‘Open Prison’ for Rohingya Muslims | Nay San Lwin

Rohingya Muslims in Burma complain of a catalogue of discrimination in their homeland

BERLIN – The ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims was initiated in the 1970s with a long-time plan. Rohingyas were one of the recognized ethnic groups in Burma during the parliamentary government after the independence of the country.

But a 1982 citizenship act was implemented by the world’s most notorious dictator Ne Win to make the Rohingya a ‘stateless” minority. The act imposes restrictions on Rohingyas in terms of marriage, travel, business and so on.

Getting a marriage contract is a “mission impossible” for Rohingya Muslims. The application must be submitted to the authorities in advance without assurances to get the contract. The process could take up a couple of year or more, depending on how much the couple can pay bribes to the authorities.

The agreement must be signed by the Muslim couple that they would not have more than two children. The approval of the permission would not be obtained without bribing. As having more than two children is prohibited, the extra children become undocumented children.

Another headache for Rohingya Muslims is the freedom of movement, which is strictly controlled. Moving from one village to another needs an authorization from local authorities, let alone the time spent and money paid to get the travelling approval paper.

It is more restricted for Rohingya Muslims to travel from the capital, which becomes an easy task as long as the person is able to offer huge bribes to authorities. Travelling to Burma’s former capital, Rangoon, is impossible for Rohingya Muslims, even if the person can offer attractive bribes to authorized personnel of the government. These travel restrictions cause Rohingya Muslims to lose lives over inability to get medical help.

Many checkpoints are erected across villages and towns to verify travel permissions. If someone fails to present the permission, he will be sentenced to prison. The prison period for violators depends on how much bribes can be paid to authorities.

In some circumstances, Burmese authorities allow visits to neighboring Bangladesh with border-pass passport for a few days. But if the traveler failed to show up on time, he will not be allowed back into the country.

Many Rohingya Muslims, who have been getting medical treatment abroad, have become illegal immigrants in Bangladesh because they could not return back home on time and the authorities refuse to hear their complaints as the government is happy to see Rohingya leaving the country.

Under official restrictions, Rohingya Muslim students were denied the right to study at medical and engineering universities, which are only available in Rangoon and Mandalay.

The regional college is available in the State’s capital Sittwe, where Rohingya students have to get travel permits to be allowed to studied, but the permit is only given for a few weeks and the students find no other way but to go back for renewing.

The delay in issuing travel permits by authorities causes the attendance records of Rohingya students not to meet the requirement for sitting for the examination. Some students do not get the travel permit during the examination time. All these restrictions cause only a few Rohingya students continue their study till graduation.

Open Prison

Rohingya are also banned from working as high-ranking officers in governmental sectors since the introduction of the new citizenship act. They don’t also have a chance to even work as low-ranking officers. This even applies to businessmen, where Rohingya businessmen find no other option but to pay huge amounts of money to Rakhine (Buddhist) businessmen to get business permits. They are occasionally extorted and habitually jailed without any reasons.

Rohingya working in the Middle East and south-east Asian countries have left their families in Burma, but they do not find a way to return home. Many complain that once a Rohingya Muslim leaves the country, his name will strike out from family registration paper.

Rohingyas are widely used as forced labors. They are forcibly ordered to work till projects are completed as well as in houses of authorities’ personnel.

In the wake of the recent communal unrest in Maungdaw Township, Rohingya were used as forced labors to build up the damaged houses of Rakhine Buddhists. Rohingya men were brutally tortured for refusing to carry out the order and some were arrested.

The Rohingya people always have fear. During last month’s communal unrest I had conversations with some relatives. They don’t feel free to talk about the brutal killing and the attacks. Their properties were looted and the houses were burnt down into ashes. They were forced to leave from the town where their generations lived for centuries. They are in trouble for lack of foods and medical treatments.

Worse still, the Rakhine Buddhist monks and the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party (RNDP) are barring assistance from NGOs. Restrictions on access of international media stumble efforts to produce the true news how the violence was taken place there.The Rohingyas are living in an “open prison”, which can be broken by the pressures of the international community, the United Nations, ASEAN and the European Union. The economic interest of the United States on Burma should be carefully scrutinized again as the ethnics Kachin and Rohingya are still suffering.

