Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of Myanmar's opposition National League for Democracy of Myanmarpictured at Parliament House in New Delhi on November 15, 2012. The Bangladesh government on Sunday rejected comments by Suu Kyi suggesting that stateless Muslim Rohingyas may be illegal Bangladeshi migrants.

Myanmar has been rocked by two outbreaks of fighting between Buddhists and Rohingyas since June that have left 180 people dead and more than 110,000 crammed into makeshift camps.

Suu Kyi said last week that illegal crossing of the shared border with Bangladesh had to be stopped "otherwise there will never be an end to the problem".

The foreign ministry in Dhaka said the Rohingya Muslims have been living in Myanmar's western state of Rakhine for centuries and they could not be Bangladeshi as the country was only founded in 1971.

"The Ministry wishes to express surprise at such comments since these are clearly at variance from the position of the Myanmar Government," it said in a statement.

"There is... no reason to ascribe Bangladesh nationality to these people," it said, adding that since 1971 there had been influxes of Rohingya into Bangladesh from Myanmar due to "internal situations in their homeland".

Suu Kyi has faced criticism for her muted response to the ethnic violence in Myanmar and the displacement of many Rohingyas, who are described by the United Nations as among the world's most persecuted minorities.

Barack Obama will on Monday become the first US president to visit formerly isolated Myanmar, which has recently introduced major political reforms.

2012 Annual Report

FINDINGS: The Burmese military is implicated in some of the world‘s worst human rights abuses, including rape, torture, ethnic cleansing, conscription of child soldiers, and particularly severe religious freedom violations. These abuses continued in the past reporting period, despite November 2010 elections that installed a new government and some initial reforms announced during 2011-2012. Religious groups, particularly ethnic minority Christians and Muslims and Buddhist monks suspected of engaging in antigovernment activity, faced intrusive monitoring, arrest, mistreatment, destruction or desecration of property, severe restrictions on worship, education, and religious activities, and targeted violence. Monks are still imprisoned for participating in peaceful demonstrations in 2007, and the ban on independent Protestant ―house church‖ activities remains. 

In light of these continued systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations, USCIRF again recommends in 2012 that Burma be designated as a ―country of particular concern‖ (CPC). The State Department has designated Burma as a CPC since 1999. 

Religious freedom violations affect every religious group in Burma. Although the new government has released prominent leaders of the 2007 demonstrations, Buddhist monks suspected of anti-government activities have been detained in the past year. Most of the recent releases were conditional. U Gambira, head of the All-Burma Monks Alliance, has been twice detained by police because of his public criticism of the government and for unilaterally re-opening sealed monasteries. Muslims routinely experience strict controls on a wide range of religious activities, as well as government-sponsored societal violence.

The Rohingya Muslim minority, in particular, is subject to systematic discrimination and a forced relocation program that has produced thousands of refugees. In ethnic minority areas, where low-intensity conflict has been waged for decades, the Burmese military forcibly promotes Buddhism and targets Christian religious groups for intimidation, forced labor, rape, and destruction of religious sites. Such tactics continued in the past year, particularly in Kachin and northern Shan states, where a large military operation began in the past reporting period. A 2008 regulation continues essentially to ban independent ―house church‖ religious venues throughout the country and Protestant religious leaders in Rangoon have been pressured to sign pledges to stop meeting in unapproved venues.

Read detail here 

It was 7th Nov ,2012 a BBC Burmese News paper wrote , unknown arms group from Bangladesh crossed the border and attacked a Burmese arms group in a Buddhist village, called Bandullah village in Antala and Badtala northern Maung daw on 6th Nov.The arm group killed a sergeant and kidnapped three 

Rep. Trent Franks
The Washington Times
November 18, 2012

A grandmother sat alone in a church near Burma’s Kachin-China border in early May of this year and silently waited for the notoriously brutal Burma Army to raid her village. Other Kachin villagers fled once they heard that the Burma Army was approaching, but “Ngwa Mi” (real name withheld) was left behind. Her only protection was the sanctuary of the church.

When the Burma Army finally came to the village, they showed no mercy towards the 48-year-old grandmother. Over a period of three days, Ngwa Mi was violently beaten with rifle butts, stabbed with knives, stripped naked, and gang raped. Another Kachin man, who was captured while caring for his paralyzed wife, was brought back to the village. As he lay in the church with his hands and legs tied, he watched with horror and helplessness at the sickening acts that were committed against the vulnerable grandmother.

The victims in the village church were left semi-conscious and Ngwa Mi later suffered severe mental health problems. After reports of the torture were released, a spokesman from the Kachin Women's Association stated, “[T]he Burmese military can rape and kill ethnic women with impunity.”

After Aung Suu Kyi’s recent visit to the U.S. and President Obama’s Southeast Asia tour and historic meeting with Burmese President Thein Sein, discussions about democratic reforms in Burma are underway. Burma’s government has taken modest steps toward democratization by releasing hundreds of political prisoners, relaxing media censorship, and permitting dissidents to participate in the political process. However, the U.S. must continue to aggressively identify and underscore other atrocities that threaten future peace and stability. The plight of the Kachin is only one such example of outstanding reforms that still need to take place within Burma.

As the U.S. continues to work closely with the Burmese government on reforms, we must ensure that legitimate ethnic and democracy leaders are included in negotiations. Comprehensive and effective dialogue on the overall situation in Burma cannot be conducted without these leaders. Moreover, the U.S. must be careful to take no action that could be interpreted as endorsement of any misconduct or human rights lapses by the Burmese government or President Thein Sein, particularly while the Burmese government is still dominated by the military with a very brutal past.

Serious political dialogue within the framework of a robust peace process must take place to resolve the ongoing conflicts among Burma’s ethnic and religious groups. The plight of the Kachin is often overlooked by the international community, and humanitarian conditions are seriously deteriorating in Kachin State and Kachin refugee camps. Since the Burma Army broke the ceasefire agreement in Kachin State in June 2011, at least 70,000 civilians have been displaced from their villages. The atrocities committed against the Kachin by the Burma Army may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity and should be zealously investigated and prosecuted as the evidence warrants. During President Obama’s meeting with President Thein Sein, President Obama should call for a withdrawal of Burmese troops and the establishment of meaningful political dialogue and a peace process that will result in a political solution for the conflict in Kachin State.

Violence by the Burma Army against the Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State also continues with impunity and the Burmese government has failed to end what increasingly appears to be a campaign to forcibly displace thousands of Rohingya. Moreover, recent reports indicate that Burmese security forces have been complicit with Rakhine Buddhists in carrying out brutal attacks against the Rohingya people. Within the past few weeks alone, thousands of homes in Rakhine State have been destroyed, hundreds of people slaughtered, and over 100,000 displaced. Both the Rohingya and Kachin desperately need full access to humanitarian aid for internally displaced peoples and refugees. Indeed, now is the time for the U.S. to ensure the plight of vulnerable Rohingya are not forgotten and stress that this crisis against Burma’s Muslim population will threaten future democracy measures within Burma.

Burma still has a very long road ahead and the U.S. must continue to advocate for the full inclusion of vulnerable ethnic and religious groups within Burmese society and the political process. Mr. Obama’s visit to Burma signifies our developing bilateral relationship and desire to encourage U.S. business investment in the country. With the additional credibility and validation that a presidential visit gives to the Burmese government, specific reform agenda items should be on the table, including the cessation of violence against the Kachin, Rohingya and other minority groups.

Rep. Trent Franks, Arizona Republican, is co-chairman of the International Religious Freedom Caucus.

Obama Should Press Thein Sein to End Sectarian Violence

(Bangkok) – Attacks and arson in late October by ethnic Arakanese against Rohingya Muslims in Burma’s Arakan State were at times carried out with the support of state security forces and local government officials, Human Rights Watch said today. New satellite imagery obtained by Human Rights Watch shows extensive destruction of homes and other property in the predominantly Rohingya Muslim areas of Pauktaw, Mrauk-U, and Myebon townships, all sites of violence and displacement in late October 2012.

