One government, two different statements

Maungdaw, Arakan State:  Two ministers of Thein Sein government had stated two different statements on Rohingya rights issue in Burma, according to a politician who didn’t want to mention his name.
“In an interview with The Hindu newspaper, Burma’s information minister, U Aung Kyi, said his government is working towards a “win-win solution for all stakeholders” and acknowledged that the statelessness of its Rohingya Muslim minority is a key cause of its suffering in the country, according to Telegraph.co.uk on November 1, 2012.”
“The local Rakhine also have this belief, and from this situation we are going to create a win-win situation for all stakeholders, a solution that will benefit everybody,” he said.
“Rohingyas are denied citizenship by Myanmar [Burma] and as a consequence the rights that go with it,” he added.
“The government is understood to be considering new moves to confer citizenship on several hundred thousand ‘third generation’ Rohingya who are already entitled to it under Burmese law but who were illegally denied it by previous governments.”
But, the Immigration minister U Khin Ye said that the government has no plan to enlist a new group who are stateless or illegal immigrant in the country, according to The Myanmar post Global Journal, on November 2, 2012.
“Anyone who live in Burma before 1948, we will issue for them “White Card”. While collecting census, must show evidence of staying in Burma since long , otherwise we will take action as per immigration law.”
Diplomatic sources in Burma said the government is now focused on granting citizenship rights on third generation Rohingya, but has yet to decide what to do with several hundred thousand first and second generations Rohingya who are regarded as Bengali immigrants by local Rakhine.
The government is also understood to be considering whether to accept the Rohingya as a ‘national race’, but progress is expected to be slow because of Rakhine opposition, the information minister said.
“Lots of people are being denied basic rights of citizenship to which they are entitled….and it undermines the rule of law,” said one source.
According to The Myanmar post Global Journal, the minister U Khin Ye said any race who stayed in Burma after independent without registered or list, will check for national security and if found any false , we will not issue them White card.
“We will allow anyone to stay in the country without proof of identity and proof of long staying. It is for our national security proposed.”
Similarly, All the non-ethnic group ( Rohingyas)  who flee from their homes and homeland will sent to a place – Taungbro, Maungdaw -  where the government is planning to set up refugee camps near the Bangladesh border, according to U Aung Mra Kyaw, Arakan State MP.
The government officials are saying different statements on Rohingyas, in Burmese statement show anti-Rohingya while English statement showed pro Rohingya. Which one, we have to accept and to follow, said the politician.
“The president office also declared that the government had evidence who is behind the ethnic cleanse of Rohingya, but never mention who is the person.”

Rohingyas sentenced to jail in Buthidaung

Buthidaung, Arakan State: The Judge court of Buthidaung sentenced to some Rohingyas from Buthidaung jail to 10-year imprisonment per each on October 29, who had been arrested by security forces after the June riots, said a relative of the victim on condition of anonymity.
“The Rohingya villagers were arbitrarily arrested by police and Hluntin (riot police) after the June 8 riots between Rakhines and Rohingyas in Maungdaw Township.”

“The arrestees (prisoners) were produced two to three times in the court and asked no questions from them. They have no rights to say anything and did not make any interrogation from the witness.”
After arrest, the people were severely tortured by police, Hluntin or Nasaka (Burma’s border security force) in the Nasaka camp or in the Nasaka Headquarters (Kawar Bill) or in police detention center of Maungdaw town where many Rohingya people were dead by torture and were buried by the authority to unknown places to be not seen by their relatives and local public.  As a result, the dwellers of Maungdaw town do not know, so far, how many people were arrested and killed by the authorities, said a town dweller who denied to be named.
Earlier, on October 12, nineteen Rohingya detainees were sentenced to 10 to 20 years jail to some villagers mostly from Maungdaw south.
But, the accused were not allowed to borrow lawyers to give them protection and asked any question from the defendant, said a trader from Buthidaung town.
One Rohingya villager from Buthidaung said, “Whether the accused is guilty or not, this question is must be asked from the defendant.”
The situation of the Buthidaung jail is very bad. Rohingya prisoners are tortured inhumanly by jail police and are being fed inadequate food in daily basis. The beard of all Maulanas (religious leaders) and others had already been shaved. They have no clothes and medicines. Some prisoners are staying there with naked position. There is no medicine, said a released prisoner recently from Buthidaung jail.
It is very important to visit International Red Crescent (IRC) to observe the situation as relatives are not allowed to see their sons, brothers, fathers and husbands. Many prisoners died in the jail and did not inform to their relatives, said a businessman from Bthidaung whose relative was also arrested by police.
In similar way, the prisoners of Sittwe, the capital of Arakan State have been facing many difficulties.

