Friday 10 August 2012

Arrestees have been being tortured inhumanely in Buthidaung jail


Since June 2012, the military, police and NaSaKa have been collaboratively arresting the innocent Rohingya Muslims from Buthidaung and Maung daw Township, Rakhine State and confining them in jail. The arrested Rohingyas had been tortured brutally by all means before they were sent to jail as well. They were forced to be naked in jail and to eat using their mouths from the floor like animals where the foods were spread over. Most of arrestee passed away suffering severe pain resulted from the extreme abuses in the jail. Corpses were buried at a place of near to the Buthidaung jail. Last month, 43 innocent Rohingya passed away in this jail and were buried in the mentioned place. 

Currently, according to the some reliable sources, more innocent Rohingya arrestees were brought to court for hearing. But, no one is allowed to go near to the court. It is the way how they were taken to court from jail: first, they were taken to court by prison bus and when it was about to reach to the court, they were forced to crawl from the street to court like animals. Pleading is forbidden for them and they were sentenced to jail unjustly. 

The NaSaKa head that just arrived to Maungdaw as the replacement of Colonel Aung Gyi is a Rakhine Buddhist himself and have been arresting the innocent Rohingya Muslims with lame reasons. The native Rohingya Muslims are too afraid to go out of their houses till now. The extremist Rakhine Buddhists are igniting the genocide and local security forces cooperating with them.

(ARU-DG) DR. WAKAR UDDIN MEETS WITH OIC SECRETARY GENERAL H.E. DR. EKMELEDDIN IHSANOGLU IN SAUDI ARABIA

ARU DIRECTOR GENERAL PROF. DR. WAKAR UDDIN MEETS WITH OIC SECRETARY GENERAL H.E. PROF. DR. EKMELEDDIN IHSANOGLU AT THE OIC HEADQUARTERS IN JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA 

The Secretary General of Organization of Islamic Cooperation, H.E. Prof. Dr. Ekmeleddin Isanoglu, warmly received the Director General of Arakan Rohingya Union, Prof. Dr. Wakar Uddin, at the OIC Headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The meeting was attended by H.E. Ambassador Sayed Elmasry, Special Envoy of the Secretary General for Minority Affairs, HE Ambassador to the United Nations Ufuk Gokcen, and the Director of the Muslim Minority and Community, Mr. Talal Daous. 

The hour-long meeting covered the current situation in Arakan and chronic political and human right issues faced by Rohingya ethnic minority in Arakan. The Secretary General specifically asked Dr. Uddin the cause of the recent violence by Buddist Rakhine against Rohingya people. Dr. Uddin provided perspectives on two different causes the violence. He said “First, there is a long standing hate and bigotry against Rohingya by Buddhist Rakhine in Arakan. They have resorted to these types of violence before. In 1942, thousands of Rohingya people were slaughtered by Rakhine in Arakan, particularly in the central and southern parts of Arakan; therefore, the Rohingya population was drastically reduced to current level in those Rohingya areas”. 

Secondly, he pointed that the hardliners in the current military-dominated government in Myanmar was poised to deprive Rohingya people of flavor of democracy because of their fear that the democracy in Arakan could guarantee human rights for Rohingya. “All evidences that have gathered from the sequence of events on the ground during the violence in Arakan and the Burmese media war on Rohingya are clearly pointing to Rakhine and the military hardliners as the masterminds of the violence with systematic preplanning ; They evidently did not want democracy in Arakan, rather impose military rule which will give them free-hands to continue their old policy of ethnic cleansing and human right violations without any legal ramification” Dr. Uddin added. He also provided a detailed account of how the violence by Rakhine against Rohingya has quickly transitioned to atrocities and cold blooded murder of Rohingya by Burmese forces. He explained that the police force in Arakan, primarily made-up of Rakhine, has been arresting hundreds of Rohingya male adults and transported to various prisons with torture chambers where discharge of dead bodies have been reported by eyewitness. Dr. Uddin appealed to the HE Secretary General to mobilize all the OIC member states and the international community, particularly the West, to pressure the Government of Myanmar to immediately halt the arrests, torture, and murder of Rohingya men. A number of cases of rape by Burmese forces have also been elaborated by Dr. Uddin. One of the most pressing issues discussed at the meeting was the current humanitarian crisis faced by Rohingya in Arakan. “The Rohingya victims are not getting supplies in most areas because local Rakhine and Burmese officials are diverting the food supplies to Rakhine people.