Rohingya Need Urgent Humanitarian Aid | BROUK

BROUK today called on the international community to protect Rohingya people immediately. During the last two days, BROUK has received the following information from the ground;

1. In Buthidaung Jail 43 dead bodies of Rohingya Muslims were buried in a mass grave near the jail's fencing on the 24th of July they were tortured jointly by the Rakhine and jail’s authorities. There are over 500 Rohingya prisoners arrested from Maung Daw and Buthidaung recently. BROUK received reports that most of them have been tortured, leaving without food and drink which leading to death.

2. Even though the violence stopped 5 weeks ago, Rohingya people cannot go out from their village and people are dying day by day as they are not able to buy any food.

3. RNDP party has instructed Rakhine people not to sell any rations to Rohingya Muslims. We also received reliable information from Rangoon that Central government has instructed all the authorities in Rakhine state not to sell any rations to Rohingyas in any towns of Arakan. 

If anyone is found to be selling Rations to Rohingya Muslims, he will be punished.

4. According to sources from Sittwe, no one can go to Sittwe Central Market to buy their rations.

5. During the last few days, government authorities have step up arresting many Rohingyas, including religious teachers and village wise people after inviting them to a meeting. Many Rohingyas were killed during police custody and the dead bodies were not returned to their family members, according to a reliable source.

6. On 21st July, Rohingya Muslims were not allowed to pray in the Mosque and 9 Mosques were sealed off by Nasaka (Border Security Forces).

BROUK President Tun Khin said “During the state sponsored violence Rohingyas were killed by lethal weapons. The current situation is worse as government authorities are killing Rohingya by cutting the rations. Today Our Homeland Arakan State becomes silent killing field. According to some humanitarian agency, in Sittwe some monks were posted near Muslim displacement camps, checking on and turning away people they suspected would visit for assistance. There is serious humanitarian crisis and Rohingyas are daily dying of starvation. Those with bullet injuries and disease are in acute mental and physical pain without medical care and treatment.”

Tun Khin also said “We appeal to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to immediately intervene in order to save lives, property, honour and human dignity of the Rohingya people. The international community must take action immediately to save Rohingya lives. We would like to urge US, UK, UN, OIC and the international community to take immediate steps to put pressure on Thein Sein government. The UK government should release a public statement on this crisis and should raise it with ASEAN countries and other counterparts. It is time for the UK government to re-consider its invitation to President Thein Sein to visit the UK.”

For more information, please contact Tun Khin +44 (0) 788714866

Ahamed Jarmal

General Secretary

Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK)

London

Asean Must Act to Help Rohingyas In Myanmar, Komnas HAM Says

A student in Banda Aceh holding a photograph of Rohingya refugees on Sunday in a demonstration of solidarity with the minority group. (Antara Photo/Ampelsa) 

Rangga Prakoso, Ulma Haryanto & Markus Junianto Sihaloho | July 30, 2012

The National Commission on Human Rights and lawmakers have asked the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to help end the alleged slaughter in Myanmar of minority Rohingya Muslims. 

Ifdal Kasim, chief of the commission known as Komnas Ham, said on Sunday that his office had sent a letter urging the Asean human rights commission to quickly gather its members so that concrete steps could be taken to end the mass killings of Rohingyas. 

“The Asean commission must speak and call a meeting so we can take immediate action,” Ifdal said. “They have the authority to do so.” 

Ifdal said the killings severely damaged Asean’s human rights image on the global stage and should not be viewed as Myanmar’s domestic affair. “The killings are already a regional problem,” he said. 

Separately, the National Awakening Party (PKB) issued a statement calling for Asean and the United Nations to intervene. 

Hanif Dhakiri, the secretary of PKB’s faction at the House of Representatives, said the events in Myanmar constituted a gross human rights violation and the systematic destruction of the Rohingyas. 

“That’s why the PKB demands that the UN actively get involved to stop the massacre,” he said. 

Hanif called on Asean to quickly hold an emergency meeting to decide how to respond to the issue. 

