Friday 24 August 2012

U.S. Ambassador in Myanmar Speaks Out on Rohingya


U.S Ambassador Derek Mitchell, US Based Rohingya Organization Chairman Prof. Dr. Wakar Uddin, and BRANA Information Secretary Nay San Oo at the State Department , Washington DC  on May 11,2012

By Patrick Barta

YANGON—Intolerance toward Muslim Rohingyas in Myanmar has dented some Americans’ perceptions of the country, but hasn’t significantly altered Washington’s views on easing sanctions, the U.S.’s new ambassador in Yangon said.

Like other Western nations, the U.S. has eased some sanctions against Myanmar in recent months, and has signaled it could take further steps to reward Myanmar if its recent round of political and economic reforms continues. But even as relations between the two countries warm, sectarian violence between Buddhists and Muslim Rohingyas that left at least 88 people dead and displaced thousands of others has added a new strain.

“I have to say it did surprise us to the degree that there would be violence so quickly, that it would spread so terribly,” said U.S. Ambassador to Myanmar Derek Mitchell in a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal.

“I don’t think it affects our view on sanctions,” he went on. “It just means we have an even more complex challenge ahead of us in the country.”

Mr. Mitchell said the Rohingya conflicts were particularly troubling because they revealed deeper issues of injustice in the country than those usually considered by the international community. In the past, international leaders focused much of their attention on alleged human-rights abuses by the Myanmar military and government. But in the case of the Rohingyas, much of the discrimination comes from everyday citizens, some questioning the right of the Rohingyas merely to live in the country.

“It’s unfortunate when you see the depths of intolerance and discrimination….among citizens,” Mr. Mitchell said—including “people who otherwise you would think of as progressive and who have fought so long for civil rights,” such as Buddhist monks.

As a result, the concerns raised by the recent violence are “broader than what our traditional concern is, which is the system, or the government, or the military,” he said. “This had to do with the deep-seated intolerance that seemed to be within the society writ large. So I think that’s where the deep disappointment came. And it creates a division between them and us to a degree.”

In a statement issued Tuesday and circulated by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Thursday, Myanmar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs blasted what it called “false and fabricated news reporting” on the Rohingya clashes, which it described as “purely internal affairs of a sovereign state.” The violence was “not relating to any kind of religious persecution or religious discrimination,” it said, but rather related to a conflict between two communities following a criminal act, widely reported as a rape of a Buddhist woman.

“Therefore,” the statement said, “we will not accept any attempt to politically regionalize or internationalize this conflict as a religious issue.”

Mr. Mitchell said U.S. officials were sensitive to the feelings among Buddhists in Western Myanmar that they, too, have suffered in recent years, and that international organizations focus too heavily on Rohingya concerns.

But he said that doesn’t mitigate the need to aid the Rohingyas, who have struggled for many years to find a home in a region where no government seems to want them. Myanmar excludes them from citizenship laws and restricts their movements and activities, including marriage. Myanmar officials argue that many Rohingyas are living illegally in the country, and say they have done their best to protect them.

The “Rohingya are oppressed by everybody,” Mr. Mitchell said. “These people are stateless. They have nowhere to turn. And it is not going to be lost on the international community.”

Even so, it’s unclear how much leverage U.S. officials will have to pressure the Myanmar government to expand rights for Rohingyas so long as momentum builds to keep easing sanctions. Although the U.S. continues to ban Myanmar imports and maintains some other restrictions, it recently suspended sanctions blocking U.S. investment, and U.S. companies are moving quickly to step up their involvement there.

To investigate the latest violence, Myanmar officials have established a commission whose 27 members include former student activists, representatives from political parties and even some government critics who spent time in jail as political prisoners. The well-known comedian known as Zarganar is a member, as is activist Ko Ko Gyi, who helped lead student protests against the old military regime in 1988. The commission is supposed to submit its findings by Sept. 17.

Although some international organizations applauded the creation of the commission, others remain skeptical. In a joint statement issued last week, a group of international Rohingya associations including the Burmese Rohingya Organisation U.K. said they believe the commission “will not be credible and truly independent” unless Rohingya representatives are added to its membership, which it said included people who had “directly or indirectly” fueled the violence. The groups called for a U.N. commission of inquiry.

