Reply to Dr. Aye Chan's response to Rohangya issue (Part-1)
Dear Dr. Aye Chan,
After reading your somewhat hasty response to the questionnaires of Ko Aung Tin (Toronto) regarding Rohangya minority of Arakan State, I’ve come to know that how Rakhaing elites are hell-bent on misusing their academic power to repress some unfortunate people. To legitimize racist ideology, your self-designed biased history forced you to see only sinister motives behind our every move which left no room for others.
Referring to the name Rohangya, you said, “There has never been such an ethnic group in Burma's history.” Is there a time frames about this Burmese history that you are talking about, such as pre Burmese colonial era, pre British colonial era, after Burma’s independent, post 1962 Newin’s dictatorship era, etc.? Despite the open discriminatory policies of Burmese government toward ethnic groups across the country, especially Rohangyas, could you provide a convincing reason why Burmese government still recognized us as “Rohangyas” as one of its (Burma’s) ethnic minorities and were given the full (due) right of a citizen including a broadcasting service in Burmese Radio station until BSPP came to power?
Pointing to our existence, you said, “These people are Chittagonian Bengali in origin.” Of course we were not germinated as mushrooms from Arakan soil unlike Moghs (who think they were). We are a great mixture of Arabs, Pesians, Mugols, Indians (Chittagonians) and Moghs. Since it is undeniable fact that we are a great mixture of many races including Moghs, why we are being branded only as “Chittgonian Bengalis” and why not as “Moghs” too?
To support your fight for human rights, you said, “I have proved it with many primary historical source materials. I am not against their citizenship, human rights, and true ethnic identity.” It is truly good news to know that you are not against our “citizenship, human rights, and true ethnic identity”. But I’m almost sure that you are against our existence—in your world we do not exist, and that means you do not need to honour any of your above mentioned words for our due right. And that’s why you openly can say that you accept everything else except our existence which is the denial of everything altogether.
To refute our historical name, you went on saying, “They began to use the name "Rohingya" to call them only in the 1950s.” Let’s assume that this statement of yours is true just for the heck of it, then, what’s wrong with that? Up until 1942 massacre there was no big issue to bring about or fight the identity of Rohangya in the (British) colonial period because Moghs were not upper-class people as they are today and were not harassing Rohangyas days in and days out. Both Rohangyas and Moghs were colonial subjects on equal footing. Even at the time of Burmese colony (pre British colonial era) we were on the same footing living side by side as two sisterly community without any jealousy or hatred. Then it won’t be wrong to presume why we started distinguishing us from you by calling ourselves as “Rohangyas” after the massacre where hundreds of thousands Rohangyas systematically being killed by Mogh fanatic.
With great agony, you cried, “I have proved how they migrated to Arakan in colonial period. They do not have right any part of Arakan State to claim as their national territory. This is the ancestral land of the Arakanese people.” I am sure the term “Arakanese” does not represent Moghs or Rakhaing only; it means people (all the people) live in Arakan. Yes, I do agree that you have proven it partially but not completely. That means you have proven only how Bengali (Muslims and Hindus) migrated to Arakan (specifically to Burma) but I presume that you intentionally left out the part that they (Bengali Muslims and Hindus) left Arakan in 1942 (Black) massacre and afterwards, and a few Chitties left over were driven out forcefully after 1962. Additionally, you also did not want to mention the fact that about hundreds of thousand Bengalis still remain in our ancestral land, Arakan, and of course they are happened to be your own-kind, the Moghs. Starting from long before Burma’s independent—from British colonial time until today—thousands of Bengalis (Moghs) migrated to our land and it is estimated that nearly 40% of current Rakhaing population is Bengali Moghs. It is the government’s policy that new arrival Bengali Moghs can settle on any Rohangyas’ land and grab their properties. But unfortunately, you do not dare to mention the truth anywhere in your so called “history”. Proving expertise in language, you concluded, “I lived in that area for more than ten years. I can speak their language that is Chittagonian dialect of Bengali.
After reading your somewhat hasty response to the questionnaires of Ko Aung Tin (Toronto) regarding Rohangya minority of Arakan State, I’ve come to know that how Rakhaing elites are hell-bent on misusing their academic power to repress some unfortunate people. To legitimize racist ideology, your self-designed biased history forced you to see only sinister motives behind our every move which left no room for others.
