Tuesday, 8 May 2012

Nasaka arrests, extorts money from Rohingya

Maungdaw, Arakan State: Burma’s border security force (Nasaka) arrested two Rohingya women and extorted Kyat 300.000 for release on April 30, in Maungdaw north, Arakan State, Burma, said a close relative from the locality on condition of anonymity.

“The Camp-in-Charge U Myo Than and three Nasaka personnel from Aung Mingala Nasaka camp of Maungdaw township accompanied by local village administration officer Dil Mohamed went to the house of Ms Lalu (alias) Ms Nurkis ( 45) of Maung Nama village of Maungdaw Township where the Nasaka arrested her with her nephew Ms Noor Banu (20), on April 30 at mid-night.”

“The Nasaka accused with allegation of not informing the concerned authority about visiting gust at her resident.”

“We had informed about Ms. Noor Banu’s visiting with her white card –issue by government to Rohingya community instate of pink card for Burmese citizen - to the village administration office, but the Nasaka asked for travel pass from village which is only 2 miles from the said village – Naribill  and Maung Nama village,”

There is no need to obtain travel pass from village as Nasaka Director Col. Aung Gyi passed an order of new travel policy- can travel without village travel pass within township, but need Identification Card (white card) - for Rohingya community while he met with  Rohingya leader on April 21, said a schoolteacher from the locality. “The accusation is only to extort money from Ms.Nurkis as her husband – Zawlil Ahmed - is working in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

“Nasaka and village chairman targeted the women whose husbands are in foreign countries. If the women are threatened by any means by giving any allegation, they (Nasaka) will get money from them.”

“The intention of the Nasaka and village administration officer is to extort money from them and to insult them if they get opportunity and wants to flee them from the motherland, said a village elder who denied to be named.

“Earlier, the Nasaka also committed such kinds of crimes, but the local concerned officers did not take any action against the culprits, so that these kinds of crimes can be increased in future and the Muslim Rohingya will become more and more victims and at last they will flee from Arakan to neighboring countries with unbearable persecutions.” 

“These kinds of occurrences make local Rohingya people demoralized and push them into poverty line. Rohingya people have to sell their property such as ---lands, gold ornaments and cattle--- with throwing price to fulfill the authority’s demand.”

After the new government of President Thein Sein, Rohingya people believe that arbitrary harassments against the Rohingya community by police, Nasaka and army will be decreased, but, increases day by day, said a local woman who preferred not to be named.

When connected the village administration officer, Dil Mohamed, the agent of Nasaka and U  Myo Than , the Nasaka officer, but no response.

Human trafficking control office extorts money in Maungdaw

Maungdaw, Arakan State: The Human trafficking control office has been going to extort money from Rohingya families whose beloved person is living in the foreign countries, said an officer from village administration office of Maungdaw.

“Police Inspector U Aung Saw, the head of the Human trafficking control office is always visiting the Rohingya villages where he forced the village administration officer to share the information about the families whose beloved person is living in the foreign countries to serve their family from those countries.”

“The human trafficking control officer  seized the family list of those beloved one live in the foreign countries with help of village administration officer and summoned the family head to his office situated in Myoma Kyayoungdan village of Maungdaw. “

The officer extorted money from those whose Rohingya families when he returned the family list. He demanded 100000 - 300000 kyats per family, said a school teacher whose son was living in Malaysia. “Sometime, he extorted  huge money from family when he know that family are rich.’

“The officer has no right to seize the family list and rights to inform to the concerned authority –Immigration- to follow the case which will file in the Human trafficking control office.”

The officers is only looking how to extort money from Rohingya community like other authority – Burma border security force (Nasaka), Police, Immigration and Military Intelligent- and he never informed to the concerned security force - Nasaka- about following trafficking case in the area, said an officer from Maungdaw.

“In Maungdaw, not Rohingya are going to foreign countries but Rakhine community also going to foreign countries. The officer only asked the Rohingy community not Rakhine community.”

“The officer has to follow the case to control trafficking and how the Rohingya left from tight security area of Maungdaw  by boat to Malaysia. The Nasaka security force is helping the Rohingya to operate the boat from Maungdaw through their agent by taking money. Why the officer is not going to ask the Nasaka area officer from where the boat people left?” said an elder from Maungdaw.