In its latest statement on the violence, Myanmar’s government said it had created the 27-member commission “with a view to exposing the real cause of the incident and to give advice for the national interest.” It added that the government is “working closely” with the international community to bring relief to areas affected by the violence.

Current Situation on Arakan (Aug 23,2012 ) | M.S. Anwar


Maung Daw, Arakan Stateယ24th August  2012

“Around 1AM on 23rd August 2012, military and security forces along with many Rakhine hooligans torched Rohingyas’ shops in Foira Baazaar Village (Kamok Seik Rua) of northern Maung Daw. Consequently, around 40 Rohingyas’ shops were burned. It is believed that each of the shops was worth around 1 billion Kyats. Therefore, all of the shops were worth around Kyats 40 billion. This place was quiet and unaffected in last June and July because the villagers tried to avoid any kind of violence as much as possible. But Rakhine extremists did not want to see the stable situation of the village and therefore did the destructions of Rohingyas’ properties” said a Rohingya youth from Maung Daw. 

“Besides, on 21st August 2012 around 11pm, in Tharay Kunbaung village tract, some Rakhine extremists in collaboration with security forces, military and police destroyed an ancient mosque called Khala Masjid. When Rohingyas tried to prevent the destructions, military fired at them. Fortunately, no one died due to Military’s firing. If Rohingyas are not religiously targeted, then why are they destroying Mosques?” said a victimized Rohingya from the village. He further exclaimed that in the future, Rakhines might not be able to do more atrocitie because there may be the presence of humanitarian workers, non-Rakhine people and investigations. That may be the reasons why Rakhines recently speeded up their atrocities against Rohingyas and destroying and looting their properties within the remaining time. 

According to local Rohingyas in Maung Daw, since last few days, Rakhines have been rushing to set up temporary camps (tents) in rural areas of Maung Daw. The few affected Rakhines during the riot are kept safe and sound in the monasteries in the area. But now even unaffected Rakhines and rich ones are planning to move to the camps for one to two days during the visit of inquiry commission set up by the President U Thein Sein. Though one cannot expect impartial investigations when the culprits who started this ugly racism and committed all the crimes themselves against Rohingyas have taken charge of the investigations, yet, reportedly, the members of Rakhine National Development Party (RNDP) raised some objections against involvement of some people in the Inquiry Commission Team. Previously, the inquiry was supposed to be done within a month. Now it is delayed and will be done in three months. They are deliberately delaying the inquiry so that they can cover up all the ongoing crimes against Rohingyas and further delay the forthcoming general assembly in United Nation regarding Rohingyas’ case. 

Elsewhere, according to an internal source, Rakhine terrorists have been bringing the weapons such as guns and hand bombs etc into Arakan. They are keeping it in the places such as Rakhine monasteries and other secret places all over Arakan. They might have secret plans and want to make full use of the situation to achieve their long awaited dream of having independent Arakan.

The Dalai Lama expressed concern over Rohingya Muslim in Burma


DHARAMSHALA, August 23: Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama has written a letter to Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, expressing his concerns over the outbreak of communal violence in Burma.

In the letter, the Dalai Lama said that he was “deeply saddened” and remains “very concerned” with the violence inflicted on the Rohingya Muslims.

The two Nobel laureates had recently met in London, England on July 19, for the first time. 

The Tibetan spiritual leader also directed his representative in the Indian capital, Tempa Tsering, to meet the Ambassador of Myanmar. The Embassy, however, is yet to schedule the meeting.

Details of the letter were made public by Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay during his meeting with Syed Yahya Bukhari, President, Jama Masjid United Forum on Wednesday at the latter’s residence on the auspicious occasion of Eid.

Two mainstream Urdu print media, the Daily Sahafat and The Inquilab, were also present at the hour-long discussions during which Dr Sangay expressed his heartfelt Eid greetings to Bukhari and the Muslim community.

The elected Tibetan leader also sought to clear misunderstandings within certain sections of the Muslim community on Tibetans by presenting a copy of the 2010 Kyegudo earthquake photo which has been “mistakenly or deliberately” used by some websites to create negative perceptions.

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