Referring to the name Rohangya, you said, “There has never been such an ethnic group in Burma's history.” Is there a time frames about this Burmese history that you are talking about, such as pre Burmese colonial era, pre British colonial era, after Burma’s independent, post 1962 Newin’s dictatorship era, etc.? Despite the open discriminatory policies of Burmese government toward ethnic groups across the country, especially Rohangyas, could you provide a convincing reason why Burmese government still recognized us as “Rohangyas” as one of its (Burma’s) ethnic minorities and were given the full (due) right of a citizen including a broadcasting service in Burmese Radio station until BSPP came to power?
Pointing to our existence, you said, “These people are Chittagonian Bengali in origin.” Of course we were not germinated as mushrooms from Arakan soil unlike Moghs (who think they were). We are a great mixture of Arabs, Pesians, Mugols, Indians (Chittagonians) and Moghs. Since it is undeniable fact that we are a great mixture of many races including Moghs, why we are being branded only as “Chittgonian Bengalis” and why not as “Moghs” too?
To support your fight for human rights, you said, “I have proved it with many primary historical source materials. I am not against their citizenship, human rights, and true ethnic identity.” It is truly good news to know that you are not against our “citizenship, human rights, and true ethnic identity”. But I’m almost sure that you are against our existence—in your world we do not exist, and that means you do not need to honour any of your above mentioned words for our due right. And that’s why you openly can say that you accept everything else except our existence which is the denial of everything altogether.
To refute our historical name, you went on saying, “They began to use the name "Rohingya" to call them only in the 1950s.” Let’s assume that this statement of yours is true just for the heck of it, then, what’s wrong with that? Up until 1942 massacre there was no big issue to bring about or fight the identity of Rohangya in the (British) colonial period because Moghs were not upper-class people as they are today and were not harassing Rohangyas days in and days out. Both Rohangyas and Moghs were colonial subjects on equal footing. Even at the time of Burmese colony (pre British colonial era) we were on the same footing living side by side as two sisterly community without any jealousy or hatred. Then it won’t be wrong to presume why we started distinguishing us from you by calling ourselves as “Rohangyas” after the massacre where hundreds of thousands Rohangyas systematically being killed by Mogh fanatic.
With great agony, you cried, “I have proved how they migrated to Arakan in colonial period. They do not have right any part of Arakan State to claim as their national territory. This is the ancestral land of the Arakanese people.” I am sure the term “Arakanese” does not represent Moghs or Rakhaing only; it means people (all the people) live in Arakan. Yes, I do agree that you have proven it partially but not completely. That means you have proven only how Bengali (Muslims and Hindus) migrated to Arakan (specifically to Burma) but I presume that you intentionally left out the part that they (Bengali Muslims and Hindus) left Arakan in 1942 (Black) massacre and afterwards, and a few Chitties left over were driven out forcefully after 1962. Additionally, you also did not want to mention the fact that about hundreds of thousand Bengalis still remain in our ancestral land, Arakan, and of course they are happened to be your own-kind, the Moghs. Starting from long before Burma’s independent—from British colonial time until today—thousands of Bengalis (Moghs) migrated to our land and it is estimated that nearly 40% of current Rakhaing population is Bengali Moghs. It is the government’s policy that new arrival Bengali Moghs can settle on any Rohangyas’ land and grab their properties. But unfortunately, you do not dare to mention the truth anywhere in your so called “history”. Proving expertise in language, you concluded, “I lived in that area for more than ten years. I can speak their language that is Chittagonian dialect of Bengali.
I have many Bengali friends. They tend to say "Amara Bengali" that means I am a Bengali. A few decades ago some intellectuals of them began to call themselves Bengali.” You may flatly reject my statement if I write about history because you have earned a Doctoral degree in that field; however, you should think twice if you want to have a debate with me in languages. I may not have a title Dr. in language study but I speak more than 12 different languages and more than half of them I can read and write very well, and that includes 2 distinct types of Thai, Laotian, and two different types of Malay. Now the fact of the matter is “Amara Bengali” is neither our Rohangya dialect nor is it of Chittagonian, in fact it is much closed to “Shuddaw Bhasha”, the pure Bengali that is used in Culcutta and Dhaka. But the truth is that the dialect you heard is a distinct dialect that is used between Rakhaing and Rohangya. Since you are a historian, you should know this better, but unfortunately, you hide it if you knew, with some malice intension or you have very little knowledge about languages in Arakan. There are two different dialects being used between Rakhaing and Rohangya to communicate in Arakan as to be Lingua Franca; one is pure Rakhaing dialect (Mogh khotha) that is used in conversation if and only if the Rohangya speaker speaks Rakhaing (dialect), else a corrupted version of Rohangya dialect is used by the Rakhaing speaker to communicate with the Rohangya counterpart. It says “Khan-boii, baat-khayenii, kho-re-tun-zayede, kimika-goriyede” means “Friend, have you eaten? Where are you going? What are you doing?” Since Rakhaing people cannot speak our dialect clearly, they created a bended one and we should not be accused for that.
