Myanmar to Rohingyas: “u do not belong here - go to Bangladesh. If (not) we will torch your houses and kill you.”

Brutal attacks on Rohingya meant to make their return almost impossible – UN human rights report

GENEVA (11 October 2017) – Brutal attacks against Rohingya in northern Rakhine State have been well-organised, coordinated and systematic, with the intent of not only driving the population out of Myanmar but preventing them from returning to their homes, a new UN report based on interviews conducted in Bangladesh has found.

The report by a team from the UN Human Rights Office, who met with the newly arrived Rohingya in Cox’s Bazar from 14 to 24 September 2017, states that human rights violations committed against the Rohingya population were carried out by Myanmar security forces often in concert with armed Rakhine Buddhist individuals. The report, released on Wednesday, is based on some 65 interviews with individuals and groups.

It also highlights a strategy to “instil deep and widespread fear and trauma – physical, emotional and psychological” among the Rohingya population.

More than 500,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since the Myanmar security forces launched an operation in response to alleged attacks by militants on 25 August against 30 police posts and a regimental headquarters. The report states the “clearance operations” started before 25 August 2017, and as early as the beginning of August.

The UN Human Rights Office is gravely concerned for the safety of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya who remain in northern Rakhine State amid reports the violence is still ongoing, and calls on authorities to immediately allow humanitarian and human rights actors unfettered access to the stricken areas.

The report cites testimony from witnesses that security forces scorched dwellings and entire villages, were responsible for extrajudicial and summary executions, rape and other forms of sexual violence, torture and attacks on places of worship. Eyewitnesses reported numerous killings, saying some victims were deliberately targeted and others were killed through explosions, fire and stray bullets.

A 12-year old girl from Rathedaung township described how “the [Myanmar security forces and Rakhine Buddhist individuals] surrounded our house and started to shoot. It was a situation of panic – they shot my sister in front of me, she was only seven years old. She cried and told me to run. I tried to protect her and care for her, but we had no medical assistance on the hillside and she was bleeding so much that after one day she died. I buried her myself.”

The report states that in some cases, before and during the attacks, megaphones were used to announce: “You do not belong here – go to Bangladesh. If you do not leave, we will torch your houses and kill you.”

Credible information indicates that the Myanmar security forces purposely destroyed the property of the Rohingyas, targeting their houses, fields, food-stocks, crops, livestock and even trees, to render the possibility of the Rohingya returning to normal lives and livelihoods in the future in northern Rakhine almost impossible.

UN Human Rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, who has described the Government operations in northern Rakhine State as “a textbook example of ethnic cleansing,” has also urged the Government to immediately end its “cruel" security operation. By denying the Rohingya population their political, civil, economic and cultural rights, including the right to citizenship, he said, the Government’s actions appear to be “a cynical ploy to forcibly transfer large numbers of people without possibility of return.”

The report indicates that efforts were taken to effectively erase signs of memorable landmarks in the geography of the Rohingya landscape and memory in such a way that a return to their lands would yield nothing but a desolate and unrecognizable terrain.

Information received also indicates that the Myanmar security forces targeted teachers, the cultural and religious leadership, and other people of influence of the Rohingya community in an effort to diminish Rohingya history, culture and knowledge.

ENDS

Mission report of OHCHR rapid response mission to Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh 

Wynston Lawrence

RB Analysis

October 12, 2017

Suu has spoken on Myanmar National TV channel on 12 October 2017. She would like to tell her fellows Burmese people how her government is going to confront challenges of Rohingya Crisis. This crisis has gained world attentions with terrible comments from international community. Some has described as Genocide and other used as “Textbook example of Ethnic Cleansing. No matter what they names, these are great crimes under International Laws. Suu has spoken twice on 9/19 and today 10/12. For 9/19 speech, she has been condemned by critics because she failed to criticize violence such as killings, raping, burning houses committed by brutal Burmese Army and Rakhine Buddhists extremist. Some accused her as an apologist for Ethnic Cleansing, Genocide and mass rapes. Today she spoke in Burmese and I will use an official translation of her ministerial government. This translation has been released on official Facebook page of Myanmar State Counsellor Office. But I will include some words in original translation with bracket to free misunderstanding in the community of English language speaking. 

ASSK: ((Report to the (Burmese) People By State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi))

WL: ((She has today spoken for mainly Burmese audiences and reporting for Rohingya Crisis.))

ASSK: ((May all the (Burmese) people be in good health and well-being. May peace be in your hearts. First of all, let me tell you how grateful I am, for standing together with our government, with full understanding and unity, at a time when we are facing extreme challenges. There is no power which can compare with the support of the people, trust of the people and the unity of the people. I believe that no matter whatever difficulties we face, we can overcome, with the unity of our people.))

WL: ((She is expressing gratitude to the Burmese people because there has recently a lot of gatherings in Burma for supporting Aung San Suu Kyi and its government, sometimes they support even Burmese Army. I am not sure why are they supporting Suu Kyi but I think they want to show the world that they are standing with Suu Kyi for whatever she does. Suu acknowledged that she is facing with extreme challenges. I want to point out that if she believe in her own people’s support is so crucial for her, why did she cry out for international supports when she has been defeated by Burmese Army. She failed to recognize important of international supports for her and her country. Is she relying now only on so-called national supports?))