Predominantly Buddhist Myanmar does not recognize the Rohingyas as citizens, saying they migrated from Bangladesh during British colonial rule. Bangladesh has also disavowed the group, saying they are Myanmar’s problem. 

Amnesty International has reported that hundreds of Rohingyas have been killed, raped, beaten and arbitrarily arrested since Myanmar declared a state of emergency in northern Rakhine state, on the border with Bangladesh. 

Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi last week called for laws to protect the rights of the country’s ethnic minorities in her inaugural address to the country’s fledgling Parliament. 

The ongoing violence has driven Rohingyas from their homes in Myanmar’s northern and western states, and they have turned up in waves as asylum seekers and refugees in neighboring Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia. 

Asean secretary general Surin Pitsuwan said last week that the association was seeking an explanation from member state Myanmar about the recent ethnic violence targeting the Rohingya group. 

The explanation, he said, would be given at the United Nations headquarters in New York in September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. 

Surin said the Asean secretariat had held talks with Myanmar’s foreign minister, U Wunna Maung Lwin, but added: “We haven’t heard anything specific or concrete on the matter.” 

Meanwhile, Indonesian charity organization Rapid Relief Action (ACT) dispatched a lone mission on Sunday to visit Rohingya refugees in camps in Myanmar and Bangladesh. 

“We will be represented by Andhika Purbo Swasono, who departs this afternoon,” ACT spokesman Feri Kuntoro told the Jakarta Globe on Sunday. “He will conduct a field assessment on the needs of the refugees.” 

Andhika was originally scheduled to depart with a medical professional, Rio Pranata, but Rio’s visa was not approved. “We want to represent Indonesia’s humanitarian diplomacy,” Feri said. “Last year we were the first team from Indonesia to go to Mogadishu [in Somalia].” 

Neither President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono nor Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa have spoken out on the killings in Myanmar, although both are known for their quick comments on issues relating to human rights. 

Many observers have said they are holding their comments because they fear criticism would derail Myanmar’s democratization progress. 

Foreign Ministry spokesman Michael Tene only said, “We hope that the commitment from the Myanmar government for national reconciliation continues.”

Welcoming UN Special Rapporteur Tomas Quintana with made-up preparations | Nay San Lwin

Welcoming UN Special Rapporteur Tomas Quintana with made-up preparations | Nay San Lwin

UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Mr Tomas Ojea Quintana will be visiting Burma from today for four days. Quintana will visit Arakan for one day as described in the recent statement of Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). 

The military personnel are placed everywhere in Maungdaw Township. Rohingya people can move freely now wherever army personnel are posted. The military is selling rice for Rohingya with high price. Rice-sack porters also are happy for earning something. But some policemen who sheltered beside the clock tower are looting money from the people and collecting toll on every rice-sack. The Rakhines are gathering at refugee centers in Maungdaw as they are victims of the riot and are further victimized the Rohingya by not giving access to foods and medicines by the authority 

The ancient mosque nearby Sittwe airport is under renovation by the local municipality as to show up that the government is taking care of the damages. The lands of destructed houses and mosques have been bulldozed. The situation of Rohingya refugee camps in Sittwe is still unchanged. People are dying by starvation and lack of medical treatments. 

Malaysian government offered aids for displaced people but Burma’s foreign minister Wunna Maung Lwin rejected it. Human Rights expert Mr Ansar Burney was rejected the entry visa to Burma. Turkish Red Crescent is waiting for the response of Thein Sein government to assist the Rohingya people. Iran government is urging the UN to send peacekeeping forces to Arakan. Independent media access is still controlled. 

Amnesty International and many Human Rights Organizations issued the statements that there are arbitrary arrests, mass killings and security forces are targeting Rohingya people. The security forces raid every night the villages in Maungdaw to arrest Rohingya men. The Rohingya women were raped in absence of men as almost men were not sleeping at home for the fear of arrest. 

