IRIN News

June 13, 2013

SITTWE - One year after Myanmar's worst sectarian violence in decades, tension between the Buddhist ethnic Rakhine and Muslim Rohingya communities in the country's western Rakhine State remains high. 

An estimated 140,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), mainly Rohingya Muslims, are spread across some 80 camps and makeshift sites, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Many more who were not directly affected by the violence have lost their livelihoods as a result of movement restrictions imposed by the authorities. 

IRIN visited the Rakhine State capital, Sittwe, scene of much of the violence, to ask members of both communities about the prospects for peace and reconciliation. 

Noon Na Ha, 35, Rohingya* IDP at Thea Chaung camp 

"Sure I would like to return to my village, but don't know if that is possible. My house was destroyed in the violence and I lost everything. Since then I have been living hand to mouth in this camp which is very difficult, particularly with the rainy season upon us. I don't have anything and have five children to feed. To get by I sell tea to the other camp residents and earn around 50 US cents a day. My children used to go to school, but now they don't, which is particularly hard. I don't know what will happen to them. Moreover, I don't know if we will ever be able to go back to our village. Reconciliation? That depends on the government at this point. Before the violence, I used to have a Rakhine friend, but I haven't seen her since everything happened and have no idea what happened to her. What would we say to each other?"

Daw Aye Nu Sein, ethnic Rakhine, spokeswoman for the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party 

"Conflict is nothing new between our communities, but given what happened last year [violent clashes in June and October] tensions are still high. Nothing is for sure. We don't want conflict. We don't want violence, but there are more and more Muslims [in Rakhine State] than ever before. The simple fact is they have more children than Rakhine people as they don't practice birth control. If we don't take control of the situation soon, the Muslims will take over as they did in the north. Even today, an increasing number of Bengalis * are crossing the border into Myanmar and nothing is being done to stop this. The government needs to sort this out, otherwise there will be more violence, and the only way to do that is by ensuring law and order, starting with the 1982 Citizenship Law. I would like to believe peace and reconciliation is possible, but it will take time. The vast majority of these people are not Burmese citizens, but illegal migrants. Of all the Muslims in Rakhine, maybe just 5 percent are actually citizens. Those that are citizens can stay - I don't have a problem with that - but the rest have no right be here. In the 17 townships of Rakhine, the ethnic Rakhine are still the majority. However, we need to keep this under control. We used to have mutual respect between the two communities. We viewed the Bengalis among us as guests in our house. Now the guest wants to take over the house, something we will never accept."

Daw Khin Htwe, 40, ethnic Kaman IDP and mother-of-three 

"I'm not Rohingya, but ethnic Kaman.** However, last year's violence did not differentiate between us. I am, after all, Muslim and married to a Rohingya man. Many ethnic Kamans are now displaced like me. My house was burned by an angry mob and I saw with my own eyes my mother-in-law struck down with a sword when she tried to stop them. As she lay bleeding, both she and her younger sister were hacked to death by an angry mob. My children witnessed this with their very eyes and two of my children were injured. Even today, they continue to have nightmares. We know who did this, but also know nothing will come of it. How can our communities ever reconcile if such crimes go unpunished? Will there be any accountability? Only if the authorities arrest and punish those responsible is there any real prospect for reconciliation. What will happen to us if we return to our homes now? It could happen all over again." 

U Aria Van Sa, 40, ethnic Rakhine, head monk of the Shwe Zaydi Monastery in Sittwe 

"The root cause of this conflict is really about land occupation. The Bengalis have already taken over much of the north of the state and are now trying to do the same in Sittwe. Even today, more and more Bengalis are entering the country illegally and the authorities aren't doing anything to stop it. We will never allow this. If we do, there will be no place left for the ethnic Rakhine people. In Maungdaw Township, 96 percent of the population are Bengalis, while just 4 percent are ethnic Rakhine. This is proof of what the Bengalis are trying to do. It's all part of a grand design by Muslims to take over the world. We've seen this already in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Indonesia which were once Buddhist countries. Now they are Muslim. How did this happen? Clearly this is what is happening in Rakhine State today. 

As for the Bengali IDPs who are not citizens under the law, clearly they are refugees and should be treated as such. They should be kept in camps and provided humanitarian assistance. Otherwise, they can return to Bangladesh. Under no circumstances should they be allowed to settle outside the camps, nor enter the community without proper authorization. If a third country wants to take them, that's fine. That's for them to decide. They are refugees and have this right. Reconciliation? The Rakhine people have lost their trust with the Bengali people living amongst them. It will take a long time to rebuild that."

Kyaw Hla Aung, 73, IDP and Rohingya activist and lawyer 

"I would be arrested if the authorities knew where I was as they see me as a political threat, as an instigator of sorts. However, my only crime is being an educated man and a Rohingya man at that. I stood for parliamentary elections in 1990 with the National Democratic Party for Human Rights, but was arrested by the authorities and sentenced to 14 years in prison due to earlier involvement in a court case involving a group of farmers whose land had been confiscated by the township government. I was later released in 1997 at which point I joined Médecins Sans Frontières Holland as an administrative officer in Sittwe. 

I used to live downtown and my family's home of more than 68 years was destroyed on 11 June 2012. All my books and legal documents were destroyed. I lost everything. The mob didn't burn my house because they were afraid my neighbours' home, which belonged to an ethnic Rakhine family, would also catch fire. Instead they destroyed my home by hand and with pickaxes. One year on, the prospects for reconciliation remain poor as neither the government nor the Rakhine people want it. Instead, they are taking the opportunity of our forced segregation to seize our land and property. Our only hope now is with international pressure on the Burmese government."

Noor Nahar, 50, Rohingya IDP and mother-of-four 

"My husband lives and works in Saudi Arabia so I'm alone here. When the clashes started, I never expected them to escalate like this. We lost everything in the violence and I couldn't bear to tell my husband that everything he had ever worked for was gone. Now we are IDPs and dependent on outside assistance for everything. It's strange as earlier I had many Rakhine friends and we had good relations. In fact, each Sunday we would visit each other's homes, and they would visit me during Muslim religious holidays. I had no problems with them and simply can't understand what happened. It happened so fast. Surely, there must have been people instigating this as many of these people were my neighbours. I would like to think reconciliation is still possible, but it really depends on the government. I want to be hopeful, but so far they aren't doing anything."

