Press TV
April 4, 2013

A political analyst says the Islamic Republic of Iran has had a much stronger position in support of the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar compared to that of nearly all Arab countries.

The comment comes as the Human Rights Watch has called on Myanmar’s government to adopt effective measures aimed at putting an end to attacks against the Rohingya Muslims in the Asian country. 

In a statement released on Monday, the New York-based human rights group said security forces stood by and allowed deadly violence and arson attacks against Muslims to continue for days. The New York-based rights group then called on Naypyidaw to investigate the issue and bring to justice those responsible for violence in the central city of Meiktila between March 20 and 22. 

More than 40 people were killed in the chaos and 12,000 others were driven from their homes in the spate of violence. 

Press TV has conducted an interview with political analyst Intifad Qanbar in Beirut to further discuss the issue. What follows is an approximate transcription of the interview. 

Press TV: Mr. Qanbar thanks a lot for joining us. I wanted to ask you about the fact that we continue seeing Myanmar’s authorities being complacent in these attacks on Muslim communities. Why is the international community silent on that? 

Qanbar: Well before we talk about the international community we must talk about the Arab League most recent meeting and also the Muslim League which basically put the priority of Muslim lives situation in Myanmar not second but third or tenth or hundredth maybe. 

It is very embarrassing that a country such as Burma which is weak politically and economically and Arab Muslim countries and Muslim countries generally speaking could practice immense power and pressure on Myanmar, Burma formally to protect the Muslims from killing. 

It is very clear that the government of Myanmar is basically as you mentioned correctly in your report complacent about these attacks. I think we saw that countries like Qatar for example pressured to expel Syria from the Arab League and put in place the Syrian opposition and made absent the issue of the Bahraini people and so put up the life stake of Muslims in Myanmar of no importance in such meetings which is I think very important. 

I think the Arab League and the Muslim League should lead the world, the international community to pressure Myanmar. The Islamic Republic in Iran and Turkey had better stance and actions in terms of protecting the Muslims in Myanmar better than most of the Arab countries if not all. 

Press TV: the question Mr. Qanbar the ever present question is why, why is there this silence? Why is Myanmar giving these countries that they are so silent on this issue of attacks against Muslims? 

Qanbar: Well because there is a bias in the international arena and specifically in the West. 

I think the actions should start from here and the West will probably lead by practicing immense power through economical means and political means.

“The world This week” Program is a panel program which is for weekly World affairs Program. Last week panel was about Burma and discussed the Burmese state's position on anti-Muslim violence. 

The Panel was joined by with Waihnin Pwint Thon from the Burma Campaign UK, the President of the Burmese Rohingya Organisation in the UK, Tun Khin, and by phone, Justin Wintle, author of Perfect Hostage, a biography of Aung San Suu Kyi , chaired by Phil Rees, the former BBC journalist who directed 'The Hidden Genocide' (Al-Jazeera documentary on the Rohingyas).

Thousands of Rohingya flee religious persecution in Myanmar, many dying along the way. Thanks to Anonymous, #RohingyaNOW is trending on Twitter, but will it matter?

Press TV

April 3, 2013

An analyst says the sufferings of Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslims who are forced into slave labor and subject to horrendous human rights violation is reminiscent of the Palestinian plight. 

The comment comes as the Human Rights Watch has called on Myanmar’s government to adopt effective measures aimed at putting an end to attacks against the Rohingya Muslims in the Asian country. 

In a statement released on Monday, the New York-based human rights group said security forces stood by and allowed deadly violence and arson attacks against Muslims to continue for days. The New York-based rights group then called on Naypyidaw to investigate the issue and bring to justice those responsible for violence in the central city of Meiktila between March 20 and 22. 

More than 40 people were killed in the chaos and 12,000 others were driven from their homes in the spate of violence. 

Press TV has conducted an interview with political commentator, Mark Mason, in San Francisco to further discuss the issue. What follows is an approximate transcription of the interview. 

Press TV Mr. Mason first of all there is a lot of questions now on how involved the Myanmarese government is in the violence? 

Mason Well, they’re directly involved, the military junta and the military security forces are directly involved in citing conflicts between the Burmese, I will refer to the country as Burma if you will allow me in South Western Burma between Burmese Buddhists and the ethnic group called Rohingya Muslims. They are about 800,000 population in South Western Burma. 

About 125,000 of them have been driven off of their land; their villages burned; individuals have been murdered by state military troops, rapes, horrible crimes against humanity have been committed against the Rohingya Muslims in South- Western Burma. 

So here we have people who are effectively very much, the Rohingya Muslims are very much like the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. They are a stateless people. Burma has refused to acknowledge that they are citizens. They are a stateless people. People who don’t have citizenship. They are driven into slave labor working on roads, railways and pipelines. So this is a horrendous human rights violation here in South Western Burma.

RTT News

April 3, 2013

The European Union has demanded an investigation into the deaths of 13 children in a fire at a Myanmar Muslim religious school on Tuesday.

"The High Representative calls on the authorities to urgently conduct a thorough investigation that will leave no doubt as to the causes of this tragic incident," spokesperson for EU Foreign Policy chief Catherine Ashton said in a statement.

"The High Representative is deeply troubled by reports of deaths of 13 children caused by a fire in the dormitory of a Muslim school in Yangon. She expresses her condolences to the families of the victims," the statement added.

The pre-dawn fire on Tuesday was ignited by an electrical short-circuit, reports quoting officials said. The rest of about 75 orphans, who were accommodated in the building adjacent to a mosque, escaped unhurt.

Authorities ruled out foul play in the incident that occurred amid an upsurge in fatal sectarian violence between Buddhists and Muslims, which so far claimed more than 40 lives in central Myanmar.

All the victims reportedly were boys, who died of burns or smoke inhalation.

Yangon, formerly known as Rangoon, was the country's capital when it was called Burma.