Rohingya and Arakanese residents of Pauktaw and Mrauk-U townships described to Human Rights Watch the sectarian attacks and arson that occurred in those areas on October 23 and 24, which in some cases involved state security forces. Similar violence between Arakanese Buddhists and Rohingya and non-Rohingya Muslims, also involving state security forces, occurred in seven other townships in late October.

US President Barack Obama is scheduled to make a one-day visit to Rangoon on November 19 to meet with Burmese President Thein Sein and opposition leaders.“President Obama should make clear to the Burmese president that the attacks on the Rohingya need to stop if the Burma government wants to avoid renewed sanctions and the suspension of renewed military-to-military dialogues with the United States,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “This is crunch time because Burma’s failure to contain sectarian violence in Arakan State and hold accountable those responsible calls into question the Burmese government’s stated goal of becoming a rights-respecting, multi-ethnic state.”

In satellite images of four townships in Arakan State that experienced violence in late October and in the state capital, Sittwe, which experienced violence in June, Human Rights Watch identified a total of 4,855 destroyed structures. These images show zones of documented destruction covering 348 acres of largely residential areas predominantly home to Rohingya Muslims who have since fled and to Kaman Muslims in Kyauk Pyu.

The images, which were captured on November 3 and 8, are not exhaustive and reflect damages in only five of the thirteen townships that have experienced violence in Arakan State since June.Rohingya from Pauktaw now at camps near Sittwe told Human Rights Watch that for weeks they faced hostile Arakanese mobs, sometimes led by Buddhist monks, who threatened violence against them and anyone else found selling or providing the Rohingya with food or other assistance. They said they repeatedly notified local authorities of these threats, but insufficient action was taken. In late October, just prior to the violence, Rohingya were called to a series of community meetings held by local Arakanese members of a nationalist political party and local government officials apparently aimed at convincing the local Muslim population to abandon their homes.

On October 23, when boats filled with several hundred armed Arakanese descended on the riverside Rohingya villages in Pauktaw, the Rohingya fled, fearing for their lives, and their villages were razed.

Displaced Rohingya and Kaman Muslims told Human Rights Watch that some members of the state security forces provided them temporary protection at various points in late October – for example by firing shots in the air to fend off hostile Arakanese mobs, or by providing water and food to their boatloads afloat offshore who were being denied permission to come ashore in Sittwe. But these instances of protection were offset by violence committed against the Rohingya and Kaman by other groups of security forces. For example, on October 26, soldiers from Nasaka, a government border guard force under the command of the army, severely beat dozens of displaced Rohingya who had clambered off boats on to the shores near Sittwe.

The new satellite imagery shows near 100 percent destruction of Yan Thei village in Mrauk-U Township. Witnesses told Human Rights Watch that Arakanese mobs armed with swords, spears, homemade guns, bows and arrows, and other weapons descended on the village on October 23, and fighting ensued. The Rohingya were ultimately surrounded and overwhelmed, and survivors fled by land to an area outside the village. Gruesome casualties were sustained on both sides, including beheadings and killings of women and children.

After October’s violence, there are now more than 110,000 internally displaced persons in Arakan State, nearly all Rohingya Muslims. “People are still coming every day,” a displaced Rohingya near Baw Du Ba displaced person camp told Human Rights Watch.