ASSK: ((As all of you know, the attention of the world on the Rakhine issue has been immense, beginning with the attacks on the police outposts in Rakhine State last (year) October, the terrorist attacks which happened again in August of this year and the related problems that grew out of these attacks. There has been a lot of criticisms against our country. We need to understand international opinion. However, just as no one can fully understand the situation of our country the way we do, no one can desire peace and development for our country more than us. That is why we need to tackle these problems based on the strength of our unity.))

WL: ((She talks about deadly attacks on Police stations by ARSA militants in last year, October and this year, 25 of August. She used the words of “terrorist attacks" for ARSA insurgents group but she failed to mention "terrorist attacks" by Burmese Army on innocent Rohingya victims. She may seem to forget to use the word of “terrorist attacks” of Burmese Army on innocent Rohingya civillians. She neglected to express sympathy with half of millions Rohingya refugees who have fled to Bangladesh to escape killings, raping, burning alive by Burmese Army and radical Rakhine Buddhists mob. She is saying like ex-dictators that no one in the world better understand Burma than herself and her people. She did not know that it was British historian who told them, you Burman (Bamar) are one of the groups of Tibeto-Burman. It was British people who build Rangoon University and give them latest Modern education in Burma. Burmese people are getting only Buddhist monastic education before British went to Burma. Today she is claiming that no foreigner can understand Burmese’s problems better than Burmaese people. She is also discrediting international desire of peace and developments in Burma.))

ASSK: ((At this time, our country needs to continue doing the things that needs to be done. Furthermore, the things that need(s) to be done, (what) should be done correctly, bravely and effectively. We will implement the commitments we made till progress and success is achieved. Rather than rebutting criticisms and allegations with words, we will show the world by our actions and our deeds. In the Rakhine State, there are so many things to be done. If we are to take stock and prioritize, there are three main tasks: 

a) First, repatriation of those who have crossed over to Bangladesh and providing humanitarian assistance effectively;

b) Secondly, resettlement and rehabilitation; and

c) Third, bringing development to the region and establishing durable peace.

We will enhance our ability to provide humanitarian assistance effectively. We are negotiating with the Government of Bangladesh on the matter of accepting those who are now in Bangladesh. Since our independence, we have twice, successfully negotiated with Bangladesh on the issue. Based on these successful traditions, we are now negotiating for the third time.))

WL: ((Promises of Suu Kyi has become unreliable and untrustworthy because she promised in the last speech that all human rights violators will be punished according to the laws of Burma but no one from Burmese Army and extremist Rakhine Buddhist mob was arrested for their crimes. Moreover her government and Burmese Army indeed used a lot of moneys to encounter international media for her so-called iceberg of misinformation! But the world is not stupid as they think and their systematically media warfare was become very weaken in the international community. That is also a great effect for their blocking international and national medias, except for state-sponsored program, for going to effective areas in Rakhine State. Then she's admitted that systematic Ethnic Cleansing was not started recently but decades ago. First time was in 1978, and following was 1991. In fact these two previous crises was nothing to do with Suu Kyi. They were committed crimes of Burmese military dictators, General Ne Win and Tyrant General Than Shwe. Please note that these previous two repatriations were not successful traditions for Rohingya victims because thousands could not return their ancestral homeland, Arakan. On the other hand, they were successful traditions for Burmese dictators as they don’t want to see any Rohingya in Arakan state of Burma if possible. Past agreements are NOT totally fair for Rohingya. At that time, Bangladesh government did not get enough international supports and they also had their own problems. Today is different; Bangladesh government earned a lot of international praise, sympathy and supports as well they have more stable political situations ever before. Bangladesh was considering to having fair-go and new an agreement with Burmese Government. Furthermore Bangladesh Foreign Minister informed international community within this week, they have sent new agreement proposal to Burmese Government. They are still waiting and getting no response from Burmese government. That’s what Suu Kyi’s government is doing seriously for Rohingya Crisis.))

ASSK: ((As we work on the resettlement and rehabilitation efforts, we need to work not only for those who will be returning from Bangladesh but also for the very small national races such as Daing-net and Myo as well as Rakhine Nationals and Hindus. We will work to ensure that they will regain their normalcy. We will seek durable, sustainable programs to improve their lives. We have to formulate long term programmes for the development of the region and continue working for durable peace to relieve this region of conflicts in the years to come.))

