A letter for Saya U Aye Chan by (Aung Tin, Toronto) - Part (2)
Dear Saya U Aye Chan
I knew that saya is not going to ignore me. I was right. Thank you so much for your care.
This issue is so hot and so intense that many pro-democracy leaders tried not to touch this issue whenever possible. That may be a wrong signal to not only Rakhaine and Rohingya but to all of us too. This issue is not going to run away or disappear. We all have to deal with sooner or later.
My first personal experience of this issue was in RASU (Rangoon Arts and Science University).
I knew that saya is not going to ignore me. I was right. Thank you so much for your care.
This issue is so hot and so intense that many pro-democracy leaders tried not to touch this issue whenever possible. That may be a wrong signal to not only Rakhaine and Rohingya but to all of us too. This issue is not going to run away or disappear. We all have to deal with sooner or later.
My first personal experience of this issue was in RASU (Rangoon Arts and Science University).
I had friends Rakhaines and Rohingyas and they were talking, joking, dining, and playing sports together in the university.
I remembered a conversation of racial tension in Arakan with a Rohingya friend. I told him
“it is very good sign to see you both become friends, so that you both can reduce the tension back home, create the peaceful environment”. He looked at me and said quietly that “even though we are friends here, in back home, we don’t even talk to each other; we pretend not to know each other”. I didn’t know how much truth was in what he said, but, it raised my eye brows and dropped my jaw.
This century old conflict, at least surely must have been attempted to solve by both sides peacefully. I know myself that an unknown little guy like me, is not even worthy to touch this issue. I remember a Burmese saying “Sint gaung kwe ma chi naing (a dog can’t carry the elephant’s head). The problem with me is I’m a thinking animal.
As far as I know, a big part of man’s history was killing and stealing, fighting and looting. English stole Bama’s land, Bama stole Mon, Rakhine Thai etc. China, Mon stole Bama, Shan. Loot or conquer or steal or victory depends on what side from you see. As a history professor, saya knows the price of remaking the history.
The reality is hundred thousands of people different from you, are your immediate neighbours. Another reality is, sorry to say that, the Rohingyas are inhabitances of Arakan accepted by SPDC recognized by internationally except only by some Rakhines.
My fresh memories sometimes haunt me by the media image of Kosovo, Rawanda, Dafur, Uganda etc. Racial extreme and religious extreme blinded the friends and neighbours, turned the kind hearts to stone, and became killers overnight.
Because of some fanatics, innocent lives of fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, boys, girls, babies were lose; schools and hospitals were destroied. What do you think saya?
From your vast knowledge, please tell us how to avoid racial conflict in our land, particularly in Arakan.
Respectfully,
Aung Tin, Toronto.
Rakhapura Newswrote:
----- Original Message -----
From: "khine sitetway" <khinesitetway@yahoo.com>
To: <rakhapuranet@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, May 15, 2005 7:42 PM
Subject: Re: [rakhapuranet] Fw: [NLDmembrsnSupportersofCRPPnNLDnDASSK] A letter for Saya U Aye Chan
Dear U Tin Aung:
After reading your message, I came to realize that Ihave been bady misunderstood. Yes I do not have right to change the name Eskimo. Because They havehistorical background and ethnic identity forthousands of years. That is historical truth. But thecase of "Rohingys" is different. There has never beensuch an ethnic group in Burma's history.
These peopleare Chittagonian Bengali in origin. I have proved itwith many primary historical source materials. I amnot against their citizenship, human rights, and trueethnic identity. They began to use the name "Rohingya"to call them only in the 1950s. I have proved how they migrated to Arakan in colonial period.
They do nothave right any part of Arakan State to claim as theirnational territory. This is the ancestral land of theArakanese people. I lived in that area for more than ten years. I canspeak their language that is Chittagonian dialect ofBengali.
I have many Bengali friends. They tend to say"Amara Bengali" that means I am a Bengali. A fewdecades ago some intellectuals of them began to callthemselves Bengali. They changed their name fromBengal to Rohingya. I didn't and will never do it.Even if they have right to change their name, they donot have right to claim Arakanese national territory.