Kaung San Ree, 70, ethnic Rakhine, editor of the Rakhine State News Journal 

"We have always had doubts and suspicions about the Bengalis living amongst us [in Rakhine State] and last year's violence proved it. This is a very complex problem and one year on, there hasn't been any progress. Even their insistence on the usage of the word Rohingya is problematic; something we will never accept. There is no such thing as a Rohingya person in Rakhine State, nor has there ever been. The British brought these people here. To be frank, usage of that word is just an attempt to create some kind of new state, to gain some kind of ethnic legitimacy in Myanmar, something we will never accept. As long as they continue to use their word, the conflict will never be resolved. We call them Bengalis because that's where they came from, and that's where they belong. The 1982 citizenship law is the best solution to resolving this problem. Those Muslims who can prove they are citizens - and they are the minority - should be allowed to stay, while the rest should be placed in refugee camps in accordance to the law. And no, under no circumstance should they be allowed back into the community."

Aung Win, 57, Rohingya IDP and father-of-three 

"How can we ever reconcile if we are segregated like this? It really depends on what the government does at this point. However, unfortunately they can continue to practice a `divide and rule' policy between us. Even today, you can see that in the levels of assistance being provided which is not equal. I want to live in peace. My neighbours back home were ethnic Rakhine and even today many of them are trying to be supportive to my family and I in the camp, which is very encouraging. Maybe the prospects for reconciliation are not good, but I'm trying to be hopeful.

Khin Myat Wai, 18, ethnic Rakhine, waitress

"I have lived four years in Sittwe and never expected to see the violence I witnessed last year. Sure there had been incidents in the past, but never like this. Relations between the two communities had always been peaceful. Then one night I looked out my window and saw Bengali people running around lighting peoples' homes on fire. It was terrible. Many homes were on fire, both Rakhine and Bengali. I don't have any Bengali friends, but before the violence many of our customers were Bengali. Reconcilation? That might be possible, but it really depends on the Bengali people. After all, they are the ones that started this. However, personally, I think too much has happened between the two communities. It just might not be possible. The trust is gone and now most Rakhine people hate the Bengalis." 

*Ethnic Rakhines reject the term Rohingya and use the term Bengali instead. 

**The 1982 Myanmar citizenship law recognizes the Muslim Kaman population as one of the country's 135 official ethnic groups. 

Associated Press

June 13, 2013

Malaysia's government on Thursday warned immigrants from neighboring Myanmar not to restart sectarian clashes that recently killed four people. 

The fighting in several neighborhoods around Kuala Lumpur earlier this month triggered worries in Malaysia that tensions between Myanmar's Buddhists and Muslim minority had spilled over to a country that hosts hundreds of thousands of Myanmar nationals. 

Malaysian police are holding 250 Myanmar citizens from a security sweep following the violence because they were found without valid immigration documents. It is not clear whether they would be charged in court or deported. 

"The quarrel they have back home is brought to our country,'' Malaysian Deputy Home Minister Wan Junaidi Jaafar told reporters after a meeting with Myanmar's deputy ministers for foreign affairs and labor. 

Police are now monitoring locations where Myanmar immigrants are known to work, the home ministry said in a statement. 

Myanmar Deputy Foreign Minister U Zin Yaw said rival gangs in Kuala Lumpur appeared to have used religious grievances as an excuse to start fights that were not directly related to waves of violence targeting mostly members of the Muslim Rohingya community in Myanmar in the past year that killed several hundred people.

BBC News

June 12, 2013

A Burmese Muslim man has been sentenced to 26 years in jail for an attack on a Buddhist woman that led to at least two days of violence in Shan State in May.

Nay Win, 48, was convicted for setting the woman alight at a petrol station.

After the attack, Buddhist youths armed with sticks roamed the streets in the town of Lashio in search of Muslims.

In recent months there have been several clashes between the two communities throughout Burma, but so far only Muslims have been jailed.

In March, at least 43 people - mostly Muslims - died in violence that erupted after an argument at a Muslim-owned shop in the central town of Meiktila.

The owner of the shop and nine other people, also Muslims, were imprisoned last month for that violence.

Ethnic violence in Rakhine state last year left nearly 200 people dead and forced tens of thousands of people from their homes.

The conflict that erupted in Rakhine involved Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims, who are not recognised as Burmese citizens.

Burns

Nay Win, described by state media as a drug addict, was convicted on Wednesday of intent to kill, assault and drug use by a court in Lashio.

The victim, 24, suffered burns in the attack, police say.

At least one person was killed and a mosque and orphanage burned down in the ensuing violence, which reportedly erupted after police refused to hand over Nay Win to a crowd.

"We arrested about 60 people found by security forces with sticks and knives during the violence," police spokesman Major Moe Zaw Linn told the AFP news agency.

He said that Nay Win was the first person to be convicted in relation to the violence.

Correspondents say that various episodes of religious unrest - mostly targeting Muslims - have exposed a deep divide in the Buddhist-majority country and cast a shadow over widely acclaimed political reforms which began when military-rule ended two years ago.

Karen News

June 12, 2013

Britain’s Foreign Office Minister says investigation into ethnic conflict in Burma is needed. 

Britain’s Foreign Office Minister Baroness Warsi noted in parliament that “independent investigative work” is required for “an informed assessment as to whether ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity have been committed” in Burma.

The statement came on Wednesday, 5 June, in which Baroness Warsi was speaking in a debate on Burma in the House of Lords.

The Minister stopped short of proposing a way to set up an independent international investigation, as called for by Human Rights Watch.

The remarks come as international concern grows over the treatment of Burma’s ethnic Rohingya. Ethnic tensions between segments of Burma’s Buddhist majority and the minority Muslim Rohingya have led to riots and displaced thousands, leading to a “humanitarian crisis” according to HRW.

In April HRW published a report, ‘All You Can Do Is Pray’, which provided evidence that ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity had been committed against the ethnic Rohingya of Burma. The report documented that up to 125,000 Rohingya have been displaced in Burma.

“If British government platitudes were an effective policy tool, we have had so many that Burma would be the freest society in the world by now”, said Mark Farmaner, Director of Burma Campaign UK, a human rights advocacy group based in the UK.