The personnel from the United Nations and other international organizations must be present on the ground, in coordination with the Burmese officials in distribution of food, medicine, and shelter supplies. “We are running out of time. The Rohingya victims are facing starvation in several areas. Losing a day in supplying food to Rohingya areas is tantamount to losing many lives” Dr. Uddin stressed. He also appealed to the HE Secretary General to call on all the 58 member states of OIC to work in concert in pressuring the Government of Myanmar to permanent cease the hostility toward Rohingya ethnic minority to bringing the peace to Arakan. 



The HE Secretary General and the officials of OIC have assured Dr. Uddin that they will continue to work with the Government of Myanmar in coordination with the international community to find a solution to Rohingya political and human rights issue. On behalf Rohingya community worldwide, Dr. Uddin expressed his deep gratitude to HE Secretary General and officials at OIC for their continuous efforts in seeking solution for the crisis faced by the Rohingya people in Myanmar. Dr. Uddin also conveyed his special thanks to the HE Secretary General for the relentless efforts by the OIC Department of Muslim Minority and Community for the cause of Rohingya. 

ARU Director General Prof. Dr. Wakar Uddin meets with OIC Secretary General Prof. Dr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu at the OIC Headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 

OIC Ambassador to the United Nations, H.E. Ufuk Gokcen, ARU Director Prof. Dr. Wakar Uddin, Special Envoy of the Secretary General for Minority Affairs H.E. Ambassador, Sayed Elmasry, and the Director of the Muslim Minority and Community Mr. Talal Daous at OIC Headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and PM's wife, Davutoğlu deliver Turkish aid to Rohingya Muslims

Emine Erdoğan, the Turkish prime minister's spouse, seen in tears in her visit to the troubled Rohingya Muslims with Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu in Myanmar. (Photo: AA)
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and Emine Erdoğan, the Turkish prime minister's wife, on Friday visited Rohingya Muslims staying in the Banduba refugee camp in the Myanmar coastal state of Rakhine.

Apart from the United Nations, this is the first instance of foreign aid being distributed to refugees in need in the region by another nation. The Turkish Red Crescent briefed Davutoğlu and Erdoğan about conditions at the camp during their visit.

Turkish Red Crescent staff stated that there are 8,532 people sheltered in the camp and that there are currently 801 tents. The Turkish Red Crescent is delivering boxes of food.

When Erdoğan asked what the refugees' biggest problem was, Turkish Red Crescent officials said those in the camp struggle with finding suitable accommodations and suffer from malnutrition. Later, Davutoğlu and Erdoğan headed to a Buddhist camp and distributed more aid packages there as well.

Upon learning of the difficulties faced by Buddhists as well, Davutoğlu stated people all have equal rights and that he would like to see Muslims and Buddhists living together in peace. Davutoğlu also conveyed the best wishes of the Turkish people to the people of Myanmar and stressed that the Turkish Red Crescent came to help everyone and will continue delivering aid to the community.

According to official data, the population of Myanmar is 55 million, of which 90 percent are Buddhists and 10 percent are Muslims.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Prime Ministry Disaster & Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD) has stated that so far they have collected TL 3.4 million in their aid campaign for Muslims in Myanmar.

The AFAD thanked Turkish citizens for their support of their Muslim brothers and sisters suffering from civil war, ethnic massacre and poverty in Arakan region of Myanmar.
Buddhists intensified killing of Muslims after news of Turks visit

There are claims that the massacre of the Muslim population in Myanmar increased directly after news of the visit by Ms. Erdoğan and Davutoğlu was released across the country, the Turkish Vatan daily reported on Friday.

Official statistics say more than 1,000 Rohingya Muslims living in Myanmar have been killed and more than 90,000 have been left homeless due to the violent events that Rohingya Muslims have been facing since June.

