Limiting Myanmar's Rohingya?

We ask if recent government measures are a violation of human rights, or a justifiable means to maintain security. Inside Story Last Modified: 27 May 2013 13:09 Email Print Share Feedback

The Rohingya Muslims of Myamnar have been described as some of the world's least wanted, and most persecuted, people. Now, a government-appointed commission has declared that their rapidly growing population represents a serious threat that makes ethnic Buddhists feel insecure. Hundreds of people have been killed, and many Muslim villages burned down, in communal violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state over the past year. Rights groups have accused the government of an organised campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya, and now, local officials have limited family size in the townships of Buthidaung and Maundaw to two children and banned polygamy. The restrictions will apply only to Rohingya Muslims, and not to any other ethnic group. They have been classified as stateless since 1982, and last July, the government did not include them on an official list of 135 recognised ethnic groups. This is actually to drive out the Rohingya people from Arakan, this is an ethnic cleansing policy against the Rohingya people … a kind of diversion that distracts the attention of Rohingya genocide from [the] international community. Tun Khin, Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK That means they cannot claim Myanmar citizenship, they cannot travel without permission, they cannot own land, and now, some of them cannot have more than two children. Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been criticised for failing to speak out strongly in defence of the Muslim community. But she was drawn in after seven Muslim men were convicted on Tuesday of killing a Buddhist monk during unrest in March. They were handed sentences of between two years to life in prison, and violence spread to 15 other towns and villages. No Buddhists have been charged. "There is no transparency in Myanmar's justice system and the administrative branch has too much influence. The judicial system has to be independent to be credible," Suu Kyi declared. "We must forge a new and more inclusive national identity. Myanmar people of all ethnic backgrounds and all faiths - Buddhist, Christian, Hindu and other - must feel part of this new national identity. We must end all forms of discrimination and we must ensure that not only that intercommunal violence is brought to a halt, but that all perpetrators are brought to justice."Myanmar has been raising its profile on the international stage. Japan's prime minister, Shinzo Abe, arrived on Friday for the first visit by a Japanese leader for 36 years. And last week, Myanmar's president became the first leader to visit the White House in nearly half a century - making this commitment: And it drew this response from the US president: "I also shared with President Sein our deep concern about communal violence that has been directed at Muslim communities inside of Myanmar, the displacement of people, the violence directed towards them needs to stop and we are prepared to work in any ways that we can with both the government of Myanmar and the international community to assure that people are getting the help that they need, but more importantly, that their rights and their dignity is recognised over the long term." So, are these actions by Myanmar's government a violation of human rights, or a justifiable measure to maintain security? To discuss this, Inside Story, with presenter, Jane Dutton, is joined by guests: Tun Khin, a human rights activist and president of the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK; and Phil Robertson, deputy director for Asia at Human Rights Watch.

Nasaka officer threatens to seal all business to join the program of digital sign and photograph in Maungdaw south

Maungdaw, Arakan State: Burma border security force (Nasaka) commander of area number 7 threatened the Rohingya villagers to seal all their business if they didn’t join the program of digital signatures and photographs on May 24 meeting at high school of Alay Than Kyaw, said a village administration officer.

“The commander called all Rohingya villagers and village admin officers with members to Alay Than Kyaw high school, where he had given a speech “to join at their (authority) program of digital signatures and photographs which mention the race as Bengali, in the place of Rohingya.” The commander also threatened the villagers, he will seal all the business – fishing, farming and business- if not join the program.”
In the meeting, the Nasaka commander discussed many different issues with village leaders and administrators regarding the present situation of Arakan State, said an aide of Nasaka.
“If anyone doesn’t comply with the order, he/she will be punished according to the law and also will be imprisoned five years,” the commander added.
We don’t want to join the program as Arakan State government spokesperson U Win Myaing has insisted that recent household data collection for Muslim in Arakan, is related to next year’s census and preparation for the next coming census in 2014, where the UN Population Fund issued a statement on May 3 in which it said that “[h]ousehold data collection activities being undertaken in the camps, other sites in Sittwe, and other towns, Rakhine State, involving the update of family lists by teams composed of several government departments, are unrelated to the National Population and Housing Census scheduled for April 2014” and these activities are also not connected to the pilot census exercise that took place successfully from March 30 to April 10. Actual data collection for the 2014 National Population Census will take place from March 29 to April 10, 2014 in all parts of Myanmar. Every person present within the borders of Myanmar on the night of March 29, 2014 will be included in the census.” So, we did not want to participant the program for using us as Bengali in the name of Rohingya which authority trying to label us Bengali, said the villagers from Maungdaw south.
The commander also mention the recent Arakan State government imposed a two-child limit for Muslim Rohingya families, a policy that does not apply to Buddhists Rakhine in the area – Maungdaw and Buthidaung where Rohingyas are about 95 percent Muslim and comes amid accusations of ethnic cleansing in the aftermath of sectarian violence. But, this Law was issued sine long times when Nasaka started to control the marriage of Rohingya with these conditions and to extort money from Rohingya community. It is not a new one, but now it issued from state government, said a school teacher.
According to sources, Burma’s central government, Arakan State authorities and Arakanese politicians have long claimed that the Muslim population in the region is rapidly growing and pushing out local Buddhist communities.
Rohingyas villagers in northern Arakan State are now passing days and nights in panic for giving pressure to join the government program of digital sign and photograph by Nasaka, the politician said.
“They have no alternative way to go anywhere from Arakan soil, so they have to live at a big cage in Arakan State, Burma.