Fear, hunger stalk crowded Myanmar 's Rohingya camps

SITTWE - Crammed into squalid camps, thousands of people who fled communal violence in Myanmar face a deepening humanitarian crisis with critical shortages of food, water and medicine, aid workers say. More than 100,000 people have been displaced since June in two major spasms of violence in western Rakhine State, where renewed clashes last month between Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims uprooted about 30,000 people. Dozens were killed on both sides and thousands of homes were torched. Even in the camps near the state capital Sittwe housing ethnic Rakhine Buddhists - who have freedom of movement and are able to work if they can find employment - people are going hungry.

“We don’t have enough to eat,” said Phyu Ma Thein, 33. “The abbot gave us a bowl of rice but we have no pots, no plates. We have nothing. We’re just trying to survive.”

The situation is likely to deteriorate, the UN Refugee Agency warned this week, as a new influx of refugees pushes the camps “beyond capacity in terms of space, shelter and basic supplies such as food and water”.

“Food prices in the area have doubled and there are not enough doctors to treat the sick and wounded,” it added. Most of the displaced are Rohingya, described by the UN as among the world’s most persecuted minorities. Seen by the government and many Burmese as illegal immigrants from neighbouring Bangladesh, Myanmar’s 800,000 stateless Rohingya have long faced severe discrimination, according to rights groups.

Their displacement camps are at crisis point, according to Refugees International (RI) which estimates that even before last month’s flare-up nearly a quarter of children in the squalid facilities were malnourished.

“Conditions in these camps are as bad if not worse than ones in Eastern Congo or Sudan,” Melanie Teff, a researcher with the charity who visited Sittwe in September, told AFP from London. “Child malnutrition rates are startlingly high. There’s an urgent need for clean water and food. If further aid does not come through there will be some unnecessary deaths,” she said.

With tens of thousands of Rohingya in outlying villages struggling to make a living since security collapsed after June’s unrest, Teff fears official camps could be overwhelmed by a new wave of refugees over the coming months. Myanmar, which is opening up after decades of secretive junta rule, has said it has to accept aid from Muslim countries or face an international backlash. That concession by President Thein Sein last month came despite a series of angry protests by Myanmar Buddhists against efforts by a world Islamic body to help Muslims affected by the violence in Rakhine.

But the flow of aid is still sluggish to the tinderbox province.

In Baw Du Pha relief camp, where several thousand Rohingya refugees from Sittwe live cheek-by-jowl, surviving on rations and severly short of medical care, a mother-of-four told AFP Friday of her family’s desperation. “I cannot give my baby rice when she needs it. We are suffering,” said Laila, 20. “When my daughter gets sick we have no money for medicine.” Compounding the immediate need for essentials such as rice, water and oil, aid workers say refugees are facing a mounting psychological toll with terrified children bearing the brunt. “They lost their houses in the fires. Children cannot be left alone like before. So they’re depressed,” said Moe Thadar, a local Red Cross worker. With tensions still at boiling point despite beefed-up security, the relief effort is in jeopardy and the outlook for peace is grim unless the two communities can somehow reconcile, according to Teff. “As it stands there is a total lack of hope for the Rohingya. They have been rejected by many countries. They have suffered all around,” she said. “The only way out is for the international community to act on the current situation.” The UNHCR said the recent bloodshed spurred several thousand Rohingya to take to rickety boats this week in the hope of finding shelter at camps on the coast near the outskirts of Sittwe or escaping the country altogether.

But tragedy awaits even in flight, as around 130 people went missing after one boat sank off the coast near Bangladesh’s border with Myanmar while carrying Rohingya refugees heading for Malaysia.

Dozens of other boats were repelled by nervous Myanmar security forces near Sittwe, leaving them with no choice but to dock on the barren shoreline, according to an AFP reporter who visited the scene this week. “Humans need shelter, a place to sleep and eat,” said Myint Oo, a displaced Muslim who has lost his house and fishing business. “If you cannot eat and sleep, it’s worse than dying.”

