No Rohingya on the road in Maungdaw during Eid day

Maungdaw, Arakan State:  Rohingyas from Maungdaw are staying in their home whole day and no Rohingyas come out from their home on the road today (Eid day), according to an elder from Maungdaw.
“The Rohingyas didn’t pray of Eid prayer in Maungdaw as the whole country is going to celebrate Eid-ul-fitr  ( Eid festivel). The authority had given permission to pray on this day, but the Rohingya demand for daily five times prayer. The authority gave permission to Rohingya yesterday to pray in Mosques only noon (Juhur) and after noon (Assar) only for three days. But, Rohingya comminty said no need to do for three days and pray in their house as they were going prayer in their houses since June.”

“Today, we pray in our houses the Eid prayer and no one is come out from their houses, even the young children. The Maungdaw is like a desert.”
The authority imposed full tight security in Maungdaw and every corner  the security force are staying  alert, said a villager from Maungdaw.
“The security forces are forcefully collecting signatures from Rohingya community of Myoma Khayoungdan village that they had performed   Eid prayer today evening.”
Similarly, the security forces from Alay Than Kyaw forced Zaygonedan village of 8 fmaily to pray for Eid prayer in Mosques which was record by authority from every corner, said a villager from Aly Than Kyaw.
“Only 21 Rohingya including children join the mass praying in the Mosques.”
“The Burmese government is trying to show international community that the Rohingya pray at Eid day which mean Rohingya are persecution of religious and their enjoying the whole Eid day.”

Wake-Up Call Support & Join Humanitarian Flotilla To Arakan now

Wake-Up Call Support & Join Humanitarian Flotilla To Arakan

"We are calling the Ummah and all peace loving people of the world to please contribute to sponsor this flotilla. This would be a translation of the people's commitment around the world to tell the Myanmar regime that the genocide must be halted immediately , access to Arakan must be allowed , perpetrators must be brought to justice, and rights of the Rohingya must be restored", (Azmi Abdul Hamid,Chief De Mission)

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Rakhine conflict proof of Burma's ingrained racism, says academic (Dr. Maung Zarni Interview)

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the setting up of a commission in Burma to investigate recent sectarian violence in the country's west.Rakhine conflict proof of Burma's ingrained racism, says academic

Burma's president, Thein Sein, has announced an inquiry into the clashes in Rakhine state, where scores of people were killed and tens of thousands displaced by the violence in May and June.

He had earlier rejected United Nations calls for an independent investigation.

The establishment of the government commission came as news emerged about fresh clashes in the region.

Correspondent: Katie Hamann

Speaker: Dr Muang Zarni, London School of Economics

HAMANN: Whilst the west has gleefully embraced the idea of a Burmese democracy an ugly struggle has been building in the country's west. At least ninety people are thought to have died since fighting broke out between Burmese Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims in the state of Rakhine in June.

Burmese scholar Dr Muang Zarni is a visiting fellow at the Civil Society and Human Security Research Unit at the London School of Economics. He is also a practising Buddhist and says the conflict in Rakhine state is symptomatic of deeply ingrained racism within Burmese society.

ZARNI: The NLD leadership, even the most senior people, who've spent years in jail, are racist, without knowing they're racist and anti-Khalar. Khalar is the Burmese equivalent of the word 'nigger'. And this is at the very top of the NLD leadership. From their perspective, it's all about illegal migration from Bangladesh, that is suffering from population explosion.

HAMANN: In a report released earlier this month Human Rights Watch accused security forces of failing to defuse growing tensions between communities and standing by whilst mobs raised villages and attacked each other. They say the conflict has displaced as many as 100,000 people who remain in dire need of food, shelter and medical assistance.

Dr Zarni says there could be a more sinister explanation for the failure of the security forces.

ZARNI: There is evidence, very strong evidence emerging, from different sources, that the Burmese regime in Naypyidaw itself has a hand in whipping up this conflict.

