Free Rohingya Campaign

Burma's Lost Kingdoms: Splendors Of Arakan by Pamela Gutman, A Book Reviews

2006-01-12T18:36:00.000-08:00

Burma's Lost Kingdoms: Splendors Of Arakan by Pamela Gutman, A Book Reviews
By Habib Siddiqui
Al-Jazeerah, January 13, 2006

For centuries, before the current poisonous situation in which one community does not recognize another, Arakan was a place of harmony and mutual trust in which the two major religious communities (Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims) thrived side by side as sister communities. All this happened because of the first of the Mrauk-U kings who had sought and got help from the Muslim Sultan of Bengal in 1430 CE to restore his kingdom. In the centuries that were to follow, the minority Muslims became essentially the royal guards, generals, ministers and advisers.

But things changed beginning in 1784 when the Burman king Boddow Paya annexed the country and evicted most Arakanese - Buddhists and Muslims alike. Many fled to Chittagong (now in Bangladesh) and other adjoining territories. A reign of terror was established in the next four decades in which much of the Muslim architecture and culture would systematically be wiped out to make the country appear 100% Buddhist. With the British occupation in 1826 and subsequent Burman control of modern Burma (since its independence), various groups have been played mercilessly against each other so that the central authority could hold on to its reign of authority.

The Rohingya people have now become the worst victims of our modern time. They are essentially reduced to the forgotten people of our time (see this author’s article: - The Rohingya: the forgotten people of our time). Not only are their citizenship denied by the SPDC ruling junta in Myanmar, even their place in history, at least from the time of Mrauk-U dynasty, is now denied by many racially biased pseudo-historians with agendas of their own. The subject on Rohingya has become a taboo or a poison pill!

Pamela Gutman is an unbiased historian who has studied the ancient history of Arakan. In this book, she took a close look at recent archaeological research conducted in Mrauk-U. The fortified city of Mrauk-U was Arakan's capital for four centuries, and the impressive remnants of old Arakanese temples and pagodas still stand as a living reminder of the past. Unfortunately, as already hinted above, most of the Muslim sites, including the famous Sandikhan mosque now stand in ruins. A serious effort is needed at the behest of the UN to restore such sites for a better appreciation of this Mrauk-U (now lost) Kingdom, where it embodied the notions of pluralism and religious tolerance among the various groups.

Gutman’s book is a major contribution to our knowledge of Arakan. I recommend it to anyone with an interest in Southeast Asian history and architecture.

Dr. Habib SiddiquiPhiladelphia, USA(saeva@aol.com)

A Request to Contributors!!

2006-01-10T08:49:00.000-08:00

From: Ko Ko Linn
Signed-By: yahoo.com Mailed-By: yahoo.com
To: APUF@yahoogroups.com, Misha Jilani , May Yu , BMG Burmese , Mubashir Jilani , Noor Mohd , BRG , Free Rohingya , Islam Org , kunyia , Rahmat Abdul Karim , