Al Jazeera

The vessels hit trouble on Monday night after leaving Pauktaw township in Rakhine state, said a spokeswoman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

"They were travelling to another camp ahead of the cyclone," the spokeswoman added.

Kirsten Mildren, who works for the same UN agency, told Al Jazeera there was only one confirmed survivor from Monday's accident.

The victims were trying to escape Cyclone Mahasen which is expected on Thursday and Friday. The UN has warned the storm could lead to "life-threatening conditions".

Myanmar state television said on Monday that thousands of people displaced by communal violence last year had been evacuated from makeshift camps to safer ground in the event of the storm.

The report said authorities had moved 5,158 people from low-lying camps in the Rakhine state capital, Sittwe, to safer shelter.

But human rights groups said that the government has been too slow to act, and ignored earlier warnings to provide shelter to displaced people.

"The Burmese government didn't heed the repeated warnings by governments and humanitarian aid groups to relocate displaced Muslims ahead of Burma’s rainy season," said Brad Adams, Human Rights Watch Asia director. 

"If the government fails to evacuate those at risk, any disaster that results will not be natural, but man-made," he said.

'Extremely vulnerable' 

Al Jazeera's Wayne Hay, reporting from Sittwe, said: "The eye of the storm is not expected to hit Myanmar, but the people in camps - home to more than 100,000 - are extremely vulnerable to conditions we may see over the next few days."

"These include strong winds, heavy rains and a possible surge from the ocean of up to 1.5 metres. The local government has been moving people ... but people in camps aren't trusting what they are trying to get them to do. Some say they are being asked to move to more dangerous places," our correspondent said.

The state television report said displaced people were moved in 10 other townships in western Myanmar where communal violence flared last year between Muslims and Buddhists, taking hundreds of lives and leaving more than 100,000 people homeless. It did not give the number of people evacuated in those locations.

Myanmar is a predominantly Buddhist country but about 5 percent of its 60 million people are Muslims. They face a growing anti-Muslim campaign led by radical Buddhist monks. 

Preparations

Cyclone Mahasen is expected to hit neighbouring Bangladesh on Thursday or Friday.

Images taken by NASA's Aqua satellite on Monday showed the storm's centre northeast of Sri Lanka with it packing winds of up to 50 knots (92km per hour). Those winds are expected to increase to 130km per hour as the storm moves north.

The space agency said it "sees a strengthening" of the storm and forecasts an upgrade to a Cyclone 1 level by Wednesday.

"The current forecast track ... takes the centre of Mahasen just north of Chittagong early on May 17 and into northern Burma," it said.

Associated Press 

May 14, 2013

SITTWE, Myanmar — Several overcrowded boats carrying more than 100 Rohingya Muslims trying to escape an approaching cyclone capsized off the coast of western Myanmar, and only 42 were known to have survived, the United Nations said Tuesday. 

Eight bodies have been found so far, and more than 50 other people who were aboard are feared dead, said James Munn, an official with the U.N.’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The Rohingya, a long-suffering minority, had been living in camps in Myanmar’s Rakhine state after fleeing sectarian violence last year. They crowded into as many as five boats that left Pauktaw township late Monday, said Munn. Reports indicated that one of the boats was towing the others and hit a rock, causing all to capsize overnight.

The accident came amid a wider evacuation ahead of Cyclone Mahasen, which the U.N. says could swamp makeshift housing camps sheltering tens of thousands of Rohingya.

Myanmar state television reported Monday that 5,158 people were relocated from low-lying camps in Rakhine state to safer shelters. But far more people are considered vulnerable.

Around 140,000 people — mostly Rohingya — are living in flimsy tents and makeshift shelters in the region after two outbreaks of Buddhist-Muslim violence there last year, according to the U.N. humanitarian affairs office.

Ashok Nigam, the United Nations’ resident and humanitarian coordinator, said this week that nearly 70,000 of those displaced should be moved to higher ground. They are in low-lying areas along the coast that are highly susceptible to tidal surges and flooding.

Cyclone Mahasen is expected to make landfall late Thursday or early Friday. It is heading toward Chittagong, Bangladesh, but could shift northeast and deliver a more direct hit to Rakhine state, according to Myanmar’s Meteorology Department. Heavy rains and strong winds are expected to batter Rakhine in any case.

Aid groups have issued warnings for weeks that annual monsoon rains could cause flooding and spark disease outbreaks, wreaking havoc on displaced people in their camps and spark disease outbreaks.

Myanmar’s southern delta was devastated in 2008 by Cyclone Nargis, which swept away entire farming villages and killed more than 130,000 people.

A SPECIAL COMMEMORATION FOR THE ROHINGYA AND OTHER MUSLIM VICTIMS OF DEADLY VIOLENCE IN 2012-2013 

From 3rd June to October 2012 waves of organized massacre and mass destruction were carried out in Arakan State against Rohingya and Kaman Muslims by the Buddhist Rakhine extremists in collaboration with the police and security forces. 

Similar bloodshed and devastation against the rest of the Muslims in Burma proper were executed starting from a Central Burma town of Mekhtila on 20th March 2013, and the fire of violence spread to other towns, including the commercial capital city of Yangon. 

Sporadic violence is still continuing as the government police and security forces are doing nothing to prevent and stop them. 

Since June 2012: 

• More than 5,000 Rohingya and other Muslims have been killed or burned to death, thousands of them missing, hundreds of women and girls raped.
• Many thousands of Muslim homes have been torched and many dozens of mosques and madrassahs destroyed. 
• About 140,000 people have been forced to flee their homes facing humanitarian disaster -- starvation, mal-nutrition without education, medical care adequate food and essentials—in squalid displacement camps and villages in segregation under government’s neo-apartheid plan. 
• Under extreme conditions, an estimated 20,000 Rohingya have taken the perilous voyages towards Southeast Asian countries and than 1000 boat people are missing while scores of others have drowned after several boats sank. 
• In addition, hundreds of Burmese Muslims were brutally killed or burned alive, many hundreds of their homes, shops and properties destroyed, and 50,000 of them internally displaced. 

