Human Rights Watch

March 13, 2013

Investigate Deadly Shooting at ‘Boat People’ During ‘Push Back’

(New York) – Sailors from Thailand’s navy shot at ethnic Rohingya “boat people,” causing at least two deaths, Human Rights Watch said today. The Thai government should immediately investigate the incident, and direct the navy to abide by international standards on the use of force.

On February 22, 2013, Thai sailors near a pier in Phang Nga province fired on a group of about 20 Rohingya asylum seekers who had been in navy custody since the previous day, when their boat with about 130 on board had run out of fuel on its journey from Burma to Malaysia.

“Rohingya fleeing Burma should be given protection, not shot at,” said Brad Adams, Asia director. “The Thai government should urgently investigate why sailors opened fire at boat people helpless in the sea and prosecute all those found responsible.” 

Survivors told Human Rights Watch that on the morning of February 20, Thai fishermen helped their drifting boat ashore on Surin Island off the coast of Phang Nga province. On that same day, at about 6:30 p.m., a Thai navy patrol boat numbered TOR214 arrived at the island and towed their boat back to the sea. Navy patrol boat TOR214 and the Rohingya boat arrived near a pier in Kuraburi district of Phang Nga province at around 5 a.m. the next morning. According to the survivors and Thai villagers on the shore, navy personnel from the patrol boat began to divide the Rohingya into small groups in the boat and ordered them to get ready to board smaller boats. At that point, the Rohingya became uncertain whether they would be taken to immigration detention on the mainland or be pushed back to the sea. When the first group of 20 Rohingya was put on a smaller boat by the Thai navy, some panicked and jumped overboard.

“Navy personnel fired into the air three times and told us not to move,” one survivor told Human Rights Watch. “But we were panicking and jumped off the boat, and then they opened fire at us in the water.”

Four Rohingya who swam to the shore were rescued by local Thai villagers. Thai security forces searched the area for two days after the incident, but the villagers kept the survivors hidden.

The bodies of two Rohingya showing bullet wounds were later pulled from the sea and buried in a Muslim cemetery in Kuraburi district. Thai fishermen told Human Rights Watch they saw more dead bodies in the water but had no more information. The fate of the remaining passengers on the boat remains unknown after it was towed away by the Thai navy.

Human Rights Watch called on the Thai government and the National Human Rights Commission to conduct thorough and transparent investigations into the shooting. If unnecessary or excessive force is found to have been used, all those responsible, including officers who gave orders to fire, should be prosecuted.

Thai security forces, when performing law enforcement duties, should abide by the United Nations Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials. The Basic Principles provide that law enforcement officials shall as far as possible apply nonviolent means before resorting to the use of force. Whenever the use of force is unavoidable, they must use restraint and act in proportion to the seriousness of the offense. The intentional lethal use of firearms may only be made when strictly unavoidable in order to protect life.

The Basic Principles also provide that the government shall ensure that superior officers are held responsible if they know, or should have known that personnel under their command have resorted to the unlawful use of firearms, and they “did not take all measures in their power to prevent, suppress or report such use.”

The Thai authorities should also reveal the whereabouts of the remaining Rohingya from the boat, who were last seen in navy custody, and provide unfettered access for investigators to those survivors. The government should grant at least temporary protection to those survivors, permit the office of the United National High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) access to them, and ensure that none of the survivors are deported or otherwise subject to abuse while investigations are conducted. The government should also provide humanitarian assistance to the survivors and ensure that appropriate compensation is paid to the families of those who died.

Each year tens of thousands of ethnic Rohingya in Burma’s Arakan State set sail to flee persecution by the Burmese government and dire poverty. The situation significantly worsened in 2012 following communal violence in Arakan State in June and October targeting Rohingya and other Muslim groups.

The so-called “help on” policy of the government of Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has failed to provide Rohingya asylum seekers with the protections required under international law, and in some cases increases their risk. Under this policy, the Thai navy is under orders to intercept Rohingya boats that come too close to the Thai coast. Upon intercepting a boat, officials are supposed to provide the boat with fuel, food, water, and other supplies on the condition that the boats sail onward to Malaysia or Indonesia. All passengers must remain on their own boats during the re-supply operation.

Enforcement actions to strictly implement this policy have apparently intensified after the Thai government came under domestic and international pressure to provide temporary, six-month protection for more than 1,700 Rohingya who arrived in Thailand since January 2013.

“The Thai government should scrap its ‘push back’ and ‘help on’ policies that deny Rohingya boat people their right to seek asylum,” Adams said.

Under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has the right to seek asylum from persecution. While Thailand is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention, under customary international law the Thai government has an obligation of “nonrefoulement” – not to return anyone to places where their life or freedom would be at risk. In this regard, UNHCR has the technical expertise to screen for refugee status and the mandate to protect refugees and stateless people. Effective UNHCR screening of all Rohingya boat arrivals would help the Thai government determine who is entitled to refugee status.

“The Thai government should help the oppressed Rohingya from Burma, not worsen their plight,” Adams said. “Thailand should immediately grant the UN refugee agency unhindered access to screen all Rohingya arriving in Thailand to identify and assist those seeking refugee status.”

Matali

RB News 

March 12, 2013

(Translated into English by M.S. Anwar) 

Buthidaung, Arakan- Around 12:30 AM today, a Rohingya youth was inhumanely killed by some terrorists from a Rakhine terrorist group in the village of Tha-Yet-Pyin, Buthidaung Township. He was a second year university student and after being killed, his dead body was thrown in the river of Saing-Tin in the township. 

“U Ali, a staff at the department of the forestry, together with his son, Iliyas @ Maung Than Hlaing- a second year university student, went to serve his duty at the forestry security post in Tha-Yet-Pyin. Meanwhile, around 12-Armed-Rakhine Terrorists came down from the side of Saing-Tin waterfall and attacked the father and the son. U Ali managed to escape the murder, while his son, Iliyas, was hacked and stabbed by swords. The terrorists tightened his hands and legs as he was taking his last breathe and threw him in the river of Saing-Tin” said a villager of Tha-Yet-Pyin. 

The dead body of the inhumanely and brutally killed, Iliyas, has not been found out yet. 