According to reliable source a monk confirmed that about 60 Rohingya youths were kept at Buddhist monastery in Maungdaw and each time 3 to 4 were taken away for execution. Recently Burmese Rohingya Organization (UK) confirmed that 43 dead bodies of Rohingya Muslims were buried in a mass grave near the jail’s fence in Buthidaung jail on July 24. More than 500 Rohingya youths and educated arrested from Maungdaw and Buthidaung Townships. The confirmed news posted on Rohingya Blogger that 178 Rohingya were arrested from Rathedaung Township and took them to Sittwe jail but only 172 appeared at Sittwe court and no account or news about the remaining six arrestees. 

The campaign to drive out Rohingya from the country is still going on. The Buddhist monks are fueling the campaign. Even two Indian workers work for ESSAR oil Company were brutally beaten up by Rakhine people in Sittwe. The government’s attitude towards on Rohingya people is unmoved. The demonstrations by anti-Rohingya activists on support to the President Thein Sein’s suggestion to UNHCR held abroad and organizing to seize inside the country. The religious abuses over the social medias is going on .The rumors spreading by bias media is continuing. 

Violating human rights beside the unrecognizing citizens is likewise keeping the people at silent killing field. Many people are living in open area without any shelter but sometime they were brought to designated places and taken pictures to show up that they were in safe places. As described in the news report of Rathedaung Township which is in Burmese version, the villagers were taken to the places where the hand-made weapons are keeping and the pictures made with those weapons to define them as the culprits of the violence. 

Mr Tomas Quintana visited Burma many times in the past by prior notice to the regime as each time need to obtain the entry visa. He or anyone is incapable to make surprise visit. The political prisoners enjoyed the comfortable stay in the bars whenever he visits to the bars. As many human rights and other organizations are observing and always visiting although the regime doesn’t like them but allowing them to keep good relation with international community. The regime knows how to fabricate and what to do before the delegation arrive. Therefore the situation in Arakan is little bit calm down just within these days but it will be back to original position once Mr Quintana leaves from Burma. 

Of course Mr Quintana will visit the villages in Arakan to see the situation but I don’t think the vulnerable Rohingya people will dare to speak to him. If anyone who speaks the truth will be tortured upon leaving of Mr Quintana. It is a worry that the government will make some Rohingya as their puppets and let them meets with Mr Quintana and will hide the reality and cover up their crimes against Rohingyas. 

Excerpt from the speech of MP U Shwe Maung @ Abdul Razak ( Part-1 )

(14th day of regular session of Parliament on 25 July 2012 in Naypyitaw )
1. The MP discussed according the following points..
a. Root causes of eruption of violence
b. Factors contributing the escalation of violence for weeks
c. Prevention of repetition of similar violence and peaceful coexistence
d. Current situation of Arakan and to continue President’s 144 ( State of Emergency) in effected area

2. The MP told that it was very unfortunate to see some MPs discussed racial and religious hatred (on Muslims) instead of containing the conflict and peace building process in the parliament earlier. He gave thanks to Mr Speaker for recalling etiquette of the parliament reminding those unruly MPs.

3. The MP told that he has the responsibility to give real scenario to the 60 million population of Burma on ongoing propaganda against Muslim in Arakan State. Historical context: Arakan has a long history with independent kingdom. The relationship between Arakan and Chittagong had been very close until Burmese occupation (in 1785). Once, both regions were under the same rule for 200 years. Population movement form one to other (and vice versa) was a common phenomenon. In one occasion Arakan King Min Saw Mu fled Begal in fear of Burmese aggression. Arakan King was later reinstated to Arakan in Mrauk –Oo ( Myo Haung) with the help of strong Muslim army ( 30,000) led by General Sandi Khan. Despite all those solid historical facts, The Muslims were given the impression such a way that as if they came to Burma illegally yesterday or during British occupation ( as widely appears in state and local media).