BROUK is organising a special commemoration for all victims of the deadly violence and attacks as follows:

BBC News

May 14, 2013

A boat carrying Rohingya Muslims has capsized off western Burma, aid agencies say. 

The boat, said to be carrying up to 200 passengers, was evacuating people ahead of Cyclone Mahasen, which is expected to hit the area later in the week. 

It sank off Pauktaw township in Rakhine state late on Monday, leaving an unknown number of people missing. 

Tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims are living in temporary camps in Rakhine after violence last year. 

The UN had called for an urgent evacuation ahead of the storm, warning that many areas where displaced people are now living are in low-lying coastal areas at risk of flooding or tidal surges. 

Barbara Manzi, head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), told the BBC from Sittwe that search-and-rescue operations were ongoing. 

"It appears that this boat left the camp with the blessing of the authorities before hitting rocks," she said. 

There were between 100 and 200 people on board the boat, she added, with some survivors.

Maung Aurther 

Opinion Editorial 

Rohingya Blogger

May 13, 2013 

As a cyclone in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal named Mahasen is looming around, Rohingyas in Arakan have caught themselves amidst the fear of double victimization. They fear the half of the danger to be inflicted by none other than the authority of Arakan, Security Forces and Rakhine extremists. After all, Burmese government, taking advantage of the instable situation expected during the occurrence of the cyclone, can go to any extent to commit more crimes against humanity in order to get rid of this unwanted community in Burma. If we see on the ground situation, we have some clues that give us rationales to consider -their fear of a catastrophe to be soon inflicted upon- reasonable. 

There are Rakhine extremists who are being trained by the government on weaponry usage. There are Military who are carrying out battle exercises for days now in Southern Maung Daw. Furthermore, NaSaKa and other Security Forces, today, are regularly raiding many Rohingya villages in Maung Daw. Tortures and extortion of money are nothing new to Rohingyas. Destruction of their properties and seizure of the valuable ones by the authority are rampant now. And there are the displaced Rohingyas getting arrested for unfounded reasons in Sittwe. Rohingyas are being Bengalized by the authority by force. Random rapes and gang-rapes against Rohingya women also continue. In short, there is a strong psychological game being played against Rohingyas. 

No precautionary step to protect Rohingyas from the cyclone disasters expected has been taken yet nor is it expected to be taken. As a matter of fact, majority of Rohingyas in Arakan have no clue about the coming storm. They, especially the displaced Rohingyas at the camps in the townships of Sittwe, Mrebun and Min Bra, are not being moved to the higher places. The government only gave mere instructions to the respective administrations of the Rohingya villages that there is a storm to happen soon. As most weirdly as it can be, particularly in Maung Daw, the authority ordered the respective head of the different village administrations to take photograph of each and every scene in the Rohingya villages during their announcements of the warnings regarding the cyclone. One can expect it is just an attempt by the Burmese authority to compartmentalize the international attention to the crises in order to keep space for plausible deniability in case that they commit more crimes either by ignoring the people or intentionally killing them during the storm. 

On the other hand, Rakhines are being moved to the higher places and other protected areas. Worse, the vehicles such as Cars, Vans and other transports owned by Rohingyas are forcibly reserved by the authority in Maung Daw to transport Rakhines to the protected areas. That, in essence, leaves no room for and disables Rohingyas from taking their own preemptive actions to protect their people. And yet, what the cruelest and most heartless act one may think of is that Rohingyas are not yet allowed to move out of their camps or their houses making them die within their living places. 

On one hand, they may become the sole victims of the cyclone and on the other hand, the Burmese security forces and Rakhine terrorists might target them taking advantage of the instable situation. Alas, there will be no reporter, NGO or anyone else during the storm. And even, satellite can hardly track and record the accounts of the violence. The brutal Neo-Fascists in Burma can buck up the blames of their own crimes to the nature. In this vulnerable situation, it will not difficult for one to expect Rohingyas to be most hardly hit by the consequences of the storm. 

Therefore, it is the most critical and highest time for not only international NGOs and community but also international government bodies to pressure the Burmese regime to get rid of the discriminatory steps and to equally try to protect all the people at least for this time. Or else, the entire humanity will have to be answerable for all the catastrophes expected to occur.

RB News 

May 13, 2013

Maung Daw, Arakan - Around 9pm on 11th May 2013, NaSaKa (Border Security Force) and Police raided the village of Saindar (Than Dar), Southern Maung Daw. They arrested and beat three Rohingya men. The three Rohingyas were released them after the extortion of money and some live stocks. 

“At 9pm, on 11th May 2013 night, NaSaKa, Military and Police numbering around forty in total raided the village of Saindar. Thus, many Rohingya men went into hiding as they often get arbitrarily arrested. People are afraid of NaSaKa because of their (NaSaKa’s) arrests from their workplaces and while passing by and extortion of huge amount of money” said a nearby villager to RB News. 

However, there were three Rohingya men in three households who didn’t go into hiding. NaSaKa arrested them and extorted money from them. 

“There were three Rohingya men who didn’t escape and remained in their houses. NaSaKa, Military and Police beat them brutally. They extorted Kyat 50'000 and a Chicken from each of the arrestees and released them later” he added. 