Press Release: BRCA Raised Concern Over the Suspicious Deadly Blaze at Muslim Religious School in Yangon

Bernama

April 3, 2013

NUSA DUA, Bali -- Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa and his Bangladeshi counterpart, Dipu Moni, held a bilateral meeting to discuss the Rohingya issue, on the sidelines of the Fifth Bali Process Meeting, here, Tuesday.

Bangladesh, as the major recipient of Rohingya refugees, wanted to have in-depth discussion with Indonesia regarding the problem, Indonesia's Antara news agency quoted Marty as saying.

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees have migrated to Bangladesh.

"The point is how we could prevent the problem from becoming more complicated," he added.

In the meeting, the two foreign ministers also discussed the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Indonesia.

Minister Marty Natalegawa also held a bilateral meeting with Erika Feller, the Assistant High Commissioner of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) on the sidelines of the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime.

The UN agency expressed appreciation to Indonesia for the country`s contribution to the implementation of the Bali Process and to helping find solution to the Rohingya issue in Myanmar.

"They appreciate what we have contributed in the Bali Process and our contribution to finding solution to the Myanmar problem," the minister said.

Marty Natalegawa and his Australian counterpart are co-chairs of the Fifth Bali Process meeting.

Dr. Ali Al-Ghamdi

Saudi Gazette

April 3, 2013

A report recently published by the British newspaper The Independent said about 100 Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar died slowly of hunger after spending 25 days at sea on their way to find a new home. The report said this might be shocking to those who do not know what is going on in what is alleged to be the latest democracy in Asia. It added that news about the rape and torture of Rohingyas in the western state of Rakhine may also seem shocking to those who are not aware of what is happening to Muslims in Myanmar.

However, for those who closely follow the seemingly endless waves of threats, violence and torture of Rohingya Muslims, such news is not at all surprising. The Rohingyas are the weakest minority in Asia. They have been deprived of their citizenship rights in the country in which they have lived since birth. They have no right to education, health care or employment and are not allowed to own land. They have very few options. They do not want to leave their homes and the communities where they live for fear of the violence and intimidation by organized criminal gangs and also by border guards.

The report said that the world media has ignored the plight of the Rohingya Muslims except in very rare cases. It said that Western politicians have made a lot of noise about the Rohingya issue but have not done anything to put an end to their misery. It added that Western politicians have sent trade and economic delegations to Myanmar to conclude commercial deals with businessmen who have close links to the former military rulers of the country.

The British newspaper report said that international media and the world community have not done anything to help the Rohingyas who, according to many analysts, will face hunger and more violence and disease in the coming days, resulting in a terrible human catastrophe which could easily have been avoided. The report said the besieging of a number of cities in the Rohingya region including, among others, Maungdaw, Min Pya and Mrauk, could result in famine and mass starvation. 

The Independent quoted local sources as saying that whoever tries to leave these besieged cities is killed or apprehended. The sources also said the boats used by the Rohingyas to smuggle food to their besieged compatriots have been sunk by hostile groups from the state of Rakhine. It said massacres were committed at sea in which entire families were slaughtered.

According to the newspaper, those who succeeded in escaping the massacres were killed by Buddhist gangs coming from Rakhine on large fishing boats, and 97 Rohingya Muslims were killed in one day. The UN special rapporteur on Myanmar human rights Tomas Ojea Quintana issued a strongly-worded statement denouncing the violence between Muslims and Buddhists in Myanmar. He urged the government of President Thein Sein to adopt stern measures to end this violence which might adversely affect the process of reforms in the country. Quintana also asked the government to take drastic steps to put an end to the religious persecution of Muslims.

The rapporteur was referring to the appearance of extremist Buddhist groups led by Buddhist monks who orchestrate violence against Muslims and advocate the boycott of Muslim merchants.

He said that the government was warned about the dangerous activities of extremist Buddhists at the outbreak of violence last summer but that it has done little to stop the persecution of Muslims.

Quintana accused some government officials of openly encouraging hatred against Muslims and called for them to be brought to trial. He asked the government not to turn a blind eye to the violence against Muslims and to prevent its employees from doing the same.

The rapporteur also accused the police and the military of watching Muslims being physically abused without doing anything to protect them. He called for these military and police personnel to be tried in court and warned that the violence against Muslims might spread from the state of Rakhine to other areas.

The killing, rape, and torture of Muslims, along with the destruction and burning of houses and mosques are a shame on the face of the world especially of Muslim countries.

The strong warning to the Myanmar government issued by Muslim leaders during their extraordinary summit conference in Makkah last August has not led to political or diplomatic initiatives. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has not carried out the duties assigned to it by the summit. The OIC secretary general did not respond to the invitation extended to him by the Myanmar president to visit the turbulent areas. He only wrote a letter to US President Obama urging him on his visit to the country to ask the Myanmar government to grant the Rohingya Muslims their legitimate rights. It was as if Obama was going to Myanmar to discuss the issue of human rights with the country’s leaders and not to discuss trade cooperation and finding markets for US products.

The OIC recently opened a center for Rohingyas in Jeddah. The role of the center in rescuing Rohingyas from death at sea or at the hands of Buddhist gangs is still unclear. The OIC has moral, religious and humanitarian obligations to Rohingya Muslims. The organization should save them from the killing and rape. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has not said a word to protest what is happening to Muslims in her country. She must fulfill her duty as an advocate of peace to the human rights organizations who stood by her during her years of captivity. 

— Dr. Ali Al-Ghamdi is a former Saudi diplomat who specializes in Southeast Asian affairs. He can be reached at algham@hotmail.com

A Special Representative in the UN Secretary-General, has assessed the violence in Myanmar by stating “the support of the international community is necessary for the Rohingya Muslims.” for humanitarian aid / support of the international community needed.'' 

In an interview with Turkish media, Vijay Nambiar— a Special Representative in the UN Secretary-General—reminded that the attacks against the Muslim minority in the Arakan state of Myanmar have been ongoing since last year. 

Nambiar indicated that, according to the government’s figures, around 100 people lost their lives in the events last June, but other sources claim that the death toll was much higher. 