Mark Farmaner said that it was a meaningless gesture for Britain to ask Burma’s government to conduct an independent investigation.

“The British government know full well this will never happen. Almost every UN General Assembly Resolution on Burma for more than 20 years has made similar calls for investigations into abuses. The only way any investigation will happen is if an international investigation is set up.”

Britain, as well as other countries such as the Japan and the United States, continues to receive criticism from human rights groups over their decision to lift economic sanctions while Burma’s ability or willingness to uphold human rights continues to be patchy at best.

“The British government is moving at breakneck speed to embrace the government of Burma, despite the country still having one of the worst human rights records in the world.” Burma Campaign UK said in a statement released to the media.

Adding to the controversy is Britain’s decision to send another trade delegation to Burma led by Lord Green, following an earlier one in December, despite the fact that the UK has yet to lead a human rights mission to Burma.

Mark Farmaner, Director of Burma Campaign UK, hit out at the British government for its stance on Burma and said.

“In its rush to embrace President Thein Sein and seize business opportunities, the British government is prepared to look the other way and take no action to try to prevent ethnic cleansing and mass rape in Burma.”

RTT News

June 12, 2013

The United States on has expressed concern over reports that the Myanmar (formerly Burma) government is planning to implement a population control regulation that restricts ethnic Rohingya Muslims in the country's west to having a maximum of two children.

The U.S. reaction came after Myanmar's Immigration Minister Khin Yi publicly supported the controversial two-child limit on the Rohingya Muslim minority group. Notably, Myanmar's opposition leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Kyi and the United Nations have already denounced the planned regulation as "discriminatory."

U.S. State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said at a news briefing on Tuesday that Washington was "deeply concerned about reports that some officials in Burma plan to enforce or have said they plan to enforce a two-child limit for Rohingya Muslims."

"The United States, of course, opposes coercive and discriminatory birth limitation policies, and we have pressed senior Burmese Government officials to abolish this local order. We urge the Government of Burma to eliminate all such policies without delay and we will continue to express our concerns," she added.

Earlier, the U.N. had urged Myanmar "to remove such policies or practices" after local authorities confirmed plans to impose the two-child limit for Rohingya Muslims under a 2005 regulation late last month.

Separately, Suu Kyi said the two-child regulation imposed on ethnic Rohingya was illegal, adding: "It is not good to have such discrimination. And it is not in line with human rights."

Meanwhile, the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) noted that implementation of the policy was consistent with the wider persecution of the largely stateless Rohingya, violating international human rights protections, and endangering women's physical and mental health.

"Implementation of this callous and cruel two-child policy against the Rohingya is another example of the systematic and wide ranging persecution of this group, who have recently been the target of an ethnic cleansing campaign," said Brad Adams, Asia Director at HRW.

The rights watchdog noted that some 800,000 to one million Rohingyas in Myanmar are particularly vulnerable to government abuse because most are denied citizenship under the country's discriminatory 1982 citizenship law.

Notably, the recent pro-democracy developments in Myanmar have been overshadowed to an extent by the ongoing ethnic violence between Buddhist and Rohingya Muslim communities. Continued violence had left dozens dead and thousands displaced, mainly Rohingya Muslims.

Thousands of majority Buddhists, led by monks, had participated in crimes against humanity during a campaign of ethnic cleansing against Rohingyas and other Muslims in June and October 2012. To date, no one has been held accountable for these crimes.

Pauk Vrieze

The Irrawaddy

June 12, 2013

RANGOON — The UN human rights rapporteur for Burma Tomás Ojea Quintana has condemned a shooting incident that killed three Rohingya women in Arakan State last week, calling it a “shocking example” of how government security forces continue to mistreat the Muslim minority “with complete impunity.”

On June 4, local authorities ordered a group of Rohingyas living in makeshift homes in Parein Village, Mrauk-U Township, to leave their village and relocate to another site. When they protested against the order police opened fire on the villagers, killing three women, and injuring five villagers

“The fatal shooting last week of three Rohingya women participating in a peaceful protest in [Arakan] State is the latest shocking example of how law enforcement officials operate with complete impunity there,” Quintana said in a statement released on Tuesday.

He said that Burma’s government should conduct an impartial investigation into the deadly shooting and other gross rights abuses committed by security forces against the Rohingyas, which the UN envoy said are “widespread and systematic.”

“However, since the violence in [Arakan] State first erupted last June, I have seen absolutely no evidence that the government is fulfilling this obligation,” Quintana said.

His comments come ahead of a statement on Burma by the President of the UN Human Rights Council, which is expected this week.

One year ago, waves of blood inter-communal violence broke out between Rohingya Muslims and Arakanese Buddhists. Some 140,000 people, mostly Muslims, were displaced by the unrest, which killed almost 200 people.

The government, which has deployed thousands of armed security forces in the region, has been accused of actively supporting the Arakanese mobs and of committing a wide range of human rights abuses against the Rohingya population, including confining them to camps and villages.

Burma’s Buddhist-majority government rejects the citizenship claims of the Rohingyas and stresses that they are “Bengalis,” who crossed into Burma illegally from Bangladesh in the past decades. The Rohingya insist they have lived in Arakan State for many generations.

Shwe Maung, a parliamentarian with the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party, said some villagers involved in the shooting incident had told him that they were shot at simply because they had objected to being relocated.

Shwe Maung, who comes from the Muslim-dominated constituency of Maungdaw Township in Arakan State, said the incident was “a clear-cut case of human rights violation,” as police should have never opened fire on an unarmed crowd. “They could have shot in the air, they could have used teargas or rubber bullets,” he added.

The lawmaker said however, that UN rights envoy Quintana had put out his statement too soon, as a thorough investigation into the incident should be conducted first to gather all the facts. “If he now already says that it happened with impunity, I would not agree,” Shwe Maung said.

Myo Thant, a Rohingya politician with the Maungdaw-based Democracy and Human Rights Party, said villagers had told him that the police opened fire without any provocation by the villagers.

“The officials came and said that they will move them to a refugee camp,” he said, “But they villagers didn’t want to go, they are afraid they will lose their land, and that they will have to stay in the camps, or have to go another country.”