According to the Vatan daily, the slaughter of Muslims intensified just before the high-level Turkish delegation visit to Myanmar on early Thursday.

American Salem News reported about a Myanmarese activist's letter which stated: “After hearing about the visit of the Turkish delegation here [to Myanmar], Buddhists ravaged the houses of local Muslims and killed dozens of people. We have never seen such horrors. Even the most talented directors cannot shoot this kind of [horror] scenes.”

With the massacres carried out in Myanmar over the past few weeks, a state of emergency was declared in nine regions and a night curfew was enforced from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. in certain parts of the country with a large population of Muslims.

Following the bloody ethnic massacre, Muslims in the Arakan region have fled across the river between Myanmar and Bangladesh although Bangladesh authorities have refused to accept any more refugees into its territory because the country is not able to cope with a further influx of refugees.

Mahathir urges Muslim countries to save Rohingyas


KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 10 (Bernama) -- Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has urged Islamic nations to jointly play a role to help end the misery of the Muslim Rohingyas in Myanmar.
The former prime minister said Malaysian efforts alone could not solve the problem.

"Nevertheless, if the effort comes from all Muslims, Islamic nations and other countries, I am confident the United Nations (UN) will take action to save the Rohingyas," he told reporters after a symbolic handing over of clean water through the `WaqafWater4Gaza' here today.

He was asked to comment on a claim by the Saudi Arabian Government that Myanmar, whose populace was mostly Buddhists, was carrying out ethnic cleansing of the Muslim Rohingyas in the country.

Dr Mahathir also hoped the Myanmar Government, which had now opened its doors to democracy, would be considerate over the fate befalling the Rohingyas.

In a related development, he said he had written a letter to Myanmar's icon of democracy and human rights activist Aung San Suu Kyi, five days ago, seeking her intervention in the issue.

"She is influential and I hope she will say something to solve the problem," he added.

Suu Kyi, the winner of the Nobel Peace prize, was recently reported as saying, "I don't know", when asked whether the Rohingyas were citizens of Myanmar.

The aggression in Rakhine between Buddhists and Muslim Rohingyas had left 80 people killed since June.

The Myanmar Government has classified the Rohingyas as Bengali Muslims who entered from Bangladesh, and does not recognise them as citizens of Myanmar.

In GEORGE TOWN, the South East Asia Inter-Religious Dialogue For Peace has called on Asean to pressure the Myanmar Government so that legal action could be taken, in lieu of the killing of Rohingya Muslims in that country.

Its chairman, Datuk Mujahid Yusof Rawa, said this was because the killing of the Rohingya Muslims was indeed, inhumane and deemed wrong and sinful in any religion.

"Apart from that, the Rohingya Muslims have also been denied citizenship and the right to live, as well as to education, health, social, economy and religion," he told a media conference here today.
He said the Myanmar Government should also be urged to solve the citizenship issues concerning the Rohingya Muslims.

"They have been living as migrants in their own country, when in reality, they deserve better treatment based on human rights," he added.

Mujahid said, plans were underway to propose to the Myanmar Government to allow non-governmental organisations in Southeast Asia to channel aid and assistance to the Rohingya Muslims.

Authority extend curfew in Arakan State


Maungdaw, Arakan State: The authority of Maungdaw –Township administration office- announced the extension of curfew period, said an official from Maungdaw.

