Report documents Rohingya persecution

Rights group says Myanmar's minority Muslim group has been subjected to ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.

Ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity have been committed against Myanmar's ethnic Rohingya people, according to a new report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), a New York-based nongovernmental organisation.

According to the report released ...on Monday, entitled All You Can Do is Pray, more than 125,000 ethnic Rohingya have been forcibly displaced since two waves of violence in May and October 2012.

Satellite images show almost 5,000 structures on land mostly owned by Muslim Rohingya have been destroyed, says the report.

The October attacks, the report states, were coordinated by Myanmar government officials, an ethnic Rakhine nationalist party and Buddhist monks. The deadliest attack took place on October 23, in which witnesses say at least 70 Rohingya - including 28 children - were massacred in Mrauk-U township.

The UN has described the Rohingya as one of the most persecuted minorities in the world.

Most Rohingya who live in Myanmar's western Rakhine state are denied citizenship by the Myanmar government, which claims they are illegal immigrants from neighbouring Bangladesh and often refers to them as "Bengali".

The Myanmar government has done nothing to prevent the violence, alleges the report, and at times government forces have joined in the attacks on the Rohingya.

"The Burmese government engaged in a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya that continues today through the denial of aid and restrictions on movement," Phil Robertson, HRW's deputy Asia director, said.

"The government needs to put an immediate stop to the abuses and hold the perpetrators accountable or it will be responsible for further violence against ethnic and religious minorities in the country."

In response to a letter from Human Rights Watch, the Myanmar government asserted that "the armed force, police force and militias handled the conflicts between the two communities in accordance with the existing laws, rules and regulations taking care of providing security in order to restore law and order and tranquillity".

Allegations that the police used excessive force to handle the outbreak of violence in June "were unfounded and not true information", the government said, adding that authorities faced "unfounded bias" from media both within and outside the country.

Conflicts between Muslim Rohingya and Buddhist Rakhine have long roiled Rakhine. During World War II, clashes between the Rakhine, who supported Japanese forces, and the Rohingya, who supported the British, led to many deaths.

EU lifts sanctions against Myanmar

Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was released from house arrest as part of reforms [Reuters]

The European Union has lifted the last of the bloc's trade, economic and individual sanctions against Myanmar, in response to the South Asian country's political reforms.

Monday's decision came on the same day rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a report that said Myanmar waged "a campaign of ethnic cleansing" against the Rohingya community, citing evidence of mass graves and forced displacement affecting tens of thousands.

"In response to the changes that have taken place and in the expectation that they will continue, the Council [of ministers] has decided to lift all sanctions with the exception of the embargo on arms," said a statement approved without a vote on Monday.
"The EU is willing to open a new chapter in its relations with Myanmar/Burma, building a lasting partnership," it added.

The EU began easing sanctions against Myanmar a year ago as the military, in power for decades, progressively ceded power to civilians and implemented largescale reforms of the economy.
Thein Sein, Myanmar's president, announced a slew of political reforms which resulted in release of political prisoners, most prominent among them Aung San Suu Kyi.

Ministers noted, however, that there were "still significant challenges to be addressed", in particular an end to hostilities in Kachin state and improving the plight of the Rohingya people.
Phil Robertson, the HRW Asia head, said lifting the sanctions was "premature and regrettable", warning that the move lessens leverage over Myanmar.
Myanmar views its population of roughly 800,000 Rohingya as illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and denies them citizenship.
To help Myanmar's economy, the EU will look at the feasibility of a bilateral investment agreement, as well as more development assistance.
The EU is also studying the possibility of assisting reform of the police service, in partnership with its parliament, to help it deal with inter-communal violence, the statement said.

UNSC must protect rights and lives of Rohingya Muslims: Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu

Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Head of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, appealed to the UN Security Council to intervene to protect rights and lives of Rohingya Muslims on April 14 at foreign ministers' meeting of member countries in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, according to Saudi Gazette.