Since the shooting, he said, police had come to the village to arrest 30 men and boys, adding that authorities were trying to accuse the Rohingyas of having resisted government orders in order to make them culpable for the incident. “They are accused of disturbing the policemen while they are carrying out their duties,” he added.

June 12, 2013

UN News Centre

June 11, 2013

The fatal shooting of three Rohingya women is the latest example of law enforcement officials operating with complete impunity in western Myanmar, an independent United Nations expert today said, calling on Government authorities to investigate the incident.

“The human rights violations being committed against the Rohingya in Rakhine State are widespread and systematic and there continues to be absolutely no accountability for what is occurring there,” said the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, Tomás Ojea Quintana.

Calling for authorities to investigate all reported violations of human rights against the minority group, he added that there is no way of “glossing over this state of affairs” with the genuine progress that is being made in other areas.

The police reportedly fired indiscriminately on 4 June into a crowd of Rohingyas protesting peacefully against the proposed location of new shelters in Pa Rein village. Their homes had been destroyed last year during inter-communal violence. In addition to the three women killed, at least five other people were reportedly injured. 

Mr. Ojea Quintana said Government authorities have “an obligation to conduct prompt, thorough and impartial investigations” into such accidents and hold those responsible to account.

Since the violence in Rakhine State erupted last June, “I have seen absolutely no evidence that the Government is fulfilling this obligation,” he added. 

In his report to the Human Rights Council in March, the Special Rapporteur said he had received consistent and credible allegations of a wide range of human rights violations being committed against the Rohingya and wider Muslim population in Rakhine State. These include “sweeps” against Muslim villages, arbitrary detentions, sexual assault and torture. 

Restating the offer he made in the report, Mr. Ojea Quintana said that if the Rakhine Investigation Commission fails to properly address such allegations of human rights violations, he will offer his support to the Government to pursue further investigations. 

“I reiterate my offer of support to the Government to address the impunity which is enabling widespread and systematic human rights violations to continue against the most vulnerable of all ethnic minority groups in Myanmar,” he noted. 

The President of the Human Rights Council, Remigiusz Henczel, is expected this week to make a statement on Myanmar.

Independent experts, or special rapporteurs, are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back, in an unpaid capacity, on specific human rights themes.

RB News

June 11, 2013

Mrauk-U, Arakan – The Rohingyas living in Mrauk-U Township have been facing difficulties to lead normal lives due to continuous restriction on freedom of movement and security since the anti-Rohingya violence broke out there in October 2012. 

Zizar Muslim village is one of the villages that face extreme hardship for survival in that region. Regardless of age and gender, villagers have to work hard for their daily meals which at many incidents put their lives in danger.

Eleven years-old Kurshida D/o Nur Hussein was an underage girl who has to work hard to feed her family. To save the family from starvation, she decided to sell vegetables in Pi Pyin Yin Muslim village so that she can earn something to support her family. So today morning she left from her village to sell some vegetables in Pi Pyin Yin village although she knew that the journey to Pi Pyin Yin village involved risk as it passed near a Rakhine village. 

The villagers from Zizar presumed that Kurshida has walked far away from A Htoke Thay Ma Rakhine village as she was aware of the danger of passing nearby a Rakhine village. 

The Military from Rathedaung Township is also stationed at A Htoke Thay Ma Rakhine village for providing security to the people around the region. Despite the military’s presence, she was brutally killed in day light and her body was dumped under the Laymyo Sar Bridge which is located nearby military camp according to the villagers.

“We found Kurshida’s dead body under the Laymyo Sar Bridge at 4:20 pm. The bridge is nearby military camp. Her body was hacked into two pieces.” a villager from Zizar told to RB News. 

The villagers reported the authorities immediately after they found the dead body but it seems that the authorities are not interested to take any action against the murder of an innocent Rohingya girl which is very usual in Rakhine State these days. The villagers said “we think they won’t take any action”.

Rashvinjeet S. Bedi

The Star Online

June 11, 2013

PETALING JAYA: For the past two weeks, Myanmar national Muhammad Sadek, 41, has not stepped out of his house for fear of losing his life. 

However, on Monday, the Rohingya Arakanese Refugee Committee (RARC) program co-ordinator took a chance and went back to work at a Myanmarese restaurant near Kotaraya. 

However, when he arrived there, he was pursued by two people who appeared to want to do him harm. 

These were people whom he knew personally, and both happened to be Buddhists. 

"They were once my friends, but not anymore. We used to work on political issues together but the issue has now gone back to religion," said Safiq, who is staying put at home for the time being. 

Several violent clashes between Buddhist and Muslim Myanmar nationals have occurred in the Klang Valley, resulting in the death of two and another two in critical condition. 

Mohd Sadek claims he was targeted because of his work with the Muslim Rohingya community, considered by the United Nations to be one of the world's most-persecuted minorities. 

However, mindful that sectarian violence could touch a nerve with local communities, police have been quick to clamp down on any incidents here. 

Last Friday, Malaysian police detained more than 1,000 Myanmarese workers in Sentul, Cheras, Brickfields and Dang Wangi. 

The clashes in Malaysia reportedly started in Selayang before spreading to other parts of the Klang Valley. 

The violence has been linked to recent clashes in Myanmar between Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims in the Western state of Rakhine. 

Thousands of people, mostly Rohingyas, have been displaced by the clashes, when entire Muslim neighbourhoods were reportedly razed. 

The clashes first started in June last year, and tensions were re-ignited again last October and more clashes took place in March this year. 

"The Myanmar government is committing genocide against the Rohingya," claimed Sadek. 

There have also been a number of sectarian clashes between the Burmese majority and other minority groups such as the Karen, Shan and Chin. 

Myanmar is a predominantly Buddhist country, but approximately five percent of its 60 million inhabits (about three million) are Muslims. 

Selayang MP William Leong Jee Keen said that Malaysians are concerned with this issue because they are many Myanmar nationals living here, especially in Selayang. 

He added that based on the testimony of the victims, these attacks were not committed by armed and organised groups. 

"If they start chopping one another, our locals could also be wrongly targeted," he said, adding that the Myanmar nationals deserved protection. 

There are an estimated 400,000 Myanmar nationals in the country those with refugee status or working here legally or illegally. Most are working in the restaurant and construction sectors. 

As of May this year, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has registered some 28,120 Rohingya asylum-seekers and refugees in Malaysia. 