4. Population movement across the border is not limited during British occupation period only but it has been there for more than a thousand year. It is not unusual those living in North Arakan were similar physical appearance to those in Chittagong district. There are Rakhine Buddhist, Muslims, Khami, Daiknak , Mro and Thek and Chakma ethnics within Arakan ( Burma) territory. The same different ethnicities can also be found in the Chiittagong territory. During Burmese aggression, several Rakhine Buddhist took refuge to Awakyun under Chittagong. Quite recently, researchers found ancient Arakan Shipwreck in Bangladesh. The current Ambassador of Bangladesh to Burma is Chakma, descendent of Arakan. Rakhine (Buddhist) can also be found in India. The Rohingya issue is very simple but due to propaganda, it is complicated and creating instability in Arakan. The same scenario can be found in several other frontiers of Burma such as Kachin , Shan, Karen and other territories. While Muslims in Arakan are under several allegation of illegal immigration and denial of citizenship, Rahine Buddist and other ethnics in Bangladesh side are enjoying full citizenship rights. It is very ridiculous to see Muslims are discriminated and denied rights in Arakan. Current Problem can only be solved based on true history of Arakan before British occupation and wiliness to give due share to the fellow citizens. Otherwise this problem would be repeating indefinitely.

5. There have been several propaganda such as “illegal invasion”, “no Rohingya in Burma ”,” illegal immigrants are creating problems” etc.. It is better to focus on “those people in this region are citizens or not” instead of debating “whether there are Rohingya in Burma or not”. There were several operation to scrutinise citizenship in Northern Arakan after independence, namely Sabe, KyiKan, NagaMin, etc.. . The (Muslim) population is nothing left to be scrutinized. The authorities started replacing new “Nationality Scrutiny Cards” with older (National Identification Card” in 1990 but it was halted due to unknown reason. Now those Muslims are labelled non-citizens just because of not having identification cards. “Qualified to be citizen” and “issuing ID cards” are two separate activities. It is important to know that someone cannot be qualified as a citizen just after only having the citizenship card. Those who are qualified to be citizens are the citizens and deserved to have ID cards”.

(Part 2: initial incident and factors contributing the escalation of violence for weeks: to be continued)

(I would like to declare here clearly that I am not a supporter of USDP and I strongly condemn President Thein Sein particularly for his recent blunder on Rohingya with UNHCR Chief. However, I am just sharing some valid points in U Shwe Maung’s speech. Please ignore any spelling/grammar mistakes. I am voluntarily translating this some friends and sympathisers of Rohingyas are willing to know the speech that delivered in Burmese. )

Authority preparing to prove no violence in Maungdaw

Maungdaw, Arakan State:  The authority display army in all part of Maungdaw to keep no violence since yesterday, said an elder from Maungdaw.

“Some army is stationed near the market of Maungdaw and other areas, some Rohingya are going to market to buy foodstuff for their home when army has taken security in the town. The army also sells rice to the Rohingya since yesterday in Maungdaw.”
“The rice sacks which Rohingya buy from army, are taking to their home, but the police personnel are collecting toll from these rice sacks.”
“The police personnel –Assistant police officer Aye htun Sein and sergeant Than Maung Gyi- stationed near the clock tower and collecting toll from Rohingya who return from Maungdaw market.”
“The security personnel collect 1000 kyats per sack of rice who take for his home and sometimes the security personnel hijacked Rohingya who has money. The police personnel take him to the electric generator compound and toke all the belonging from Rohingya.”
If the armies also take position at clock tower, the Rohingya will able to move freely from this area, said a school teacher.
“Suddenly, the authorities change their plan of no foods for Rohingya is a showcase to prove the visiting  UN Human Rights Special Rapporteur, Tomas Ojea Quintana .”
The authority also preparing to kept fake Rakhine refugees in the refugee centers in Maungdaw to show the difficulty of Rakhine community in Maungdaw. Actually, the Rohingya community is refugees as IDPs in their villages and not getting foods and medicines as they lost everything during the riot.
The UN Human Rights Special Rapporteur, Tomas Ojea Quintana wish to find out the real facts, he must meet the Rohingya from villages or must visit Rohingya villages if he had times to see the Rohingya life after riot in Maungdaw, said  an elder from Maungdaw.
“The authority will give to meet him with some Rohingya who are the puppet of authority.”
“We have been receiving a stream of reports from independent sources alleging discriminatory and arbitrary responses by security forces, and even their instigation of and involvement in clashes,” the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, said in a news release stated in UN.org website.
“Reports indicate that the initial swift response of the authorities to the communal violence may have turned into a crackdown targeting Muslims, in particular members of the Rohingya [Muslim] community,” she added.
Ms. Pillay welcomed the Special Rapporteur’s visit, but noted that “while he will be able to make an initial assessment during his one-day visit, this is no substitute for a fully-fledged independent investigation.”