Ihsanoglu, Head of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation at foreign ministers' meeting of member countries in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

The violence against Muslims in Burma was unacceptable and should not continue, Ihsanoglu said at the emergency OIC Contact Group meeting on Rohingya Muslim minority. “Such violence is a clear indication of the government’s negative approach in dealing with ethnic and religious tensions that erupted last summer.”
“The OIC will ask the United Nations Human Rights Council to send fact-finding mission to investigate all human rights violations in Burma and called for international action to stop violence on ethnic Rohingya.”
Ihsanogle also suggested requesting OIC member states which are members in the Contact Group and which have diplomatic missions in Burma to use their good offices to put this issue forward, expressing readiness of the OIC to continue coordination and render necessary support to improve the conditions of Muslims in Burma until they regain all their legitimate rights.
“Despite our attempts to establish communication with the authorities in Burma by selecting a prominent figure from a neighboring country to visit Burma and open discussions with officials, the government was not responsive.”
The meeting brings together top diplomats of Turkey, Afghanistan, UAE, Brunei, Djibouti, Indonesia, Malaysia, Egypt, Senegal and Saudi Arabia who will discuss violent attacks including torching, ambushes and deadly assaults in Arakan state.
“Attacks on Burmese Muslims are highly planned and coordinated and security forces do not stop the incidents,” Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmed Davutoglu told a Saudi Arabia meeting of a Burma contact group comprised of foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
“Attacks on ethnic Rohingya Muslims must stop immediately; violent acts targeting Burmese ethnic Rohingya Muslims were well planned, adding that the incidents risked wider instability in the region.”
“Burmese government must show that perpetrators of such kind of incidents cannot go unpunished. Hatred between Muslims and Buddhists must be averted,” the Foreign Minister said.
Davutoglu proposed a seven-point plan which included a fresh OIC initiative, a joint letter to Burmese government by presidents of OIC’s member countries that asks Burmese government for assurances for the return of Rohingya Muslims to their homes, and a visit by the OIC contact group to Arakan State.

Veterinary surgeon collects money in Maungdaw

Maungdaw, Arakan State: Burma border security force (Nasaka) and a veterinary surgeon forcibly collected money from Rohingya community without giving any injection to the cattle in Maungdaw north on April 12, said one of the cattle owners on condition of anonymity.

“A veterinary surgeon –a Rakhine - with Nasaka personnel from area number 5 of Maungdaw north went to Powet Chaung village tract on April 12 at about 9:00am where they collected 500 kyats per cattle head for injection.” 
Villagers did not willing to pay the money as their cattle were not injected. But, the Nasaka forcibly collected money from the villagers according to the cattle list. The Nasaka made cattle list last year and all the cattle were going to the grazing grounds when the team arrived at the village and the veterinary surgeon had not carried any injection, one of the village concerned authorities said.  
“This village tract has over 22 villages, and if the veterinary surgeon collects Kyat 500 per head, he will get over Kyat 900,000 from this village tract.”
One of the Nasakas was with military uniform while the two others were with Nasaka uniforms. After collecting the money from Rohingya villagers excluding Rakhine community, they shared the money between Nasaka and veterinary surgeon, according to a Nasaka aide who declined to be named.
The villagers have to pay this money while they have been confined in their village since June 2012 and have no jobs and no works to support their family members, said a local trader.
It is necessary to give injection to the cattle when they are being gotten any kind of disease. Without any emergency matter, no need to give injections to the cattle, why the concerned authorities extorted money from the villagers. It is totally in illegal way, the trader continued.
Rohingya community becomes income source for the concerned authorities and the Buddhist Rakhine community. The concerned higher authorities let them free to discriminate the Rohingya people; otherwise, it is not possible to do so against the Rohingya people, according to a local elder who preferred not to be named.

Rohingya suffer more in Buddhist Water Festival

Maungdaw, Arakan State:  A house of Rohingya people was completely burnt down into ashes by Natala villagers with the help of Nasaka (Burma border security force) yesterday night, at around 10:00pm, a close relative of the victim who did not identify his name.

“The victim is identified as Dil Mohamed, hailed from Kilaidaung village (Dou Chee Yartan), under the Nasaka area No.7 of Maungdaw north, Arakan Sate.”
Besides, two men ---father and son from Aley Than Kyaw village tract of Maungdaw Township had been stabbed by the Natala villagers yesterday while they were sleeping in a hut at night out of the village. They have a vegetable farms nearby a Mountain and they have to watch their farm at night for guard of being stolen. They were sent to local clinic for medical treatment but they were not allowed to admit there. As a result, the victims are taking treatment from the village quack doctors. It is not possible to send the victims to Maungdaw general hospital as the roads are blocked by the Rakhine people from 9:00am to sun set for their Water Festival, said a local elder from the locality.
The concerned authorities also declared not to go out Rohingya people from their villages during the Festival. If there is any problem, it will not be responsible for the security force, the Nasaka official said.

