Joint Statement: Urgent Action Needed To End Genocide Of Rohingya

JOINT PRESS STATEMENT: URGENT ACTION NEEDED TO END GENOCIDE OF ROHINGYA

(Demonstration at British Foreign Office and Burmese Embassy)

For Immediate Release 

Friday 2nd December 2016

Demonstration held jointly by Restless Beings and Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK

Hundreds of members of public congregated in front of the British Foreign Office and the Burmese Embassy in London calling for an immediate cessation of violence that the Rohingya are facing by the Burmese military in Northern Rakine State. 

The Burmese Military have flooded the Maungdaw region of Rakhine state since early October following the death of some 9 military officials. As a result, more than 2,000 homes have been burned to the ground, with reports of 450+ extrajudicial killings, countless arbitrary arrests and over 200 women raped by Burmese military. 

The Directors of Restless Beings, Mabrur Ahmed and Rahima Begum alongside Tun Khin, President of the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK handed a petition to the British Foreign Office and the Burmese Embassy with almost 2,000 signatures calling for a cessation of the aggression by the military and also calling on the UK to add international pressure to the Suu Kyi Government of Burma to restore peace and order.

Restless Beings co-Director Mabrur Ahmed urged the demonstrators to ”Use your voices to condemn the Burmese military for the inhumane treatment the Rohingya. To date the Foreign Office has not released any statement regarding the unfolding human tragedy. It is high time for a complete condemnation and stronger political will.” 

Rahima Begum, addressing the audience said “More than 3,000 children will die this week until and unless the blockade against humanitarian assistance is lifted. The Burmese Government needs to allow immediate aid to the region and to allow unfettered access to NGO’s and media to report freely of the crimes against humanity taking place”

Tun Khin, President of Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK said "It has been 7 weeks since the Myanmar military locked down Northern Arakan with mass killings, mass raping, mass arrest taking place. 160,000 Rohingyas are starving to death. How many Rohingya have to be killed and raped to force British government to take action? British Government has to pressure NLD government to stop mass atrocities and we also call on UN for an independent investigation, a UN commission of inquiry into what has been happening in Arakan State.”

Members of the public and the Rohingya expat community in the UK gathered outside the British Foreign Office this afternoon at 330pm and demanded action from the UK Government before marching across to the Burmese Embassy arriving at 445pm and remonstrating the Burmese Government for on-going ethnically charged violence against the Rohingya until 6pm.

The Together We Are Stronger campaign organised by Restless Beings has been supported by Burmese Organisation UK, The London Green Party, Rohingya Minority Crisis Group, Muslim Voices, Nour DV, British Bangladeshi Women’s Forum, Refugee Biryani and Bananas and International Campaign For the Rohingya.