“In the houses where there were no men remained, they destroyed pots and plates. In fact, they broke everything in their sight. They are bullying Rohingyas every day with their weapon power. By their ruthless behaviours, it has become apparent that they are carrying out all the brutalities in order to drive us out from the country” he opened up. 

The profiles of the three Rohinyas beaten and got their money extorted are: 

(1) U Noor Amin S/o U Fazal Ahmed 47 

(2) U Abdur Rashid S/o U Iman Hussain 50 

(3) Hafiz Hashim Ullah S/o ? 25.

(Translated into English by Maung Aurther)

RB News 

May 12, 2013

Maung Daw, Arakan - NaSaKa (Border Security Force) Commander, Major Aung Lwin Oo, of the area (7), Southern Maung Daw, is demanding Forced Labours and trying to extort money from the Rohingya community in the villagers under his commandment. 

Yesterday, around 1pm, NaSaKa commander called on the administrators of the villages under his commandment for a meeting. In it, he demanded forced labours and money from all of them. 

“All the administrators were called on for a meeting. The NaSaKa commander demanded the village administrators that they would have to collect money from their villagers in order to build 27 toilets and one Chicken Farm for the NaSaKa. Not only that, he demanded forced labouring from Rohingyas under his commandment area” said local Rohingya in Southern Maung Daw. 

Although Myanmar government is saying that there is no more forced labouring in the country, Rohingyas are made forced labours by the authority almost every day. 

“When the administrator of the village of Kayintan told the NaSaKa commander that it would be too difficult for troubled and economically crippled Rohingyas to do so at this time, the commander replied that he was not concerned with any such crises faced by Rohingya people. And then, he (the commander) issued a warning that his demand must be fulfilled by 25th May 2013. Therefore, all Rohingyas are extremely worried now” he continued. 

Besides, the commander posed threats of arrests and imprisonments against the village administrators if they can’t assist him in Forced Bengalization of Rohingyas.

(Translated into English by Maung Aurther)

RB News 

May 12, 2013

Sittwe (Akyab), Arakan - Today (12.05.2013), around 2pm, the district Police Commissioner of Sittwe and his group arbitrarily arrested five displaced Rohingyas from the camp of Thet Kay Pyin. The commissioner is said to have taken the responsibility of the regional security as well. 

“They got arrested when they were leaving the mosque at the displaced camps after praying the afternoon prayer. Again in the evening, the said commissioner, being high on alcohol, drove his car along the displaced camps so recklessly that many displaced Rohingyas had to face risks for their lives and unnecessary nuisances. 

And the profiles of the arrested displaced Rohingyas are: 

(1) U Kabir Ahmed S/o U Fazal Ahmed, 45, from the quarter of Sak-Yun-Zu 

(2) Mukhtar Ahmed S/o Syed Hussain, 25, from the quarter of Sak-Yun-Zu 

(3) U Maung Hla S/o U Abdu Shukkor, 65, from the quarter of Kun Tan 

(4) Abul Kalam S/o U Syed Ali, 25, from the quarter of Sak-Yun-Zu 

(5) U Abdurrahman S/o U Kadir Hussain, 46, from the quarter of Sak-Yun-Zu 

Since Sittwe Police’s arbitrary and reckless arrests in relation to the quarrel took place on 26th April 2013, many displaced Rohingyas are on the run, going into hiding and even have to leave Arakan for another country” said a local Rohingya in Sittwe. 

“What the president of the country U Thein Sein actually doing is just that he is flattering international community with his hypocritically sweet speeches in order to gain their supports. In reality, the recklessness and brutality of Burmese authority against the crippled Rohingya community are not but only increasing day by day” he exclaimed.

(Translated into English by Maung Aurther)

Ibrahim Shah

RB Article

May 12, 2013

Let’s review briefly the past of the Arakan sovereign country before invaded by Burman king Maung Waing in 1784; re-named it as Rakhine state by Burman Islamophobic dictator in 1974; the main strategic purpose to change the name politically was only to suppress Rohingya. According to observation of analysts, geographers, prominent historians, well-known researchers and illustrious politicians, the main group who have ancestry-rights to claim, fundamentally, the most ancient indigenous people of Arakan territory is, mainly, Rohingya who are descendants of Indo-Aryans. The Rohingya people have their own distinguished racial appearance which is absolutely distinct if it is compared with the intruder Burmans and their settler Rakhines. Both the Burman and their sub-racial group Rakhine are fundamentally difference from Rohingya both racially and linguistically as like as the distant of sky and land i.e. hereby explained by a chart of the comparative vocabulary of the main two ethnic races and one sub-race:

Though, it is most likely similar between the dialect of Burman and Rakhines, yet, there are some more difference between dialect of them but, it is at all different from Rohingya dialect. 

Thence, let’s review the historic events of ancient inhabitants of Arakan which were inscribed by, in which dialect, either Burmans’ dialect or Rohingyas’ dialect? 

The stone inscription of Ananda Chandra at the end of 8th century is similar accurately to neither Burman nor Rakhine dialect but Rohingya dialect, thus, it undoubtedly verified that the existence of Rohingya into Arakan is since before 8th century.

Here, it is evidently differentiated the dialectical difference of Rohingya and Bengali as like as the distant of western country USA and eastern country China. 

Apparently, what a mockery it is! The falsely accusation of Burmese Islamophobic president Thein Sein against Rohingya as illegal immigrants, in his term, Bengali or Kalar though Rohingya are the most ancient native of western part of Burma. 

Since 1942 the Rohingya, who have been suffering discrimination though Rohingya are the most ancient residents of Arakan territory according to above authentic historical references. Following a book named Asiatic Researches of European traveler Buchanan which was put out in 1799, it is learnt that the Mohammedans, Rohingya themselves settled there since immemorial decades but the Mogh who are called by Burmans as Yakin said they were settled there by Burmans. 