WL: ((She even doesn’t have a heart to call the name of “Rohingya” while she mentioned nearly all of ethnic groups in Rakhine state by name. According to the Wall Street Journal, Suu Kyi forbid visiting diplomat for using “Rohingya” name. She told that, “They are not Rohingya. They are Bengali. They are foreigners.” That is what she believed about Rohingya but her believed was against historical evidences. Rohingya were NOT the descendants of colonial era "farm coolies" from East Bengal as Myanmar government blatantly lies to the world. Based on the 14th century stone inscriptions, Professor Dr. G. H. Luce described them as "a fine type of devout and scholarly-minded Muslims." They have been indigenous ethnic group to North Arakan since 1400 AD. According to the late Professor Luce, essentially the founder of modern historical studies of the ancient Myanmar or Burma and the mentor of Professor Dr. Than Tun, the presence of the Rohingya (Rohinjas) in Burma was evidenced in the stone inscriptions from the Ava period (AD 1400). [Luce, G. H. 1985, Phases of pre-Pagan Burma : languages and history / by G.H. Luce Oxford University Press Oxford ; New York] The term "Rooinga" (Rohingya) which can also be found in a research "A Comparative Vocabulary of Some of the Languages Spoken in Burma Empire" carried out by British medical doctor, researcher and traveler, Dr. Francis Buchanan in 1799 C.E. Its copy can be received here: http://www.soas.ac.uk/sbbr/editions/file64276.pdf. Dr. Francis Buchanan's record was done in 1799 C.E., before British colonial period, is based on primary evidence. That is why Western scholars now have no problems to believe that Rohingya people lived in Arakan before Burma occupied Arakan. That is why they find the Muslim Rohingya being unfairly treated for their racial and religious differences with the Buddhist- Mongoloid Burman- Rakhine variety. This is clearly racism.

Suu Kyi wants to use international donations mostly for Rohingya to other ethnic groups as they have been demanded in the past 50% share for non-Rohingyas and other for Rohingya. Their numbers are not the same. Rohingya refugees has highest numbers. If they get any national donations that are going to Rakhine state, they do not consider for Rohingya but only for their fellows Buddhist Rakhine mostly. They have had discriminated Rohingya in many forms. I am not denying that there are some amounts of people who have to Burma from today Bangladesh in the period of British colonial rule. It should be noted that they are NOT illegal migrants because British ruled over Bangladesh as well as Burma. But I would to quote from Israel research Moshe Yegar’s writing. He said, “those Muslims who had resided since the days of Mrauk-U dynasty and the Muslims from Chittagong who immigrated into Arakan in 19th and 20th century were integrated to some extent and comprised the present Rohingyas. [Yegar, Moshe. 2002. Between Integration and Secession: The Muslim Communities of the Southern Philippines, Southern Thailand, and Western Burma/Myanmar. Oxford. Lexinton Books.])) 

ASSK: ((For each program there are many tasks. Our entrepreneurs, NGOs, CSOs and the people, have stated their wish to participate and help. The international community has also stated their wish to cooperate and assist. This is a matter of national importance. The Union Government and state/regional governments will take the leading role. We will give due regard and serious consideration to the sincere offers of cooperation made at home and from abroad. For the development of Rakhine State, to implement projects in all sectors, we need a mechanism which allows the Union Government, the people, the private sector, local NGOs and CSOs, friendly countries, UN agencies, INGOs to work together in cooperation. We will call this mechanism the "Union Enterprise for Humanitarian Assistance, Resettlement and Development in Rakhine". This enterprise has been established with the aim of allowing the Union Government and all local and international organizations to work in all sectors and all strata of society. In this "Union Enterprise for Humanitarian Assistance, Resettlement and Development in Rakhine", I will act as Chairperson, representing the Government in my capacity as State Counsellor. Dr. Win Myat Aye, Union Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement will act as Vice Chairman. He is the Chairman of the Committee assigned to implement the recommendations of Dr. Kofi Annan’s Advisory Commission on Rakhine State. We will implement the short and long term tasks effectively. We will use this Programme to show practical and progressive results as we work towards the emergence of a peaceful and developed Rakhine State. I wish to earnestly invite and welcome, all the people of our country, NGOs, CSOs and Business Leaders to join hands and cooperate with us. We will begin the Programme this coming week. As we implement this Programme, I believe that we will be able to utilize the strength of will, determination, and knowledge; bravely and energetically. We will use the power of truth and purity, so that this Enterprise will be worthy of being called a ‘milestone’ in our history.”))

WL: ((This plan is seems to be acceptable but need a lot of times and resources. Importantly there is no SINGLE Rohingya representative in their enterprise. A handful of Rohingya people, who have citizenship of Burma, are living currently in Rangoon, they should be included in Suu Kyi's so-called Union Enterprise for Humanitarian Assistance, Resettlement and Development in Rakhine.))

ASSK: ((To develop the Rakhine state, we have invited those who wish to assist us; UN agencies, financial institutions like the World Bank and ADB, INGOs like the Nippon Foundation and friendly countries. We place great hope on our Union nationals living within the country and abroad. No matter where they may be in the world. I have no doubt that all of them would come forth to help us with Metta (loving kindness) and Thitsa (Truth). Although our Union may not be strong, I am confident that we will besuccessful by uniting our will. Our people are well known for their generosity and philanthropy and have even been ranked as number one in the world. We will put to good use this generous nature of our people, systematically. The most powerful force for making our Union peaceful and developed is our people. No matter how much anger, hatred and bullying, we may have to face, we shall overcome all challenges and obstacles by holding fast to Metta, Karuna and Mudita (Loving kindness, Compassion and Sympathetic joy). Let us join hands and work together for the success of the "Union Enterprise for Humanitarian Assistance, Resettlement and Development in Rakhine" with the understanding that we are not working for one region only but for the entire Union. Beginning from Sunday, 15th October, we will announce through our website and State news media how you can help and how to communicate with us. We shall make arrangements, so that all the sons and daughters of our Union and our friends abroad who have goodwill in their hearts may get in touch with the nearest diplomatic missions and Consulates-General to help us in this endeavour. May I once again pray for the good health of all our people, the true strength of our country, whom we trust and depend upon. May you all have peace and tranquillity in your hearts. May all your righteous good wishes be fulfilled.))