In addition, the Rohingya community is also suffering in the southern side of Arakan State. Rohingya people from Kyauktaw, Minbya, Mraybom, and other towns are arrested by the Rakhine mobs while they get out of the houses. After arrest, they were handed over to police with false and fabricated cases.
On April 14, at about 3:00 pm,  a Rakhine mob arrested five Rohingya villagers  while they were coming from market after buying rice and other essential goods for their homes, After arrest, they were  beat  severely and  sent  to army sentry post  of Mrauk –U. They hailed from Paun Doke village of Mrauk- U Township said a businessman from Mrauk-U preferring not to be named. 
The Rakhine mob seized all their belonging and cash. The Rakhine tied those Rohingyas with steel chain and gave allegations against them that   they were carrying gallons and rubber containers of diesel and petrol, matches and entered Rakhine village to set fire of the houses.
The arrested victims are identified as--- Deen Mohamed (20), son of Abdu Malik, Enus (20), son of Yusuf, Fotiya alias Maung Chay (20), son of Shamshu, Abdul Korim (22), son of Amin Hussain and Shobbir Ahmed (30), son of Fato. They all belong to Mrauk- Township., said a youth from Mrauk U.

Emergency Act 144 extended again in Maungdaw

Maungdaw, Arakan State: The emergency Act 144 was extended again for two months starting from April 10, 2013 by Maungdaw high officials – U Kyi San, Township admin officer and U Aung Myint Soe, District admin officer- referring for stable and peace in town, according to an official from Maungdaw.

“The emergency Act was again issued for unwanted event in the Maungdaw during the Buddhist water festival which is coming on April 13 – 18 (officially April 13-16).”
But, Rohingya community in Maungdaw said the emergency Act is to harass and to restrict their movement within their areas. Showing the Act, security forces are trying to extort money from Rohingya community.
The emergency Act was first imposed in Maungdaw on June 10, 2012 after Rakhines and Rohingyas fight each other to control the conflict, but the Act is only for Rohingya community not for Rakhine, said a politician.
U Hla Myint, a police sergeant, is disturbing Rohingyas to extort money from Block number 5 where Rohingyas established a makeshift market in the village, according to a vender from the market.
“U Hla Myint came to our market every day and drives the Rohingya venders from market. He asked money if want to stay inside the market.”
All over the Burma, the water festival is only celebrated from April 13-16, but in Maungdaw district, the water festival is celebrated from April 13 – 18 which made other religious community (Rohingya) uneasy as some labors are facing starvation  with in their town, said a teacher from Maungdaw.

Village administration officer harasses Rohingyas

Maungdaw, Arakan State: U Tin Maung- a Rakhine community-, Udaung village administration officer is harassing the Rohingya community within his village tract recently, according to Hakhim (not his real name) from the locality.

“The village administration officer summoned two villagers to his village admin office through a collaborator of him today (April 11) morning.”
The victims have been identified as--- Molauvi Sami Ullah (35), son of Janal and Anwara Begum (22) daughter of Mostafa, hailed from Udaung village under the Nasaka area No. 7 of Maungdaw Township.
The admin officer accused Sami Ullah like a crime for talking with Anwara- relative and neighbors- at her house, where Sami Ullah objected and asked the village admin officer for talking with neighbor is forbidden and it is in the law, according to a villager who declined to be named.
The argument made the village admin officer very angry and demanded Kyat 100,000, to be freed from the accusation but the victims refused to pay it. So, he is being detained in village admin office custody, said a relative who did not mention his name.
Since March 2013, U Tin Maung has been accusing some of the innocent Rohingya villagers in false and fabricated cases and extorting money with the collaboration of Nasaka (Burma’s border security force), said a trader from Maungdaw south.
When asked U Tin Maung regarding the matter, he replied that such kind of event did not happen in his village tract.
Besides, Natala villagers with the help of Nasaka have been giving many harassment to the Rohingya villagers of said village after occurring communal violence last year 2012. They get full support from the government side, said a businessman on condition of anonymity.
An ex-village chairman of Maungdaw south said, “Where is the safety of Rohingya people in Arakan State, if one person has not permission to visit his/her neighbor houses.