“The twelve Rakhine terrorists have been identified as Aung San Thein from Immigration Department, Buthidaung Tsp., Than Tin from Settlement and Land Records Department, Hla Tuan, Tin Soe @Thein Soe and Aung Myint from the the Department of Forestry, Buthidaung Tsp., Zarni Aung and Nay Lin from the Department of Agriculture, Buthidaung Tsp., San Thein from the department of the General Administration of Buthidaung Tsp and other four terrorists are unidentified yet. Their leader was the above-mentioned Aung San Thein” he continued. 

Majority of those who are, at the moment, in the front line of attacking innocent Rohingyas in order to create a third-time violence against Rohingyas are Rakhines working at different departments in the government. Of all, Rakhines working at the immigration department are the worst and taking the front seat to trigger violence. 

Since President Thein Sein gave green signal to root out Rohingyas on 7th July 2012, Rakhine terrorists have often been committing massacres of Rohingyas if they (Rohingyas) are found lonely and isolated all over Arakan. And their dead bodies are destroyed to conceal the crimes. 

Since the central government of Myanmar set the Rakhine terrorists free without taking any actions against them, the lives and properties of Rohingya civilians are under extremely insecure condition. Rohingyas in Buthidaung Township are living in grave fear because of the lawlessness in the region and the barbaric killings often carried out by Rakhine terrorists. 

Supalak Ganjanakhundee

The Nation

March 13, 2013

It is does not matter what they are known as - Rohingya or Bengali - but they must have basic rights and be protected from violence and fear while living in Myanmar, which is supposed to be their homeland. 

In responding to violence in western Rakhine state, the authorities in Myanmar tried to launch a political discourse to say there are no people called Rohingya in the country, and therefore the authorities have no responsibility for what happened to them.

Rather than finding the truth and the root cause of the violence in June and October last year, lawmakers, officials and intellectuals in Myanmar are debating the very existence of the ethnic group called Rohingya. They have tried to build a consensus within their society and the international community to deny the existence of Rohingya and call them instead "Bengali", to make this group of people seem alien.

The latest report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, Tomas Ojea Quintana, indicates that "Rakhine state is going through a profound crisis". The violence might spread to other parts of the country and has the potential to undermine the country's entire reform process, the report said.

The violence caused by the communal conflict between Buddhist Rakhine and Muslim Rohingya or 'Bengalis', as many in Myanmar call them, saw nearly 200 people killed and more than 100 others injured. About 120,000 people have been displaced in the state since initial clashes last June.

There have also been ongoing allegations of harassment, arbitrary arrests, arbitrary restriction of movement, destruction of places of worship and restrictions on religious worship, the UN report said.

The 27-member Investigation Commission set up by President Thein Sein on August 17, 2012 to investigate the violence was originally due to present its report in November, but is now scheduled to present its report on March 31, 2013, the UN said.

It is widely feared that the government-sponsored investigation report will not properly address the rights issue and the truth of what happened. Judging from what Myanmar officials, lawmakers and the elite in society are discussing these days, perhaps such fears might become true. The Investigation Commission's report might not reflect the reality.

Quintana emphasised in his report that "establishing the truth of what has happened and holding those responsible to account will be integral to reconciliation and re-establishing trustful and harmonious relations between communities".

Feeling of fear, distrust, hatred and anger remained high between Buddhist and Muslim communities in the state. Prejudice, bias and discrimination on the basis of race and religions are major obstacles to find out the truth.

As a result of discrimination, treatment of the Muslim population now living in camps for internally displaced persons in Rakhine state is not proper, as they face restrictions on movement. They cannot access food or enjoy a normal livelihood.

As long as the promotion of a political discourse to paint the Rohingya as "outsiders" in Myanmar goes on, discrimination against some 800,000 Muslim Rohingya will continue.

A basic requirement to resolve the problem in Rakhine state is a review of the Rohingyas' legal status and their access to basic rights. As long as Myanmar society regards them as "others", foreigners or aliens, the Rohingya or Bengalis will not able to live in harmony with Rakhine people.

Myanmar intellectuals and the elite are keen to promote this political discourse. Some two decades ago, they coined the name "Myanmar", and changed the country's name from Burma, in order to include all races and nationalities into the notion of state building for modern times.

To carry forward the spirit of "Myanmar", the Rohingya should be included, rather than excluded.

The Voice Of A Rohingya 

After decades of discriminations and abuses 

I still to leave Arakan refuse 

As I was born there and wanted to die 

Inside my heart up that ever lie 

I was made of soil Arakan 

Force me can no one to leave Arakan 

Men come and die for name and fame 

But I will die simply for shame 

And the last man I hope to resist 

While stand firmly and strong against those racists and rapists 

No pain, no gain what our Hero said again and again 

Your name in the history will ever remain 

Accept and tolerate the burden of defence 

If a little of patriotic you have sense 

Go and save the last Rohingya in time 

Is saving thousands of lives not a crime 

It is the time to raise both of your hands 

To resist with words and deeds by hand in hand 

Just take you up whatever you can 

Never let it go again to happen.

Zoe Daniel

ABC News

March 11, 2013

There are mounting allegations the Thai military is trading Rohingya refugees from Western Burma to human traffickers.

Last week PM broadcast allegations that Thai military officers shot and killed Rohingya off the Thai coast but there is also continued accusations that Thai officials are involved in selling Rohingya to brokers, who then sell them on as bonded labourers.

The ABC has also discovered that unaccompanied children, who are arriving on the boats and others who have arrived with a parent, have been left alone in shelters while their parents are locked up.

Unsupervised in the shelters the children are vulnerable.

Seven children have already disappeared from a shelter and there is concern they may have fallen prey to human traffickers.

It is something that is difficult to police amid continuing accusations that Thai authorities are caught up in the trafficking business.

A man in hiding, who agreed to speak to the ABC, maintains that the Thai navy intercepted the boat he was on and then facilitated a handover to a broker.

"The navy asked if we had food to eat and where we were from," he said. "They said don't tell anyone the Thai navy has seen you."

He says the navy directed the boat to land at Ranong on the Thai coast where it was met by a human trafficker who 'bought' the human cargo. 

He explains he was beaten when he tried to escape.