“The extension of period to next two months and the time will go from 7:00pm to 5:00am.”
“The extension of curfew is forced the Rohingya community to survive our daily lives very difficult and it is very hard for us to maintain our daily lives. The curfew is only for us, it is not for Rakhine community. We are not allow to gout from our houses and can’t able to buy medicines, baby foods and foodstuffs.”
Police, Nasaka and village administration office members are going to the villages to check to the family lists at night where the Rohingyas are facing without moving during the period of curfew. When the Police and villag admin enter the Rohingya house and asked about the head of family, if not found they took the family list and ordered to contact to the village admin office where the officer will demand huge money from Rohingya. If the officers meet the family head, the officers arrest the person and took to their office where they will demand huge money. The Rohingyas are the victim to extort money if he have or not, said an elder from Maungdaw.
“The Nasaka and police arrested Haji Younous and his two sons – Kawbir and Moulana Tayub from Bomu village of Ward number 4 on August 8, night.”
“The police officers were also looting the property of Rohingyas while they were not found the head of family member. The police officers took two CDM mobile phones which worth 1550,000 kyats each and 600000 kyat each value of 4 CDM mobiles from Bomu village on August 8.”
Similarly, Moulana Mohamed from from Paung Zaar village was arrested by Nasaka personnel of area number 6 on August 6 and now the Nasaka demand huge money from him to release. It is a pre plan program to extort money from Rohingya community, said an elder from Village.
Besides, Mogh community from Yaymyet Taung village screams out with the voice “ Kala destroying  our pagoda “ on the night of August 7 where the Moghs and the Nasaka personnel rushed to the spot with open fired in the sky. But, Nasaka personnel didn’t find any Rohingy at the area, then the Nasaka drove out the Moghs from the area, said a villager from Yaymyat Taung village.
“The Moghs try to make problem with Rohingya with allegation of destroying the religious place and it will rise to fight again in the area with the name of religious. If the Nasaka personnel are not arrive on time, the Moghs will destroyed the pagoda and allege the Rohingya for Pagoda.”
The Moghs are also trying to seon fire Rohingya home since August 6 in Maungdaw with the help of Police and Hluntin, but it was fail for taking security alert on the areas – around the clock tower junction – of Rohingya areas, according to an elder from Maungdaw.
“The Moghs are planning to raise again the conflict in Maungdaw as the curfew is still on their side as the police, Nasaka and Hluntin are helping with them. “

Violence and Persecutions Against Continue in Arakan


Thursday, 9th August 2012 

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is in Myanmar now to observe the situation of Arakan. He is due to visit to Sittwe on 10th August 2012. Authorities in Sittwe, as usual and as they did to UN Special Human Rights Rapportuer Mr. Tomas Ojea Quintanaon during his visit to Arakan, are taking all the steps and doing all the tricks to deceive Ahmet Davutoglu and to hide the crimes done against Rohingyas. “Authorities in Sittwe are threatening to kill us after his departure if we speak the truth to him. They (authorities) are trying to not let him meet us in our refugee camps. Instead, the government is arranging some of their puppets from Rohingya community and some Hindus (who look like Rohingyas) to meet him and trying to portray them as real Rohingya victims. But we will speak the truth if we get chance” said Maung Oo, a Rohingya victim from Sittwe a refugee camp. 

According to Rohingyas in Akyab and Kyauktaw, the fresh violence and the renewed persecutions against Rohingyas are all due to encouragement of the Vice President Sai Maung Kham. He was reportedly bribed Myanmar Kyat 1000 Lakhs by Rakhine leaders in order to take side with Rakhines in cleansing Rohingyas. There is no doubt that the authorities in Arakan state took part with Rakhine extremists in killing Rohingyas. However, it is quite shocking to see the highest authorities like Sai Maung Kham encouraging Rakhines to kill Rohingyas. As a result, just after his visit to Arakan, thousands of Rohingyas’ houses were burned and hundreds of Rohingyas were killed while displacing thousands. Another mastermind behind Rohingya genocide is Hmuu Zaw (Bomu Za Htay), the director of the president office, who has consistently instigating general Burmese people towards racial riot through social media like facebook. 

“In Shwe Hlaing village of Kyawk Taw, 11 Rohingyas were killed and their corpses were recovered. Of them, one was 95-year-old women and another was 85-year-old men. Besides, historical monuments, Documents and any other kinds of evidences that can prove Rohingyas’ centuries-old existence were mainly targeted by Rakhine extremists with the help of local authorities. The displaced Rohingyas in villages like Ambaari of Kyawktaw are severely facing starvation and in dire needs of foods, medicines and shelter as they are made to live in the open fields in the rainy season. Elsewhere, in Buthidaung, 21 Rohingyas were killed in the wave of recent violence against Rohingyas in Kyauktaw. Six dead bodies have been recovered so far” reported by Alam from Buthidaung. 