WL: ((This part is an ocean of loving, kindness, compassion and sympathetic joy. This should be most welcoming but if they have had these noble attitudes at first place, Rohingya will not suffered these kinds of unimaginable atrocities.))

In conclusion, I can analyzed her speech as follows:

1. She failed to speak about when Rohingya will be recognized as one of the indigenous groups of Burma as they were before in the period of Parliamentary Democracy Era.

2. She failed to speak about when International and National medias will be allowed to go Rakhine State.

3. She failed to speak about when she will issue visas for UN Facts Finding Mission to investigate serious crimes, Ethnic Cleansing and human rights violations in Burma.

4. She failed to speak about how Rohingya who are currently living in Central Rakhine areas, mainly in Sittway District will be provided foods, waters, medicare and so on.

5. She failed to speak about how Human Rights violators from Burmese Army and Rakhine Buddhists mob will be prosecuted.

6. She is trying to divert an attention of International communities mainly for UN Security Council and European Commission. The first speech (9/19) was before UN Security Council meeting on (9/28) and also this speech (10/12) was come out because tomorrow (10/13) UN Security Council has informal meetings with Kofi Annan. Suu Kyist government know that UN Security Council has absolute power to refer Rohingya Genocide or Ethnic Cleansing case to International Criminal Court for full investigation.

Wynston Lawrence is a Political Analyst and Human Rights Activist based in western Australia. 

Follow on twitter @LawrenceWynston

By Prothom Alo

October 12, 2017

Discussants at a roundtable said Bangladesh has been an utter failure in diplomatically handling the Rohingya issue.

They also said the atrocities inflicted on Rohingyas meet all conditions for genocide. 

Shujan (Citizens for Good Governance), a civil society organisation, organised the roundtable, 'Rohingya Crisis: Context, Current Situation and Possible Solution', at the National Press Club on Thursday morning.

Politician SM Akram said, "We have diplomatically failed on the Rohingya issue. Those whom we consider our friend countries, have not stood by us." 

Shujan secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar said there are ten conditions for genocide. All of these conditions are met in the incidence of Rohingyas fleeing in thousands to Bangladesh following the crackdown by the Myanmar army in the Rakhine state since 25 August.

Former cabinet secretary and executive member of Shujan Ali Imam Majumder said the Rohingya crisis may exacerbate further in the future. The attention of the international community may be diverted, he pointed out, saying it will be difficult to bear the pressure of one million Rohingya refugees.

Ali Imam Majumder said, "Vested quarters may instigate the persecuted Rohingyas to extremism. As a result, the entire region may become unstable."

Columnist Syed Abul Maksud said after Bangladesh's Independence in 1971, such a crisis like Rohingyas did not emerge in Bangladesh.

"We notice irresponsibility inside the government in handling the issue, which is not expected," Maksud said.

Professor of international relations at Dhaka University CR Abrar said there is no necessity to rehabilitate Rohingyas in Vasanchar and Balurchar.

Human rights activist Hamida Hossain, former adviser to the caretaker government M Hafizuddin Khan, former state minister for foreign affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury, former ambassador Munshi Faiz Ahmad and Nagorik Samaj (citizen society) convener Bahauddin Chowdhury, among others, spoke at the programme.

By Reuters

October 12, 2017

GENEVA -- Myanmar security forces have brutally driven out half a million Rohingya from Rakhine state, torching their homes, crops and villages to prevent them from returning, the United Nations Human Rights Office said yesterday.

In a report based on 65 interviews with Rohingya who have arrived in Bangladesh in the past month, it said that "clearance operations" had begun before insurgent attacks on police posts on Aug 25 and included killings, torture and rape of children.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein - who has described the government operations as "a textbook example of ethnic cleansing" - said that the actions appeared to be "a cynical ploy to forcibly transfer large numbers of people without possibility of return".

The latest report by his Geneva office said: "Credible information indicates that the Myanmar security forces purposely destroyed the property of the Rohingya, scorched their dwellings and entire villages in Rakhine state, not only to drive the population out in droves but also to prevent the fleeing Rohingya victims from returning to their homes."

The destruction by security forces, often joined by "mobs" of armed Rakhine Buddhists, make the possibility of Rohingya returning to normal lives in Rakhine "almost impossible".

Myanmar security forces are believed to have planted landmines along the border in an attempt to prevent Rohingya from returning, it said, adding: "There are indications that violence is still ongoing."

Meanwhile, Myanmar on Tuesday held inter-faith prayers in Yangon in a bid to improve relations between Buddhists and Muslims since the eruption of deadly violence triggered an exodus of some 520,000 Muslims to Bangladesh.