Emphasizing that the approximeatly 1.5 million Rohingya Muslims have been struggling with problems over the last 60 years, Nambiar stated: 

“The Myanmar government must solve the problems of the Rohingya Muslims problems as part of the democratization process. If this problem is not resolved on the basis of equality, the whole reform process will be negatively affected. First the physical problems of these people should be solved, their security should be guaranteed, and they should be allowed to return to the places they were forced to leave. The government should then make arrangements so that these two communities can live in peace arrangements. But since tensions are still high in the region, displaced persons will have to remain in camps for a while.'' 

Stressing that the support of the international community was needed for humanitarian assistance, Nambiar explained that political pressure on the Myanmar government could also be effective. 

Suggesting that regional countries and the international community also had a role in resolving the problem, Vijay Nambiar mentioned that countries in the region sometimes do not accept Muslims who fled Arakan. 

Meanwhile, the RISE advocacy groups has also called on other refugee advocacy groups to be more active in denouncing Paris Aristotle, Director of the Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture Inc, who has built his career as a self-proclaimed refugee advocate. 

Aristotle has called on the Australian Parliament to reassess the ''template'' for asylum seekers and refugees outlined in the Houston report devised by a panel chaired by former defence chief, Air Chief Marshall Angus Houston, and to reconsider the Malaysia swap deal. 

The Melbourne Anti-Deportation Campaign has responded to the Houston report by condemning “the absolute hollowness of the moral considerations that are presented as justifying an aggressive campaign of regional policy and border control.” 

The response report denounces the Houston report for “provid[ing] justification for the undertaking of misconceived deportations” and for how “In a bizarre feat of ‘humanitarianism’ the proposals made by the [Houston] Report make it not only admissible, but advisable to act in order to prevent family reunions for refugees.”

RB News 

April 2, 2013

Yangon, Myanmar - In a conspired blazing of an Islamic Religious School at 48th Street (Upper Block) in Botataung, Yangon, at 2:45AM this morning, 13 Hafiz (Learners of Quran by-heart) Students got burnt and consequently died. It happened when everybody was sleeping. 

Even though the government and some domestic media are spreading the news that the blaze took place due to the electric wire-shock and over-heating caused by the increase of voltage, according to the escaping students and the eye-witnesses, there was no electricity in the mosque and school area at that time and the school was actually set ablaze. (The school is adjacent to a mosque.) 

Shockingly, Eleven Media Group dominated by some racists had mentioned that “the burning took place due to the electric wire-shock” even before the confirmation of the Electricity Department. 

According to some local residents, five people in a car were seen driving towards the 48th Street at 1:30AM. 

As a teacher from the school came to know that the school was on fire, he started rushing to put off the fire. And he slipped and fell down stepping on kerosene-like-oil spread on the floor. His clothes are still wet with the oil. According to them, it was not an accidental blaze but a conspired one. The electricity transformer at the ground floor of the school only rang alarm much long after the burning had taken place. (Ref: Ye Yint Thit Sar) 

The actual number of the killed students is 13 though it was earlier rumored that 17 students had died. Their dead bodies were taken to hospital. 

A teacher from the school was arrested by Police while he was being interviewed by Media. Though the teacher said that the school was set ablaze using petrol, Police arrested him saying “the burning took place due to the electric wire-shock.” The teacher, too, had got burnt and his clothes were wet with petrol at the time he was arrested. (Ref: Sithu Aung Ibrahim) 

Eye-witnesses said that the clothes of the young students at the relief camps were wet with diesel oil and releasing its smell. (Ref: Kay Te Zat O) 

“Our school was a two-storey building. We didn’t know our school got torched in the beginning and when we came to know, it was on the extreme flame. Therefore, when we rushed and came down, we saw the ground floor was dispersed with petrol. We slipped stepping on the oil and fell down on the floor. We were 70 students in the school and 51 of us managed to come out and escape. We didn’t have any petrol stored in our school. The burning might begin from the shoe-shelf. Our clothes are still having the smell of petrol” said a 15-year-old student to M-Media. 

Besides, according to M-Media news, although there were 3 fire brigades at the burning site, only 1 brigade was putting off the fire. Therefore, people had to force other two to start to put off the fire. The shocking news was that the residents heard the fire-brigade sirens even before the burning had taken place. 

According to the eye-witnesses’ statements on social networking sites, the blaze was not accidental but conspired. The terrorists are now carrying out their destructive operations secretly because local elderly people are hindering them altogether when they (the terrorists) do so openly.

Maha Min Khant

RB Article

April 2, 2013 

President Thein Sein and lt- General Ko Ko of Ministry of Home Affairs have already pledged and confirmed stability and peace among communities in their recent respective announcements. if so how and why did the state servicemen and the persons behind secretly set fire the Madarasa which situated in 48th street, Yangon. That means president Thein Sein doesn’t respect his promise or that of the administration is unbelievable and untrustworthy. U Thein Sein government becomes nothing more than a gangsters in the sight of the world with power to punish meaninglessly the innocent people along the country all years round -- to be honest, would you agree to investigate by independent investigation panel to that secret massacre rather than cheating this and that to internal and external medias like before? Or should all Madarasa (religious schools) and Mosques be equipped with night goggle cameras and CCTV cameras to envisage the perpetrators for your credible references in case of need--- Or should Muslims be captivating the responsibilities to take care of themselves by their own-- then what is the use of the government administrative mechanism and its oath … Or intentionally, does this government selectively ignore Muslims' live, property, dignity, livelihood, safety and security--- If so, how does your excellence’s deceitful mission go like this way to bring in the faith of internal and international community' confidence and assurance to invest in this country with your begging money that recently you made up excellent trip along Europe and Australia, …..as long as the country is in-stable by one way or another, meaning some Rakhine political parties and that of extreme politicians plus disguised monks like Wirathu, and extremists from every corner can freely play or allowed them for dirty games time and again to spoil the calm situation gaining right now, there would not be any social stability among public, incoming foreign investment and heavyweight investors’ trustworthy on our nation. In this regards from the right point of view, please don’t let disguised monks terrorists to hate us; don’t let Rakhine Aye Maung, Aye Chan, and Aye Thar Aung play filthy political games which has been tarnishing our country’s image instead arrest these major culprits and take action bravely as soon as possible. And through these frequent attacks on innocent Muslims in everywhere of the country, I am afraid such an oppression and frustration will force to choose us counterattack, that is why please don’t push us to choose the way to protect ourselves from the open attacks and helplessness, worrying such a way of counterattack will destabilize the country--- and we helpless ordinary and very faithful Burmese Muslims do not want to be the open enemy against Myanmar society to revenge in return what we have been suffering from. 