HAMANN: Nobel Peace Prize winner and Democracy hero Aung San Suu Kyi has come under fire for her failure to openly comment on the plight of the Rohingya Muslims. When asked if they should be granted Burmese citizenship during her recent trip to Europe, Ms Suu Kyi said she didn't know. Many Rohingya Muslims have been settled in Burma for generations. Despite this, they need permission to marry, have more than two children and travel beyond their villages.

Dr Zarni says Ms Suu Kyi is now an elected representative and focussed on re-election in 2015.

ZARNI: If Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD were to beat the military-backed proxy political party, in the 2015 elections, they will need to win in a landslide. Nothing short of a landslide will give them a chance to attempt to change the Constitution. So in other words, Ms Suu Kyi needs to keep the Burmese majority happy, ideologically, and that requires that she stays clear of the Rohingya issue, regardless of whether it's a direct challenge to her image as a human rights champion.

HAMANN: The conflict threatens to engulf the region as yet more Rohingya refugees pour over the border into Bangladesh.

Bangladesh's Awami League-led coalition government has declared it wants to empty its overcrowded camps and send the Rohingya back to Burma. Meanwhile, much of the global response has come from the Muslim world. Saudi Arabia has accused Burma of embarking on a campaign of ethnic cleansing and Islamic hardliners in Indonesia and Pakistan have threatened attacks against the government.

Dr Zarni says the world must act, because no one inside Burma is interested in protecting the Rohingya.

ZARNI: The racism against the Muslims in general, in Burma is pervasive across the majority, minority, civilian, military and class lines. And that is one of the scariest and most troubling aspects of this social transition in Burma. And the West has not spoken out against this issue, because the West is desperate to push its own strategic and commercial agenda in Burma. So what we have heard over the past one year or so, is that "Burma is a modern transitional democracy." And so now, the Burmese democratic transition is bringing about not necessarily concrete and irreversible democratisation process but the most ugly racism the world is witnessing.

Indonesia to help rebuild homes for Rohingyas in Burma

The Indonesian government has appointed a former vice president to be a special envoy to offer aid to Muslim Rohingya in Burma, according to local media reports. 

Jusuf Kalla as vice president with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono Photo: presidensby.info

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said he has asked Jusuf Kalla, who is also the chairman of the Indonesian Red Cross, to accept the mission because he has experience in addressing sectarian conflicts. He is expected to arrive in Burma on Sept. 8.

Kalla said the Red Cross and other international groups, including the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, would deliver aid and start reconstructing homes for displaced Rohingyas next month. Thousands of Rohingyas' homes and businesses were burned during the unrest.

The president said he asked Kalla to be Indonesia's special envoy as a form of “solidarity with our Rohingya brothers,” according to the Jakarta Post.

Burma recently allowed the Indonesian Red Cross, along with other international humanitarian agencies, to send aid to refugees from the deadly conflicts between the Rohingyas and Rakhines in western Burma, which has claimed up to 87 lives and seen up to 5,000 homes and businesses burned.

On Aug. 7, Mizzima reported that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Burma had done its best to handle long-standing tensions in western Rakhine State. 

The statement, from the president of Asia’s most populated Muslim state, came amid growing protests against Burma’s handling of the ethnic unrest. 

The Indonesian president said he was trying to explain the situation in Burma “completely, properly and objectively, particularly after listening to reports from the Indonesian ambassador to Burma and Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa.”

Yudhoyono said that the Rakhine-Rohingya conflict was communal instead of religious. “Coincidently, the Rohingyas are Muslims and the Rakhines are Buddhists,” he said.

“The Rohingyas originate from Bangladesh. However, even after four generations, Myanmar’s policy has yet to include them as one of the country’s 135 ethnic groups,” Yudhoyono said.