"I was punched and my hands were tied up," he continued. "They burnt me on the back."

While his friends and family raised more than $1,000 to pay the broker for his freedom, he says dozens more remain in the camp.

"They said why don't you give us money, we bought you, why did you try to escape?"

A recent military investigation found no Thai officers were involved in human trafficking.

Fleeing by boat

Unwanted in western Burma, where violence between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims has seen the Rohingya attacked, they have been forced to flee by boat and are now isolated.

Dozens of women and children at shelters in Thailand are recovering from their arduous journeys and are now isolated.

"Our houses were burnt down, so there are 16 families that came from our village," Rohingya woman Rujambibi told the ABC.

Since the violence flared in Burma's Rakhine state last year, some 5,000 to 6,000 Rohingya have arrived in Thailand.

They have described scenes of fiery terror in the villages they called home as they were burnt out of town.

"When we were on the boat the food finished in two days," said Nulu, who got on a 15-day boat journey with her three children and 110 other people.

"There was raw rice but we couldn't cook it, there was no water."

Incredibly, Nulu gave birth to her fourth child on the boat; an already stateless boy, born in transit.

But at least her son has his mother; 10-year-old Anamuddin fled to the boat alone after his house was burnt and his mother and six siblings were killed.

"Rakhine people slashed her," he said. "Shot her and burnt the house."

Anamuddin says he took a boat in the hope of finding his father who left to find work in Malaysia five years ago.

"I went just like that," he continued. "I just followed others. I didn't have my mother or anyone left."

Eleven-year-old Marmoth, who lost his mother during the violence, is also looking for his dad who has been taken into detention by Thai authorities. He and his younger brother are alone.

Meanwhile, there is now concern for the safety of four Rohingya men who told the ABC last week that Thai officers had fired on refugees off the country's coast, and killed two of them.

Villagers who were sheltering the men say they went to the local mosque to watch television on Sunday night and have not been seen since.

+++++++++++++++++++++++

Burmese refugees being trafficked

There are mounting allegations that Rohingya refugees from Western Burma are being traded by the Thai military to human traffickers when they reach Thailand.

EMMA ALBERICI, PRESENTER: There are mounting allegations that Rohingya refugees from Western Burma are being traded by the Thai military to human traffickers when they reach Thailand.

Last week the ABC broadcast accusations that military officers were shooting and killing Rohingya off the Thai coast.

Now, there are persistent allegations that Thai officials are involved in trading them to brokers who then sell them on as bonded labourers.

The ABC has also discovered that some children who are arriving on boats have been left alone in shelters while their parents are placed in detention.

South-East Asia correspondent Zoe Daniel reports.

ZOE DANIEL, REPORTER: At this shelter in Southern Thailand, dozens of women and children recover from an arduous journey. Stateless Rohingya, they're unwanted in Western Burma, where violence between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims has seen the Rohingya attacked, banished, now isolated in camps. Having fled the violence by boat, now they're isolated here instead.

RUJAMBIBI, ROHINGYA ASYLUM SEEKER (voiceover translation): Our houses were burnt down, so there are 16 families that came from our village.

ZOE DANIEL: About 5,000 to 6,000 Rohingya have arrived in Thailand since the violence flared in Burma's Rakhine state last year. They describe scenes of fiery terror in the villages they called home as they were burnt out of town.

Nulu got on a boat with her three children and 110 other people to flee. On a 15-day journey, they ran out of food and water in two.

NULU, ROHINGYA ASYLUM SEEKER (voiceover translation): When we were on the boat, the food finished in two days. There was raw rice, but we couldn't cook it. There was no water.

ZOE DANIEL: Nulu gave birth to her fourth child on the boat, an already stateless boy born in transit. But at least her son has his mother.

10-year-old Annamudin fled to the boat alone after his house was burnt and his mother was killed.

ANNAMUDIN, ROHINGYA ASYLUM SEEKER (voiceover translation): They slashed her, shot her and burnt the house.

ZOE DANIEL: He watched his home burn. He believes his six siblings all died in the fire, so he took a boat in the hope of finding his father who left to find work in Malaysia five years ago.

ANNAMUDIN (voiceover translation): I went just like that. I followed the others. I did not have my mother or anyone left.

ZOE DANIEL: He records a message to his father on my phone in the hope that we can help find him.

ANNAMUDIN (voiceover translation, mobile phone video): We are lonely at night and cry. We are bitten by mosquitoes. There is no mosquito net. When we are sick, we cannot explain to them we need medicine. They do not understand.

ZOE DANIEL: 11-year-old Marmot is also missing his dad. His mother was also killed in the violence. Now his father's been taken into detention by Thai authorities and he and his younger brother are alone.

MARMOT (voiceover translation): I miss my father and I want to see him.

ZOE DANIEL: Unsupervised in the shelter, the boys are vulnerable. Seven children have already disappeared from here and there's concern they may have fallen prey to human traffickers.

It's something that's difficult to police amid continuing accusations that Thai authorities are caught up in the trafficking business. In hiding, this man maintains that the Thai Navy intercepted the boat he was on and then facilitated a handover to a broker.

MAN (voiceover translation): The Navy asked if we had food to eat and where we were from. Before they let us go they said, "Don't tell anyone the Thai Navy has seen you."

ZOE DANIEL: He says the Navy directed the boat to land at Ranong on the Thai coast where it was met by a human trafficker who bought the human cargo. He was beaten when he tried to escape.

MAN (voiceover translation): I was punched here and my hands were tied up. They burnt me in the back here. They tied my feet and I yelled. They beat me up for two hours. I was not able to speak, so they stopped hitting me and another broker came to stop it and said, "Don't beat him anymore. He will die."

ZOE DANIEL: Friends and family raised more than $1,000 to pay the broker for his freedom. Dozens more remain in the camp.

MAN (voiceover translation): They said, "Why don't you give us money? We bought you. Why did you try to escape?" Then they hit us.

ZOE DANIEL: A recent military investigation found no Thai officers are involved in human trafficking.

The Nation Pakistan

March 12, 2013

UNITED NATIONS - While the ongoing reforms in Myanmar are improving the human rights situation, there is still a large gap between these efforts and their implementation on the ground, referring especially to the discrimination against Rohingya Muslims, a UN expert said Monday.