Government should be responsible all the things happening good or bad without bias, two-faced policies or double standard and propagating the skyful lies via sisterly journals (Eleven Journal is the most worst cheated one), radio and TV, but the government should be helpful and graceful to find out the outstanding results which accepted by all parties—please don’t lay out master plan to hide the truth, don’t defraud more because to cover up a piece of bogus, it should have to bilk millions of bogus-- yet it wouldn't be sure that the truth will coming out as per your scam at last-- Islam is peace, the religion of peace-- please don't let the plight of Myanmar Muslims in the hands of Buddhist terrorists being jeopardized, frustrated and acrimonious—please be reminded that do you (president) remember the words of Aye Maung that once he said that if “the fire from Arakan was transferred or come over to proper Burma like today what has been happening along Pegu Division, then Arakan would become calm” ... Imagine how he has been horrendous with a full fledged architect to tear down the peaceful society of Burmese people-- how, he, a destructive democratic transformation has being carried out by Aye Maung, Aye Chan, Aye Thar Aung, Eleven Journal and other disguised monks like Wirathu who is the most pioneer in this project running forward--how many times you have shifted the timetable to bring the report of Arakan to your table-- again you have set a good time on April 23 which after new year---Is it really your excellence’s honesty?-- it is a big and obvious con again and again and in fact that will smear your all pledges you have made before and how many investigating commissions you have formed as of today to count on the entire destructions which were occurred not only Rakhine state but in Myanmar proper -- Do you remember what did you pledge at the Last UN session before international dignitaries in regards Arakan and its people, then what did you accomplish about that as of today -- but all the time, all your advisors who are very near around you have been the exaggerators of the state affairs—and false propagandists have been putting the country into abyss because they are not aware of 21st century situation—these people should be thrown away soon and the educated scholars who are aware of the all round reality and honest be employed to engineer your administrative mechanism —the current notorious executors near around you are very awful for the country and the administration too-- their manipulated action in president office seems you have decided yourself that you will happily sacrifice your life in terms of many lives fatality and much more things destruction in coming days in this beautiful land—believe it or not -- it has been very obvious that they (Rakhine extremists leaders) are open enemies and destructive forces of the entire Myanmar people who-- all the time have been yearning for peaceful democratic transaction—to restore peace and stability-- the perpetrators, who have been manipulating the state affairs, are to be needed to restrain urgently and arrest and punish under the state rule of law-- whilst all these provocative, rancorous and coordinated perpetrators are controlled by the just government without hesitant, and then I believe the state will become peace and tranquility prevail—without punishing these beasts very soon, it is expected that there would be more jeopardy-- and no one could imagine that the upcoming one sided, pre-planned and communal clashes, which benefits neither the government future plan nor the lives of innocent people of Myanmar. 

We all have composed dream for our nation (to be a peaceful democratic one) and I pray this dream really comes true. 

Maha Min Khant

RB Article

April 2, 2013

The following is a reminder to Mr. Rick Heizman who has written “History, issues, and Truth in Arakan/Rakhine state, Western Burma.

“After thoroughly reading the entire his editorial, it has been found that it is no different anthology than that of Dr.Aye Chan who has written about Rohingya, who are the ancient people or the earliest settlers of the region than other people, in Arakan state, as influx viruses for ten years ago. 

Aye Chan’s authored influx virus book didn’t gross any international academicians’ interest and appreciation as a book of referable, dependable, identifiable and trustworthy for good reference for international intellectuals and historians. The book is surprisingly disgusting and unacceptable. No one will accept and talk about that but as evil booklet-- because the book is targeted against innocent Rohingyas people, who are the descendents of Indo-Arians and they were all ancient Bengali- their faith was Hinduism -- who were later converted to Islam after 1203CE particularly. 

All prominent authors from international community have unanimous conception that “the inhabitant of Arakan state are Bengali people and before 10th century Arakan was an Indian land with a population of similar to that of Bengal”. We, nowadays Rohingyas people are 200 years earlier settler people than Rakhine Maugh people who believe Buddhism— that Buddhism religion was ours earlier until 1203 CE —later on they (Rohingya) converted to Islam after 1203CE. All international debates and discussions have already proved that Rohingya are neither sneakers, immigrants nor frugal race as accused by U Aye Chan shamelessly. They all concurrently regards Rohingyas are sons of the soil and of course Rakhine Maugh- who are the branch race of Burma and settled in Arakan later. Rakhine people conception is that Rohingya are immigrants who were hired as manual workers by British at British periods and Rakhine Buddhists are as if “sky fallen down race” in Arakan state. 

Recently, date on 09-03-2013, U Aye Chan could not defend himself and he said Rakhine are Rohingyas—what a ridiculous, outlandish and embarrassment from his side being as a Rakhine mulish academic. U Aye Chan is nothing more than a bull chit valueless person among educated guises. 

Anyway, my advice to Mr. Rick Heizman as a Rohingya activist is not to follow the path of fanatic U Aye Chan and other Rakhine hit and miss bogus history makers who do not benefit both communities rather create problem which will devastate entire community in future. 

In Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand, there was a ceremony on 9/3/2013 regarding Rakhine History which was sponsored by Aye Chan—Aye Chan said that he is Rohingya and Rakhine are Rohingyas. He could not prove and answer some questions raised by Mr. Htay Lwin Oo in regards Rohingyas spoken words which are used by Rohingya only. Evidently U Aye Chan was visibly defeated in front of the audience and it has been milestone both for Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims that Rakhine could undoubtedly recognize Rohingya that are earlier settler than Rakhine Mongoloid people who are descendant of Bamar tribe.

“BRAFA’s Appeal Letter to the President Barack H. Obama, Members of U.S. Congress, Secretary of State John Kerry, and U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on Religious violence and human Rights Violations against entire Burmese Muslim population in Burma”

To,

- The President of the United States

The White House

Washington, DC 20500

- Members of the United States Congress

United States Capitol

Washington, DC 20510

- Secretary of State John Kerry

U.S. Department of State

Washington, DC 20520

- U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations

Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

Date: March 28, 2013

Subject: - A fervent Appeal to use your good office for the protection and prevention of anti-Muslim Buddhists’ massacre against the Rohingyas and Muslims of Burma on humanitarian ground;

Dear Mr. President, Members of Congress, Secretary of State, and U.S. Senate Committee,

Most respectfully, we, the members of Burmese Rohingya American Friendship Association (BRAFA) would like to bring to your kind attention that the current situation of entire Muslim population in Burma is tremendously horrible and at bigger risk and the United States, United Nations, European Union, ASEAN as well as the world communities have been witnessing the anti-Muslim one sided Buddhists' violence against the Muslims of Burma particularly, the Rohingya ethnic community people in Arakan state since June-2012 which is still going on due to the Government of President Thein Sein's intentional blind-eye attitude and failure of appropriate strong exemplary punishment to the culprits of Buddhist religious extremists and racist monks.

Over the past week, Muslim religious buildings, Muslim owned shops, stores, properties and houses are being destroyed and burned down in central Burma of Meiktila, Yamithin, Pegu, Teggone, naypaydaw by the Buddhist extremists and religious monks in front of Burmese security forces and law enforcing agency personnel and then, this violence continued to spread all over the Muslim residing Townships, cities and other surrounding areas along central Burma including the former capital city of Rangoon (Yangon).

Because of current violence orchestrated in pre-planned way by the Buddhist monks, political party leaders and Buddhist extremist groups on March 20, 2013 taking opportunity from a simple argument between a Burmese Muslim gold shop owner and his Buddhist customer who was trying to sell fake gold in central Burma town of Meiktila resulted to at least 30 mosques and Muslim religious schools have been destroyed and burned down. Over hundreds of Burmese Muslims consisting of religious scholars, students, men, women, and children were brutally killed in the violence and set on fire and more than 20,000 Muslims were displaced and now they are sheltering temporarily in sports stadiums in central Burma.

Muslims in Burma are discriminated on the grounds of race and religion and hatred towards Muslims nationwide is a common practice by a group of racist, extremist and xenophobic Buddhist people at this moment because of instigation, false religious speech and mis-propaganda by the Buddhist religious monks, political leaders and Buddhist scholars. With the contemporary history of Burma, there were several anti-Muslim riots to make Muslim free zones in Burma by mass killing and torture time to time with strong master plan and roadmap. 

In this sense, we, the members of Burmese Rohingya American Friendship Association (BRAFA) earnestly call upon the President Mr. Obama, members of Congress, Secretary of State Mr. John Kerry, and U.S. Senate Committee to take appropriate action to end the current anti-Muslim sentiment and wrong propaganda in Burma and step up U.S. Government's diplomatic efforts to end the Rohingya and Burmese Muslims crises. The current crises and tragedies have evolved into Burmese government led repression not only against the Rohingya ethnic community people but also the entire Muslims of Burma.

After the extremists Buddhist Rakhines violence and massacre against the innocent Rohingya people in June-2012, in which many Rohingyas died and more than 120,000 Rohingya people were internally displaced and sheltered in the open-air prison like camps in Sittwe, Ratheydaung, Mrebon, Pauktaw, there is a growing humanitarian concern and human rights crisis which is not receiving sufficient international attention resulting the loss of many human lives.

The Burmese police, security forces and soldiers were raping, looting, torturing and arbitrarily killing Rohingya people and there have been mass arrests with Rohingyas who were kept in Burma prisons and police custody without trial, without food or medical services. Even, humanitarian aid is mostly being blocked by the Rakhine Buddhists and the local government agencies in Sittwe. Moreover, Rakhine mobs and Arakan state ruling authorities are refusing to allow the Rohingya people to go back to their own villages, shops and homes using ethnic cleansing tactics and showing unjustifiable reasons of concern against the Rohingya ethnic people.

In fact, the President of Burma Thein Sein himself has recently proposed a policy that is not different from ethnic cleansing, asking the UNHCR to arrange for Rohingya people to resettle to third countries saying they are not nationals of Burma. The current situation of Rohingyas is incredibly serious and it will continue to deteriorate further if timely action is not taken immediately.

We are fully aware of the US Government's active involvement and role with positive contribution to the cause of Rohingyas and Burmese Muslims since June 2012, but, due to maintaining soft diplomatic tune by U.S. Government, President Thein Sein was emboldened to feel that he would be able to expel all Rohingya people from the country. Without immediate strong international action, the situation will continue to deteriorate beyond the estimation.

A US led appropriate action needs to be taken now to ensure humanitarian aid can be delivered, arrests and human rights abuses can be stop, and the Rohingyas are allowed to return safely to their original homes and villages to start a new life.

We would like to fervently appeal all of you to take the lead in mobilizing the international community to respond to human rights and humanitarian crises against the Rohingyas and Muslims of Burma, but now seems to focus more on positive news with Burmese officials and activists rarely commenting on on-going serious human rights violations.