“And in Maung Daw, two Rohingyas from Sikdar Para of Maung Daw were killed in the police custody. Of them, one was a rice-seller called Cashetta (nickname) and another one was the caretaker of a Masjid in Sikdar Para. Their dead bodies were not returned to their respective families and thrown into Jungles nearby Kawarbil. A Rohingya man (brother-in-law of Abdul Hafiz, Rangoon) was arrested by Police. Besides, Police, in Maung Daw, in their greed for money, are confiscating Census-List-Paper of Rohingyas and demanding huge amount of money in return for them” Rahim from Maung Daw reported.

Rohingya Muslim massacre by Dr. Raja Muhammad Khan


There live approximately 800,000 Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, forming 4% of the Burma’s total population. Contrary to this official data of Myanmar Government, neutral sources claims that, the total Muslim population is more than double the government estimates. It is worth noting that, Burmese Muslims, commonly known as Rohingya Muslims, settled in this part of the world in 7th and 8th century from Arab. Nevertheless, they had the legal status of Burmese minority until 1970s. In 1982, through constitutional amendment, the Military Junta of the country declared them as non-Burmese. Thereafter, Military Junta, started gradual exploitation of this Muslim population to include; denial of their personal and religious freedom and fundamental human rights. Owing to these inhuman acts, thousands of Rohingya Muslims to fled to the neighbouring countries too. After 9/11, the persecution of Rohingya Muslims has increased many folds.

Though, traditionally, the Buddhist population and successive governments in Myanmar have been discriminatory towards this Muslim population. However, the current phase of massacre of Rhingya Muslims, started in June 2012, has been the worst. During this phase, Burmese Buddhists in collaboration with their security forces unleashed, unprecedented terrorism on this ill-fated Muslim population. Independent sources did not mention any particular reasons for the massacre, except that, on provocation of their Monks against Muslims. Independent sources say that, on June 3, 2012, hundred of Buddhists attacked and slaughtered eight Muslims returning to Rangoon in a bus after visiting a Masjid in the Arakan province. An eyewitness narrates that, after killing these Muslims, “the culprits were celebrating triumph spitting and tossing wine and alcohol on the dead bodies lying on the road.

After having seen some of the recent videos and pictures of these brutal killings of the Burmese Muslims, one wonders, as Burmese Buddhists are really human beings or wild creature and is this message of peace Lord Buddha gave them. They have crossed all limits of being merciless. During the current wave of terrorism, Buddhists have killed thousands of the Rhingya Muslims cold bloodedly. Some insiders claim that number of killings could be as much as 20,000. According to a report of London based human rights organization, Equal Rights Trust, “The military has (of late) become more actively involved in committing acts of violence and other abuses against the Rohingya including killings and mass arrests.”

Indeed, “Amnesty International and the Human Rights Watch have protested that instead of stopping the violence by the Rakhine gangs, the Burmese military has joined them in killing, setting thousands of homes on fire and conducting mass arrests of Muslims. President Thein Sein, lately being lionized by the West as a reformer, has a simple solution to the problem: Expel all the Rohingya or turn them over to the UN as refugees!” This statement leaves no doubt that, this massacre is indeed state sponsored. According to a New York based Human Rights Watch report, Myanmar security forces openly fire on Rohingya Muslims, committed rape and stood by to watch the Buddhists killing Muslims. According to this organization, Myanmar security forces have, “unleashed a campaign of violence and mass roundups against the Rohingya.” After the recent genocide of the Burmese Muslims, even United Nations considers that, Rohingya Muslims are, “one of the worlds’s most persecuted minorities.” UN resolution of 11 December 1946 declares, “genocide, whether committed in time of peace or war, is a crime under international law, and that all signatories of UN convention will cooperate to prevent genocide in order to liberate the mankind from such an odious scourge.”