Malaysia is a favoured destination for the Rohingya, whom the Myanmar government classifies as Bangladeshi immigrants and have been denied citizenship of the country. 

Sadek pinned the blame on the infamous 969 movement in Myanmar, a radical right-leaning Buddhist organisation. 

"We are here on humanitarian grounds and don't want to trouble Malaysians," he said. 

An official from an NGO working with refugees says there has not been much information regarding violence in Malaysia, but said some attacks have been indiscriminate, targeting anyone from Myanmar. 

He gave the example of a Christian refugee from Myanmar who suffered a broken hand and injuries to his eye and face. 

President of the Burma Campaign Malaysia, Tun Tun looks disparagingly on the recent clashes here. 

"We have been living and working peacefully together all this while. We are foreigners and must follow Malaysian law," he said. 

He claims that the Myanmar government is trying to create trouble ahead of the upcoming 2015 elections. 

In the 2012 Burmese by-elections, the main opposition party National League for Democracy (NLD), won 43 out of 44 seats it contested from a total of 46 seats. 

Tun Tun explained that the government wanted to put democracy icon and NLD general secretary Aung San Syu Kyi in a difficult situation. 

"Aung San Syu Kyi can't speak out for the Rohingyas because the Buddhist majority might not support her then," he said. 

Tun Tun claims that many Myanmar workers in Malaysia have posted anti- Muslim messages on social networking sites.

Jason Szep and Andrew R.C. Marshall

Reuters

June 11, 2013

Myanmar's Immigration Minister has expressed support for a controversial two-child limit on a Muslim minority group that opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the United Nations call discriminatory and a violation of human rights.

Khin Yi, Minister of Immigration and Population, is the most senior official to publicly support the recently announced enforcement by local authorities of a two-child policy in northwestern Rakhine State for Rohingya Muslims, a stateless minority termed "Bengalis" by the Myanmar government.

"This will benefit the Bengali women," Khin Yi said in an interview with Reuters.

His comments coincide with mounting international concern over the treatment of minority Muslims in the majority Buddhist country following outbreaks of communal violence that have killed hundreds of people since last year and made more than 140,000, mostly Muslims, homeless.

Continued religious tensions pose among the biggest challenges for the reformist government that replaced a military junta in March 2011.

Health workers say the two-child policy encourages unsafe abortions in one of Southeast Asia's poorest regions.

Authorities in Rakhine State say they need to impose controls on Rohingya to prevent further unrest. In Sittwe, the Rakhine State capital, apartheid-like policies have segregated Buddhists from Muslims, many of whom live in prison-like ghettos, since sectarian violence in June last year.

A spokesman for the Rakhine State government last month reaffirmed a 2005 two-child regulation in two townships, Buthidaung and Maungdaw, part of a web of restrictions drawn up by the former military government to control a fast-growing Rohingya population.

"The Bengali women living in the Rakhine State have a lot of children. In some areas, one family has 10 or 12 children," said Khin Yi. "It's not good for child nutrition. It's not very easy for schooling. It is not very easy to take care of the children."

Asked whether he supported the policy, he replied: "Yes."

"NOT IN LINE WITH HUMAN RIGHTS"

The policy has drawn worldwide condemnation and stoked a growing debate over treatment of Rohingya, who claim a centuries-old lineage in Rakhine State.

The United Nations has called on Myanmar to "to remove such policies or practices". New York-based Human Rights Watch said the law was "violating international human rights protections and endangering women's physical and mental health".

Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi has called the policy "discrimination" that is "not in line with human rights".

The government says the Rohingya are Muslim migrants from Bangladesh who arrived during British colonial rule between 1824 and 1948.

The term "Bengali" suggests they are illegal immigrants from northern neighbor Bangladesh.

A 1982 Citizenship Act excluded Rohingya from Myanmar's 135 recognized ethnic groups, effectively rendering them stateless. Bangladesh also disowns them and has refused to grant them refugee status since 1992.

Khin Yi put their number at 1.33 million in the country of 60 million people, above past estimates of 800,000. He said 1.08 million are in Rakhine State. Only about 40,000 had citizenship, he said.

He said the two-child policy appears to have been implemented on a grass-roots level by the local authorities. "The order is not issued by the central government. It is not issued by the state government," he said.

He said the policy would help reduce problems caused by large impoverished families.

"Almost all of the Bengali women are very poor, uneducated. It is not easy to take care of the children. The two-child policy or three-child policy is enough for these people. That is my point of view," he said.

"UNSAFE ABORTIONS"

To avoid paying fines or being arrested, some pregnant Rohingya have resorted to illegal abortions, say health workers.

"We see women coming into our clinics with infections and medical complications because they have had unsafe abortions," said Vickie Hawkins, deputy head of mission in Myanmar at international medical charity Doctors Without Borders, which has been operating in Rakhine State since 1994.

"We have concluded over the years that women are having unsafe abortions because of the restrictive policies."

Hawkins said the two-child limit was "a public reinforcement of policies that have already been in place for decades".

Doctors Without Borders runs clinics in Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships, home to Rakhine State's largest Rohingya populations. The government does not allow foreign journalists to visit either area.

Human Rights Watch said some Rohingya women pay bribes to evade the regulations and register their children with other legally married adults.

Others keep their children hidden or unregistered to avoid fines or jail, it said. When authorities learn of families with more than two children, the children are sometimes placed on a government blacklist, making them vulnerable to arbitrary arrest.

The two-child policy threatens to fuel wider anti-Muslim sentiment at a time of high communal tension across Myanmar.

In early June, hundreds of Rakhines marched in support of the policy through the Rakhine capital Sittwe and the towns of Mrauk U and Minbya, reported the Yangon-based publication The Voice Weekly.

Led by Buddhist monks, the rallies carried echoes of nationwide protests against the Organisation of Islamic Conference that preceded last October's violence.

(Editing by Alex Richardson)

Inter Press Service

June 10, 2013

UNITED NATIONS - As the situation in Myanmar deteriorates, thousands of Rohingyas have fled the country in search of a safe haven. 

Reports continue to emerge depicting inhuman and squalid conditions in the temporary camps where these displaced people live. 

Local officials in the Rakhine state of Myanmar recently called for the strict implementation of a “two-child policy” on Rohingya Muslims. Even though this announcement has been condemned by human rights groups around the world, the crackdown on Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar is far from over. 