Authority organizes religious leaders for Eid prayer in Maungdaw

Maungdaw, Arakan State: The concerned authorities of Maungdaw –Township and District administration officer-  and called all Rohingya community leaders to township admin office to discuss about forthcoming Eid-ul Fitr mass praying today, according to a community leader from Maungdaw.
“The Township administration officer- Kyi San – and District administration officer –Aung Myint Soe-called 50 community leaders from every village tracts  each, but there are only few Rohingya community leaders attend the meeting.”

The concerned authorities of Maungdaw told the Rohingya community leaders that the authority will give permission for mass praying in forthcoming Eid-ul-fitr. But, U Jangir ,the USDP MP called for daily five times congregational prayers not for Eid praying which the authority make remark to submit to the higher official, said a villager from Maungdaw.
“The authority is only to record document to show to international community that there is no conflict in Maungdaw between two communities –Rakhines and Rohingyas- and enjoying peacefully in the town. Another one , the authority want to show there is no religious persecution in the areas and the Rohingyas are enjoying with full facility of religious as  mass praying in the Mosques.”
But, the authority locked up the Mosques and not allows to pray inside the Mosques since June 8 and last month, the authority arrested religious leaders from villages. Now, the authority is asking to bring religious leaders to the meeting through village administration officers.”
After meeting in the township admin office, the officer ordered to their one puppet –Ayub Khan, the village administration officer of Myothu Gyi village- to bring some religious leaders and community leaders. He make fake religious leader and brought to the office who will go around the villages – Maung Ni, Bomu, Ward number 2, Ward number 5 and Myoma Khayoungdan- where the fake religious leader announced to the Rohingya community as Rohingya can pray during the Eid-ul-fitr with mass praying and the authority recorded the action of fake religious leader. That is the one which the authority want, said an educated person from Maungdaw.
“We are not trust the newly formed Investigation commission by President U Thein Sein to investigate on the violence of Arakan State which has no Rohingya representatives and most of the members are against the Rohingya community.”
Similarly, National Democratic Party for Human Rights (in exile) (NDPHR) issued a statement against the newly formation of the Commission of Investigation on the violence of Arakan State by President U Thein Sein  today  which has failed to comprise to equal ratio of members from both sides; Muslim and Rakhine, having the sort of person like the chairman of Rakhine Development Party Dr. Aye Maung who is known to be the instigator of violence, person like Ko Ko Gyi who declared that Rohingyas were foreign illegal immigrants and that they must be crashed down in collaboration with the Military force, the person like ZAGANA who has announced in an interview in Paris that the Rohingya are the foreigners and though there are some Muslim members in the commission but no single Rohingya is there to represent the Rohingya Muslim. So, we don’t think the Commission as genuine and qualified one and it never yields fruitful result.
The violence was erupted between the Rakhine and the Rohingya Muslim. But forming the commission with only the Rakhine and leaving behind the Rohngya is very clear enough that the intention was not based on honesty and the result will not be acceptable too, said U Hla Aung , President ,National Democratic Party for Human Rights (in exile) . President, National Democratic Party for Human Rights (in exile)Paris, France. “We would like to call upon the President U Thein Sein to dismiss the wrong persons from the Commission and to take some members from Rohingya Muslim who could represent the community in order to be a genuine and respectable Commission of investigation.“

More Rohingya kill in Maungdaw

Maungdaw, Arakan State: The security force –Burma border security force (Nasaka)-  and Rakhine  killed more Rohingya recently  in Maungdaw, said a village admin from Maungdaw.
“Oo Daung Nasaka camp officer Pyro Way Aung and Oo Daung village administration officer Thein Aung  ( Rakhine) with other Nasaka personnel went to  Salim Ullah home in Oo Daung village at about 10:00pm on August 16.  The Nasaka officer and his group went to Salim home with a plan of attempt to rape his dauhghter where Salim Ullah family has three members – he, his wife and his daughter (young lady).”