Yan Thei Village, Mrauk-U Township: Pre-attack View of Village
Yan Thei Village, Mrauk-U Township, on 11 February 2012. Pre-attack view of village in satellite image.
Damage Analysis: Human Rights Watch; Image © DigitalGlobe 2012; Source: EUSI
Yan Thei Village, Mrauk-U Township: Post-attack View of Village


Yan Thei Village, Mrauk-U Township, on 3 November 2012: Post-attack view of village in satellite image with annotated building damages.
Damage Analysis: Human Rights Watch; Image ©: DigitalGlobe 2012; Source: EUSI

The displaced Rohingya populations from the sites of destruction depicted in the new satellite images are in dire need of shelter, food, water, sanitation, and medical care, Human Rights Watch said.The displaced from Pauktaw have been forced to seek refuge in beachside coastal areas outside Sittwe, in treeless, makeshift camps under the hot daytime sun without adequate food, potable water, and other necessities. One makeshift camp with an estimated 1,200 displaced persons lacks latrines and the group is subsisting primarily on donations from nearby Rohingya villages, which themselves struggle to survive. Some of the displaced had tarps for shelter bearing the logo of a United Nations agency that they said they purchased from local merchants.

Burmese security forces have restricted the access of international humanitarian agencies to the area and to even more remote coastal areas where others from Pauktaw are seeking refuge. Since their arrival some displaced persons reported they have been beaten by local security forces.

The displaced Rohingya from Yan Thei are likewise in dire need of aid, Human Rights Watch said. They are living in makeshift shelters outside their now razed village. According to the displaced, there has been no sustained international access at their camp, and government officials are not permitting them to leave the area. Burmese government officials have provided only a limited amount of aid.

Groups of displaced Arakanese Buddhists from Yan Thei have sought refuge in two monasteries in Mrauk-U town, where they appear to have received sufficient amounts of aid from the local Arakanese community. Unlike with the Rohingya, the government is not restricting the movements of ethnic Arakanese.

While violence had not affected Mrauk-U Township in June, there was previous violence in Pauktaw. According to local accounts, approximately 14 homes in Pauktaw were burned down in June. Villagers told Human Rights Watch the previous arson and subsequent threats and incidents of violence were clear indications of the risk of future violence.

“The satellite images and eyewitness accounts reveal that local mobs at times with official support sought to finish the job of removing Rohingya from these areas,” Adams said. “The central government's failure to take serious action to ensure accountability for the June violence fostered impunity, and makes it responsible for later attacks not only when security forces were directly involved but also when they weren’t.”

The Rohingya have faced decades of state sponsored discrimination and abuses. Burma’s 1982 Citizenship Law effectively stripped the Rohingya of citizenship, rendering them stateless.

Human Rights Watch previously released satellite imagery showing extensive destruction of homes and other property in a predominantly ethnic Kaman Muslim area of the coastal town of Kyauk Pyu, identifying 811 destroyed structures on the eastern coastal edge of Kyauk Pyu following arson attacks conducted on October 23 and 24. The area of destruction in Kyauk Pyu measures 35 acres and includes 633 buildings and 178 houseboats and floating barges adjacent on the water, all of which were razed.

Human Rights Watch investigations found that local security forces killed ethnic Kaman Muslims in Kyauk Pyu while soldiers from the Burmese army stood by and watched. Members of the Muslim community in Kyauk Pyu also attacked and in some instances killed ethnic Arakanese before fleeing by sea toward Sittwe.“The Burmese government needs to get serious about addressing the root causes of the sectarian violence in Arakan State, including Rohingya statelessness,” Adams said. “The absence of accountability for this horrific violence gives a green light to extremists to continue their attacks and abuses.”

Background
All four districts of Arakan State – Sittwe, Maungdaw, Kyauk Pyu, and Thandwe – have experienced violence since June 2012. Violence between Arakanese Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims reignited on October 21 and continued to some extent all week in 9 of the state’s 17 townships: Pauktaw, Mrauk-U, Myebon, Kyauk Pyu, Ramree, Kyauktaw, Minbya, Rathedaung, and Thandwe. Four other townships experienced serious violence in June and thereafter: Sittwe, Maungdaw, Buthidaung, and Toungop. Many of the places targeted in October had not been attacked in the earlier round of sectarian violence that consumed Sittwe and other parts of northern Arakan State in June. The sectarian violence that erupted in Arakan State in June devastated both Arakanese Buddhist and Rohingya Muslim communities, both of whom lacked protection from security forces.

Human Rights Watch