Monday, 7 May 2012

Rohingya in India seeks refugee status

Hundreds Rohingya men, women and children from Burma, belonging to Burmese Rohingya community – Muslim community- have made temporary sheds of polythene sheets by the rear compound wall of the UNHCR office in B-2 Block of Vasant Vihar in south Delhi since April 9, seeking refugee status, according to Mamoon Rafique, one of the protesters - originally a resident of Mangdaw district of Arakan region and now working as teacher in Jammu.
Mamoon Rafique, an asylum seeker in India

“The UNHCR officials are discriminating against us because we are Muslims. Non-Muslim asylum-seekers – Chin, Rakhin, Kachin and others - from Myanmar get their refugee status card within months or even days but we are being kept waiting for years. Instead of proper refugee cards, we are being issued cards which say that we are ‘asylum seekers’ and even this card is issued without our father’s name and address.”

“The UNHCR cards which were given to us were no use as we could not seek admission into any school for our children or get employment for ourselves while in India.”

“We will not leave here till we are recognized as refugees,” said Shamsul Alam, another protester

“I came from Maungdaw. I fled from the Burmese government’s human rights abuses and formerly lived in Bangladesh. Later, we moved to India because we believed that this is a democratic country with sympathy and peace, where we can take refuge. If we cannot live here as refugees, we want to go to another country where we can live as refugees.”
Hundreds Rohingya men, women and children of Rohingya community from Burma have made temporary sheds of polythene sheets by the rear compound wall of the UNHCR office in B-2 Block of Vasant Vihar in south Delhi
"We were issued an asylum seeker card in August 2011 by the UNHCR, but it deprives us from lot of facilities that a refugee would get. We want a refugee card. Our children need education, better living conditions like water to drink and toilets. But we are deprived of this as we don't have a refugee card," said Zia-ul-Rahman, a asylum seeker and now lives in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh.

"We don't use the term Rohingya - we refer to this group as Muslims from northern Rakhine state. In India, there is no national legal framework for refugees, and because of this there are different approaches to different groups of people," Nayana Bose, associate external relations officer UNHCR, told IANS.

"We have already registered around 1,800 Rohingya as asylum seekers In India and issued identity cards to each one. The card is similar to the refugee card as it helps to protect them from harassment, arbitrary arrest, detention and expulsion, and to prevent them from being forced back to a country where their life or freedom may be in danger," Bose said.

“As for right to health care and education, this is available for everybody. They can access free education at government schools.”

However, the UNHCR officials say that they discussed the issue with the refugees four to five times, but were not persuaded by their arguments and will meet 10 representatives of the community again on May 20.

Around 10 to 15 thousand Arakanses Muslims - Rohingya community - are living in different parts of India at present where some of our people are incarcerated in Andaman jail, according to Mamoon while interview to Milli Gazette.

“We are on the edge of starvation due to the apathy of UNHCR towards our plight. We are living on the food offered to us by the local Muslims from across the road and are deprived of basic amenities and medical facilities.”

Strong wind and heavy rain left hundreds of refugee homeless

Kutupalong, Bangladesh: More than hundred huts had been destroyed by a strong winds and heavy rain from unregistered refugee camp of Kutupalong on May 4, according to Huseein, an elder from camp.
Strong winds and heavy rain destroyed the refugee hut in unregistered Kutupalong camp

“The winds and heavy rain started from 9:00am to 11:00am which destroyed most of refugee huts’ roof and some whole huts.”

“The disaster had left nearly 150 people from 15 huts become homeless. The people have no shelter to stay at night. They just put plastics and woods for rain to stay.”

Five schools of Home Education program was totally damaged where the students were shifted to another places for teaching the students, said Mohamed Syed Noor who is a parent of a student.

“The schools lose its roofs while strong winds blew out in the morning and its floors and walls fell down during the heavy raining.”

“There are more than ten schools were little damaged while strong winds and heavy raining. The schools of roofs had been blown away and if rain will again start, the school will face to be damaged and will not able to teach.”

“We need to repair the schools, otherwise we will face difficult to teach the class in the raining period,” said a teacher from the program.

On the other hand, a well-wisher of Home Education program distributed jerseys to all students before the raining. All the students were happy when they received the jerseys, according to a committee member from the camp.