Wynston Lawrence

RB Opinion

October 12, 2017

Today so many people are giving reasons to mislead international communities that Suu has no power to stop Genocide or Ethnic Cleansing against Rohingya ethnic in Burma. Their excuses were the Army who have had control defence forces of Burma. It's true that the Army has rights to propose three Ministers but the President has the rights to reject anyone and order the Army to propose another candidate. Well known fact is that Army took forcibly 25% of MPs in legislative power but Suu has more than enough MPs to propose any bill and enact any law, except the Constitution, without partnership with any political parties or the Army's MPs. All of following facts are what she can do according to the current Burmese laws and regulations.

1) She has an authority to recognise Rohingya as one of the indigenous ethnic groups of Burma according to the 1982 Burmese Citizenship Law and reinstate their rights. She no need to change the Law. She can do within weeks like her MPs had enacted the law to create her state counsellor position in 2016 within weeks. Please note that Rohingya have been recognised as an indigenous ethnic group in the period of Democratic civilian U Nu government. Prime Minister U Nu also recognised Mayu District as autonomic region for Rohingya. This Mayu district was directly administered by Central Government. Unfortunately, Dictator General Ne Win became in power 1962. He later abolished Rohingya ethnic rights and autonomic District in his authoritarian rule.

2) She can form a large Emergency Immigration Team to process million of citizenship applications made by Rohingya ethnic. Please note that if they have been recognised as indigenous ethnic group according to above-mentioned Act, Rohingya people will become native citizens of Burma if they can prove that they belong to Rohingya ethnic. This may take some times but she can do within one year because of the previous dictatorship governments have already collected paramount datas for so many years, especially from 1974-2015. It's worthy to mention here that the previous President, ex-General Thein Sein admitted as "After we make ground investigation, there are nothing new comers from Bangladesh (after Burmese independent)." This interview was with VOA Burmese News. And his immigration minister, ex-General Khin Yee also challenged the public who has doubts that there are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, they should come and check anytime. He told in interview with RFA Burmese News. He also pointed out that in Rakhine state, most of immigration officers and employees are Rakhine Buddhist ethnic." He was right in this issue as there's no single ethnic Rohingya Muslim officer in immigration department. Rakhine authorities, they even have detail lists for animals that were owned by Rohingya ethnic. Suu can mobilise all available officers from every part of Burma to implement this mission. She can request technical and financial assistances from UN and INGO agencies.

3) She has more than enough MPs in Burmese Parliament to propose a bill of Racial Discrimination Act and vote to become a law of Burma. If this Act becomes active Law within one month, she can defeat any racists, religious bigots and trouble makers legally. All of the Judges and lawyers of Burma are within her authority. It's true that she has no direct power over police forces and the Army but she can defeat them, if they create any minor problems, with the supports of lawyers, judges, political activists, NGO, INGO, international governments, UN and most importantly her largest supporters, the People.

4) She has power to make new an agreement with Bangladesh government to bring back all of the Rohingya refugees who have fled from ancestral home lands, Mayu District to Bangladesh because of Ethnic Cleansing. She announced that she will use an old agreement that was made by her enemies, previous dictator General Than Shwe government. She can do this within three months.

5) She has power to grant visas to the members of UN Facts Finding Mission to investigate human rights violations in Burma. They will investigate whether these violations are amounted to Ethnic Cleansing or NOT. This can be done within days.

6) She has power to give permission to National and International medias to go Rakhine state. She should respect freedom of press and allow them freely. But journalists need to agree any risks they may face from insurgents are totally depending on their own choices. She can give order to Minister of Home Affairs to provide security to journalists. If Minister is not agree, she has power to replace him via her puppet President. 

7) She also has absolute power to allow any INGOs and NGOs to do their humanitarian works in Rakhine state and allow them to go freely within state. She need to lift any rules that were giving troubles to these agencies such as they need to apply repeated permissions to help who are in needs. She may face some troubles from Buddhist Rakhine who are very hostile to INGO and NGO although they have received more than fair shares from those organisations. But she can get supports from Police forces and media to enforce Rules of Laws. She can also do this within days.

8) She may face some protests for these implementations but she can persuade most of the people with short speech. Today there are a lot of rallies to express their standing with Suu. These will help her a lot. Some people need to be taken as seriously along with Police forces, local administrations, her MPs and part's members, democratic Saffron monks, medias and so on.

9) As she has no power to control the Army, she should agree to talk with ARSA insurgents for peace agreement. ARSA recently released a statement on Twitter, they are ready talk with Suu Kyist Administration for ceasefire. She should not give full authority to Zaw Htay to speak on the behalf of her administration regarding with this issue. Zaw Htay is ex-militant and political critics have suspects regarding with his integrity, attitudes and background. He should be immediately replaced with someone who has reputation, skills and post democratic activist.

10) She should also conclude some portions of Rohingya ethnic leaders as Rakhine ethnic leaders in the Implementation Committee for the recommendations of Kofi Annan commission.

In conclusion, she can do most of the above-mentioned facts in short period of times if she is honest and free from racism as well as religious bigotry.

Wynston Lawrence is Political Analyst and Human Rights Activist based in Western Australia. 

Follow on twitter @LawrenceWynston

If there was one thing almost everyone who has monitored Muslim Rohingya in Rakhine State agreed on, it was that sooner or later their plight would breed militant resistance to the authority of the state. 

The attacks that started in the early hours of 25 August on around 30 police and army posts, triggering a ruthless military counter-attack which has driven more than half a million Rohingya into Bangladesh, showed that militancy, now led by a shadowy group calling itself the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (Arsa), has taken root. 