Humanitarian aids need Mrauk- U

Mrauk- U, Arakan State:  The humanitarian aids are needed to supply urgent in the village of Zula Para ( a Rohingya village) of Maruk- U as the condition of village is very serious of foods crises , according to a villager of Maruk- U.
“In our village, we had 430 houses before burning by Rakhine mobs on October 23 and now we have only 7 houses remaining.”

“Nearly 100 villagers are killed from our village and we are able to bury 68 dead bodies and the rest dead bodies are missing.”
“At present, we are living at our old village and making temporary tents with bamboo and straw, hay, grass and leaves. The military is giving us full security. But, we do not get any help from outside, even water. So, we are facing food crisis and medicine.”
The local Rakhine villagers do not sell us anything and the security force also does not help us to get ration. We are not allowed to go out of the village. We are living like in a jail, said a villager from the locality.
“We are getting food only from our paddy fields.  We take paddy from our fields, and pounded to get rice.  We cook it and eat it without salt, chili, vegetables, and oil,” said a local youth.
“Therefore, we want the rations for our survival from international community. We do not hope to get ration from our government because, it wants us to be starved and dead.”
The Thein Sein government and Arakan State government officials only are supplying aids to Rakhines community not to us. So we need aids from any groups who want to help us to save the reaming villagers, said an elder from village.

More dead bodies floating in the sea

Chittagong, Bangladesh:  More than 30 dead bodies are floating near Saint Martin Island in the Bay of Bengal today morning, according to fishermen who went to the sea for fishing.
“We found 30 dead bodies of people, which are floating in the Bay of Bengal, are not recognized who are they, maybe Rohingya refugee –fleeing from central Arakan- or the boat people – which sunk last week of October- and no one was rescued this dead bodies.”

“We informed to the authorities of Bangldesh and informed also to the people of Maungdaw about the dead bodies to save the dead bodies to bury, but still we don’t see anyone do it.”
“We are trying to get permission from Bangladesh authority to save and bury, but no.”
“But, thousands of boats go out to sea for fishing every day. We have asked them to watch out for bodies,” said Lieutenant Badruddoza, a coastguard commander in Teknaf on the southeast tip of Bangladesh.
“The desperate families of the missing passengers have also been searching for bodies,” he added.
If these dead bodies are from sinking boat, they are mostly Bangladeshi and a few are Rohingya –only 40, said Kalam, a fishing trawler Mazi (leader) from Shapuri Dip.
“If these dead bodies are from fleeing boats, they are died for starvation as no water, no foods and no medicines. They were not allowing in Burma or Bangladesh to land. The Burmese government did not allow them to land when they arrived at Maungdaw south and kept them on the boat in the sea.”
The Rohingya from central are floating in the sea as the Burmese and Bangldeshi governments are not allowing them to land. So, more boats – more than 35 boats stranded near Akyab and nearly 40 boats are stranded near Saint Martin Island. 4 boats land in Maungdaw south, but Burmese authority didn’t allow them to take shelter. UNHCR tried to set up a temporary camp for these boat people- Rohingyas, said a politician from Maungdaw.
The head of the Muslim community in Minbya denied that they instigated the unrest and some people were already planning for violence and the family was merely a scapegoat, according to The Irrawaddy.
The government has reported that 28,000 people have been made homeless during the recent violence, which started on Oct.21, while a total of 2,950 houses, 14 religious buildings and eight rice mills were razed to the ground. Eighty-eight people have been confirmed dead while 129 have been hospitalized as carnage raged across nine townships, according to official figures.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that there could be even more displaced people as the numbers of those who fled could not be verified.
Vivian Tan, spokesperson for the UNHCR in Bangkok, said “We believe that there could be more people displaced because some fled to the hills. But we do not know how many. Around 6,000 people got on fishing boats. They are trying to find a safe place to land so they can get some help.”

Fresh News on Arakan Genocidal Attack on Rohingyas

From : Kyauk Nimaw 

Received : 31.10.2012 at 4:35 pm [Amsterdam time] 

Kyaw Kyaw reported the followings on phone conversation: 

Kyaw Kyaw is an Rakhine Ethnic, a son of intellectual Rakhine , who loves sharing humanly value and lives peacefully with all other religions especially with Rohingya and the fellow –habitants. 

He added: 

‘Rohingyas in Kyauk Nimaw have already determined not to run away from their ancestral homeland and rather prefer to die facing the ultimate consequences against attacks by Rakhine extremists and security forces as well. They have already taken the engines out of the boats to strengthen their ‘determination’ against the fleeing’. 