“While the process of reform is continuing in the right direction, there are significant human rights shortcomings that remain unaddressed, such as discrimination against the Rohingya in Rakhine state and the ongoing human rights violations in relation to the conflict in Kachin state,” the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, Tomas Ojea Quintana, said.

“Now is the time to address these shortcomings before they become further entrenched and destabilise the reform process.”

Several waves of clashes between ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims have left 115,000 people displaced in Rakhine state, while some 75,000 people have fled their homes in Kachin since fighting began in June 2011 between Government troops and the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO). The fighting intensified in September and December last year, before authorities in Myanmar announced a unilateral ceasefire in January.

“The Government must establish the truth about what happened in Rakhine state during the two waves of communal violence last June and October, and hold those responsible for human rights violations to account,” Ojea Quintana said, offering his support to pursue further investigations.

Ojea Quintana also urged the Government to ease the harsh restriction on freedom of movement for the 120,000 people who remain in camps for the internally displaced in Rakhine and to begin their relocation into integrated communities before the start of the rainy season, which will flood many camps.

In Kachin, he welcomed the recent de-escalation of violence while highlighting the needs of those who have been displaced by the fighting. “I’m particularly concerned about the situation of the 40,000 displaced in non-Government controlled areas of Kachin state, and urged the Government to provide humanitarian organizations with regular access to these areas,” he said.

In addition, the Special Rapporteur expressed concern over the rights of journalists in the country due to a draft law that threatens to undo recent progress. “This would be giving with one hand while taking away with the other.” He also noted that while people now can associate freely, protestors continue to be imprisoned and police officers are still using excessive force when managing demonstrators.

Ojea Quintana acknowledged progress in other areas, such as the release of over 800 prisoners of conscience since May 2011, but called for the immediate release of the over 250 who remain behind bars. “I welcome the committee set up by the govt to identify remaining prisoners of conscience, and recommend that it be established as a permanent body to guard against future detentions for political reasons,” he said.

Ibrahim Shah

RB Analysis

March 11, 2013

In reality, if it is said neutrally and fairly about the deceptively denial of Rohingya existence into Arakan of intruders, Burmans the current ruling party of which head is a military backed high profile officer named president Thein Sein; Rohingya are the oldest indigenous commune of northern Arakan state currently Rakhine, western Myanmar who are massively living since immemorial decades, and Arakan was an independent sovereign Kingdom up to 1784 AD in that year it was invaded by Burmese King Bodawphaya. Let’s stand on the side of the intruders, Burmans and their religious Buddhist brotherhood commune Rakhines so that we could find any documentary evidence to drive out Rohingya; does the meaning of the river “Kaladan’’ relate exactly with Burmese or Persian or Arabic: its precise meaning is “intellectuals” which related accurately to Muslim so it is evident that there was Muslims, and today it is absolutely “instigating Islamophobia” to warmly welcome from international bodies to the Brutal president of Myanmar, killer Thein Sein who assures international bodies with positive attitude but alternatively he fulfils all his assurances with negative attitude since early June 2012. 

Let’s judge here actually either he is a democratic reformists or a ruler without principle and a killer 

1. Burma’s President Thein Sein has proposed opening schools to improve the education of minority Rohingya Muslim children. After some months later, all the Islamic religious houses are officially locked up and the children are miserably sitting in houses hoping further one day their destiny-door will be knocked for education. 
2. OIC and Myanmar sign agreement to establish humanitarian aid office. 
3. Accurately after six days later of mutually agreement, Thein Sein alternatively had handed-over the case to the depraved monks leader, Wirathu, one who perpetually set up Islamophobia mindset to every Buddhists to demonstrate throughout the state against OIC and the main intention of that is to dramatically show from government to international bodies that ‘suspension opening OIC office in Myanmar is the wishes of public. 
4. Since then as there are more increasingly condemnations coming from independent institutions such as HRW, AI, UN, OIC, ASEAN, etc then at once he, President Thein Sein handed over the hidden genocide so-called sectarian violence issue to the Rakhine state administration and RNDP. The head of RNDP Vet. Aye Maung is also currently MP from Rakhine State and is one of the master criminals of Rohingya genocide. He, President Thein Sein made collusion secretly with the RNDP to cover up the crimes against Rohingya. Thus it is so deplorable today that once international delegation asked about the basic rights of Rohingya then he, President Thein Sein concluded with one sentence that we had formed a special investigation team for Rakhine-Rohingya conflict and it is our internal affairs which we are thinking to solve under gradual peace process. 
5. Even it is threatened from local Rakhine commune to stop aid to Rohingya. Here is a fresh witness from MSF team­ - “That we are prevented from acting and threatened for wanting to deliver medical aid to those in need is shocking and leaves tens of thousands without the medical care they urgently need," MSF operations manager Joe Belliveau said. 

Accordingly, Since June 2012 the conflict zone, Arakan  State was banned from access of international tourists, aid groups, media and journalists because to conceal the actual and precise destructions and death tolls, and to kill more remained Rohingya making lack of adequate food which may lead to massively die of starvation. Here is not ended his inhumanely atrocities. Furthermore to implement his deportation program he prescribed discriminatory rules such as: banned proper medical treatment by Rakhine and Burmans of official doctors, nurses, restriction of movement outside camp, declared in government schools to beat and insult Rohingya children whenever they are met oppositely with Buddhists families, arbitrary arresting to demand a huge amount of money , to rape minor and elder female, suddenly penetration violently to Rohingya houses without prior notice in the name of operation for family members’ present or absent then at once during interrogation about family members there has been happening sexually assault and looting properties, slaughtering new born, dragging the beautiful virgins to the camps of concerned authorities particularly BORDER GUARD (Nasaka), etc. 

Forcefully, Thein Sein and his culprits military MPs are corporately perpetrating numerous crimes against Rohingya as mentioned above and it is out of focus of international bodies about the inner strategically enmity of local Rakhine extremists: tens of dozens of Bengali Rakhine are sheltered officially in Maungdaw Township, near bay of Bengal by direct welcome from killer Thein Sein so called democratic reformist president; where tens of thousands of Rohingya are displaced by killer regime of Thein Sein. It is democratic reforms or instigating Islamophobia?? 