Gradually, on 2 March 1962, Ne Win again seized power in a coup d'éta and, amongst several varieties of operations imposed by the militarist officials ,the Dragon Operation in 1977-1978 forced many Rohingya to desperately flee, thus, most Rohingya was sheltered as refugee in Bangladesh and Pakistan. 

The Burmese colonialists stripped of Rohingya fundamental rights, finally, imposing a black Act, Citizenship Law in 1982 that eliminated the ethnic Rohingya from officially registered national census, accusal of Burmese xenophobic officials of Rohingya as illegal Bengali immigrants who were brought into Arakan by British in 1825. 

Again, in 1990 the head of military intelligence (MI) general Khin Yunt, chased all Rohingya quarters and arrested arbitrarily without any accusation of all Rohingya elites of respective fields including both theologians and politicians, however, it is too deplorable that most of the arrestees are not returned yet at home due to lively killed . In 1991, severely, made Operation of Accusation, forced to carry out the soldiers’ burdens on marching to the respective military camps inside mountains, and confined travelling, higher education, erecting religious buildings ,reproduction and marriage ,and suppressed oppressively . The martial rulers imposed double standard over the ethnic Rohingya strictly but the Rakhine Buddhist was superior and Rohingya was inferior in the same territory, Rakhine state. 

Massively, in 1991, Rohingya throughout the Rakhine state fled into Bangladesh ,India,Thailand,Malaysia and Middle east due to discrimination and incrimination. 

Amid the discrimination, it is to be too shocked the perpetual brutalities of militarist officials as below! 

Plunderingly, most Rohingya quarters have been raped, and they have to fled desperately into uncertain destinations and their quarters were massively settled of outsiders, mixed-blooded, half Burmans who are so depraved that they are most dangerous than the educated-untamed officials. i.e. the new settlers plunder at night and abusively treat with the ethnic Rohingya in day time. 

After 5 decades, repeatedly, since putting of more pressings from international government bodies and continuation of caustic reprehension from NGOs and INGOs; the dictator had to step down unwillingly in 2010. 

Deceptively, to escape from more sanctions of world veto countries, the junta dramatically elected a quasi-civilian government in 2011. 

Continuously, due to continual expression of deeply concerned of HRW, AI, UN, OIC, US, UK and ASEAN, over Rohingya plight crisis the genocidal civilianized president Thein Sein conspired with the chairman of RNDP vet. Aye Maung how to strip the Rohingya of the progression of democratic transition from military transition. 

Chauvinistically, Buddhist ultra-nationalists of all classes including politicians, activists and monks ; mainly, the genocidal Burmese government pre-planned how to diffuse riots to lead genocide gradually across the country against Muslims,in particular, Rohingya. 

Thence, since February2012 Rakhine racists collaborated with Burmese ethnocentric government put out Islamophobia magazines, spread anti-Rohingya leaflets and fixed anti-Rohingya mindsets to every Buddhist families and instigated racism of Buddhism of nationalism. 

Deliberately, the state-sponsored riots led by Rakhine extremist gang RNDP were initiated by the rape and murder of a young Buddhist woman, allegedly by three Muslim men and , in reciprocation, the state-sponsored mob slaughtered 10 Muslim pilgrims . 

Instantly, since June 2012 it triggered gradually throughout the Rakhine state and then the whole country. The gradual genocidal attack of Burman ultra-nationalists made tens of thousands of Rohingya distressed and it has been increasingly taking place famine in all Rohingya quarters of western Burma. 

Amid the continual riots, a militant Buddhist ultra-nationalist movement familiar by the emblem 969 built up for increasingly resurgent religious animosity. Its exoteric key-mentor is monk Wirathu from central Burma, Mandalay. 

Furthermore, it is too horrible that strategically, Buddhist monks, political-party operatives and government officials organized themselves to permanently change the ethnic demographics of the stat by removing every trace of the Rohingya. 

--Here is the countless crimes of the Burmese pseudo reformist, sham honorary degree winner for Rohingya -Genocide, genocidal president Thein Sein: 

1. He is a head of state and is familiar genuinely the ancestry of Rohingya, however, in July 2012 he proposed to UNHCR chief Antonio Guterres to deport Rohingya otherwise the entire Rohingya would be sheltered crowded in camp as refugee until any third country welcome them . 

2. Due to impatience of Islamic countries to watch the slaughtering of innocent Rohingya massively, once major donations penetrate, he assured with negative attitude that he will open schools for Rohingya children but finally he implemented it negatively i.e. all the religious schools for Rohingya children are locked up and restricted completely higher education. 

3. Amid the inhumanely treatment on Rohingya both officially and locally under the command of central government, he imposed curfew, Act 144; its main motive is to tremendously destroy the Rohingya both of lives and properties. And all kinds of forces were commanded for standing idly while the extremists were setting fire to targeted houses and religious buildings, looting properties, killing lively, etc. 

4. Secretly ordered to armed forces to shoot whenever Rohingya comes out from the burning down houses and to refrain from tackling the forcibly attacks of Rakhine terrorists. 

5. The falsely convicted victims, three Rohingya Muslims of falsified raped case of a Buddhist young woman were tortured and sentenced to death immediately without any postponement to further scrutiny. 

6. However, it is out of official sense to bring into justice the approximated 300 terrorists of the mob where 10 pilgrims were dead on the spot last year. 