We would also earnestly request all of you to use every diplomatic and legal tool at your disposal to help bring an end to the current crises of Rohingyas and Burmese Muslims, mobilizing the international community and condemning the current one sided violence of Buddhist extremists Monks and the xenophobic mobs against Rohingyas and Muslims of Burma on humanitarian ground.

Thanking you all for your time and consideration to this appeal letter & wishing you all the success in your mission, we assure you that we are keeping you all in our prayers, and we remain,

Sincerely yours,

The Executive Committee Members

Burmese Rohingya American Friendship Association (BRAFA)

4818 South 14th Street

Milwaukee, WI 53221.

Human Rights Watch

April 1, 2013

Bangkok – The Burmese government should thoroughly investigate and hold accountable those who incited and committed deadly violence in Meiktila in central Burma from March 20 to 22, 2013. Decisive government action to combat impunity, end discrimination, and promote tolerance among religious groups is needed to end the tide of attacks against Muslim communities.

An estimated 40 people were killed and 61 wounded in the clashes between Muslims and majority Buddhists in Meiktila in the Mandalay Region. Satellite images analysed by Human Rights Watch show the scale of the destruction: an estimated 828 buildings, the vast majority residences, were totally destroyed and at least 35 other buildings were partially destroyed. Areas with near total destruction were concentrated within three locations in Meiktila measuring more than 24 hectares in total area west and northeast of the city’s main market. The destruction appears similar to satellite imagery of towns affected by sectarian violence in Arakan State in 2012, in which arson attacks left large, clearly defined residential areas in ashes.

“The government should investigate responsibility for the violence in Meiktila and the failure of the police to stop wanton killings and the burning of entire neighborhoods,” said Brad Adams, Asia director. “Burma’s government should have learned the lessons of recent sectarian clashes in Arakan State and moved quickly to bolster the capacity of the police to contain violence and protect lives and property.”

According to a needs assessment released by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of HumanitarianAffairs (OCHA), over 12,000 people were displaced by the violence in Meiktila and are in shelters around the town.

Since the Meiktila violence, attacks against Muslims have occurred elsewhere in central Burma, including Okpho, Gyobingauk, and Minhla townships of Pegu region. Soldiers reportedly fired warning shots in the air to disperse protesters in Pegu, and an estimated nine townships in Burma are under emergency provisions or curfew, limiting public assembly.

The spread of anti-Islamic sentiment and religious intolerance is a serious challenge to the rights of Muslims in Burma. Some well-known members of the Buddhist monkhood, or Sangha, have given sermons and distributed anti-Muslim tracts and directives that call on Buddhist residents to boycott Muslim businesses and shun contact with Muslim communities.

Burma’s 2008 Constitution contains provisions that ensure religious freedom and states that the government should “assist and protect the religions it recognizes to its utmost.” President Thein Sein’s office on March 28 called for “earnest effort[s] to control and address all forms of violence including instigations that lead to racial and religious tensions in the interest of the people in accord with the Constitution and existing laws.”

Such efforts need to be accompanied by strong measures, including holding those who planned, organized, and carried out the recent violence accountable, irrespective of the person’s position or the community from which they originate. The government should also make it clear that it will not tolerate incitement to violence, especially by clergy or others in positions of authority.

The government should also take urgent steps to ensure that the police respond impartially to violence. During the violence in Arakan State in June and October, police frequently sided with the majority Buddhist community against the minority Rohingya Muslim population. Frequently the police did nothing to stop the violence against Muslims and in many cases joined with Buddhist mobs to attack predominantly Muslim villages. 

“Burma’s government and political, religious, and community leaders should demand an end to the hate speech that has fuelled violence and discrimination against communities in Burma’s fragile multicultural society,” Adams said. “Decisive government action according to the rule of law is critically important to deter extremists and anyone else using violence to further economic, religious, and political agendas.”

Alex Caring-Lobel

Tricycle

In 2007, inspiring images of Burmese Buddhist monks leading their compatriots in demonstrations of civil resistance flooded the Western media. Just five years after the series of protests curiously referred to as the “Saffron Revolution” (Burmese monks wear maroon robes, not saffron-colored ones), Buddhist-led violence erupted in the western Rakhine state. Following a monk-led campaign against the Rohingya Muslim minority of Burma, recognized by the UN as one of the most persecuted minorities in the world, reports of rioting, killing, and the blocking of humanitarian aid to the Rohingya surfaced here and there in the media, devoid of the enthusiasm that the Burmese monks attracted back in 2007. 

Last Wednesday evening, over a Skype call to Indonesia, I spoke with Maung Zarni, a Burmese democracy activist, research fellow at the London School of Economics, and author of “Buddhist Nationalism in Burma” in the current issue of Tricycle, to try and make sense of last year’s anti-Rohingya violence and its historical roots. At the time, news was just reaching him of the spread of anti-Muslim violence to central Burma, which was to be featured by the most prominent Western media outlets by Friday. While Burmese state media reports the “official” death toll for the riots at 32, the number cannot be corroborated by outside reporters, who had to be rescued by Burmese police. (One AP photographer was reportedly held at knifepoint by a monk after snapping several images of the violence.) Following the riots, every witness that the New Statesman interviewed said that the police stood by and did nothing to stop the violence—accounts redolent of Human Rights Watch’s accusations of military complicity in last year’s massacres in western Burma. “Many here believe that this was pre-planned and that the official story, that it began with a dispute in a gold shop, is just a cover for violence against Muslims,” journalist Assed Baig reported on the recent riots. The violence in central Burma, perpetrated by a different Buddhist group (“Burmese Buddhists” rather than Rakhine Buddhists) who targeted Muslims of Indian origin, not Rohingyas, demonstrates a pattern of violence that does not bode well for Burma’s Muslims. 

Burmese native Maung Zarni has lent his voice to the Rohingya and other minorities in the predominantly Buddhist nation, advocating for their human rights and distinguishing himself by examining the social and historical causes of the current conflict. 