Unfortunately, neither UNO nor the civilized world of 21st century has initiated any action or raised voice against this worst human massacre in Burma. All major world human rights organizations are silent, despite watching the horrific videos and pictures of this unprecedented genocide of Muslims at the hands of Buddhist terrorists. So much so, the Myanmar Pro-democracy western darling, Aung San Suu Kyi, did not condemned these acts of brutal killings of the Muslims by Burmese military and the Buddhist terrorist. This Nobel Prize winner said in a press conference in London that, “ethnic conflict plaguing the country” should be investigated and “dealt with wisdom.” She also believes that this Muslim community should be pulled out from the country.

Though Amnesty International has demanded the Myanmar Government and the Parliament to amend or repeal the 1982 Citizenship Law, so that, Rohingyas should get citizenship of a country, where they have lived for centuries. However, this is unlikely to happen. The reason is obvious, the Burmese Military Junta, the Buddhist Monks and civil political parties appears to be unanimous on this aspect that, Rhingyas Muslims have to be pulled out from Myanmar. UN Charter guarantees the basic right to live to all human beings. Rhingyas Muslims are living in Myanmar since centuries. How can they be dislodged from this country and which other country in the world will accept them as its citizens, if not acceptable to Myanmar.

The need of the hour is that, should not UNO, hold emergency session of either UNSC or UNGA over this Muslim massacre. Had there been any other religious entity affected, there would have been outcry all over the globe with possible UN (US) humanitarian intervention by now. Since US, EU and all major global players have their interests in the natural resources of Myanmar, thus, no one would like to displease the current ruling Junta, which is all set to bring democratic reforms, desired by US and West. On its part, Myanmar rulers found this most convenient time to unleash reign of terror on the Muslims of Burma, as it knew that, the so-called western and U.S human rights organizations will be mum along with their Governments. Nevertheless, the blood of Muslims is on sale, thus, everyone can shed it. Amazingly, together with rest of the world, Muslim Ummah has become insensitive too, which is a real tragedy.

Aung San Suu Kyi must not ignore the Rohingya Issue


IT was reported that Aung San Suu Kyi dodged a question on whether the Rohingya are Myanmar citizens. She simply answered "I don't know" to an intrigued student who posed the question to her during a public forum in Europe last month. Her answer was a disappointment, given the fact that the world sees her as the icon of democracy and human rights.

The Rohingya are stateless minority Muslims living in Rakhine (formerly Arkan), the westernmost state of Myanmar bordering Bangladesh. Despite historical records indicating that the majority of them had been in the area of modern-day Myanmar since the early 19th century, the Rohingya have never been recognised by the government as a minority living in the country.

Today, an estimated 800,000 Rohingya are living in Rakhine; 300,000 more have fled persecution to seek refuge in Bangladesh, but they are facing discrimination there, too. There are also large Rohingya diasporas in Thailand and Malaysia.

The military junta's dismal record of protecting minority groups is arguably most apparent in the treatment of the Rohingya. Without citizenship, the Rohingya are not subjected to protection by state.

The focus of international attention has always been to hold the Myanmar government accountable for other minority groups, such as the Kachin, Shan, Chin, Karen, among others, which the government is under legal obligation to provide protection as they are considered citizens of Myanmar by law. Such a focus has left the plight of the Rohingya in limbo.

The rights of the Rohingya have consistently been violated even before the founding of the independent state of Myanmar. Up until 1982, however, it was more hopeful for the Rohingya. The 1948 law concerning citizenship did not exclude the Rohingya and appeared open to any ethnic minorities who had settled in the country for more than two generations.

In 1982, under the government of General Ne Win, the citizenship law was effectively overturned. The Citizenship Act of 1982 recognises 135 ethnic groups, but leaves out what the law terms "non-nationals", which include the Rohingya as well as those of Chinese and Indian descent.

Without citizenship, the Rohingya' freedom of movement is restricted. They are prevented from a formal education and denied healthcare. They need permission to get married and are restricted to two children per family. State authorities have coerced them into forced labour and engaged in other forms of persecution.

Even worse, the Buddhist majority of Myanmar view them with suspicion. Some choose to violently resist the presence of the Rohingya in their community. Human rights violations committed against the Rohingya have been so gross that the United Nations called them "one of the most persecuted minorities in the world".