7. Some atrocities which are continuously taking place by his sub-authorities to whom he empowered to willingly incriminate: Nasaka (border security forces) harass the people ceaselessly, threats of extremists to desperately flee to escape the lively killings, arbitrary arrest, forced Bengalization with physical threats, gangbang of immature and married women by Rakhine local terrorists and Nasaka, forcibly settlement of Bengali Rakhine in the quarters of Rohingya, incitements of Buddhist doctors officially to stop medical treatment of Rohingya patients, confinement of struggle to earn food, pillaging of any consumable goods by authorities once carrying from markets or forests, displaced people are sheltered overcrowded in camps but confined them by militaristic guards so-called security forces, mass graves, etc. 

8. Amongst the perpetrators of all classes, anyone of them is not yet charged of committed crimes respectively and the exoteric key-mentor of Islamophobia, monk Wirathu is more smartly and effectively going ahead with Islamophobic movement, racism of Buddhism of nationalism. 

9. Arbitrarily arrests, detain and torturing unto death demanding of a great deal of money, and imposing finally confinement of long term jails to those who are unable to afford money. 

10. The current ruling quasi-civillian party, USDP is silence while the 969 emblem of Islamophobic movement led by Burmese Buddhist terrorist leader, monk Wirathu, campaigns nation-wide against Muslim. 

11. Threats to media, journalists and NGOs to stop putting out information about the occurrences and to stop helping displaced Muslims. Here is a statement which proves the violation against NGOs: MSF general director Arjan Hehenkamp told a press conference in February that his organization was being intimidated by the Rakhine for working in Rohingya camps. “In pamphlets, letters and Facebook postings, [MSF] and others have been repeatedly accused of having a pro-Rohingya bias by some members of the Rakhine community. It is this intimidation, rather than formal permission for access [to the camps], that is the primary challenge,” he said in a statement. 

12. He drilled Hitlerism to all his Islamophobic officials how to deceive to conceal the genocidal matter against Rohingya i.e.on March 18 2012 in a program of Australia ABC radio, Presidential spokesman U Ye Htut has told Rohingya won't be given special treatment or granted citizenship. 

13. Due to flood of caustic condemnation by HRW, OIC over the atrocities against Rohingya from Burmese regime, the mastermind of Rohingya genocide, president Thein Sein appointed a 27 member investigating commission on Violence in Rakhine state last year. The included members of the commission are those who openly incites against Rohingya i.e. the prominent leader of 88 generation student Ko Ko Gyi who reportedly challenged to deport Rohingya collaborating with the armies ,who, imprisoned him falsely. As its fundamental motive is merely to accumulate falsified fact findings instead of genuine ones, he, president Thein Sein, postponed 4 times to issue the report, merely, the reason is to conceal the violence which occurred last year and which has been occurring perpetually. Though the violence occurred between Rakhine extremists and vulnerable Rohingya Muslims, any Rohingya elite did not appoint in that commission. The exclusion of Rohingya of that commission is fundamentally to report the investigation with their own desires. Finally, the mastermind of Rohingya genocide, president Thein Sein had to issue the report on 29th April 2013 due to repeated demands of international bodies but the fact findings of the report are absolutely biased and fallible as it was predicted by Rohingya intellectuals. 

14. Though the current situation of the displaced Rohingya is extremely worse, there is not any better attempt to rescue them from upcoming rainy season’s flood of June 2013. But it is reported in a Rakhine nationalist site named www.narinjara.com; for the Rakhines, there is already built new houses from government. 

Ethnocentrically, as the genocidal Burmese president Thein Sein is grew up with Hitlerism, he will never grant any better solutions for Rohingya. It will be president Thein Sein's positive attitude when he lifts up all confinements against Rohingya giving up such reiterative tricky assurances about Rohingya easily survival. In reality, he masterminded to accomplish hastily the Genocide against Rohingya as observed above.

A GLANCE INTO THE MISERIES OF ROHINGYA FARMERS 

(A letter from a Rohingya farmer in Arakan) 

Mohammed Sadek 

May 11, 2013

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) supervised a project in the village of Gawra Khali, southern Maungdaw, for the development of poorly living population around the area. The project started on 7th January 2010 and was a gutter project amidst the mountain nearby the village aimed for summer rice cultivation. Some farmers lost around 50 acres of land in the construction of the drainage. However, the farmers didn’t protest as the project was meant to benefit all the farmers in the region. 

An agreement to compensate an acre of land for cultivation to each of the farmers losing their lands and to let them enjoy the fish that would be bred in the drain was made during the beginning of the project. Subsequently, a committee comprising the following members was set up in order to look after the drainage. 

(1) Zubair son of Ezhar, Chuang Taung/Ghorakali, Nasaka Area-8 

(2) Akhtar Hussein S/o Kala Mia, Chaung Taung village tract 

(3) Zahir S/o Yunus, Chaung Taung 

(4) Fayazur Rahman, S/O Abdu Subhan, Chaung Taung village tract 

(5) Rahmat Ullah, S/o Yusuf Ali, Chaung Taung village tract 

(6) Nur Mohammed S/o Mostak Ahmed, Chaung Taung village tract 

(7) Fayazu, S/o Basa Miah, Chaung Taung village tract 

(8) Zubair S/o Yunus, Chaung Taung village tract 

(9) Momtazul Haq @ Jubbu S/o Mohammed Hashim, Myint Lwet village tract 

(10) Ferozul Haq, S/O Abdur Rahmam, Myint Lwet village tract 

(11) Sayed Alam, Myint Lwet village tract 

The drain was built for the benefits of the farmers who lost their land and other farmers in the region. According to FAO and the policy behind the project, service charges of Kyat 2000 against 1 acre of land for the digging of drainage are to be paid by the farmers. 