While numerous atrocities are forcefully and rapidly with climax momentum taking place in Rakhine State, Thein Sein is warmly hosted in Norway during his this historic tour in European region in last portion of February 2013. Though we are vulnerable and unarmed destitute people on the earth we were gladly hoped that Norway which is among one of ‘major donors toward peace establishment in Myanmar’ would diplomatically urge to stop inhumanely cruelties on Rohingya but unexpectedly we are kicked out into destitution more hastily due to the speaking out of Journalists against the silence of Norway and its response over interrogation of journalists such as - The Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide insisted that a nation is “not obligated to give citizenship to everybody who is living there." 

And I would like to appeal to AI, HRW, OIC, ASEAN, and other remained institutions around the world to urge UN to impose more sanctions and pressures to Myanmar regime to ensure officially the fundamental rights of ethnic minorities particularly Rohingya in western Myanmar, and best regards from bottom of my heart to you for your such creditable comments for destitute Rohingya Oddny Gumaer. 

The comments is hereby copied from DVB: Oddny Gumaer from Partners Relief and Development told that she was “shocked” by Eide’s comments, which seem to back the quasi-civilian regime’s claim that Rohingyas are not legitimate citizens, even though many have lived in the country for generations. The right to citizenship is also enshrined in international law. “I cannot believe that a man with his influence would say what he did,” said Gumaer. “I am considering writing him a letter asking him if he really believes the government’s line about the Rohingya being illegal immigrants. It is wrong and ugly.” 

It is indeed miserable today that most of stable countries of enriching Nuclear weapons are busy making their strong business ties with Myanmar rather than the focusing on violation public rights particularly ethnic minority rights. Rohingya are almost to be extinct from the land, Arakan western Myanmar - reported by BBC Journalist Ms Anna Jones in 2010. According to report of UN, Rohingya is one of the most persecuted victims on this planet but we would like to be asked ourselves dreadfully and silently about our life safety: who will save us from hell-fire of killer Thein Sein who recently has been included for 2013 Noble peace prize winners chart. 

Apparently, he killer Thein Sein violently disobeyed “the Universal Declaration of Human Rights”. In fact, it is mockery to uplift him awarding Noble peace prize to such a depraved, immoral, ruler without principles, the mentor of Rohingya genocide gangsters, killer Thein Sein. During his ruling term for nearly two years, tens of thousands of Rohingya have been killed and missed, more than hundred thousands are displaced and numerous are in destitution. The main knot of oppression to the Rohingya is only because of their faith –Islam. 

Since after the immediate return of Thein Sein so called democratic reformist president into Myanmar from Europe regional tour, the Rakhine extremists with armed forces are convincing people so hastily to initiate a third Rohingya massacre before the arrival of Buddhist New Year festival, Thingyan between March and April. An eye-witness said that mostly adults male and female from Rakhine communes are trained well how to shoot guns and self-defense for resistance against opposition attacks during violence. The internal Rohingya dread terribly and screams that right now he, killer Thein Sein will kill us like small insects ants. I therefore the author of this article, on behalf of entire Rohingya community plead to world government bodies to make concentrated efforts to save from this third massacre and to globally focus on this issue: Rohingya plight crisis for a quick permanent resolution by which Rohingya people can lead their life easily as others in this 21st century otherwise who will save them from the hand of slaughter Thein Sein?. 

Ibrahim Shah is a Rohingya youth activist and a student on exoteric and esoteric knowledge of comparative religion. The writings here are of his own and do not reflect the editorial policy of RB. 

AFP

March 11, 2013

Malaysian authorities have rescued at least 136 people believed to be ethnic Rohingya Muslims fleeing strife in Myanmar aboard a leaking boat with no food or water, an official said Monday. 

The rescue brings the number of boats intercepted this year to 11, marking a "big increase" in refugee arrivals, said Tan Kok Kwee of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, following deadly sectarian violence in Myanmar. 

The boats have typically carried at least 120-240 people, added Tan, the agency's northern region enforcement chief, but could not provide a total figure for the year so far. 

The latest boat was intercepted off the northern state of Penang on Sunday with at least 96 adults and 40 children aboard, he said, adding that he was awaiting a final tally. 

The passengers said they were at sea for 25 days in the rickety and overcrowded wooden vessel and had run out of food and water, Tan said. 

Among them were 10 children less than a year old, including a two-month-old infant. They will be sent to an immigration detention centre. 

A wave of violence in Myanmar's western state of Rakhine last year has accelerated an already steady flow of refugees, typically Rohingya who increasingly have sought haven in Muslim-majority Malaysia. 

The Rohingya have been described by the UN as one of the world's most persecuted minorities. About 800,000 are estimated to live in Myanmar, which denies them citizenship, rendering them stateless. 

The UN said in January that about 13,000 boat people, including many Rohingya, fled Myanmar and neighbouring Bangladesh last year with hundreds dying at sea. 

Malaysia does not grant Rohingya refugee status but has turned a blind eye to the steady arrivals in recent years, allowing them to stay.

Human Rights Watch

March 11, 2013

(Geneva) – The United Nations Human Rights Council should retain its current level of scrutiny of Burma’s still poor human rights situation, Human Rights Watch said today.

The draft resolution on Burma for the council’s present session should continue the mandate of the special rapporteur on Burma under Item 4 of the council’s agenda to ensure monitoring and reporting on human rights developments in the country. Agenda Item 4 is for situations that require the council’s continuing attention. 

“The Human Rights Council’s support for reform in Burma should not veil international concern about continued serious abuses in the country,” said Juliette de Rivero, Geneva director at Human Rights Watch. “The council should endorse continued monitoring and reporting on Burma to move human rights reform forward and address the many challenging human rights issues that remain.” 

The recently released report of the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Burma, Tomas Ojea Quintana, outlines continued challenges to improve the rights of Rohingya Muslims, end grave violations of the laws of war in Kachin State, ensure humanitarian aid reaches populations in need, and reform or revoke rights-abusing laws. President Thein Sein, who is visiting Europe, and government representatives at the council continue to deny independent findings of continuing abuses in Burma, including those described in the Quintana report.

