Burmese envoy meets with Rohingya in Jeddah

Chittagong, Bangladesh: Burmese envoy to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia met with Rohingya during his visited to Jeddah on February 17, according to an elder from Rohingya community from Jeddah.

Burmese envoy U Khin Zaw Win with Rohingya from Jeddah

“U Khin Zaw Win, the Burmese envoy had a fruitful discussion with Rohingya politicians, businessmen, overseas workers and elders at a lunch party hosted by Rohingyas at Lasani Hotel in Jeddah.”

“The Ambassador and his team, Mohamed Rafique, the chairman of Rohingya League for Democracy (Burma), RLDB – a political party based in Jeddah - and some RLDB’s CEC members, Rohingya businessmen, Rohingya elders and Burmese expatriate workers from Jeddah region were attended in the lunch party program,” according to RLDB information desk.

The lunch party was organized by RLDB and the keynote speech was delivered by Mohamed Younous, the owner of Alabeer cold store, the RLDB information desk said.

Burmese envoy U Khin Zaw Win, Mohamed Rafiqur (chirman RLDB), Mohamed Yousuf (Alabeer cold store) and Mostafa in lunch party at Lasani Hotel in Jeddah.

The discussions were mainly for “registering Rohingyas from Saudi Arabia and subsequently issuing them with Burmese passports, repatriation of Rohingyas prisoners from Saudi Arabian prisons to their home country (Burma), establishing a Burmese school in Jeddah and assuring lost rights of Rohingyas in Burma and abroad”  a Rohingya who had joined the lunch party said on condition of anonymity.

“Rohingya prisoners’ information are collecting and checking their identity in the prisons of Jeddah and Makkah to verify as a Burmese after the discussion meeting with Burmese envoy.”

The military junta always denied and discriminated Rohingya citizen rights and other social rights; during 2009, Rohingyas were as ugly as ogres, said U Ye Myint Aung, the Burmese consular to Hong Kong, proving Burmese regime discrimination against Rohingyas while the worldwide watched the Rohingya boatpeople and the current  Burmese parliament (Hluttaw) convened in last September, the immigration minister U Khin Yee, also said Rohingyas were illegal Bangali immigrants from neighbouring Bangladesh despite well existence of historical evidences supporting Rohingyas being ancient citizens of Arakan. But, now the Burmese envoy from Saudi Arabia is showing green signal to Rohingya. How long it will give these signal and will Rohingya get indigenous and birth rights in Burma which the Rohingya have lost for half a century in Arakan and now they are scattered in many countries living as refugees?, said a Rohingya politician from Makkah. 

First secretary and embassy staffs from Burmese Embassy in Saudi Arabaia at Lasani Hotel in Jeddah

This olive branch from President Thein Sein’s government is probably the result of the recent mounting criticisms from international leaders; British foreign secretary William Hague and UN Special Rapporteur Tomas Ojea Quintana about regime’s maltreatments on Rohingyas. International community has always reiterated the importance of National Reconciliation in Burma reforms for genuine democracy and now it is the sign that Burmese leaders have been successfully convinced and now taking serious steps towards achieving it.

Rohingyas: a people both with, and without, an origin

There are some three to four hundred thousands of them in the city, but, according to the law, they simply do not exist. The Burmese Muslims - known as Rohingyas –make up a sizable portion of illegal immigrants living in Karachi, and, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), are considered to be one of the most persecuted ethnic groups in the world.

Although they are often misconstrued as Bengalis, the Rohingyas, both culturally and linguistically, are very much different from the people of Bangladesh. “For the layman, they are all Bangladeshis, but the Burmese people are poles apart in every way, even in terms of facial features,” said Muhammad Khan Lodhi, an assistant director at the National Alien Registration Authority (Nara).

History

“The Rohingyas are a stateless people,” says Daniyal Rizvi of the Futuristic Foundation, a social research institute that works extensively on issues of illegal immigration and human trafficking in South Asia.

Rizvi said that a majority of the Burmese people living in Pakistan belong to the Arkan province of Myanmar. The Rohingyas are not considered Burmese by the government of Myanmar because they are not of a ‘pure Buddhist bloodline’.

In the late 70s, and again in early 90s, two major Rohingya exoduses took place. Their people were, for all intents and purposes, forced to leave their home country due to the imposition of laws that restricted their intermarriage and religious freedom. They took refuge in Bangladesh.

“There is not a single mosque in the whole of the Arkan province – a state where 70 percent of the population is Muslim, even after multiple resettlement programmes by the state to bring down the Muslim population,” added Rizvi, who has visited Myanmar nine times for research on these issues.

The Bangladeshi government does not consider them refugees. The Rohigyas live on the roads from Teknaf (the Bangladesh-Myanmar border) to Chittagong and are hounded by the police. They have no land of their own.