Yet, the three puppets of the NaSaKa (Border Security Force) Commander of the Area (8)- 

(1) Maung Taazul Haque @ Jabbu S/o Mohammed Hashim from Mer Ullah (Myint Hlut) 

(2) Ferozul Haque S/o Abdurrahman from Mer Ullah (Myint Hlut) 

(3) Syed Alam S/o Ex-Clerk in the village administration of Mer Ullah (Myint Hlut) - are forcing the committee members of the project to forcibly collect at least Kyat 60,000 against 1 acre of land from the villagers with the back-up of the NaSaKa commander. The amount is simply too unbearable for the poor villagers. 

During this farming time, huge irregularity and open discriminations with bribery are being exercised to extort money from the poorly living people. Nasaka forces are seriously involved in forcing people towards extreme poverty and vulnerability. 

Besides, the three puppets of the NaSaKa commander mentioned above are hugely involved in destabilizing the region and the creation of violence. We plead the higher authority of Myanmar to properly investigate the matter and take necessary actions.

DIRECTOR GENERAL OF ARU MEETS THE AMBASSADORS OF OIC AND SAUDI TO THE UNITED NATIONS IN NEW YORK AND DISCUSSES THE STRATEGIES FOR UPCOMING HUMAN RIGHT COUNCIL MEETING RESOLUTION

RB News

May 11, 2013

The Director General of Arakan Rohingya Union, Prof. Dr. Wakar Uddin, met with OIC Ambassador, HE Ufuk Gokcen, and Saudi Ambassador, HE Dr. Abdallah Al-Mouellimi, at the Saudi Mission at the United Nations in New York on May 7, 2013. 

A number of Rohingya Political and Human Rights issues were discussed during the meeting. The major theme of the meeting was the most serious Rohingya issues related to the resolution in the upcoming UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. During the discussion, Dr. Uddin stressed the need for sustaining a unified, strong, and firm language in the OIC Human Rights Commission meeting resolution ahead of the UN Human Rights Council meeting. Dr. Uddin also urged the ambassadors to continue their efforts to garner support from all the OIC member states, including the three ASEAN member states, in reflecting their voices and concerns for Rohingya political and human rights expressed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Gulf States, and several other OIC members. 

“A strong resolution from the UN Human Rights Council is needed to pave the way for materializing the appointment of an independent and unbiased international team to investigate the massacre in Arakan state and Central Burma” Dr. Uddin asked the ambassadors. “The Burmese Government-appointed commission has clearly undermined its own report by explicitly showing biasness in the report that is rife with hostility toward Rohingya people, such as the blunt description of Rohingya as ‘Bengali’, false allegation of Rohingya population outburst, and stating the Rakhine opposition to returns of Rohingya and Kamen IDPs to their homes in Arakan. Such misconducts, not to mention the rejection of a Rohingya member and expulsion of Myanmar Muslim members from the Commission, warrant a transparent and unbiased team of investigators from the UN” Dr. Uddin said. 

“We welcome certain positive recommendations made by the Myanmar Government-appointed commission on economic, social, and educational infrastructure development in Arakan state, if these recommendations are meant to benefit all the citizens of Arakan, including Rohingya” Dr. Uddin added. “50 years of deprivation of basic education to Rohingya people in rural areas in Arakan, has made them not to be able to speak and write Bama language of mainland Burma – Rohingya people maintains their own ethnic language and culture, and it is deplorable that the commission is talking about proficiency in Bama language as the criterion for Rohingya people to be judged as citizens.” Dr. Uddin explained and brought this to the attention of the ambassadors. 

“A significant number of ethnic minorities from the eastern and northern frontier areas of Burma cannot speak or write Bama language because they also maintain their own languages as the Rohingya ethnic minority does; therefore, the Commission’s language requirement issue does not make sense; Nonetheless, we all can learn the Government’s preferred language without getting punishment for not knowing enough now” Dr. Uddin stressed. Several other undisclosed matters pertaining to the UN Human Right Council were also discussed during the meeting with the ambassadors.

Bangkok Post

May 11, 2013

Activists have likened Myanmar's worsening sectarian violence to the Ku Klux Klan racist movement in the US during the 1960s.

If the violence is not halted soon, it will divide the country ahead of general elections in 2015, they told a recent forum in Bangkok.

Smile Education and Development Foundation representative Myo Win said the recent explosion of Buddhist rage against Muslim Rohingya in his country was tearing his nation apart.

The violence has resulted in hundreds of casualties and thousands being forced from their homes.

Speaking at the forum at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand, Myo Win, a Muslim, said he feared what began as a systematic cleansing of the ethnic group in Rakhine state was evolving into a nationwide Ku Klux Klan-style hate movement.

He has been monitoring the Buddhist extremist movement - namely the 969 group - that propelled the violence in Rakhine state in October last year.

"It is splitting the nation and it is overwhelming us. It will surely have a direct impact on the upcoming election," the Yangon-based activist said.

Maung Zarni, a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics' Civil Society and Human Security Research Unit, dubbed the situation in his native land as "ethnocide" by Buddhists against the Rohingya.

The Rakhine situation and the viral streams of intellectuals and media spurring hatred against the Rohingya was the result of collaboration between the Myanmar Sangha and Buddhist societies and the government, Mr Zarni claimed.

International Network of Engaged Buddhists founder Sulak Sivaraksa said Myanmar's Buddhist monks - which formerly led the "Saffron Revolution", named after the dark red colour of their robes, against the former military regime - are encouraging the violence because they feel threatened.

Human Rights Watch released a report last month, accusing Myanmar government officials, monks and nationalists of "ethnic cleansing" and "crimes against humanity". The UN has also described the Rohingya as one of the most persecuted minorities in the world.

Mr Zarni said the Rohingya had been the target of several generations of discrimination by people trying to label them illegal immigrants, a view enshrined in the 1982 Citizenship Act which declared them "foreign residents".