Pledges made by Thein Sein on November 19, 2012, on the eve of a visit to Rangoon by US President Barack Obama, included a promise to invite the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to establish an office in Burma, implement a mechanism to review the cases of political prisoners still in prison, end violence in Arakan State and hold accountable those responsible for attacks, and permit the International Committee of the Red Cross to resume prison visits and monitor conflict areas.

“The Human Rights Council should call for the fulfilment of these reform pledges and recognize that it has a prominent role to play monitoring their implementation,” de Rivero said. “Downgrading the scrutiny of the UN human rights body that has contributed so much to the current reforms would be premature and potentially disruptive of this fledgling process.” 

Human Rights Watch urged the Human Rights Council to call on the government of Burma to take the following steps to further the reform process: 

• Sign a memorandum of understanding on the establishment of an office of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in the country that has a full mandate for rights monitoring, protection, and technical assistance; 
• Fulfill the pledge to release remaining political prisoners and fully support the work of the political prisoner review mechanism established by the government in February; 
• Take all necessary measures to end human rights abuses that continue to be committed by the military, most notably in Kachin State, and hold accountable those responsible for such abuses; 
• Set a clear target date for the review of existing laws, decrees, and regulations that have been used to prosecute peaceful dissidents and otherwise violate fundamental rights, with the aim to revoke them or bring them into compliance with international human rights standards; and 
• Fulfill the pledge to “pursue sustainable political solutions that address efficient governance and rights of ethnic nationalities” in Burma. Addressing this issue should include amending the 1982 Citizenship Law, whose discriminatory provisions have been used to deny citizenship to most Rohingya Muslims and other minority groups. 

“The council should not let the government sweep the issue of minority rights under the rug,” de Rivero said. “This includes revising the 1982 Citizenship Law to end discrimination against Rohingya Muslims.”

BBC Impact

March 8, 2013

Burmese opposition party, the National League for Democracy, is holding its first party congress since it was formed more than 20 years ago. Delegates from across the country are gathering in Rangoon to set out new policies and to select new members for its ageing leadership. 

Meanwhile, the Burmese president Thein Sein is finishing his trip across Europe and will return home to a country whose recent reforms have been rewarded by the lifting of sanctions, but where ethnic populations are suffering violent assaults. 

Troops continued a raid on rebels in Kachin state in the east over recent months, despite the president's orders to cease. And in the western Rakhine state, tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims have been displaced amid clashes with Rakhine Buddhists, violence in which some say the state is complicit. 

Lucy Hocking's was joined on BBC World News by Baroness Cox, the founder of the Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust charity and by Nurul Islam, of the Arakan Rohingya National Organisation.

M.S. Anwar 

RB Analysis 

March 10, 2013

On 9th March 2013, a conference was held at Mahidol University, Bangkok, led by Dr. Aye Chan with the help of Rakhines living in Thailand in an attempt to rewrite the history of Arakan. Neither any eminent Rohingya leaders nor any member of Rohingya community was invited to the so-called International Conference on the History of Arakan. The reason behind not inviting any Rohingya member to the conference might be to easily distort history to suit their agenda and reject Rohingyas outright. However, having realized this, a few eminent Rohingyas including Mr. Htay Lwin Oo attended the conference that hindered Dr. Aye Chan from further falsifying the history. 

First speaker in the conference was J. Leider, a French Historian, and he avoided stating that would cause conflicts. And the second was Stephen van Galen, a Dutch Scholar and he, too, avoided mentioning anything that would result in conflicts. And the last one to give speech in the conference was Dr. Aye Chan. In his talks about “From Rakhine cross-border settlement to ethnic violence,” he followed their traditional make-belief fictional story that there is no Rohingya in the history of Arakan and the term “Rohingya” was the creation of Mr. Gaffar in 1951. 

As he bluffed on so and so increase of cross-border settlements of Chittagong people in Arakan from 1826 to 1975 to become the majority in Maungdaw and Buthedaung townships, he forgot to mention the cross-border settlement of his own father, Kala Chand, a Bangladeshi Barua, in 1950s. It was not really surprising to see such a bigot falsifying the history as such and inversing the scenario of how Rohingyas became majority in Maung Daw and Buthidaung Townships (Mayu Region). Before 1942 Massacre of Rohingyas, Rohingyas were more or less equally scattered in Arakan than Rakhines were. As the aftermaths of the massacre, most of the Rohingyas from interior Arakan were pushed towards the Mayu region. Never were they able to return home and so settled in the region. This is the truth what Dr. Aye Chan was trying to distort in the conference. 

In the question and answer session, Mr. Htay Lwin Oo asked “Sir, you are a historian. Didn’t you know that the term “Rohingya” existed in Arakan before 1800 CE? If you don’t know, please read this (page)… of this (book)….” Mr. Htay Lwin Oo handed over a photocopy of the book. Upon that, Dr. Aye Chan answered “Rohingya was a name used to call us, Rakhines.” When Mr. Htay Lwin Oo rebutted that the term “Rohingya” was not a term used to call Rakhines because the terms for “Sun, Moon and Earth” mentioned in the section of Rohingya language are not same to that in the section of Rakhine languages, Dr. Aye Chan was at his wit’s end and rather hurried to end the session saying “it is enough.” Please read French Researcher and Medical Doctor Francis Buchanan’s “A Comparative Vocabulary of Some of the Languages Spoken in Burma Empire, Page 55” written in 1799 CE (http://bit.ly/TFJ4JJ). You will find the words used by Rohingyas today, not by Rakhines, under the “Rooinga” language section. And you will find totally different words under the language section of “Yakain.” Besides, in that, it is mentioned that Mohammedans used to call themselves “Rooinga” or “Rovingaw.” Now you tell us “was the term ‘Rohingya’ used to call Rakhines? 

Therefore, it is pretty obvious for even someone with a zero-knowledge on history to identify that Dr. Aye Chan was living in Rakhine’s father-to-son myths and beating around the bush. On one hand, they say there is no term such as “Rohingya” in the history of Arakan and on the other hand, it was a name used to call Rakhines. After all, how many names did Rakhines have? Rakkha, Rakkhita, Arakan, Rakuain and Rakhine, Roshang, Rohang and now Rohingya? The Sino-Tibetan tribe of Mongoloid stock hijacked the land of the forefathers of Rohingyas in 957 CE and now, they are trying to hijack even their name. Cruel and shameless invaders indeed!! 