I am in favor of equal rights for these Muslims inArakan. Since 1946 they are asking for the partitionof Arakan into to states one for them and one for theArakanese. That is unfair. They were immigrants ordescendents of the immigrants. You live in Canada. Canyou share me half of your house just for the winter?The case of Palestinians is of such kind. I have fullsympathy for these people. The Arakanese never attemptto retrieve their lost land to these Bengalis. Youshould trace the history who have always been tryingto overwhelm demographically the the state.
I am notAnti-Muslim, Anti-Bengali but I stand against to anykind of the racial expansion and inroads into otherpeoples' territory.
Sincerely, Aye Chan
I remembered a conversation of racial tension in Arakan with a Rohingya friend. I told him
“it is very good sign to see you both become friends, so that you both can reduce the tension back home, create the peaceful environment”. He looked at me and said quietly that “even though we are friends here, in back home, we don’t even talk to each other; we pretend not to know each other”. I didn’t know how much truth was in what he said, but, it raised my eye brows and dropped my jaw.
This century old conflict, at least surely must have been attempted to solve by both sides peacefully. I know myself that an unknown little guy like me, is not even worthy to touch this issue. I remember a Burmese saying “Sint gaung kwe ma chi naing (a dog can’t carry the elephant’s head). The problem with me is I’m a thinking animal.
As far as I know, a big part of man’s history was killing and stealing, fighting and looting. English stole Bama’s land, Bama stole Mon, Rakhine Thai etc. China, Mon stole Bama, Shan. Loot or conquer or steal or victory depends on what side from you see. As a history professor, saya knows the price of remaking the history.
The reality is hundred thousands of people different from you, are your immediate neighbours. Another reality is, sorry to say that, the Rohingyas are inhabitances of Arakan accepted by SPDC recognized by internationally except only by some Rakhines.
My fresh memories sometimes haunt me by the media image of Kosovo, Rawanda, Dafur, Uganda etc. Racial extreme and religious extreme blinded the friends and neighbours, turned the kind hearts to stone, and became killers overnight.
Because of some fanatics, innocent lives of fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, boys, girls, babies were lose; schools and hospitals were destroied. What do you think saya?
From your vast knowledge, please tell us how to avoid racial conflict in our land, particularly in Arakan.
Respectfully,
Aung Tin, Toronto.
Rakhapura News
----- Original Message -----
From: "khine sitetway" <khinesitetway@yahoo.com>
To: <rakhapuranet@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, May 15, 2005 7:42 PM
Subject: Re: [rakhapuranet] Fw: [NLDmembrsnSupportersofCRPPnNLDnDASSK] A letter for Saya U Aye Chan
Dear U Tin Aung:
After reading your message, I came to realize that Ihave been bady misunderstood. Yes I do not have right to change the name Eskimo. Because They havehistorical background and ethnic identity forthousands of years. That is historical truth. But thecase of "Rohingys" is different. There has never beensuch an ethnic group in Burma's history.
These peopleare Chittagonian Bengali in origin. I have proved itwith many primary historical source materials. I amnot against their citizenship, human rights, and trueethnic identity. They began to use the name "Rohingya"to call them only in the 1950s. I have proved how they migrated to Arakan in colonial period.
They do nothave right any part of Arakan State to claim as theirnational territory. This is the ancestral land of theArakanese people. I lived in that area for more than ten years. I canspeak their language that is Chittagonian dialect ofBengali.
I have many Bengali friends. They tend to say"Amara Bengali" that means I am a Bengali. A fewdecades ago some intellectuals of them began to callthemselves Bengali. They changed their name fromBengal to Rohingya. I didn't and will never do it.Even if they have right to change their name, they donot have right to claim Arakanese national territory.
I am in favor of equal rights for these Muslims inArakan. Since 1946 they are asking for the partitionof Arakan into to states one for them and one for theArakanese. That is unfair. They were immigrants ordescendents of the immigrants. You live in Canada. Canyou share me half of your house just for the winter?The case of Palestinians is of such kind. I have fullsympathy for these people. The Arakanese never attemptto retrieve their lost land to these Bengalis. Youshould trace the history who have always been tryingto overwhelm demographically the the state.
I am notAnti-Muslim, Anti-Bengali but I stand against to anykind of the racial expansion and inroads into otherpeoples' territory.
Sincerely, Aye Chan
posted by Ko Zaw at
2:59 AM
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