Life in the city

“My parents came to Pakistan because it is a Muslim country,” said Shabbir Hussain, a taxi driver and a madrassa graduate.

According to reports, there are 65 shantytowns populated by Rohingyas and Bengalis in which members of both communities live side by side. At least two such colonies are named after the Burmese lineage in Karachi: Arkanabad (named after the Arkan province in Burma) in Korangi Dai Number and a Burmese colony situated near Landi.

The Burmese population, like that of the Bengalis, is mainly employed by the city’s textile and fishing sector, where they have to work for ten to twelve hours a day. “They are the lumpen proletariat of Karachi,” says Salman Mukhtar, a senior social activist who works on poverty-related issues in Karachi.

“These people are basically migrant labourers. They have no legal status, no job security; they are virtually slaves to the whims of contractors who take work orders from textile and fishing companies to, for example, get an export assignment done,” he told The News.

“They work for the minimum possible wages; the Bengali and Burmese population, because of their low pay-rate, played a pivotal role in making Pakistani textiles competitive in the international market during the mid-80s and the 90s.”

Despite living in run-down shanty homes, where there is no access to electricity or clean water, the Rohingyas have managed to outstrip their Bengali counterparts in terms of being accepted by the mainstream Pakistani, a fact that does not bode well with the Bengali community leaders.

Political ambitions

The Bengalis claim that the Burmese, who started coming to Pakistan in the late 70s, call themselves Bengalis because they want an excuse to get naturalised citizenship; however, the Rohingya leadership denies having any link whatsoever to Myanmar.

“They have nothing to do with Pakistan. We are Pakistanis, we have been living here since before the fall of Dhaka, we gave sacrifices for the creation of Pakistan, we have a stake in this country,” said Masud-ur-Rehman, the general secretary of the Pak-Bangla Ittehad, a community-based Bengali organisation.

This turf war between the two groups has resulted in much political activism in recent times. Playing on the Bengali card, the Rohingyas have managed to form a party called the Action Committee which is backed by the largest political party of Karachi.

Mehsud’s claims were refuted outright by Abul Hussain Sonar, who is a member of the supreme council of the Action Committee. “We are Bengalis. We have no connection with Myanmar whatsoever. I am a second generation Pakistani. My parents migrated from Bangladesh in the 1960s.” Sonar claims that there are no Rohingyas living in Karachi, and that even if there are, there is a minimal number of them. The Bengalis, on the other hand, think that their political mandate is being exploited. Masud says the Burmese have money and are relatively better educated, which has allowed them to claim representation of the ethnic Bengalis in the city, who are at least four times more than the Rohingyas in number.

“If you actually make a comparison, you can see that there are a number of differences between our communities. For example, the Burmese have a tendency to send their children to madrassas; they are well-read and are a very close-knit community, which has given them an edge.”

Whatever the truth may be, one thing is for sure: the Rohingyas have successfully buried their violent past and have begun a new life with a new identity in the city of Karachi.
By The News International Karachi

 

One killed, two injured in Rohingya refugee camp

Ukiah, Bangladesh: A woman was killed and two were serious injured with knives in the Kutupalong makeshift camp by a drug addict refugee on February 15 at night, said a refugee elder from camp.

Rafique Uddin – a unregistered refugee from Kutupalong refugee camp – was listening music with a mobile phone nearby his shack at around 10:00pm and Jafar Alam (25) son of Ulla Meah – a drug addict—approached to him where Jafor tried to snatch mobile and become a quarrel between them, the elder added.

Rafique screamed and called his family member for help to save his mobile and his life as he was stabbed. Rafique’s mother, Azeda, (40) went to the spot to save her son and his mobile, but suddenly, Azeda was stabbed by Jafor where she died on the spot, according to neighboring refugees.

“Mamataz Meah, the father of Rafique went to the spot after hearing screamed and noisy of his family member, but he was also stabbed by Jafor  and ran away from the seen while nearby refugees rushed to the spot.”

Rafique and Mamtaz were seriously injured, admitted at Shamak hospital in Cox’s Bazar where Azeda was sent to government hospital of Cox’s Bazar for autopsy. She was buried at refugee cemetery on February 16, said a relative of the victims.

Regarding the accident, son in law of Azeda had filed a case against the Jafor in Ukhiya police station.

Jafor was arrested by the refugees on February 16 and sent to the Ukhiya police station.

According to Camp-In-Charge, Jalal Uddin of official Kutupalong camp confirmed that the accident was occurred in the unregistered makeshift camp.

BGB alerts on Rohingya along Bur ma - Bangladesh border

Teknaf, Bangladesh: Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have alert on Rohingya to arrest, pushed back who enter Bangladesh without legal travel border pass, according to border security forces’ source.

“The alert was imposed after information was spread out along the Burma-Bangladesh border that BGB personnel from outpost camps take 100 taka per head who is crossing illegal into Bangladesh.”

