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A Muslim Rohingya woman cleans her pots by her burnt house at a village in Minpyar in Rakhine state on October 28, 2012.

Press TV
December 28, 2012

An Iranian lawmaker says non-binding resolutions adopted by the UN will not help improve the situation of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, urging the UN to take practical measures. 

Mehrdad Baouj-Lahouti on Friday dismissed non-binding resolutions as ineffective in resolving the problems of Rohingyas, saying that the UN must deal with human rights violations across the globe without double-standard behaviors. 

On December 24, the UN General Assembly expressed serious concern over violence between Rohingya Muslims and Buddhists in Myanmar and called upon its government to address human rights abuses. 

The General Assembly also approved by consensus a non-binding resolution. 
The unanimously adopted UN resolution expresses "particular concern about the situation of the Rohingya minority in Rakhine state, urges the (Myanmar) government to take action to bring about an improvement in their situation and to protect all their human rights, including their right to a nationality." 
The resolution was identical to one approved last month by the General Assembly's Third Committee, which focuses on human rights. 

Rohingya Muslims have faced torture, neglect and repression in Myanmar since it achieved independence in 1948. Hundreds have been killed and thousands displaced in attacks by Buddhist extremists. 

Buddhist extremists frequently attack Rohingyas and set fire to their homes in several villages in the troubled region. Myanmar’s government has been blamed for failing to protect the Muslim minority. 

Rohingyas are said to be Muslim descendants of Persian, Turkish, Bengali, and Pathan origin, who migrated to Myanmar as early as the 8th century.


Press TV
December 6, 2012

An analyst says the UN and international community only looks at the refugee status, not the root issue that is moving toward an ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya.

In the background of this for decades the Rohingya Muslims have been persecuted by the majority Buddhist community in Myanmar who, due to their different religion and ethnic identity, attack the minority group with rapes, arson, bombings and shootings to drive them out and into a refugee status to the point where now these refugees are contracting diseases like pneumonia and cholera. The Myanmar government in its support to the ethnic cleansing has stripped the Rohingya of their citizenship despite centuries-old roots. 

Press TV has interviewed Mr. Massoud Shadjareh, Head of the Human Rights Commission, London about this issue. The following is an approximate transcription of the interview.



Press TV: How come there is no hard and tangible action being done to find a solution for the Rohingyas?

 Shadjareh: There is really no political will. Even what we are seeing with the recent statement of the UN is dealing with the plight of the refugees and is not addressing the real issue.

 The real issue here is the fact that the Rohingya Muslims are being denied their citizenship. And therefore by denying them citizenship and saying that they do not belong, they are really being prepared for ethnic cleansing and genocide.

 All the international community is doing is addressing the issue of the refugees - for many, many years. Refugees are the result of this policy. This policy needs to be attacked.

 Even when we had Obama going into Myanmar his statement, all one could say was that it was so mellow that it actually legitimized ethnic cleansing. He just talked about that people should live next to one another happily with one another.
The reality is that both juntas and the pro-democracy movement have identified these Rohingya Muslims as not citizens and therefore need to be removed from Myanmar.
And the only way you could remove that many people is either by ethnic cleansing or genocide and we are seeing the preparation and indeed we have seen the consequences of those acts of genocide and cleansing and until the international community wakes up and admits what is going on they are not going to be able to address the issue and the problem.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi

By Press TV
November 1, 2012

In a telephone conversation with Myanmar's Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin on Wednesday, Salehi informed him of the Islamic Republic’s concern over the issue. 

He called on Myanmar's government to pay attention to the basic rights of the Myanmarese Muslims.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran is pioneer of the proximity among religions and has focused all its efforts on this issue, and is ready to use all its capacity to create proximity between Myanmar’s Muslims and Buddhists,” the Iranian foreign minister said.
Salehi added that peaceful coexistence could be promoted among followers of different religions through creating understanding among them in order to prevent extremists from sowing seeds of hatred and animosity. 

Myanmar’s foreign minister, for his part, expressed gratitude for Iran’s readiness to help resolve the crisis and invited Salehi to visit Myanmar. 

Ethnic violence re-emerged between Arakan Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims on October 21 and continued all week in at least five townships of Minbya, Mrak-U, Myebon, Rathedaung, and Kyauk Pyu. 

Rakhine state Spokesman Win Myaing said on Friday that 112 people had been killed in the latest clashes between members of the Buddhist Rakhine and the Muslim Rohingya communities. He said 72 people were reported injured, including 10 children. 

The Myanmar government says more than 2,800 houses were burned down in the violence. 

Myanmar refuses to recognize Rohingyas as Myanmarese citizens and classifies them as illegal migrants, although the Rohingyas have resided in the country for centuries.


    • Rohingya Exodus