Disgracefully, Burmese domestic media such as Eleven Media Group, Rakhine Media Groups and their Social Networking Sites are rather spreading made-up information about the conference and wrong propaganda. They are spreading adverse information: Mr. Htay Lwin Oo ran away being unable to face off with Dr. Aye Chan, which was other-way-round in the reality. The truths will prevail soon as the videos of the conference are coming up. And disgustingly, Eleven Media reported ‘International Scholars Say No Rohingya in Myanmar’ (something they have never said) taking advantage of their silence but only to fool the naïve Burmese people. Maybe these international scholars were supposed and brought to the conference to be silent upon any statements by the bigotry Rakhine scholars. 

References: 

• http://bit.ly/Y2BKwP
• http://bit.ly/15G58ev
• http://bit.ly/Yl3EjP
• http://bit.ly/TFJ4JJ

M.S. Anwar is an activist and student in Malaysia. 

GEORGE TOWN: One hundred and twenty-six Rohingya refugees were found famished by local fishermen, as their cargo boat was on the verge of sinking at 2.5 nautical miles from Muka Head, Teluk Bahang here yesterday. 

The refugees, comprising 51 men, 35 women and 40 children, had spent 25 days sailing from Myanmar to Malaysia. 

Following a report lodged by the fishermen about 2pm, the Rohingyas were rescued by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA). 

MMEA (Northern Region) enforcement chief First Admiral Tan Kok Kwee said, at the time of rescue, the refugees, aged between two months and 50, were found cramped in their boat. 

"The Rohingyas looked tired and famished because food supply had run out, three days earlier, and they had to make do with just sea water. 

"The MMEA found a leak in the boat and mobilised a maritime ship, KM Nyireh, to rescue the refugees and tow their boat. 

Investigations are underway to determine who had brought them in," he told reporters here today. 

He said the Rohingyas were taken to the Limbungan Batu Maung Jetty about 10.30am and given food, as well as health check-ups. 

The refugees are now held at the Penang MMEA headquarters in Jalan Sri Bahari, pending a remand order.

Buddhist Nationalism in Burma: How Institutionalized Racism led to the Genocide of Rohingya Muslims, Tricycle, Spring 2013 by Maung Zarni

For those outside Burma, the broadcast images of the Theravada monks of the “Saffron Revolution” of 2007 are still fresh. Backed by the devout Buddhist population, these monks were seen chanting metta and the Lovingkindness Sutta on the streets of Rangoon, Mandalay, and Pakhoke-ku, calling for an improvement in public well-being in the face of the growing economic hardships afflicting Burma’s Buddhists. The barefooted monks’ brave protests against the rule of the country’s junta represented a fine example of engaged Buddhism, a version of Buddhist activism that resonates with the age-old Orientalist, decontextualized view of what Buddhists are like: lovable, smiley, hospitable people who lead their lives mindfully and have much to offer the non-Buddhist world in the ways of fostering peace.

Buddhist Nationalism in Burma: How Institutionalized Racism led to the Genocide of Rohingya Muslims, Tricyc...

M.S. Anwar 

RB News 

March 10, 2013 

Maung Daw, Arakan - Around 2AM this morning, a joint department of NaSaKa (Border Security Force), Police and Military together with some Rakhine extremists raided and looted two Rohingya houses in the village of Shujah (ShweZar), Maung Daw. Besides, of the two families that got looted, all the members of the first family were arrested and are now detained in the NaSaKa Camp No. 14 under the Commandment Area No. 6. 

“Around 2AM this morning, a joint department of NaSaKa, Police and Military together with some Rakhine extremists broke into the houses of Abul Shadar (around 60 years old) and his brother in-law, Ramzan Ali (around 36 years old) in the village of Guna Fara Village Tract of Shujah village. In the first house, Rakhine extremists stabbed Abul Shadar at his back and hit his wife and daughter at their heads as they tried to shout out. That left their heads bleeding and led them to unconscious state. 

Then, they looted Kyat 1Million and gold jewelries weighed around 245 gram. On top of that, they all (i.e. 11 family members) were arrested without any reason and are now detained in the NaSaKa Camp No. 14 under the Commandment Area No. 6. At the same time, the house of his bother-law, Ramzan Ali, also got raided and Kyat 0.5Milion and around 114 gram weight of gold looted” said a Rohingya from a nearby village. 

“It is very difficult to do anything when Rakhine extremists come together with the enforcement agencies and loot our houses. We can’t protect our lives, dignity and properties here. We don’t know what our future holds in the hands of these evils in human forms” he exclaimed.

Nizam Ahmed

Financial Express BD

March 10, 2013

A senior official of the United States (US) is expected to visit Bangladesh, Myanmar and Japan for a week from Tuesday next to discuss issues relating to conflicts in Myanmar and exodus of refugees from the country, officials said on Saturday. 

US State Department Senior Advisor for Myanmar Mr W. Patrick Murphy will undertake the tour at such a time when fleeing Rohingya refugees from Myanmar have become a matter of concern for neighbouring countries.

The intrusion of Rohingyas in the south and the southeast Asian countries including Bangladesh have increased following spells of communal riots between Rohingya Muslims and local Buddhists in Rakhine state, in western Myanmar since June last year.

Bangladesh, which has been hosting about 400,000 unregistered refugees from Myanmar, sent back several hundred Rohingyas who wanted to take refuge in the country fleeing the recent communal riots in Myanmar.

However, before sending them back, the refugees were given medical treatment when needed, food and even cash so that they can support them at least for a few days, according to officials of Border Guard Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka which have been hosting lots of Rohingya refugees since Myanmar riots last year, recently rescued hundreds of boat-people, mostly Rohingyas from the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean.

Senior Adviser Mr Murphy is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka Tuesday on a two-day visit to Bangladesh. He will also travel to Myanmar and Japan until March 18, said a press release of the US State Department made available to the FE on Saturday.

