The United States has eased another set of sanctions against Myanmar despite the ongoing persecution of the Rohingya Muslim community.

The Obama administration made the announcement on Thursday, calling for an ease of restrictions on many of Myanmar’s military rulers, their business partners and immediate families.

Last year, Washington lifted a set of sanctions against Myanmar that limited trade between the two countries, including removing Myanmar’s President Thein Sein from the list of banned officials.

“Since 2011, the civilian-led Government of Burma has taken important steps toward significant social, political, and economic reform that demonstrate substantial progress on areas of concern,” the US Department of State said.

Myanmar’s government has been repeatedly criticized for failing to protect the Rohingyas.

Recently, hundreds of Buddhist extremists armed with bricks stormed shops and homes of Muslims in the western village of Okkan.

In March, more than 40 people were killed and a number of mosques and homes of Muslims were burned in central Myanmar, indicating a rise in the persecution of Muslims.

The Muslim minority of Rohingyas in Myanmar accounts for about five percent of the country’s population of nearly 60 million. The persecuted minority has faced torture, neglect, and repression since the country achieved independence in 1948.

The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Myanmar, Tomas Ojea Quintana, said on March 28 that he had received reports that Myanmar’s soldiers and police sometimes stood by “while atrocities have been committed before their very eyes” by well-organized Buddhist mobs in the central city of Meiktila.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have called on Myanmar’s government to address the plight of the Rohingya Muslim population and to protect the community against extremists.

In April, the European Union also lifted most of its sanctions against Myanmar, a move criticized by Human Rights Watch.

Census resumes in Maungdaw south

Maungdaw,Arakan:Today, in the morning, a hostile operational team consisting of immigration, military,  Nasaka, police and village administrators went to Aley Than Kyaw village tract of Maungdaw south to perform  an operation ( listing family members) forcing the Rohingya to register as “Bengali” for the census, said a villager elder on condition of anonymity.
“All the villagers rejected to participate in the operation. But, the authority forcibly composed some of the family members into computer and also taking signatures, where they wrote “Bengali” in place of “Rohingya.”  After taking list of some family members, they returned to their destination.”
All these have been done under the direction of Rakhine Nationalities Development Party (RNDP) which dominates the Arakan Sate government and pursues a policy of Rohingya extermination with the blessing of the central government. An atmosphere of terror has been created while the whole Rohingya community is being affected by the humanitarian disaster, said a politician.
The so-called census operation was first conducted immediately after June and October 2012 deadly violence against Rohingys in Arakan at irregular intervals but was stopped when the Rohingyas rejected to be registered as “Bengali”.
But since 10 April, the authorities resumed it selectively in Maungdaw and Buthidaung Township torturing and forcing the Rohingyas into agreeing to register as “Bengali,” said a village businessman.
The Rohingya people “have the collective right to live in freedom, peace and security as distinct people” and additionally they have the right to life.  To force the Rohingya people into accepting ‘Bengali’ against their will is an ethnocide or an international crime, the politician more added.

Nasaka robs bicycle from student in Maungdaw

Maungdaw, Arakan State: Burma’s border security force (Nasaka) robbed a bicycle from a middle school student on April 28, at about 600:00 pm, while he was going to his village from Powet Chaung village by riding on a bicycle, a relative from the locality said,“The bicycle was robbed by the Nasaka personnel of Powet Chaung out-post camp under the Nasaka area No. 5 of Maungdaw Township accompanied by Natala villagers when he reached nearby the camp by a bicycle. There is a Natala (new settlers) village near the camp, so the Natala villagers become collaborators of Nasaka.”
The victim is identified as--- Mujibur Rahaman (14), son of Abu Sidique, hailed from Maung Nama village of Maungdaw north. He is a class VIII- student.
He is a minor student; he went to his home on foot with great disappointment without his bicycle. The Nasaka officer asked him to pay Kyat 5,000 to release the bicycle before he left to his home said a village elder quoting the victim.
The next day, on April 29, the minor student along with his father went to the Nasaka camp and paid Kyat 5,000 to get his bicycle.It is clear that, it is a deliberate action against the Rohingya community even not excluding the minor boy, said a business man.
“The security force is above the law, as what they want to do; they do it without any obstacle. Who gives the power? Surely, President Thein Sein gives the power. But president pretends to be a pseudo-reformer, “said a local youth who declined to be named.