But conversations with refugees and militants in Bangladesh also show that the group's strategy is still poorly-formed, and that it is not supported by all Rohingya.

Even the accounts given by the Myanmar security forces suggest that the 25 August attacks were mostly simple, almost suicidal charges by groups of men, most armed only with machetes and sharpened bamboo sticks.

One of the earliest and biggest attacks was on the police post in Alel Than Kyaw, a town on the coast south of Maungdaw.

Police Lt Aung Kyaw Moe later told a group of visiting journalists that they had advance warning of the attack and sheltered all local officials inside the barracks the night before.

At 04:00, he said two groups of around 500 men each stormed up from the beach. 

They killed an immigration officer, whose house was close to the beach, but were easily driven off by police officers firing automatic weapons. Seventeen bodies were left behind.

This tallies with an account given to me by a Rohingya refugee in Bangladesh. 

In a conversation about how he had been driven out of Rakhine state, he complained about the way the militants had tried to co-opt his village into joining the attacks in the days after 25 August. 

They had helped themselves to cattle and goats, he said, telling the villagers they would be paid back when there was an independent Rohingya homeland. 

And they gave new machetes to the young men, and told them to attack a nearby police station. 

Arsa has plenty of weapons, he remembers them saying, and would be back to back them. Around 25 men from his community did as they were told, and a number of them were killed, he said.

There was no backup from armed militants.

I was able to meet a young man in his 20s, now in Bangladesh, who had joined Arsa four years before. 

He described how the Arsa leader, Ata Ullah, had come to his village in 2013, telling them it was time to fight against the mistreatment of Rohingya.

He asked for five to 10 men from every community. A group was taken from his village to the forested hills, where they were trained in making crude bombs, using old car engine pistons. 

Our informant said his village was encouraged by this, and began taking up food and other supplies to support the trainees. He eventually joined them. 

They started patrolling the village, armed with sharpened bamboo sticks, and making sure everyone attended mosque. He says he never saw any guns.

'Getting the world's attention'

On 25 August he described hearing shooting, and seeing burning in the distance. The local Arsa commander - his "amir", he called him - arrived and told the men that the military was on its way and would attack them. 

The men were told to launch their attack first - you are going to die anyway, he said, so die as martyrs for the cause. 

Our informant said men of all ages armed themselves with knives and bamboo sticks, and charged the advancing soldiers, suffering many casualties - he named some of the dead. 

After that they ran into the rice fields with their families, trying to make their way to Bangladesh. He said they were also harassed by Rakhine Buddhist men as they fled.

What was the point of such futile attacks, I asked him? 

We wanted to get the world's attention, he said. We had been suffering so much, we thought it did not matter if we died.

He denied any links with international jihadist groups - we are fighting for our rights, and to try to get guns and ammunition from the Myanmar military, that's all, he said.

His and other accounts describe a movement with a small core of several hundred full-time militants, with perhaps a handful of foreigners among them, and many thousands of untrained and unarmed followers who joined the attacks only at the last minute.

On 25 August Ata Ullah, the Pakistan-born Rohingya man who started Arsa after an earlier wave of communal violence in Rakhine state in 2012, issued a video, flanked by hooded armed fighters. 

He described the attacks that day as a defensive action, against what he called a genocide against the Rohingya.

He said his fighters had no choice but to launch the attacks against a Burmese army which had "surrounded and besieged us". 

He appealed for international support. He described Arakan, another name for Rakhine state, as rightfully Rohingya land.

But he has insisted in subsequent statements that Arsa has no quarrel with other ethnic groups in Rakhine state.

There was no call for solidarity from other Muslims. He did not frame his struggle in terms of jihad, or as part of a global Islamist struggle.

Ata Ullah is known to be suspicious of other Islamist groups, and does not at this stage appear to be asking them for help.

"Ata Ullah and his spokesmen have made it clear that they see themselves as an ethno-nationalist movement," says Anthony Davis, a Bangkok-based security analyst. 

"They do not have any substantive links with international jihadism, IS [Islamic State group] or al- Qaeda. They see their struggle as regaining rights for Rohingya inside Rakhine State. They are neither separatists, nor jihadists." 

However the military has successfully portrayed them as a foreign-backed conspiracy to the population of Myanmar, where the media has reported little of the massive Rohingya exodus to Bangladesh.

Ata Ullah's comment about Rakhine belonging to Rohingya was picked up by armed forces commander Gen Min Aung Hlaing early last month, when he warned that the military would never allow the country to lose any territory to what he called "extremist Bengali terrorists". 

He described the military operation in Rakhine as addressing "unfinished business from 1942" - a reference to the time when it was a shifting frontline in the battles between British and Japanese forces.

'Rebalancing' population?

Rohingya and Rakhine Buddhists largely supported opposing sides in that war, and there were a number of massacres by militias on both sides, and large population movements.

This is when many Burmese and Rakhine nationalists believe the Rohingya population in Rakhine was artificially boosted by Bengali immigrants. 

By driving half the Rohingya population out of Rakhine in just four weeks, the military "clearance operations" would appear to have rebalanced the population firmly back in favour of the non-Muslims.

