although he then declared a policy of ethnic cleansing by inviting the UN to resettle the entire Rohingya population to third countries. But even if, hypothetically, some are illegal immigrants who have entered Burma in recent years, the solution is not mass pogroms bordering on genocide.

The answer is to establish a functioning immigration system that can determine who was born in Burma, who is an illegal immigrant, and then to process people accordingly. And in that process, even illegal immigrants must be treated as human beings with basic human rights. Either they should be welcomed and integrated, or returned to their country of origin in a way that respects human dignity, due process and the rule of law.

Burma has come a long way in the past year, since Aung San Suu Kyi’s historic meeting with President Thein Sein. Several steps which would have seemed inconceivable a year ago have now become a reality. The National League for Democracy (NLD) is in Parliament, Daw Suu has travelled abroad, 88 Generation leaders have been freed from jail and preliminary ceasefires with most of the ethnic nationalities have been negotiated. There is still a very long way to go, and the next steps must include the release of all remaining prisoners of conscience, an end to war in Kachin state and a genuine peace process with all the ethnic nationalities, but Thein Sein has started down a path few predicted he would take, and that deserves some recognition.

Yet for Burma to become truly democratic, it must not only recognise but celebrate its diversity. When Rohingyas represent Burma on the world stage, alongside Burmans, Karens, Kachins, Chins, Shans, Mons, Karenni, Rakhine and other minorities, carrying the Burmese flag, singing the Burmese anthem, cheered on by Burmese crowds the way British people roared support for Mo Farah, then we can say Burma is a free and peaceful nation at ease with itself.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to visit Myanmar to raise awareness

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on 30 July 2012 received Dr. Mohammed Yunus, representative of Arakan Muslims, in the Turkish capital, Ankara.

As part of efforts to raise awareness of a recent massacre of Rohingya or Arakan Muslims in western Myanmar, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu will visit the country on Aug. 8.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s wife, Emine Erdoğan, and daughter, Sümeyye Erdoğan, and the foreign minister’s wife, Sare Davutoğlu, will accompany the FM. Davutoğlu will meet with Myanmar government officials on Aug. 9 to discuss both the humanitarian aid efforts being carried out by Turkey and the Rohingya Muslims’ situation.

Turkish authorities are working to deliver humanitarian aid to the Rohingya Muslims, but it’s not clear yet if the aid will be brought on Davutoğlu’s plane, a Turkish official told the Hürriyet Daily News. Myanmar generally allows humanitarian aid only through U.N. organizations. Some countries, including the U.S., have brought supplies to the region, but most of the aid is being held outside the country awaiting permission from Myanmar’s government to deliver it.

There is also a Turkish monument and mausoleum in Myanmar at a site where 1,500 Turkish soldiers who were captured by U.K. forces during World War I were laid to rest. The mausoleum was damaged in a storm, and Turkey has begun to work on its restoration. Meanwhile, renewed violence between Buddhists and Muslim Rohingya has left three people dead and five others wounded, a government official said yesterday, amid growing international concern about the sectarian unrest.