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) arrested sixty two Rohingyas from different border areas on February 13 -15 after warning, said a local from Teknaf.

“Twenty Rohingyas were arrested from various buses at Whykong BGB check-post after being investigated while they were going to Cox’s Bazar.”

The conducted operation was led by Company Commander Nurul Amin of Whykong. BGB-out post. Later, they were pushed back to Burma through the entry point of Lamba Bill under Teknaf police station, according to BGB sources.

On the other hand, twenty three Rohingyas were arrested by Shapuri Dip BGB personnel, while they were entering the Bangladesh.

The Company Commander Fool Meah from Shapuri Dip BGB-out post confirmed that they were pushed back to Burma same day.

Besides, on February 13, nineteen Rohingyas were arrested by Dum Dum Meah BGB check-post after being checked on different buses which ply from Teknaf to Cox’s Bazar. Of them, twelve male, three female and four children, they all are belonging to different areas of northern Arakan State, Burma.

Sources also said that most of Rohingya people cross Burma-Bangladesh for medical treatment and visiting to their relatives who live in the refugee camps.

BROUK highlight discrimination against Rohingya in Norwegian Parliament and Human Rights Human Wrongs Documentary Film Festival

Chittagong, Bangladesh: Burmese Rohingya Organization UK (BROUK) President Maung Tun Khin (aka) Ziaul Gaffar highlighted untold suffering Rohingya people’s situation in Norwegian Parliament, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign affairs and Human Rights and Human Wrongs Documentary Film Festival in Oslo on February 9, according to Ahmed Hussein Jarmal, General Secretary, BROUK.

U Tun Khin, president of BROUK with Norway former Prime Minister and other officials
Tun Khin, the BROUK, president met several  high level officials from Norwegian government including the Norwegian former prime minister Mr. Kjell Magne Bondevik who is also director of Oslo Centre for Peace and Human Rights where he highlighted  discrimination against Rohingya and their situation in northern Arakan, according to their press statement.

“I had an extremely valuable discussion with the Former Prime Minister of Norway. I express our gratitude for his long time efforts for human rights and democracy for Burma. I urged him to continue to put pressure on the Thein Sein Regime to stop human rights violations in ethnic areas particularly in Arakan State where Rohingyas are facing serious persecution,” said Tun Khin, the president of BROUK.

Tun Khin with Member of Parliament Peter Skovholt Gitmark (Standing Committee on Foregin Affirs and Defence).

Recently, the Norwegian government is engaging with the Thein Sein Regime and cancelled its earlier calls for Norwegian Companies not to do business or invest in Burma.

The BROUK president also called the government of Norwegian to urge the regime to restore Rohingya citizenship rights, ethnic rights, to lift restrictions on marriage, movement, education, and to find a permanent solution for Rohingya refugees who are living in Bangladesh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Malaysia while meeting with high level government official.

“I am extremely satisfied with the meeting with various officials from Norwegian government, parliamentary members and NGOs including Norwegian People's Aid -- Largest NGO in Norway and currently thinking to take part heavily to develop in Burma-- in which we were able to raise awareness about the suffering of all the people of Burma, and particularly the plight of the Rohingyas who are not receiving much international attention and less International NGOs are  working for suffering Rohingya in northern Arakan,” said BROUK president Tun Khin.

“I delivered the message that if Thein Sein regime wants to do genuine reform, the Burmese government has to stop human rights violations against all ethnic areas including Rohingya’s areas.”

“The regime is not showing even little sign of change on the Rohingya, instead tagging Rohingyas as foreigners, ignoring their glorious past and establishments in our own homeland.”

“Recent changes might be just to ease sanctions from western governments and I must say it is too early to lift the sanctions on Burma.”

In the evening, the BROUK president Tun Khin participated with Rohingya traditional dress in the Panel discussion “The Exodus of Rohingyas” at the Human Rights Human Wrongs documentary film festival in Oslo where about 70 people joined to the event including Norwegian Foreign Officials, Former Prime Minister’s Office, and Norwegian NGOs., according to Tun Khin, the president of the BROUK.

Tun Khin with Rohingya traditional dress in the Panel discussion “The Exodus of Rohingyas”

Tun Khin explained the Rohingya History and the recognitions of Democratic government of U NU era with references and evident. He also explained about Rohingya dress which was open used in the Democratic government of U NU era but it was kept in the dark by Dictator Ne Win and it was all most disappear in the recent period.

“I also share the situation Rohingya in northern Arakan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh with Democratic Voice of Burma –DVB in Oslo after the event,” Tun Khin said.