The Nasaka officer and Village admin enter to his house for checking of family list without calling any village admin member expect the village admin officer. When the officer went near to young lady to attempt to rape but, the father block the officer to reach his daughter. The officer was drunk and shot to old man with his gun. The old man was hit at his arm but the officer arrested him with an allegation of attacking on duty officer when the villagers rushed to the home for hearing the gun shot. Salim was kept at camp and took photograph with sword then sent him to the area commander office, said an elder from village.
Similarly, Army and Rakhine attacked the Fokira Bazar village where they killed 8 Rohingyas on August 16, according to an elder from Maungdaw.
Besides, Rakhines from Taungpro killed 6 Rohingyas on August 6 and the villagers found the dead bodies of Rohingyas near the stream which was informed to Nasaka . The Nasaka ordered the villagers to bury the dead bodies. The Taungpro villagers are not known the dead bodies and the realized that the dead Rohingyas are outsider, said a villager.
“May be, the Rakhine killed the Rohingyas who try to cross the border for recent riot and not able to stay at their home.”

Atrocitities, Rapes and Looting Continue against Rohingyas

Atrocitities, Rapes and Looting Continue against Rohingyas

Arakan, Burma

Sunday, 19^th August 2012, 03:00AM 

Maung Daw

“On 16^th August 2012 at 11 O’ Clock night, the In-Charge of Oo Daung NaSaKa camp of southern Maung Daw together with the village chairman, Pru Wai Aung (a Rakhine) and another Rakhine man raided the house of a poor Rohingya man called Salimullah, son of Shormulluk, (50 years old). As soon as they (NaSaKa in-charge, Village Chairman and another Rakhine) got into his house, they attempted to rape his under-aged daughter. When Salimullah and his wife tried to protect their daughter, NaSaKa In-Charge severely beat them and took the Rohingya man to the NaSaKa Camp Base 8 in Mayrulla (Myint Hlut). It is not know that what is going on with him now” reported by Faiz from Alay Than Kyaw.

“At 10:00pm on the same day, the military from Tharay Kunbaung camp and Natalas (new settlers) from the nearby village attacked Lambaguna Village (in southern Maung Daw). They started to harass villagers and to loot their properties. They raided the houses of Habezullah s/o Lal Mia and Esoup s/o Lal Miya and looted 430,000 Kyats and 750,000 Kyats respectively. Soon after, they attempted to rape Rohingya girls. When the villagers screamed, cried and shouted, some nearby villagers rushed to the spot to help the victimized people in Lambaguna. Military opened fire at the villagers. Four Rohingyas were shot dead and one woman was severely beaten. One of the corpses of Rohingya deceased was recovered and given funeral at 10:00AM on 18^th August 2012. The other three dead bodies are missing and might be taken to their camps. The profiles of those four Rohingyas killed are:

                Name                                                                                    Age       

1)     Abdu Salam s/o Amir Hussein                                     35 years              (dead body missing)

2)     Karimullah s/o Yasin                                                    28 years              (dead body missing)

3)     Shaf Miya s/o Yasin                                                       32 years              (dead body missing)

4)     Nurul Haque s/o Sultan Ahmed                                   45 years              (dead body recovered)                

The profile of the beaten Rohingya woman is:

1)     Noor Jahan D/o Ashraf Miya                                        35 years

At 2pm on 18^th August 2012, some Rakhine extremists stabbed four Rohingya men near a Jetty between a Rakhine village and a Rohingya village at the village track of Maung Daw Tsp. Soon after, NaSaKa came to the village and fired at Rohingyas in the village. Many were seriously wounded and taken to the hospital in Maung Daw. Now they are in Maung Daw hospital.