He said Rohingya had been recognised by earlier regimes, pointing to a broadcast by the state-run Burmese Broadcasting Service in 1966 which translated a 10-minute news programme into different ethnic languages including Rohingya.

He said the first prime minister of independent Burma, U Nu, and his top brass also recognised Rohingya as one of the country's many ethnic groups in the 1960s.

Today, however, the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party's firebrand leader Aye Maung accuses the minority group of being descendants of the Mujahideen, stoking anti-Muslim sentiment.

Mr Zarni pointed part of the blame at the Rohingya Inquiry Commission's recent 186-page report which was supportive of the violence. The panel was set up by Myanmar President Thein Sein.

Mr Zarni said the commission sought to endorse anti-Muslim racism without highlighting problems caused by the surge in virulent Islamophobia.

Thein Sein has not done enough to try and control the situation, Mr Zarni said.

Myo Win from the Muslims Association Network based in Yangon said the government would have to go much further than Thein Sein simply condemning the escalation in violence.

MYARF 

RB News 

May 11, 2013 

Maung Daw, Arakan - On 8th May 2013, a Rohingya boy Forwas Udin s/o Tufail Ahmed was shot by a NaSaKa from POE Nasaka Camp at about 11:00PM in Wali’s house while he was trying to escape for his life. 

At night 11 O’clock, authorities from three different departments such as Military, NaSaKa (Boarder Security Force) and Police went to the village of Maung Ni of Kayin Tan (Shikdafara) village tract, where they surrounded more than three houses and then shot down an innocent boy named Forwas Udin s/o Tufail Ahmed. 

A few days ago, Syed Karim from the village of Foyazi went to Maung Ni with his 20-above followers and abducted a son of Wali to get back the money borrowed by the other son of Wali who had already left for Bangladesh. The next day, Wali, with help of some elderly people, came to an agreement with the kidnapper, Syed Karim, to pay Kyat 2.5Million to get his released. But all of sudden, a sub-lieutenant Police Officer Aung Kyaw Khant came up and increased the ransom money to Kyat 4Million. The police officer took the abducted to the custody. 

The boy was released soon after he had been taken to the custody as his father lodged the report to all the concerned authority and also provided the list of the culprits behind this criminal act. Consequently, Police issued arrest warrants against the criminals. 

The unsatisfied criminals, Syed Karim and his followers, plotted with an In-Charge of Military responsible for security to falsely allege Wali’s family of attacking Security Military Personnel on duty in the village (of Maung Ni) on 7th May 2013 night. Without any investigation, the Military commander in cooperation with NaSaKa and Police raided three houses on 8th May 2013 night. 

An unrelated and innocent neighboring Rohingya boy got terrified and tried to escape because of the terrifying and bitter experiences he has been facing since the beginning of the violence against Rohingyas. NaSaKa, with no sympathy, shot at the boy at once. The boy was hit by two bullets and hence terribly injured. He is not having appropriate treatments even though his injuries are severe. He is still bleeding. 

Sayed Karim is a close puppet of Maung Daw Police, who together involve in Drug Trade such as Yaba Tablets.

(Edited by Maung Aurther)

Emma Batha

Thomson Reuters Foundation

May 10, 2013

LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – More than 125,000 Rohingya living in dire conditions after fleeing ethnic violence in western Myanmar face a humanitarian catastrophe as the monsoon approaches, a rights group has warned.

Death rates will rise in the coming months as rains swamp overcrowded camps, increasing the risk of serious diseases including cholera, said Melanie Teff, a senior advocate with Refugees International.

Teff, who has just returned from visiting the region, said Myanmar’s government had run out of time to relocate people or build robust shelters after repeatedly changing its plans.

“People are already dying because the appalling conditions they are living in are making them ill, and this will be hugely exacerbated during the rainy season,” Teff added.

“Water-borne diseases could have an enormous impact. There will be a humanitarian catastrophe if people are not moved to higher ground.”

The rains – due in three weeks – will also make it harder for aid workers to deliver water, food and other supplies to the camps in Rakhine state, Teff said in an interview.

Some 140,000 people have been uprooted in the region following two explosions of violence last year between Buddhist Rakhines and Muslim Rohingya - described by rights groups as one of the most persecuted minorities in the world.

Teff, who was accompanied on the trip by British MP Rushanara Ali, called on the international community “to push for a clear plan for the rainy season because lives are going to be lost”.

The United Nations says 69,000 people will be at very serious risk during the monsoon season, which lasts until September. Most are living in flood-prone camps near the shore or in former paddy fields.

Fears are particularly high for some 15,000 people living in makeshift sites outside camps. They have no access to food aid, clean water or latrines and have to defecate in the open.

“Many are living in straw huts or under pieces of tarpaulin. These people are in a far worse situation than anyone I saw last year,” said Teff, whose previous visit was in September.

Most of the displaced – 90-95 percent of them Rohingya - are living in camps in Sittwe, Pauktaw and Myebon. Healthcare is minimal and malnutrition rates are near emergency levels.

Teff, who will brief British government and U.N. officials following her trip, said the Rohingya were desperate.

One widowed mother of six living in a camp at Pauktaw told her: “Our relatives are dead. We are alive, but life is dead … Death is better than our present life.”

An estimated 800,000 Rohingyas live in Myanmar, formerly called Burma, but the government denies them citizenship, regarding them as illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. Bangladesh does not recognise them as citizens either and they are officially stateless.

AID BLOCKED

Teff said tensions were extremely high during her visit because officials were trying to get the Rohingya to sign documents identifying them as Bengali.