Tun Khin with Rohingya traditional dress in DVB studio  for interview

The film "The Exodus of the Rohingyas" describes the nightmarish legal limbo they are living in. The Rohingyas, a Muslim minority group in Burma, were made stateless in 1982 by the military dictatorship. Thousands of Rohingyas have fled brutal suppression in their home country to poverty, misery and abuse in neighboring Bangladesh. Bangladesh does not accept them as refugees while Burma does not want them back. After the film, follows a debate: The Rohingyas of Burma are stateless and have been living in misery for decades. They are a forgotten people. Why is it so difficult to find a solution to their situation and to give them a life with dignity?, according to global.no and uteliv.no website.

Teachers collect extra money from students in Maungdaw

Maungdaw, Arakan State: Teachers from Aley Than Kyaw high school have been collecting extra money from students for coaching and exam fee in the academic year of 2011-2012, which hampered to the poor students, said one of the parents of a student.

“The high school is controlled by its headmaster and collecting money from students per month and fee for sitting examination and to give them pass after final examination.”

The headmaster of the school collects Kyat 1,000 per head from class-half students, Kyat 1,500 from class-one students, Kyat 2,000 from (class-two and three) students, Kyat 4,000 from class-(four and five) students, Kyat 7,000 from class-six students, Kyat 7.5000 from even students, Kyat 15,000 from class-eight students, and class nine students, said a trader from the locality. 

This money is for extra tuition fees, monthly exam fees  which is huge amount for poor students,

The poor students are not able to pay the extra money, so they are not able to attend the coaching classes within the academic year, said one of the fathers of a student.

“We had never given money for extra classes that the schoolteachers took earlier and there was no collection for monthly exam,” said a student.

“If the collection is going on, more students will be got out of the school for fee,” said a local elder.

But, some of the students attend to the coaching classes in the area as the school classes are not sufficient to pass the final exam, said a mother of a student.

“There are over 800 students in the school, so the teachers will get a big amount from the students. The final exam will be held on February 14.”

Education is the back bone of a nation. But, poor students are not able to study in schools because of financial crisis, said a retired school teacher from the locality.

Nasaka extorts money for visiting guests in Maungdaw

Maungdaw, Arakan: Burma’s border security force (Nasaka) extorted money from  a villagers of Maungdaw Township for giving permission to guest to stay in their homes at night without informing to concerned authorities recently, said a local elder who denied to be named. .

Aung Mingala Nasaka out-post officer Myo Than extorted Kyat 100,000 from a  Maung Nama Nge villager named Ms Rashida Begum (35), daughter of Lukman Hakim, with allegation that she received a guest without giving information to the local Nasaka authority on December 28. The Nasaka personnel arrested the nephew of Ms. Rashida who visited to his auntie near the village at about 9:00pm and released after extorted the money from Ms. Rashida, according to a relative of Rashida.
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Moreover, on February 2, Khalek (25), son of Ahmed Hussain, hailed from Maung Nama Gyi village of Kawar Bill village tract was arrested by the same Nasaka while he was visiting his younger uncle’s house. He went to Maungdaw to visit his relatives from Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) where his father is now living. He went there with legal passport and informed to the Nasaka headquarters about his visit, but he did not informed to the Nasaka outpost---Aung Migla camp. He stayed only an hour after noon at his younger uncle Jamal’s house. After arrest, the Nasaka seized his passport and took away to their camp after releasing him. However, the Nasaka officer Myo Than returned the passport after taking Kyat 200,000 when he returned to Maungdaw Town, on that day, said a close relative of Khalek. 

Besides, on February 6, Sayed Hussain (aka) Gula (55), son of Sher Muluk, hailed from Maung Nama Gyi village under Nasaka Headquarters of Maungdaw Township was arrested by the Nasaka of same camp over the allegation that he received two guests at his home without giving any information to concerned authorities. Among the two, one guest informed to the concerned authority but another one was not. Both of them have ID cards. However, the house owner brought to the Nasaka camp where he was detained. After 24 hours, he was released after taking Kyat 200,000, according to a relative of the victim. 

In addition, on February 7, Ms Zaw lama (33), wife of Eliyas, hailed from south Maung Nama village under the Nasaka Headquarters of Maungdaw township, was arrested by the same Nasaka over the allegation that one of her relatives, a class (1X) student was giving private coaching to her children who are primary students in her home at about 8:00 pm. Now, her husband Eliyas is in KSA. However, she was released after giving Kyat 200,000 on that day. The coaching teacher is from Kyauk Pyin Seik village of Maungdaw Township, said a relative of the victim. 

In 2010, the Nasaka authority had declared that any villager will be arrested in the house, who has not enlisted in the family list and who has not informed to the concerned authority for permission to stay in a house as a guest. The Nasaka will arrest villagers after 9:00 pm. But, in 2011 and 2012, there was no any warning to villagers about night guests, said a local businessman preferring not to be named. 

“But, those above people were arrested between 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm,” said a local school teacher.

Nsaka personnel are very brutal to harass Rohingya community and to extort money in illegal ways, said a local trader who denied to be named