Breaking News:2nd may 2013

President resigns from USDP
Myanmar President U Thein Sein has resigned as chairman of the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and his party post was replaced by its vice-chairman U Shwe Mann, according to the party's Union Daily Thursday.
US maintains targeted sanction
The US government should maintain targeted sanctions, and potentially re-impose lifted sanctions against Burmas government until it meets international bench marks for religious freedom, the US on International Religious Freedoms commission said yesterday.
 Rohingya Muslims, who are denied Burmese citizenship, experience widespread discrimination, strict controls over their religious activities and ceremonies and societal violence that is often incited by Buddhist monks and carried out with impunity by mobs and local militias, including police, according to the commission.
Over 1,000 Rohingya have been killed, their villages and religious structures destroyed, and women raped during attacks, it said. The government’s official death toll, which includes both Buddhist and Rohingya victims, is 192. Some non-governmental groups familiar with the situation on the ground in Arakan State have previously also suggested that the real figure is several times higher.

House set on fire at Maungdaw south
 Today, at about 9:00 pm, a house of late Kala Meah of Kilai Daung village, under the Nasaka area No.7 of Maungdaw south was burned down by Natala villagers        ( new Rakhine settlers) with the help of Burma’s border security force( Nasaka).

Maulana arrested by Nasaka in Maungdaw

Maungdaw, Arakan State:  A Maulana (religious leader) was arrested by Nasaka    (Burma’s border security force) on April 15, while he was crossing the Ywet Nyo Daung bridge of Maungdaw north, over the allegation that he was a smuggler, said a close friend of the victim.

“The victim was identified as---Maulana Salay Ahmed (32). Son of Noor Ahmed hailed from Wet Pyin village under the Powet Chaung village tract of Nasaka area No.5 of Maungdaw Township.”

On that day, in the evening, he went to Kyet Yoe Pyin market after crossing the said village which is situated nearby Nasaka camp No.12. At that time, the Nasaka personnel from the camp halted him from going to market and accused him that he was a smuggler. So he was detained in the camp, said a local businessman.

Though the arrestee frequently asked the Nasaka personnel that he is not a smuggler and he is a religious teacher of an Arabic school.  But Nasaka did not take any attention to the arrestee.

“It is deliberate action against the Rohingya religious teacher. They know very well that he is not a smuggler, but they want money and to insult religious leader,” said a local youth.

However, on 16 April, he was released after paying Kyat 400,000 to the Nasaka officer, a close relative of the victim said preferring not to be named.

“This is not small money. After selling his mother’s ornament, his relatives managed this money,” said the relative.

The Nasaka personnel of Ywet Nyo Daung Nasaka camp give harassment to the Rohingya travelers from neighboring villagers while crossing the said bridge. They sometimes loot the goods from the passengers, a village elder said.

President Thein Sein’s quasi-civilian government is changing some matters in central Burma, but not change anything in the ethnic areas, especially in Rohingya and Kachin areas, said a politician from Maungdaw.

Diarrhea spreads at Leda refugee camp

Teknaf, Bangladesh: Diarrhea, fever, cough and stomach’s pain have recently spread among the refugee children in Burmese refugee camp, said a local doctor.
“Many unregistered Rohingya refugee children and elders of Leda (Tal) have been suffering from various diseases since the end of April 2013.”
According to refugees, the effected children and elders are being given basic treatment through the Muslim Aids.
Refugees also said that a patient, who becomes serious, is not being referred to government hospital of Cox’s Bazar. Doctors said,” They have not enough budgets to refer for better treatment.”

“Mostly, refugee children (1 to 7 years) are suffering from these diseases.”
Ayoub, a refugee committee member from Leda camp said,” The refugee children and elders are being affected by diarrhea because of scarcity of pure drinking water, they are drinking salt water. The fresh water has been dried up in the dam since March 2013 in summer season which was built nearby mountain side by Muslim Aids.
Many refugee women and girls go to local village to fetch drinking water but they have no lives security as they are disturbed by the local youths. The Rohingya refugees also have been facing problems from unhygienic conditions at Leda camp, the wastewater drain was jammed, the committee member more said.
Besides, refugees also said that they have been facing many difficulties with their sheds as--- most of the sheds had been become old and dilapidated. But, Muslim Aids has not yet taken any step to rebuild or repair ruined sheds.