That leaves questions over how Arsa will function, now that it has few or no bases left inside Rakhine State. 

Launching attacks over the border will be much harder, and probably will not be tolerated by Bangladesh, which, though furious with the refugee crisis dumped on it by its neighbour, has always taken care to avoid conflict along its long, porous borders.

Our informant says he is still in regular contact with his "amir" and other Arsa leaders in Bangladesh, although he has had no contact with Ata Ullah.

He says he has no idea what the movement will do next. Most people we spoke to in the camps were aware of Arsa's presence. Some were clearly nervous even speaking quietly about the movement.

There are credible reports of numbers of informers being killed by Arsa in the months leading up to the August attacks. 

But there is also widespread admiration among Rohingya for the only organisation to have fought back against the Myanmar military since the 1950s.

"A great deal now will depend on the attitude of Bangladesh," says Anthony Davis.

"They may choose to keep the border sealed. Or they may wish to exert some control over Arsa by supplying them with rudimentary assistance, rather than have radical Islamist groups, Bangladeshi or foreign, move in and fill a vacuum.

"There are examples elsewhere of military intelligence services using insurgent movements to exert cross-border pressure on a neighbour."

By Syed Zainul Abedin

Dhaka Tribune

October 11, 2017

'The Rohingya crisis is no longer an internal issue in Myanmar. It is a regional crisis now.'

When Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali was speaking at a discussion on Tuesday, he noted that “Myanmar’s proposal of partial repatriation might be a ‘trick’ to neutralise the mounting pressure from the international community.”

The minister was speaking at a roundtable discussion at Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies on Tuesday morning.

“Myanmar may curtail the number of repatriates using their own verification process and may delay the implementation of the recommendations from the Kofi Annan Commission advisory, giving various excuses.”

He said it would be difficult for Bangladesh to send back the Rohingya, who have fled the violent “ethnic cleansing” in Rakhine that began once again on August 25, to Myanmar without support from international community.

“The Rohingya crisis is no longer an internal issue in Myanmar. It is a regional crisis now.”

Minister Mahmood Ali noted that the Myanmar army was strengthening their forces in Rakhine about a month before August 25.

On the Myanmar’s home minister’s plan for “demographic balance,” Mahmood said the Myanmar army was working with Buddhist extremists to execute their plan.

“It is quite noticeable that the Myanmar government is trying to sow confusion among the international community and their own citizens by promoting false news in their state-run media.

“They are trying to establish this issue as ‘Islamic terrorism’ or ‘extremist Bangali terrorism’. Their campaign plans to confuse their neighbours.

DEVEX

October 11, 2017

October 11, 2017

GENEVA – Brutal attacks against Rohingya in northern Rakhine State have been well-organised, coordinated and systematic, with the intent of not only driving the population out of Myanmar but preventing them from returning to their homes, a new UN report based on interviews conducted in Bangladesh has found.

The report by a team from the UN Human Rights Office, who met with the newly arrived Rohingya in Cox’s Bazar from 14 to 24 September 2017, states that human rights violations committed against the Rohingya population were carried out by Myanmar security forces often in concert with armed Rakhine Buddhist individuals. The report, released on Wednesday, is based on some 65 interviews with individuals and groups.

It also highlights a strategy to “instil deep and widespread fear and trauma – physical, emotional and psychological” among the Rohingya population.

More than 500,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since the Myanmar security forces launched an operation in response to alleged attacks by militants on 25 August against 30 police posts and a regimental headquarters. The report states the “clearance operations” started before 25 August 2017, and as early as the beginning of August.

The UN Human Rights Office is gravely concerned for the safety of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya who remain in northern Rakhine State amid reports the violence is still ongoing, and calls on authorities to immediately allow humanitarian and human rights actors unfettered access to the stricken areas.

The report cites testimony from witnesses that security forces scorched dwellings and entire villages, were responsible for extrajudicial and summary executions, rape and other forms of sexual violence, torture and attacks on places of worship. Eyewitnesses reported numerous killings, saying some victims were deliberately targeted and others were killed through explosions, fire and stray bullets.

A 12-year old girl from Rathedaung township described how “the [Myanmar security forces and Rakhine Buddhist individuals] surrounded our house and started to shoot. It was a situation of panic – they shot my sister in front of me, she was only seven years old. She cried and told me to run. I tried to protect her and care for her, but we had no medical assistance on the hillside and she was bleeding so much that after one day she died. I buried her myself.”

The report states that in some cases, before and during the attacks, megaphones were used to announce: “You do not belong here – go to Bangladesh. If you do not leave, we will torch your houses and kill you.”

Credible information indicates that the Myanmar security forces purposely destroyed the property of the Rohingyas, targeting their houses, fields, food-stocks, crops, livestock and even trees, to render the possibility of the Rohingya returning to normal lives and livelihoods in the future in northern Rakhine almost impossible.

UN Human Rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, who has described the Government operations in northern Rakhine State as “a textbook example of ethnic cleansing,” has also urged the Government to immediately end its “cruel" security operation. By denying the Rohingya population their political, civil, economic and cultural rights, including the right to citizenship, he said, the Government’s actions appear to be “a cynical ploy to forcibly transfer large numbers of people without possibility of return.”