Mr Murphy will visit Rangoon, Naypyitaw and other Myanmar cities from March 13 to March 16, and the Japanese capital Tokyo on March 17 and 18, the state department said.

The senior adviser is expected to discuss with the relevant authorities in Dhaka and civil society groups on reforms and other recent developments in Myanmar.

"In particular, he will discuss US policies, conflict in Rakhine and Kachin States, and international support, including responsible investment, to strengthen reform and reconciliation efforts," said the press release.

Mr Murphy is also expected to pay a whirlwind visit to southeastern Cox's Bazar region to see the plight of the Myanmar refugees now living there, officials at the ministry of foreign affairs (MoFA) said in Dhaka.

"However the itinerary of Mr Murphy has no mention of a probable visit to refugee camps in Cox's Bazar district, but the arrangement will be kept ready in case the senior US adviser wants to visit the refugee infested region," a senior official at MoFA told the FE.

Like the US administration, Bangladesh has also a great concern on the Myanmar issues as tens of thousands of unregistered refugees from Myanmar have seriously affected socio economic situation in the refugee infested region.

The unregistered Rohingya refugees from Myanmar are now living in scattered squalid makeshift camps in southeastern region of Bangladesh near Myanmar border.

Besides the unregistered refugees, there are some 30,000 Rohingyas living in two official camps, run by the government of Bangladesh and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, near Cox's Bazar resort town.

The inmates of the official camps are the remnants of some 250,000 Rohingya refugees, who fled Myanmar alleging persecution by military junta in late 1991 and 1992.

Recently, hundreds of Rohingya Muslims trying to flee their native Arakans (now Rakhine state) of Myanmar or their makeshift camps in Bangladesh have been nabbed or rescued from the sea in recent weeks in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, India and Sri Lanka, according to news agencies.

Since the communal clashes began in Arakan State in June 2012, the number of Rohingyas fleeing by boats to neighbouring Southeast Asian countries has increased significantly.

News agencies say many Rohingyas flee Buddhist-majority Myanmar, which considers them illegal Muslim settlers from neighboring Bangladesh.

However, Bangladesh refutes the stance of Myanmar and claims that the Rohingys have been the residents of Arakan for several hundred years.

Meanwhile, the United Nations has recently considered about 800,000 Rohingya people of Myanmar's Rakhine state as the most persecuted people in the world.

With an estimated 115,000 people in Arakan displaced by the communal clashes, it is not surprising thousands more Rohingyas have fled from other parts of Arakan State not only by boat, but by air and overland too, say the news agencies.

M.S. Anwar 

RB News 

March 9, 2013

Maung Daw, Arakan - Around 3AM on 9th March 2013, five extremist Rakhine youths attempted to torch a house owned by Rohingya in Shikdar Fara (Myoma Kayintan), Maung Daw. Fortunately, the house owner happened to wake up in time to prevent his house from being torched. 

“Five extremist Rakhine youths came to the house of Zahid Hussain S/o Nurul Amin at around 3AM secretly and with them, there were petrol gallons and lighters. The house owner woke up and saw them trying to torch his house. When the house-owner and his neighbors chased them, four of the escaped and one got caught. Upon questioning, the Rakhine who got caught said that he was Minbraa Township and had been in Maung Daw for around 10 days. Then, he suddenly began to behave as if he was a fool. 

Later, the villagers informed the commander of the military battalion encamped at the High School in the village that they had caught a Rakhine trying to set fire to a house. The battalion commander, without even asking who he was, said “he is a fool” and asked the villagers to inform the Police. Police came and they, too, without even seeing him, said “he is a fool.” And Police released him. The guy was again seen traversing in the village in the evening of the day” said a Rohingya Elder from Maung Daw.

“There are curfew order imposed at night and two military camps at the two ends of the village. Police and Military always patrol at night. So, how could they come at night to set fire to the house? How could the commander say that he was a fool without even asking who was the person that got caught? If he was really a fool, why did he give some straight answers at first? Above all, why is he set free if he is a fool? There are a lot one can question upon. But we feel it is a CONSPIRACY to create violence against Rohingyas again, in which the enforcement authorities are involved. Now, we suspect that the six houses of Rohingyas burnt down in the village the night before might have been torched by the same fools” he continued.

March 7, 2013

Burma Campaign UK

March 8, 2013

British government receiving; ‘disturbing reports of the use of sexual violence by the military in Burma.’ 

On International Women’s Day, Burma Campaign UK is calling on members of the United Nations Human Rights Council to ensure that the Council continues to investigate serious human rights abuses in Burma, including sexual violence. There have been moves by some countries not to renew the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Burma, and for Burma to be downgraded from agenda Item 4; ‘Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention’, to Item 10, ‘Technical assistance and capacity building.’ 

UN Human Rights Council members will discuss Burma on Monday 11th March. 

The moves come just one week after a British Foreign Office Minister, Baroness Warsi, stated: “We continue to receive disturbing reports of the use of sexual violence by the military in Burma. We are concerned that the Burmese authorities have done little to investigate.” The statement came in an answer to a question in the British Parliament on 26th February 2013. 

“Since Thein Sein became President, we have received more, not fewer, reports of rape and sexual violence by the Burmese Army,” said Zoya Phan, Campaigns Manager at Burma Campaign UK. “The government of Burma continues to either ignore or deny its forces are committing sexual violence, instead of investigating and stopping the attacks. If Human Rights Council members end the mandate of the Special Rapporteur, they will be helping the Burmese government to cover up rape and other abuses. In their own countries if they helped a rapist get away with their crime that would also be a crime. There are double standards here and women in Burma are being left to pay the price.” 

Numerous cases of rape and sexual violence by government forces in the past two years have been documented in Shan State, Rakhine State and Kachin State. Reports are available online at: http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/index.php/campaigns/crimes-against-humanity/142/132

“It is not just naive but also criminally negligent to think the issue of rape and sexual violence in Burma can be addressed internally without international involvement,” said Zoya Phan. “Thein Sein has presided over an increase of sexual violence by government forces and has taken no action. He has a track record of allowing his soldiers to commit rape. When he was a commander in Shan State in the 1990s, the Shan Women’s Action Network documented 45 cases of rape by soldiers under his command.”