In the current issue of Tricycle you make the case for characterizing the current conflict between the Buddhist and Rohingya peoples in Burma as genocide. But such a conflict has a precedent in 1942, when there were a series of massacres of Rohingya Muslims at the hands of Rakhine Buddhists. How is this particular case different?

In a rather bad way, the current Rohingya genocide in Burma is a case in which different forces in society and politics have converged to create, basically, a living hell for this particular group. These forces include historically grounded Burmese anti-Indian racism that isn’t just directed against Muslims, but rather against the people of the Indian subcontinent. That racism arose out of the context of British colonial rule of Burma, which created a racially and ethnically divided economy—a colonial political economy—where the British occupied the top echelon of administrative positions and economic control. For some time beginning in the 19th century, British Burma and British India shared a border of over 1,000 kilometers long. Burma was actually annexed by the British Empire as a province of India. The British subsidized the migration of Indian skilled laborers as well as unskilled migratory labor for the new cash economy that they were building in Burma—oil, rice, industrial farming, and other sectors. Those from the then British India occupied the middle layer—the technical and commercial positions in that economy. In that ethnically stratified colonial economy, the Burmese citizens found themselves, for the most part, at the bottom. That triggered a very strong strain of popular Burmese racism toward the Indians. Of course, the Burmese also reacted strongly against the white man that ruled them, that dominated them and controlled them, and thereby achieved independence. 

Then, as you mentioned, in 1942, there were clashes between Rakhine Buddhists, who worked with the Japanese during WWII against the British and the allies, whereas the Muslims, Hindus, and others in western Burma worked with the British. So there is a colonial background to this narrative, to this conflict and the racism behind it. 

What’s the perceived threat of the Rohingya? One prevalent fear has to do with Islamic marriage customs. In Islam, or at least its popular practice in Burma, a Muslim person cannot marry a non-Islamic spouse, who would have to convert. Until she converts to Islam, she will be barred from wifehood. And if she’s not considered a wife, she will not be entitled to property, inheritance, and control of the children. I think that that has been one of the major points of contention between Buddhist society and Islamic minorities in Burma, where Buddhists understand this as a structurally imposed conversion of Buddhist women to the Islamic faith. 

The overall perceived threat, however, is that the Rohingya are agents of Islamicization. If you look at the formerly Malay or Indonesian Buddhist world, they used to be Buddhist, Hindu countries, but they were completely Islamicized by Muslim traders and others. The logic here is to preempt the growth of the Islamic population so that Burma won’t be susceptible to a similar type of Islamicization. 

What’s the role of the Burmese state and military in the current conflict? This is the most important element. After the military proxy party lost by a landslide in the most recent elections, they decided that the time was right to drive out the Rohingya in order to both curry Buddhist majority favor and demonstrate their relevance in reformed Burma. But you know, it's not possible for any state in this day and age to destroy an entire population of 800,000 to one million. Not after Nazi Germany. Instead, the military has created a situation where there would be communal riots. In doing so, the military state has attempted to do what amounts to outsourcing genocide. 

Here, I think genocide needs to be understood not simply as an act of overt violence against a population. If you look at the policies toward the Rohingya by the Burmese state over the past 40 plus years, it involves attempts to control their birthrate. If you attempt to control a people through population policies or restricting their movement—in short, creating living conditions so unbearable that the population would rather flee, risking their lives at sea or crossing a border—that is genocide. It is not just about how many people were killed. Of course that’s included, but it's the intent, the intent of the policy. Also, the use of the term “communal violence” between the Buddhist Rakhine and the Muslim Rohingya in the media is completely misleading. Of course there is a communal branch to this violence, but that’s only a small part of the story. The larger part of the story is the centrality of the Burmese military and the generals who have attempted to eliminate this population through different strategies. 

Why hasn’t any organization called this conflict genocide? No government, no international body, with the exception of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), is prepared to use the word genocide. Because if you do, it automatically triggers a sequence of policy action that would require the UN to intervene. But the West is no longer interested in punishing or isolating the Burmese generals. It has a different agenda, where human rights are being placed on the back burner in favor of economic reforms, the commercialization of Burma, and the opening up of the country as a new market—a frontier market. This has to do with the rebalancing of Western, especially American, power in Asia—as Obama put it, the Asian “pivot.” 

When commercial priorities assume center stage, the structural violation of the human rights of the Rohingya becomes less important. That's why I call this “the genocide that cannot be called genocide for political reasons.” Not because it doesn't qualify as genocide, but because the West has no political will to see through the actions that using the word genocide would warrant. 

How do the religions of the Rakhine and Rohingya come into play? I think to say that the intent to kill and expel the Rohingya has no religious undertone would be to greatly underestimate the anti-Islamic popular racism of Burmese society. This is not simply about the Burmese military state; this involves the society at large. And of course, the Islamic world is going to react strongly against the killing and destruction of a particular Islamic community. So there is a very strong religious element here. 

Just yesterday there was the looting, destruction, ransacking of Muslim businesses and Muslim homes in the dry zone in central Burma, in a town called Meikhtila. They were looting and destroying in broad daylight, under the nose of the police and military authority. This has nothing to do with the Rohingyas or the alleged illegal migration; it has everything to do with the fact that these businesses belonged to Muslim merchants and businesspeople. The public itself is involved in attacking anything that has Muslim signs. The irony here is that the Muslims do not control the Burmese economy. If any one ethnic group controls the Burmese economy, it is the Chinese. 

The Saffron Revolution of 2007 was touted as a new paradigm for what’s called engaged Buddhism—Buddhism involved with politics, human rights, and social issues. Now, with these same monks taking to the streets and terrorizing a religious and ethnic minority, are we getting a wakeup call? It seems that Buddhists, or “engaged” Buddhists for that matter, don’t hold any kind of privileged position of righteousness—that they’re just as corruptible as anyone else. The key is not to romanticize Buddhism at the level of popular practice. If you look at some of the worst genocidal conflicts in recent history—in Sri Lanka, for example, a very deeply Buddhist society—you see how Buddhist leaders and communities behave. There was the mass killing of the non-Buddhists Tamils in Sri Lanka after their surrender. And look at what’s going on now in the Islamic south of Thailand by the Thai Buddhist society and military. Why is the West holding onto this romanticized, fetishized image of Buddhist societies as peaceful, “mindful” societies when some of the most violent societies in the world are Buddhist? 