The report indicates that efforts were taken to effectively erase signs of memorable landmarks in the geography of the Rohingya landscape and memory in such a way that a return to their lands would yield nothing but a desolate and unrecognizable terrain.

Information received also indicates that the Myanmar security forces targeted teachers, the cultural and religious leadership, and other people of influence of the Rohingya community in an effort to diminish Rohingya history, culture and knowledge.

ENDS

Original here.

H.E. Emmanuel Macron 

The honourable President of the French Republic 

55, Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré 

75008 Paris, France 

Date: 10 October 2017 

Dear Mr. President, 

We, the undersigned representatives of Rohingya worldwide first like to let you know how grateful we are to the French Republic for rightly termed the attacks on Rohingya minority, who are considered by the UN the most persecuted in the world, as “genocide’. 

In the purpose of the meeting you will hold with Kofi Annan we are bringing to your kind attention the following concerns: 

1. Thousands of Rohingya ethnic minority are fleeing daily (vast majority of them women and children) to join more than 500,000 Rohingyas already at the Bangladesh border because of the constant intimidation, harassment, threatening and otherwise progressive denial of access to food and livelihoods. 

2. Myanmar's criminal deeds are beyond the purview of Mr. Kofi Annan's Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, which, by its own official admission, did not investigate the allegations of Myanmar's egregious and systematic violations of human rights and other international treaties, including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) that Myanmar ratified in 1991. 

3. Rohingya worldwide commend Mr. Kofi Annan and his commission's recommendations which include normalizing and re-integrating Rohingyas as a self-identifiable and distinct ethnic community, who have been stripped of its ethnicity, full citizenship and basic rights and freedoms in Myanmar for nearly 4 decades. 

4. However, the Annan Commission’s recommendation that Rohingyas allow themselves to be subjected to the verification process as required by Myanmar's perpetrating hybrid government of NLD-military as a pathway to citizenship is deeply troubling -- in light of the fact that the process imposes forcibly a false group identity, Bengali -- in blatant violation of the UN-recognized group's right to self-identify. 

5. Rohingyas are rightly and completely distrustful of Myanmar government's official narrative concerning the Rohingya refugees that have fled Myanmar since October 2016, and specifically: 

-(i) Minister of the Myanmar State Counsellor Office Kyaw Tint Swe repeatedly emphasized what State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi said last month that Myanmar would take back “verified” 

-(ii) Myanmar Vice Senior General Soe Win, the number two leader of the country's military, told the Swiss Ambassador on 3rd October that the "Bengalis" are not entitled to direct full citizenship and hence they have to be subjected to a verification process Two main reasons make us worried about the verification process that could become a persecution instrument depriving the Rohingyas from the fundamental right to citizenship and from any protection: 

Myanmar seized and destroyed, for many years, any proof of documentation and for a large number of Rohingyas did not issue any form of documentation. The Rohingyas lack documents for the verification and the resettlement as their houses and villages, at the same time, were burned down. The Rakhine State government and Rakhine politicians are trying to establish Buddhist villages on those Rohingyas’ villages and lands. Myanmar central government has already claimed state ownership of the Rohingyas’ land within the affected region of Northern Rakhine State and has planned to confine the repatriated refugees in displacement camps like that in Rakhine’s capital Sittwe, which were recently described by New York Times as 21st century concentration camps. 

The Rohingyas, natural born citizens but also an ethnic group recognized by the only parliamentary government of Burma/Myanmar that ruled the country from independence in 1948 to 1962 until military took over will lose their original ethnicity as Rohingya to become Bengali. 

We are sure that you will continue to denounce the blatant violations of international law by a member state in the false pretext of “national defence”, “anti-terrorism”, and that you will not be of those who, by shutting their eyes on the atrocities taking place in Myanmar, erode the trust of 

We the People around the world, in the capacity of the Nations to stop what you have rightly and responsibly qualified as a genocide. 

We thank the French State to consider seriously the long-term concerns of the, terrified and traumatized Rohingyas and their safety, so that any repatriation would be totally accepted to by themselves on a voluntary basis, and not under duress, and with international safeguards that guarantee physical well-being and access to life-sustaining essentials such as food, access to their land on which they earn their living. 

Accept, Excellency, the consideration of our highest esteem. 

Respectfully, 

• The European Rohingya Council 
• Arakan Rohingya National Organization 
• Arakan Rohingya Union 
• Burmese Rohingya Organization UK 
• Burmese Rohingya Community in Denmark 
• Burmese Rohingya Community Ireland 
• Burmese Rohingya Community Netherlands 
• Burmese Rohingya Community Norway 
• Burmese Rohingya Association Japan 
• Burmese Rohingya Community Australia 
• Burmese Rohingya Association in Queensland - Australia (BRAQA) 
• Rohingya Community in Germany 
• Rohingya Community in Switzerland 
• Rohingya Organisation Norway 
• Rohingya Community in Finland 
• Rohingya Community in Italy 
• Rohingya Community in Sweden 
• Rohingya Society Malaysia 
• Rohingya Arakanese Refugee Committee 
• Rohingya Advocacy Network 
• Japan Rohingya American Society 

Contact:

Dr. Hla Kyaw; chairman@theerc.eu; +31652358202

The letter to French President (in French)