2014 Census in Burma must be universal and inclusive of Rohingya : Rohingya organizations

Chittagong, Bangladesh: Several Rohingya organizations had made a call for the 2014 census in Burma to be universal and inclusive of the Rohingya people on May 5, according to their joint stamen.

The statement was released by the Arakan Rohingya National Organization (ARNO), Burmese Rohingya Organization, UK (BROUK), Burmese Rohingya Association Japan (BRAJ), Burmese Rohingya Community in Australia (BRCA), Burmese Rohingya Community in Norway (BRCN), Burmese Rohingya Association in Thailand (BRAT) and Burmese Rohingya for Democracy in Burma (RLDB).

“Recently the United Nations Population Fund UNFPA) has agreed to support Burma’s proposed 2014 population and housing census,” according to the Rohingya Organizations statement. But, “Rights groups worry that if not conducted properly, the census could marginalize minorities such as the Rohingya or those living in one of Burma's many conflict areas.”

The Burma Ministry of Immigration and Population and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) April 31, held a forum on plans for Burma's 2014 Population and Housing Census, was participated by lawmakers and members of the National Commission on Population and Development in Nay Pyi Taw, according to the press release of forum.

U Khin Yi, Chairperson of the National Population and Development Commission and the Union Minister of the Ministry of Immigration and Population told the forum that a successful census will require "broad and effective partnership" involving various government sectors, parliamentarians, civil society, the private sector and international organizations.

“Since 1983 –within 30 years- this is first whole Burma Nationwide Census would be conducted in 2014 which will be organized and being prepared by Central Census Committee.”

Last October Notification enlisted Burma Population 60.38 million by assessments from 24 Townships in Sample counting. “1998 - 2006 Population increase rate 20.02, we calculated.”

In an effort to deny Rohingya’s existence in Burma:- the Immigration Ministers U Khin Yi accused the Rohingyas of being illegal Bangladeshi immigrants; the Chief Political Advisor to the President U Ko Ko Hlaing confirmed that the restriction on their (Rohingyas’) freedom of movement is necessary from so-called  national security perspective; and the Director General of Burma’s Department of Population Myint Kyaing lied in a proud manner,  “we have no stateless people in Myanmar and there is no Rohingya in Myanmar as well, because no Bengali people are residing in Myanmar," according to the Rohingya Organizations joint stamen.

"No true census has ever taken place in Burma, and great injustice has been done to the ethnic Rohingyas.”

"We, therefore, urge the United Nations, Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), United Kingdom, USA, European Union, ASEAN and Myanmar’s neighbors to put pressure on the Myanmar government to genuinely include Rohingya as a ''national race'' in Myanmar''s proposed census," the statement said.

The statement said due to persecution, an estimated 1.5 million Rohingyas have taken refuge in Bangladesh and other countries.

To ensure the census is universal and "inclusive of all national races", the statement said the oppressive 1982 citizenship law should be amended in conformity with international conventions, and international custom and principles generally recognized with regard to nationality.

In addition, it should be brought in line with the principles embodied in the Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness of August 30, 1961.

"Suitable arrangements should also be made for the inclusion of all Rohingya and other Burmese diasporas," the statement said.

The Central Census Committee Chairperson U Maung Maung Swe said: "Data obtained from the census will be linked to the national planning." , calling on all stakeholders to cooperate in undertaking the 2014 census where the UNFPA Representative Mohamed Abdel-Ahad  said " Censuses generate accurate information on population growth and help to estimate current and future needs, including needs for schools, teachers, hospitals, doctors, nurses and employment opportunities, housing, and social security and safety nets."

Friday, 4 May 2012

No money, no bury in Maungdaw

Maungdaw, Arakan State: Two Rohingya dead bodies -struck by thunder- were not allowed to bury by police without paying money to them on April 21 in Maungdaw Township, according to village administration office member.

“Ms.Tahera Begum, 48 and Ms.Formina Begum,14 hail from Mutee village of Theechang (Balu Khali) village track under Taungbro , Maungdaw  Township, were  struck by thunder (lightning)  while working in their chili cultivation field near the village and died in the spot on April 21 at about 10:30 am.”