In an interview with IPS correspondent Sudeshna Chowdhury, Dr. Wakar Uddin, director general of of the Arakan Rohingya Union, a non-governmental organisation incorporated in the United States, urged the international community to stand up for the Rohingyas of Myanmar, also known as Burma. 

While the international community has taken note of the sectarian violence against the community, “it is not enough,” Uddin said. 

Critics of the United Nations often cite examples from history when the world body failed to prevent such tragedies, such as the Rwanda genocide and more recently, the death of civilians in Sri Lanka. 

“How many Rohingyas have to die for the international community to respond to the ongoing crisis?” asks Uddin. 

Excerpts from the interview follow: 

Q: What are the larger implications of a two-child policy on the Rohingya Muslim population? 

A: This two-child policy is a tool employed to reduce as well as control the population of Rohingya Muslims. It is an ethnic cleansing policy filled with hate. The policy is specifically for Rohingya Muslims who are unwanted and hated by the government as well as some extremist Buddhist elements. Some experts would say that it is also a genocide policy. 

The population of Rohingyas in Myanmar has grown like the population of any other ethnic group in any part of the world. It is about three million now globally, including those in Myanmar. 

In fact, this two-child policy was there in Myanmar since 1994. However, it lacked serious enforcement. But surgical and forced operations were prevalent in remote pockets of the country. This is why it wasn’t reported widely. But now local authorities are actually stepping up the implementation of the directive. 

The authorities are trying to eliminate the population by driving them out of the country as well as putting a cap on the birth of Rohingyas. So they are controlling the population growth in both ways. Eventually, there will be no Rohingyas left in the region and then one can easily grab all their land. 

Q: So, this is not just about sectarian violence? 

A: A significant amount of land in the Rakhine state, also known as Arakan state of Myanmar, is owned by Rohingyas. Areas within this region are rich in hydrocarbons, natural gas and other resources. So, the goal is to grab these lands that belong to the Rohingyas. 

The extremist elements are trying to drive Rohingya people out of the country by making false claims. They are saying that the Rohingyas had illegally infiltrated the Arakan State of Myanmar, and that they actually belong to Bangladesh and to the state of West Bengal in India. 

But what is important to understand is the fact that the Rohingya history in the country of Myanmar dates back many centuries. 

Q: Is the violence spreading to other parts of the country as well? 

A: The Burmans are the majority ethnic group in Burma. Therefore, what we are seeing is the “Burmanisation” of the country. 

The aim is to eliminate other minority groups in Myanmar. In places like the Kachin state, people are now asking for autonomy. To begin with, violence was mainly directed against the Rohingya Muslims. But now you see Muslims, who are not even Rohingyas, being targeted by the ruling class. Slowly Hindus and Christians, too, won’t be spared as the violence escalates in the rest of the country. 

Q: What is the current situation of those who are displaced? 

A: The most vulnerable are the women and children. From lack of medicines to malnutrition to squalid conditions - you name it. Monsoons are coming so the situation is going to deteriorate further. The internally displaced persons (IDPs) are therefore at a huge risk. 

What is most disturbing is the emergence of sex slave camps where Rohingya women are raped and used as “sex slaves” by Burmese forces. These women have nowhere to go. The authorities provide them with food and shelter. In return they exploit them. 

While incidences of rape do get reported in the media once in a while, there is no systematic data collection or records that can give us an estimate of how many women have been raped. 

Q: How are the neighbouring countries and the international community dealing with this situation? 

A: Some of these Rohingya Muslims took shelter in neighbouring countries, such as India, Thailand and Bangladesh. But we are talking about 1.5 million people here in Arakan. Absorbing them will not solve the Rohingya issue. The root cause of the problem needs to be addressed here. One has to give them their rights. Proper education and jobs will help solve this crisis. 

As far as the role of international community is concerned, it is only now that people outside Burma are paying some attention to the plight of the Rohingyas. 

As members of the Rohingya diaspora, we have to continuously work towards keeping the discussion alive, and keep reminding people that the Rohingyas are suffering and a permanent solution is important to solve the crisis. 

But the international community, like the United Nations, is very slow in responding to such emergencies. Moreover, it is too bureaucratic in nature. Historically, the international community has been very slow in its response when it comes to intervention during such situations. 

So, those capable of intervening wait until a certain number of people die. Before that they do not take action. 

Also one must understand that until very recently Burma was a closed country. International media did not have much access to the region. It was only after the mass killings last year that the international community, including the media, took notice of the Rohingya crisis.

RB News

June 10, 2013

Kyauk Ni Maw, Arakan – Rakhine terrorists torched two Kaman houses in Kyauk Hta Yan village, Kyauk Ni Maw hamlet, Rambre Township on June 9, 2013 at early morning 3 am.

Although there was a heavy rain at that time the houses were burnt down to ashes. According to the villagers the houses were poured with gasoline and set fired. 

An eyewitness told that three Rakhine men from Ka-Su-Kaing village were going through the village before the fire broke out. And he also heard the sound like gun-shot twice. The fire broke out after the sound. So the villagers believe that the Rakhine terrorists poured the gasoline first, and then shot with the gun or something like gun to trigger the fire. 

Even there was an eyewitness to the arson attack by the Rakhine terrorists, the authorities are blaming the houses owners of being careless. The authorities are trying to hide the reality behind the arson attacks and covering it up as if normal fire was broke out. 

The houses owners are Chit Thein and Kar Thein and they belong to Kaman ethnic. They were brought to the police station in Kyauk Ni Maw by the authorities. They were pressured and also threatened to claim it as a normal fire.

The Rakhine terrorists have been trying to torch the houses in Kyauk Hta Yan village since last month but as the villagers are vigilant most of the time, they did not succeed before. However, after many attempts, they were able to burn down these two houses on 9th of June 2013.

RB News

June 10, 2013

Maungdaw, Arakan – Aung Kyaw Zin from Special Branch of Intelligent is extorting money from local Rohingya residents like a robber in Maungdaw according to the villagers from Aley Than Kyaw, Maungdaw Township.

On 4th of June 2013, Aung Kyaw Zin arrested a Rohingya, Molvi Rahul Amin S/o Fayaz Ahmed (21-years-old) on false accusation while Amin was coming back from Aley Than Kyaw bazaar. Then he locked Amin up for one night in Intelligent Station. 