OIC AMBASSADOR AT THE UN EXPRESSES SERIOUS CONCERNS OVER SITUATION IN ARAKAN

The OIC Ambassador HE Ufuk Gokcen expressed serious concern over the deteriorating situation in Arakan in a meeting with Prof. Dr. Wakar Uddin, the Director General of Arakan Rohingya Union (ARU) and the Chairman of the Burmese Rohingya Association of North America (BRANA), and Nay San Oo, the Information Secretary of BRANA and the Co-founder of Free Rohingya Campaign, at the OIC Mission at the United Nations. 

In response to the questions by the HE Ambassador, Dr. Uddin provided detailed accounts of the current crisis in Arakan and the most immediate needs of the Rohingya victims in Northern Arakan State. Dr. Uddin and Nay San Oo explained how the brutal murders of Rohingya men, women, and children by Buddhist Rakhine vigilantes recently has transitioned to massive arrests, torture, and cold blooded murders of innocent Rohingya men by Burmese police, Lon Htein, and Nasaka forces in jails. They further explained how the State of Emergency imposed by Burmese government in Arakan is taking toll on Rohingya as they cannot go out of their houses in search of food and medicine even during day time as the Rakhine mobs are continuously attacking and looting Rohingya while Burmese police forces are providing coverage for Rakhine. “ The Rakhine are not obeying the state of emergency law, and they are roaming the streets and looting Rohingya houses. The imposition of state of emergency is providing leverage for Rakhine and crippling the Rohingya. These are compelling evidences of how the Burmese government has manipulated the situation in favor of Rakhine through this state of emergency law to further marginalize Rohingya” Dr. Uddin stated. “The Burmese forces are raiding Rohingya houses and taking the male adults away to unknown destinations. There are numerous cases of assault on Rohingya women and rapes by Burmese forces, particularly where men of the households were taken away by the Burmese forces” he added. Dr. Uddin has appealed to the HE Ambassador to assist the international community in rapid mobilization of the food aid to Rohingya as the Burmese forces are diverting the current aid supplies to Rakhine. He has also given the accounts of numerous mosques gutted and others shut down in Arakan by the Burmese government - not allowing Rohingya to pray and arresting Imams in several locations. 

ARAKAN ROHINGYA UNION (ARU) DIRECTOR GENERAL BRIEFS AT THE UN  

On the same day, in the afternoon, Dr. Uddin and Nay San Oo were invited to the United Nations for a closed-door briefing on the current situation in Arakan. The briefing was conducted through audio-visual presentation, beginning with demographic background information on Rohingya, some highlights of the roles of Rohingya in the multi-ethnic political process during the post-colonial periods of Burma, how the military dictatorship have systematically revoked the citizenship of Rohingya, the persistent human rights violations and persecution of Rohingya by the Burmese government forces, coordinated ethnic cleansing in Rohingya areas in Arakan, the ultra-nationalist and racist ideology of Rakhine as a compounding factor, implication of Burmanization schemes in ethnic minority areas in Burma, and the current ongoing violence and genocide against Rohingya in Arakan. Dr. Uddin stressed the serious needs of humanitarian aid such as food, shelter, and medicine as the current aid supplies are not reaching Rohingya people. Additionally, the Rakhine vigilantes are robbing food from Rohingya, if there is any remnant left in Rohingya’s possession. Further, Dr. Uddin made an urgent appeal the UN to intensify its efforts in Arakan and to demand Burmese Government to allow immediate deployment of UN personnel, particularly a commission of enquiry and peacekeeping/monitoring team, in Arakan State. In conclusion, Dr. Uddin stressed “we are running out of time, people are dying in the open and in jails of horror - please initiate the deployment of UN personnel in affected areas urgently”.