“But, U Kyaw Win, the assistant police inspector from Theechaung police outpost, went to the victim house with Theechang village administration officer U Abdul Rashid at about 12:00 noon on that day and the police officer asked 100,000 kyats to give permission to bury the dead body in the village.”

The two females are mother and daughter of U Nurul Zawman, a poorest family in the village. The police officer had pretended to take dead body to the morgue for autopsy as Nurul can’t able to pay the money to the police officer. But, the villagers collected the money from village and gave to the police officer for burying the dead body in the village graveyard, said a closed relative of Nurul. 

One of Nurul’s daughter- Rozena Begum, 15 month old was  also seriously injure for thunder and now she has been taking medical treatment in the Taungbro clinic.

“The police in northern Arakan need money from Rohingya community and they are watching how to extort money from any accident which is naturally or manmade,” said a teacher from that village.

Wednesday, 2 May 2012

Myanmar's Suu Kyi sworn in to parliament

Suu Kyi stood to read the parliamentary oath in unison with other members of her NLD party 
 
Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's pro-democracy leader, has taken the oath of office to become a member of Myanmar's parliament during a swearing-in ceremony in the capital, Naypyidaw.
Wednesday's event marks a historic development for the country and for the Nobel laureate who waged a two-decade struggle against its military government.
The oath, taken in front of lower house speaker Shwe Mann, states members will "safeguard and abide by the Constitution of the Union" and "hold always in esteem (the) non-disintegration of the Union, non-disintegration of national solidarity and perpetuation of sovereignty".
Speaking briefly to reporters after the swearing-in ceremony, Suu Kyi said her focus will be "to carry out our duties within the parliament as we have been carrying out our duties outside the parliament for the last 20 or so years".
Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy [NLD] swept by-elections on April 1, but its successful candidates initially refused to take their seats because of a dispute over part of the oath relating to the constitution.
The NLD had refused to take the oath to "safeguard the constitution". Instead, it wanted to swear to "respect" it.
The party backed down on Monday and said its politicians would swear the oath, but said it still disputed the wording and wanted to amend a constitution that it says is undemocratic and gives wide powers to the military.
"We've always believed in being flexible throughout the years of our struggle because that is the only way in which we can achieve our goal without violence," Suu Kyi told a news conference in Yangon on Tuesday.

"I don't think flexibility will be a new concept for us."
The dispute with the ruling army-backed party over the oath raised fears for a delicate detente with President Thein Sein, a former junta general who has overseen a year of sweeping reforms in the resource-rich country.
Suu Kyi's entry into Myanmar's political system comes after years of resistance to the army's attempts to enshrine its grip on power.
While Suu Kyi and many of her supporters were in detention in 1990, her NLD swept general elections that year, but instead of handing over power to political leadership, the army banned her party.
The NLD walked out of the military's constitution-drafting process in the mid-1990s.
Suspicion
The party boycotted a general election in November 2010, when Suu Kyi was still under house arrest, saying the poll was rigged in favour of the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).

The USDP won an overwhelming victory, but a new government under President Thein Sein embarked on political and economic reforms and he persuaded Suu Kyi to enter the political process.
In response to the reforms, Western powers that for years isolated the country over its human rights record, driving it into close ties with giant neighbour China, have begun to lift sanctions.
Suu Kyi, the daughter of the leader of Myanmar's campaign for independence from British rule, will take up her seat alongside uniformed generals and scores of retired military men in the USDP.

But there is deep suspicion on both sides and friction could be looming.
The NLD won all but one of the 44 seats it contested in last month's by-elections after a campaign in which Suu Kyi made the amendment of the 2008 constitution a central theme.
The charter gives the military wide powers, including the ability to appoint cabinet members, take control in a state of emergency and occupy a quarter of seats in parliament.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who was in Myanmar this week for talks with government leaders and Suu Kyi, praised the president as a visionary leader and welcomed Suu Kyi's decision to take her assembly seat.
European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who met Suu Kyi last week, also welcomed the NLD's decision and said it could now get to work on the country's problems.
"The important aspect from our point of view is to have her and other parliamentarians from the NLD in parliament," Ashton told a news conference in Bangkok on Tuesday.
"In terms of the constitution, I think this is for them to work out now that Aung San Suu Kyi has come in to parliament."

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Maung daw, Arakan state, Myanmar (Burma)
I am an independent man who voted to humanitarian aid.