As soon as the new moon appears, there will be Eid (Muslim Festival after the month of fasting) and Muslim will pray Eid prayer. Yet, there are arbitrary arrests, tortures and extortion of money going on against Rohingyas. Educated Rohingyas, their religious teachers, humanitarian workers are still in fear of being arrested and can’t stay at home. On 17^th August 2012, many poor Rohingyas were beaten and tortured by Hlutin (Security Froces) at Bo Mu Village near to government hospital. Two of them are Akram S/o Abdul Amin (28 years) and Amanullah S/o Nagu Miah (30 years) from Kadir Bill village of Maung Daw. Although many Rohingyas are killed, tortured, arrested and extorted money from, yet there are hardly any evidence of that because there are no International Media and Independent Observes there. This region is made technologically very backward by the Burmese government” said Qutub from Maung Daw

“On 18^th August 2012, the members of committees of the Mosques in Maung Daw called to the office of Maung Daw Administration. Rohingyas were asked to pray Eid Prayer (for Muslims, five times daily prayers are more important than the Eid prayer). There has been a strong plot on why Rohingyas were ordered to perform Eid prayer. Government and Rakhines are planning to shoot video while Rohingyas pray and show it to the world that Arakan has become peaceful (at a time when they are continuing all kinds of atrocities and tortures against Rohingyas). So, there is no need to send investigations, international media or independent observers. Authorities threatened that if they don’t perform Eid Prayer, they all will be arrested” a Rohingya from Myoma Kayin reported on the condition of anonymity.

Mass Arrests and Arbitrary Extortion of Money in Maung Daw

From 13^th Aug 2012 to 16^th August 2012 (in four days)

“On 15^th August 2012, In-Charge of NaSaKa Camp based in Oo Daung arrested Yakub S/o Aye Sha Dullah from Oo Daung and extorted Kyat 300,000. SaRaPha (State Security Affairs) in Alay Than Kyaw arrested Rohingyas and extorted the of money mentioned below.

1)     Rohimullah s/o Moggul                                  250,000 Kyats

2)     Boshor s/o Salamat                                        200,000 Kyats

3)     Abdullah s/o Nukmal Hakim                         300,000 Kyats

4)     Boshir s/o Ahmed                                          500,000 Kyats

5)     Mamun Rashid s/o Mv. Haroon                    200,000 Kyats

6)     Furkan Ahmed s/o Ali Johar                         200,000 Kyats

7)     Ismail s/o Kala Miya                                       200,000 Kyats

8)     Mv. Karim s/o Mohammed Amin                  200,000 Kyats

9)     Maburaman s/o Abduraman                        200,000 Kyats

10) Rohim s/o Noor                                             700,000 Kyats

     

Rathedaung

During the joint attack on Rohingyas in Rathedaung in last June and July, many Rohingyas were killed, their houses were burned and thousands were ousted from many villages in the region. Some of these villages are

1)     Thayet Pyin Village        (made up of 200 Rohingyas’ houses)

2)     Prime Chaung Village    (made up of 60 Rohingyas’ houses)

3)     Kudik Chaung Village    (made up of 50 Rohingya Houses)

4)     Annok Pyin Village         (made up of 550 Rohingyas’ houses)

Three thousand members of Rohingyas from these villages are now languishing in the villages of Shilkali, Don Sey, Bossara (Thawin Chaung) and Aandaang of southern Maung Daw. Their situation is just getting worse day by day because of starvation, lack of shelter and no medication. They are mostly suffering from Malaria and Diarrhea. Every day, there are 10 to 12 Rohingyas dying, of whom, most are children. Worse still, even they are targeted and harassed by Burmese Security Force. They are critically in need of urgent relief and assistances.  If this continues, none of them can be hoped to survive. Besides, on daily basis, Rohingyas from the remaining villages of Rathedaung are being arrested for no reason” reported by Abbas from Hossara.

Sittwe Update

According to a reliable source from Sittwe, since the violence against Rohingyas started, there have been 1500 Rohingyas either missing or killed. There are 2200 Rohingyas severely injured Rohingyas who are getting proper treatment. And there were twenty four mosques were burned by the local authority and Rakhine hooligans. Yet, Burmese government is ridiculously saying that there are only about hundreds people dead. They are lying to the world as they have been doing for decades.

Compiled by M.S. Anwar