The positive development in Myanmar since the civilian government took over last year is being overshadowed by the recent spike in violence in Rakhine. The current skirmish, claimed by the Buddhist community as retaliation against the raping and killing of a Buddhist girl by Rohingya men, has resulted in significant loss of life and displacement with contradictory figures depending on sources.

The Myanmar government imposed an emergency decree in the conflict area, but has not been effective in ending violence. Unsurprisingly, the authority appears more sympathetic to the Buddhist side, rather than remaining neutral. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch accused the authority of actively targeting the Rohingya.

It is upsetting that Suu Kyi, who has come to symbolise humanity's struggle for democracy and human rights, does not have a firm position regarding the plight of the Rohingya.

When giving a speech in Thailand to Myanmar migrants in May, she promised them citizenship. But when pressed on the Rohingya issue, she dodged the question.

Understandably, Suu Kyi's political base, the Buddhist majority, may have prevented her from taking a more concrete stand on the Rohingya issue for fear of alienating her core supporters.

But as a beacon of democracy and human rights, Suu Kyi cannot afford to ignore the plight of the Rohingya. She cannot compromise on her principles and opt for an easier route to reform.

Her support will matter in nudging President Thein Sein's government to include the Rohingya in the reform process. Her leverage in world affairs will draw international attention and put pressure on the Myanmar Parliament to revise the citizenship law.

Continued neglect of the Rohingya by Suu Kyi and the Myanmar government could produce a much more corrosive effect on the country's attempt to embark on the path of democracy.

Systematic abuse of human rights and denial of citizenship could ferment dangerous discontent, leading to an uprising or armed insurgency.

Already, the Rohingya have found their allies in Islamic movements when the Taliban in Pakistan said they would retaliate against the Myanmar government. Indonesian Islamic hardliners also vowed to wage jihad to stop the genocide.

As such, it should be of interest to Suu Kyi and Thein Sein to settle this issue as quickly and peacefully as possible.

For Myanmar to maintain its trajectory of reform, this issue cannot be ignored. In her maiden speech to Parliament, Suu Kyi called for new laws to protect the rights of "ethnic nationalities".

She must not forget that the Rohingya, having lived in Myanmar for centuries, deserve the right to citizenship and protection from the state. They, too, are humans who warrant the chance to participate in the political and economic development of their country.

Suu Kyi and the government should give them that opportunity.

British MP Sadiq Khan highlights suffering of Rohingya



Sadiq Khan MP has raised concerns with the Foreign Secretary over the safety and security of Burma’s Muslim Rohingyas community.

A report from Human Rights Watch was published on 1st August, and highlights the lack of action by the Burma government to stop escalating sectarian violence between two Burmese minority populations, the Arakan Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims, in June 2012.

The sectarian clashes began when an incendiary pamphlet was circulated, claiming that an Arakan woman was raped and killed by three Muslim men.


iolent reprisals by both communities continued, and escalated, until the military junta, which governs Burma, declared a state of emergency in Rakhine State on 10th June.

The state of emergency resulted in a concerted period of violence being used against Rohingya communities by state security forces. The Human Rights Watch report claims that 78 people reported to have been killed is a conservative figure, and that 100,000 persons have been displaced.

Sadiq Khan MP said: “The violence towards the Muslim Rohingya is extremely serious and causing unnecessary bloodshed and suffering.

"It is crucial that the violence ends immediately. Especially in this holy month of Ramadhan, I have been inundated with British citizens expressing concern about the plight of these innocent Burmese Muslims.

“I have written to the Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of State for International Development asking that the British government take action to stop the violence and provide aid to those who need it.

“We have seen positive actions from the Burmese government in recent years – such as the release of Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest – but they need to realise that the first job of government is to secure the safety of all citizens.

“It is important that the British government uses all its influence to end this savage treatment of the Rohingya community by the Burmese authorities as a matter of urgency.”

About Me

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Maung daw, Arakan state, Myanmar (Burma)
I am an independent man who voted to humanitarian aid.