If your point is that we cannot be among the people of Arakan just because we don’t speak your Rakhaing dialect, can you issue the same statement to Mro, Ding-nak, Sak, etc. as alien? Can you call Rakhaing who lives in Sandway (Thandway) and Gwa as Bama just because they speak Burmese? Can you call Chin from Chin State as Indians because people in Mizzuram of India speak exactly the same language and have same belief system? I hope you dare not say a thing about them because it is natural to have similarities in dialect or same dialect to be used by people of two different countries who are neighbours. Even thousands of your own Moghs speak pure Burmese although they were born and have lived in Arakan Sates for their entire lives.
Denying our legitimacy, you wrote, “They changed their name from Bengal to Rohingya. I didn't and will never do it.” This is a 100% false statement. A Bengali is a Bengali and a Rohangya is a Rohangya. We never call ourselves as Bengalis. There is no evidence anywhere whatsoever that we call ourselves Bengalis. That is you and all of your followers who branded us with that name.
“They were immigrants or descendents of the immigrants” you continued. Yes, of course, this is NOT 16th or 17th century any longer. This is 21st century. No sensible human in the world with few exceptions to some ultra racists will consider a people as (illegal) “immigrants” for FIVE hundred to a THOUSAND years.
To legitimize ethnic cleansing, you affirmed, “I am not Anti-Muslim, Anti-Bengali but I stand against to any kind of the racial expansion and inroads into other peoples' territory.” This is an excellent statement and I will solute you for that if your action is inconsistent with your words. I do believe that a man of integrity should stand with his statement. All those Bengali Moghs should be driven out immediately from Arakan State. There MUST not be any Mogh racial expansion in our ancestral land.
To me your actively engaging in racial hatred is a form of insanity. Openly accepting what is happening to Rohangyas in Arakan now is a denial of your own humanity—your inability to have a human response to such inhumanity is brutality.
Sincerely,
Shah Arkani
If your point is that we cannot be among the people of Arakan just because we don’t speak your Rakhaing dialect, can you issue the same statement to Mro, Ding-nak, Sak, etc. as alien? Can you call Rakhaing who lives in Sandway (Thandway) and Gwa as Bama just because they speak Burmese? Can you call Chin from Chin State as Indians because people in Mizzuram of India speak exactly the same language and have same belief system? I hope you dare not say a thing about them because it is natural to have similarities in dialect or same dialect to be used by people of two different countries who are neighbours. Even thousands of your own Moghs speak pure Burmese although they were born and have lived in Arakan Sates for their entire lives.
Denying our legitimacy, you wrote, “They changed their name from Bengal to Rohingya. I didn't and will never do it.” This is a 100% false statement. A Bengali is a Bengali and a Rohangya is a Rohangya. We never call ourselves as Bengalis. There is no evidence anywhere whatsoever that we call ourselves Bengalis. That is you and all of your followers who branded us with that name.
“They were immigrants or descendents of the immigrants” you continued. Yes, of course, this is NOT 16th or 17th century any longer. This is 21st century. No sensible human in the world with few exceptions to some ultra racists will consider a people as (illegal) “immigrants” for FIVE hundred to a THOUSAND years.
To legitimize ethnic cleansing, you affirmed, “I am not Anti-Muslim, Anti-Bengali but I stand against to any kind of the racial expansion and inroads into other peoples' territory.” This is an excellent statement and I will solute you for that if your action is inconsistent with your words. I do believe that a man of integrity should stand with his statement. All those Bengali Moghs should be driven out immediately from Arakan State. There MUST not be any Mogh racial expansion in our ancestral land.
To me your actively engaging in racial hatred is a form of insanity. Openly accepting what is happening to Rohangyas in Arakan now is a denial of your own humanity—your inability to have a human response to such inhumanity is brutality.
Sincerely,
Shah Arkani
posted by Ko Zaw at
3:34 AM
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