On this subject, one of the military officers asked the Rohingyas why they were not fleeing to their country, Bangladesh. Maulana Abukalam, a Muslim leader responded to the military officer,’ This is our own country, we love dying here, do you too want to kill us in collaboration with the Rakhines?’. Then the military officer assures that they will provide the protection as possible as they could. Then 20 minutes later, the Rakhine extremists mob dispersed. 

On the previous day( 30/10/2012) early morning, the Rakhine extremists- mob, with new faces, normally hired ones from other towns, launched a new attack on the Muslims despite of the Military and security presence . This time the military and the security force tried their best as they promised to defend the mob but failed against the huge bloodthirsty Rakhine extremists. Finally the military force marked a Red line and warned whoever crossed would be shot. Then some 30 Rakhines ( new faces – hired ones) who ignored the redline and warning were shot dead. 

On a phone conversation with a Rohingya resident named U Hamid from Kyauk Phyu who is currently sheltering in Sandong of Sittwe told that he received a phone call from his very friend, District commissioner ( Police), and he asked help, protection. He replied negative as the Central Command warned him not to interfere. 

Hamid also told that local Rakhines and Rohingyas are living for thousands year friendly, respectfully to each other till the historic day of the attack by unfamiliar Rakhine terrorists. Hamid seriously and surprisingly mentioned that two days before the attack on Rohingyas took place, military moved all local Rakhines to Monestary from Amla Quarter, Myo Thik, Than Phan Chaung. Because Hamid thinks that Rakhines could have helped Rohingyas during attack as happened in Akyab. Then Military dragged Rohingyas from their houses to an opened field and looted all properties from their houses including gold. After two days military brought Rakhines back to their houses. 

Furthermore Military keeps the route of Yangon for Rohingyas open aiming systematically Rohingya cleanses from Arakan, said Hamid. As the result, about 30 Rihingyas went to Rangoon by paying 100’000 Kyats per person to escape genocidal acts on them.

Myanmar 'rejects talks' on ethnic violence

ASEAN chief says offer turned down, even as tension between Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims simmers in Rakhine state.

Myanmar has rejected an offer by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to open talks aimed at quelling deadly communal violence there, according to the regional bloc's chief. Surin Pitsuwan said on Tuesday he proposed setting up tripartite talks between ASEAN,  the UN and Myanmar's government to prevent the violence from having a broader regional impact. But he said Myanmar turned down the offer to discuss the bloodshed in the western Rakhine state that has led to about 180 deaths since June. The bloodshed has pitted Buddhists against minority Rohingya Muslims. "Myanmar believes it is their internal matter, but your internal matter could be ours the next day if you are not careful," Surin, ASEAN's secretary-general, said after delivering a speech at a forum in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur. Fresh fighting in Rakhine this month resulted in another 88 people being killed and added to the thousands of homes torched, with tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims now living in overcrowded camps. Higher toll feared Rights groups fear the actual number killed could be much higher. “Around 100,000 people have been displaced since the fighting started back in June,” Al Jazeera’s Wayne Hay reported from Sittwe, capital of Rakhine state. Most of those displaced lost their homes when they were burned down in what they say is a deliberate attempt by the predominantly Buddhist government to drive them out of the country. “There were security forces present before the latest violence started,” Muhamed Juhar, a Rohingya Muslim, told Al Jazeera. "But when the fighting came to our town, there was no security. When they did arrive, it was too late and they also shot into the crowds of Muslims." In Sittwe Hospital, there was proof that someone had been using guns, but the injured told a different story about how the violence unfolded. “We got into a fight with the Muslims when we were on our way to go fishing. They came out of their houses and attacked us with swords,” said Aung Than, a Buddhist suffering from a bullet to the head. Myanmar's quasi-civilian government, which has been praised by Western nations for a series of democratic reforms after decades of outright military rule, has imposed emergency rule in response to continued tension in the region. And while Buddhists remain free to move about the state, the Rohingya are becoming increasingly restricted, our correspondent said. Myanmar's 800,000 Rohingya, a Muslim minority, are viewed as illegal immigrants from neighbouring Bangladesh by the government and many Myanmar citizens. The Rohingya have long been considered by the UN as one of the world's most persecuted minorities.