“This Molvi (Religious Cleric) is innocent. He was arrested while coming back from bazaar. Aung Kyaw Zin knew that the financial status of Amin’s parent could meet his extortion demand. I was informed that the Molvi was cruelly tortured while kept in prison for one night. Next morning (i.e. June 9, 2013), his parents gave Kyat 600,000/ extortion money to Aung Kyaw Zin and he was finally released.” a villager told to RB News.

Aung Kyaw Zin has been arresting local Rohingya residents nearby bazaar since long time for extortion. Every shopkeeper in Aley Than Kyaw must pay him 1,000/ Kyat weekly as bribe. Any shopkeeper would be arrested if fails to do so. A villager said that he especially targets the people who can effort the money. 

Beside this, about twenty members of Nasaka (Border Security Guards) from Area No (7) have raided Thadar village in Southern Maungdaw on 2nd of June 2013. As the Nasaka used to arrest, torture and extort money whenever they raid, the Rohingya men from the village fled. But one unfortunate Abu Kasim S/o Karlu (25-years-old) was unable to escape as he was sick. He was handcuffed and inhumanly tortured in front of his mother by the Nasaka. 

“Abu Kasim couldn’t go out because he was sick. Whenever Nasaka raided we were tortured and extorted money. Sometimes they arrest us and keep us in prison till we arrange the extortion money they ask for the release. So Rohingya men do not stay in the village whenever Nasaka comes. As Abu Kasim was sick and could not escape he was handcuffed and brutally beaten. And his mother couldn’t bear the pain and finally gave Kyat 200,000 to Nasaka to stop the torturing.” said a villager.

“Mayu district is like a hell for us” the villager continued.

Los Angeles

June 9, 2013

Taking into accounts of all the crimes committed against Rohingya and the Muslim population of Burma and based on the United Nation’s Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide Article II,the crimes against humanity in Myanmar have risen to the level of genocide. Therefore, the Myanmar Muslim Genocide Awareness Convention (MMGAC) has declared the following resolution on protection and prevention of genocide against Rohingya and the Muslim population in Myanmar.

1. MMGAC, in the strongest term, condemns the violence against the Muslim population of Myanmar that has entered the stages of genocide. We demand the Government of Myanmar to protect the Rohingya and the Myanmar Muslim to the fullest extent and bring the rule of law to the land that it governs.

2. The Government of Myanmar must bring the perpetrators of the crimes targeting the Rohingya and the Muslim population of Myanmar to justice.

3. The Government of Myanmar must provide full security to NGOs, INGOs, Muslim community and its religious leaders, and the National League for Democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

4. The Government of Myanmar must give the international team of investigators complete access to all the areas in Myanmar that are affected by the violence.

5. The Government of Myanmar must return the land and properties of the displaced people, and must allow the restoration and rebuilding of their properties and places of worship immediately. The Government of Myanmar must permanently lift the closure of the Muslim places of worship in Rakhine state and all around Myanmar and allow the Rohingya people to have funeral services according to their religious customs and practice decent burial service at cemeteries.

6. The Government of Myanmar must reinstate Rohingya as the original ethnic race of Myanmar along with their bona-fide citizenship of Myanmar. The Government of Myanmar must also give full equality and rights to all the Muslims of Myanmar in their citizenship as the other citizens of Myanmar.

7. The Government of Myanmar must outlaw the 969 terror network and must take actions to stop their terrorist activities in Myanmar and in Southeast Asia region.

8. We appeal the Government of the United States and the European Union to designate 969 group in Myanmar as a terrorist network, and impose sanctions on individuals associated with 969 terror network.

9. We appeal the United States Congress to conduct a hearing on ethnic cleansing and violence against Rohingya and Muslim population in Myanmar.

10. We strongly urge the international community to fully cooperate with the legal experts in launching an investigation to the genocide committed by the officials in the Government of Myanmar in association with the extremist Buddhist elements, to pave the way to proceed to the International Criminal Court.

M.S. Anwar

RB News

June 9, 2013

Maung Daw, Arakan: Around 8PM yesterday (i.e. on 8th June 2013), twelve Rakhine terrorists attempted to torch a Rohingya house in the village of Kilaiduang (Duchira Dan), Southern Maung Daw. The terrorists apparently came from a nearby Rakhine village called Kaing Kyun.

“At 8PM yesterday, 12 Rakhine terrorists from the village of Kaing Kyun secretly entered the middle village of Kilaidaung and attempted to torch the house of Abdu Salam S/o Abdul Aziz. People on night sentry duty spotted them and yelled. And the villagers came out and chased the terrorists. 11 of them managed to escape, while one got caught by the villagers.

The villagers handed him over to the NaSaKa Camp 15 headed by Captain Hein Htay under the commandment area 7. NaSaKa is said to have been carrying out investigations” said a nearby villager. 

But what the villagers could confirm from the terrorist is that he is not a local of the above mentioned village and came from somewhere else. He is one of those who are deployed in an operation to burn down Rohingyas’ houses in Arakan. 

“Upon questioning, he answered he is not a local of Maung Daw and is in an operation led by some Rakhine terrorists ring in Arakan” the villager added.

A similar case happened in the village of Shikdar Fara (Myoma Kayintan) on 3rd March 2013 that a few Rakhine terrorists attempted a Rohingya house. And one of them got caught and handed over to Police. Police released him arbitrarily saying he was a fool.

“We really wish NaSaKa to carry out a proper investigation and protect Rohingya villagers from the danger posed by Rakhine terrorists. We don’t think NaSaKa will behave as arbitrarily as Police did” said an elderly Rohingya.

In a separate incidence this morning, Captain Htaik Soe of the Military Camp based in the village of Kanthaya threatened the villagers of Baggona that he will shoot down if any Rohingya in the village if they shout like the villagers of Kilaidaung last night. 

“He threatened Baggona villagers of being shot down if they shout like the villagers of Kilaidaung even if Rakhines attempt to torch their houses. Therefore, the villagers suspect and fear that he is also involved in the plot to burn Rohingyas’ houses in the region” he continued.