“The Rohingya refused to sign. Stones were thrown. Shots were fired in the air and we were told two children were hospitalised,” said Teff, who visited the area two days after the April 26 confrontation.

“The community were very, very upset. They were saying, ‘We’re about to be under water and they are coming round with forms asking us to sign that we are Bengalis’. Why aren’t they focusing on the imminent humanitarian emergency.”

Unlike the displaced Rakhines, the Rohingya are not allowed to leave their camps so they can no longer work and are reliant on aid.

But Teff said some Rakhine communities are blocking aid groups from helping the Rohingya. The climate of fear is also making it hard for agencies to find local staff to work for them.

The lack of healthcare is particularly serious. Teff said only one hospital will treat Rohingya patients, the others have refused. The hospital has 12 segregated beds for the entire population.

She called on the World Health Organisation to urgently send a team to Sittwe to coordinate healthcare and identify gaps.

Teff said Myanmar must come up with a plan to end the segregation between the Rohingya and Rakhines, work towards reconciliation and extend citizenship to the Rohingya.

Most Rohingya told Teff they would like to return to their homes if there was protection.

One woman living in a makeshift site said: “If the government accepts us as Rohingya we can go back, as then the government will give us security. If we go back without security the Rakhines will kill us.”

But Teff strongly opposed a government proposal for boosting security by expanding the NaSaKa border force, which she said had a terrible history of abusing the Rohingya.

Teff also criticised the European Union for lifting sanctions on Myanmar last month following a spate of democratic reforms in the former military dictatorship.

“Removing any potential source of pressure is premature when the situation has not been resolved for the Rohingya and has in fact gone backwards,” she said.

The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has long been criticized as a toothless tiger for its inability to deal with controversial and often bloody issues. The Sabah Insurgency launched in March by Philippine-based mercenaries, the Cambodian-Thai dispute overterritorial rights at Preah Vihear and overlapping sovereign claims in the South China Seas are among the nastiest and most recent examples.

However, ethnic violence launched against Burma’s Rohingya population has repeatedly underscored the absence of a collective moral backbone among ASEAN’s 10 members and unraveled Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s lauded role in promoting democracy and human rights.

Long-time observers and non-governmental organizations have been loud in their condemnations and warnings about the potential for conflict between Muslim Rohingyas and militant Buddhists to spiral out of control, while Western governments continue to welcome Burmese efforts to “normalize”.

New York-based Human Rights Watch says the Burmese government is ethnic cleansing.

Those predictions of violence are now proving true. In Indonesia anti-terror police shot dead seven men and arrested 13 suspected of involvement in a plot to bomb the Burmese embassy in Jakarta. Two raids were carried out in the operation. The unit raided their hideout in a house on the outskirts of West Java’s capital city of Bandung, but suspects refused to surrender. The ensuing firefight lasted seven hours.

Five assembled pipe bombs were found in a backpack and the authorities said the attack was planned for last Friday.

The deadly confrontation came at the end of a difficult month for Indonesian authorities, who are dealing with a growing influx of Rohingyas fleeing violence in Burma. Their status as refugees can hardly be challenged given the well-documented threats they have lived under, which clearly violate UN laws.

At the same time, much of the world is beating an economic path to Southeast Asia in search of closer regional ties and free trade agreements. In so doing, Western countries would rather separate their business agendas from their moral obligations by leaving the distasteful business in Burma’s north to ASEAN.

While the escalating violence has displaced thousands, last month the European Union congratulated Burma on a “remarkable process of reform” as it lifted all of its sanctions except an arms embargo. The U.S. followed suit by sending Acting U.S. Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis to the country to formulate a trade framework.

In Indonesia, home of the world’s largest Muslim population, anger is rising over the Burmese government’s handling of the issue.

If ASEAN governments cannot defuse the tense situation, Rohingyas will be pushed towards the harder edges of the region and into the waiting arms of Islamic militants who still hold court in parts of Indonesia, Malaysia, southern Thailand and the southern Philippines. At that point it could become a regional issue with the potential to undermine ASEAN’s ambitious money–making agenda.

Luke Hunt is a South-east Asia correspondent for The Diplomat and has worked in journalism for more than 25 years. He has served as bureau chief for Agence France-Presse in Cambodia and in Afghanistan during the Taliban occupation where he was commended by the United Nations for the 'best and most insightful' coverage of the Afghan civil war.

Maung Zarni - an outspoken Burmese critic, blogger and visiting fellow in the Civil Society and Human Security Unity, the London School of Economics, discussed follow by U Myo Win (Burmese Muslim), Ajarn Sulak Sivaraksa -- a highly respected Thai Buddhist philosopher, Veronica Pedrosa -- independent journalist working for Al Jazeera English, who moderated the panel.

Ikhwan Web

May 9, 2013

As Shura Council debates urgent solution to Burma’s persecuted Muslims, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry vows to act without further delay.

Shura Council’s Arab and Foreign Affairs and National Security Committee, headed by Ridha Fahmi, heard statements by Alaa El-Kashef, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia; and Rania Al-Banna, Assistant Secretary of State, on the issue of persecution and massacres committed against Muslims of Burma, over two million people.

Alaa El-Kashef said, "Egypt did not spare any effort in supporting Muslims of Burma. We did not stand idly by with regard to this important issue.

"The Egyptian Foreign Ministry issued three statements in which it strongly condemned the massacres and the burning of Muslim families and homes. We tasked our ambassador to inform the government in Burma of our total rejection of the genocide being committed against Muslims there. Egypt’s Foreign Minister met with government officials in an attempt to develop a plan to solve the crisis. We summoned the Myanmar Ambassador in Cairo and expressed Egypt’s deep shock and concern regarding the ongoing violent events."

David Hopkins

May 9, 2013