In terms of engaged Buddhism, well, I think the term is a misnomer, because Buddhism is about engagement with reality, and that involves poverty, that involves violence, and that involves our own individual greed. There is a disconnect between what Buddhists say they are and what they really are. What they really are, what we Buddhists really are, is as imperfect, as flawed, as greedy, as jealous, as violent as anyone else.

Mint Press News

March 31, 2013

RB News 

March 31, 2013

Maung Daw, Arakan - On March 12, 2013, a 15-year-old abnormal Rohingya child from the village of Waccha, (Nearby Alay-Than-Kyaw), Maung Daw, was abducted by NaSaKa (Border Security Force) from the commandment area (7). Now, NaSaKa is demanding humongous amount of money for his release. 

“Asmat Ullah S/o Umzul Haque is an abnormal child. He is just 15. NaSaKa from the commandment area 7 abducted him on 12th March 2013. He has not been released yet as his parents are unable to pay the money demanded by NaSaKa. He has not committed any crime. He was just abducted to extort money from his parents as doing so is so usual these days” said local Rohingya to RB News. 

Major Aung Naing Oo is the commander of the NaSaKa area 7 and under his commandment; Rohingyas are facing arbitrary arrests and with extortion of huge amount of money. Besides, a 25-year-old Rohingya youth from Tharay-Kunbaung, Maung Daw, was arrested by NaSaKa from the same area under the false accusation of using Bangladesh Phone Network (i.e. Bangladesh Sim Card). 

“On Thursday, 28th March 2013, at night, Jawat Ullah S/o U Rabi Ullah was arrested by NaSaKa from the camp 14, commandment area 7 under the false accusation of using Bangladesh Sim Card. Arresting Rohingyas by so accusing is so regular these days. And his family is unable to pay the amount demanded by the in-charge of the camp. So, he has not been released yet” said a Rohingya from Maung Daw. 

NaSaKa normally keep many Rohingyas in detention under different accusations and release them after the extortion of money. Sadly, they are not even sparing the above-mentioned abormal child and the youth from poor family background and it is believed that the detainees will be released after their demand has been fulifilled. 

On top of having been being tortured by NaSaKa, Rohingyas have to endure the troubles caused by Special Investigation Branch (SaSaSa). On 28th March 2013, the incharge of SaSaSa, U Aung Kyaw Thein, beat and arrested Kayfayat Ullah S/o Noor Ahmed, 26, from Alay-Than-Kyaw, Maung Daw. 

“Kayfayat Ullah was arrested under a forged case of taking part in the riot at the Bazaar of Alay-Than-Kyaw on 12th June 2012. He was beaten by the in-charge of SaSaSa on the spot and is now detained in the cell of SaSaSa. The in-charge demanded Kyat 500,000 from the family of Kayfayat Ullah. The next day, the family of Kayfayat Ullah got him released after paying Kyat 400,000. 

“Few days before this case took place, the elder brother of Kayfayat Ullah had faced with a similar arrest, torture and detention. He, too, had to bribe Kyat 400,000 to U Aung Kyaw Thein for his release” said a villager.

Many Rohingyas and Kamans lost their lives to the terrorist attacks by Rakhine extremists in Maung Daw, Rathedaung, Akyab (Sittwe) and other parts of Arakan state in early June 2012. 

Although Rohingyas have no arm-groups, Burmese domestic media and the former major and director of the president’s office, Zaw Htay alias Hmuu Zaw, via his Facebook Page spread a wrong propaganda and portray Rohingyas as if they were invading Arakan state and committing Genocide against Rakhines. Consequently, the violence against Rohingyas and Kamans took place twice: first round in June 2012 and second round in October 2012 respectively. 

Though the death toll announced by the Central Government of Myanmar happened to be only 180 people, in actual fact, there were untold numbers of Rohingyas and Kamans killed in the violence. Besides, hundreds of the victims escaping the violence died even in the sea. The violence has displaced more than 120,000 people who have now to live in the camps that are dire and worst in all angles. 

INGOs have been aiding them as much as possible and likewise, Turkey in cooperation with the government is also planning to build some cheap and temporary houses for these vulnerable people. However, on 7th March 2013, Rakhine extremists held protests in Sittwe and other townships and demanded to even cancel the mentioned resettlement programs. 

There have been rumors since last February that Rakhine extremists will trigger yet another round of violence against Rohingyas sometime in between March and April 2013 (i.e. during the period of Myanmar traditional water-festival). We have investigated through our internal reliable source to confirm its degree of reliability and found out that Rakhine extremists have already planned and programmed to massacre Muslims in Arakan state once in last week of March and the next in the second week of April. 

Eye-witnesses tell RB News that NaTaLa Rakhine Extremists, in Maung Daw, northern Arakan, have been being trained on how to use guns and swords since last February. Moreover, there were 300 Bama officers in Sittwe Security Force and now they have been replaced by Rakhine Security Officers. The trainings have also being given to them according to a reliable source. 

Although the forthcoming violence in the last week of March has been now widely known in Rakhine community, Rohingyas and Kamans are still totally unaware of it and will most likely be attacked all of a sudden. As before, there are plans to create false stories and spread wrong propaganda by the domestic media and the former major and director of the president’s office, Zaw Htay alias Hmuu Zaw, will take up his usual role of fooling naive Burmese people. 

Therefore, with a view to protecting the lives of the innocent civilians and the losses of their properties in the hands of the politically self-centered and vested-interest groups, we, by writing this highly alert letter, plead to the Government of Myanmar and International Government Bodies to seriously take this matter into consideration and to control the situation in advance. 

With Hopes, 

RB News Team

March 8, 2013