The Nation

June 8, 2013

After all the years that Thailand has been involved with sheltering refugees from neighboring countries, one would think that our authorities' handling of sensitive humanitarian issues would have improved over time. But as a recent report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) suggests, Thai officials have learned little and haven't improved their overall attitude to those in vulnerable situations.

HRW has called on the Thai government to immediately end the detention under inhumane conditions of more than 1,700 ethnic Rohingya, who are being kept in overcrowded cells in immigration detention centers around the country. The statement followed the release of shocking video footage of an immigration facility in Phang Nga province, aired by ITN Channel 4 News on May 31.

“The ITN program showed 276 Rohingya men living in extremely cramped conditions in two cells resembling large cages, each designed to hold only 15 men,” HRW said in a statement. “They barely had enough room to sit. Some suffered from swollen feet and withered leg muscles due to lack of exercise. The men said they have not been let out of the cells in five months.”

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra should be reminded that in January she agreed to permit Rohingya arriving by boat from Myanmar to stay temporarily, initially for six months, until they could be safely repatriated to their places of origin or resettled to third countries. She needs to understand that she can't go around making these promises to the international community and then turn a blind eye to the appalling conduct of her officials.

Moreover, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees has not been permitted to screen the Rohingya in Phang Nga. The embarrassment that would be caused by revelation of the dreadful holding conditions is likely the same reason why the government is reluctant to permit foreign governments and international organizations like the U.N. from visiting the violent deep South, where a Malay-Muslim insurgency has raged since 2004. There are just too many things to hide, like the culture of impunity and extrajudicial killings by government and pro-government officials.

Five years ago Thai security officials on the southern coast sent a boatload of Rohingya back out to sea, where many had already died. Shortly after that there was another incident in which video footage showed how Thai officials lined up Rohingya refugees in the open under a blazing sun.

In response to these back-to-back incidents, local media were brought in to report on Thai doctors and aid workers “pampering” the new wave of Rohingya boat people. But more keep coming and the end is nowhere in sight. It's nowhere in sight because no one in the region is willing to take up the issue and discuss the root cause of the migration problem, which is the statelessness of the Rohingya in Myanmar.

The Rohingya are stranded along the Myanmar-Bangladesh border. Southeast Asia's construct of “nation-states” has passed them by. Post-colonial governments drew up national maps, most of which were in line with boundaries left by the European powers. Neither Myanmar nor Bangladesh wants them, thus making them one of the most pitiable people in the world. And neither country seems willing to do anything about resolving the problem.

While emerging countries like Myanmar and Bangladesh seek to administer the territory within their political boundaries, they don't always want the people that come with it — especially if they are from a different cultural and linguistic stock from the ruling majority.

The stateless hilltribe people along the northern and western Thai border are not much different from the Rohingya. The only difference is that most, if not all, of the northern hilltribes have been documented, even though they might not have been granted citizenship and the privileges that come with it.

But documentation is a start. And perhaps this is where Myanmar should begin. The Rohingya issue should be about legality. It's a humanitarian crisis that stems from an unwillingness to give them legal status anywhere.

RB News

June 8, 2013

Geneva: Last Thursday and Friday “Ethnic Cleansing on Rohingyas in Burma” became the hottest issue at Geneva UN Human Rights Council. About four side events took place in last two days to discuss about the Human Rights situations in Arakan. 

“Persecutions of Rohingya Muslims in Burma” event was organized by Human Rights Watch. Chris Lewa, Director of Arakan Project, Melanie Teff from Refugees International, Tun Khin from Burmese Rohingya Organization UK and Josh Lyons, Human Rights Watch Satellite Imagery Analyst joined the penal to highlight the ethnic cleansing on Rohingyas.

The missions from about 20 countries attended the events including US Mission, UK Mission and OIC mission. 

Chis Lewa highlighted the Northern Arakan State situation in detail. Melanie Teff raised the issues about the Humanitarian Aid and Tun Khin President of BROUK pinpointed about the 1982 citizenship law and actions that needed to be taken by the International Community urgently. Josh Lyon; HRW Satellite Imagery Analyst explained with the power point presentation how Rohingya and Kaman Muslim were systematically targeted in Arakan.

“It was very fruitful events that encouraged for an international investigation. It also served as a Joint Lobby Group to support the investigation on Arakan violence by about 20 important missions to the UN. Even after one year the safe return of Rohingya IDPs to the original places has not been discussed yet, at the same time the Humanitarian Aids reaching to them has been constantly facing restrictions and blockages by the authorities and local Rakhine extremists.” said Tun Khin.

The 1982 citizenship law which deprived Rohingyas of their bona fide citizenship rights has been strongly criticized by the international human rights advocacy groups abroad. In home, it also faced a serious question being of an international human rights standard by the major opposition party NLD led by Nobel Laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. It is reported that still President Then Sein Government is trying to implement it by force; ignoring international outcries. So far more than 35,000 Rohingya boatpeople have left the country because of the unbearable situation that made by the authorities. It is also seen that the government is encouraging violence against Rohingyas and other Muslims minority in Burma by allowing hatred speeches and by failing to take accountability on the perpetrators.

BROUK president asked the missions to discuss the immediate intervention to stop the crimes against humanities by the Burmese government and to send UN Observers to the effected Arakan region. He also requested to form UN Commission of Inquiry to investigate the violence and to bring those found responsible to justice. 

On Thursday evening Joint Lobby Group held a press conference in Geneva Press Club.

BROUK President was invited to speak at the UN Panel Discussion on Friday where they discussed on the problem of Statelessness and its severe impact on Human Rights in Burma. Mark Manly, the Head of the Statelessness Unit, UNHCR, Lilianna Gamboa Coordinator of Open Society Justice Initiative, and Zahara Albarazi Researcher from Tilburg University also joined the penal. The event was moderated by Deputy Chief of Mission to the UN in Geneva.

BROUK President highlighted the incompatibility of 1982 Burmese Citizenship Law with International Human Rights Law. He also mentioned about the existence of Rohingya in Burma since early 7th Century A.D and how the Rohingya ethnicity and citizenship rights were stripped of by the previous Military governments and by the current President Thein Sein’s quasi civilian government. He reiterated the intention of all Rohingyas to live peacefully in their home land along side with other ethnic people as dignified citizens of Burma with their ethnic Rights and citizenship rights restored.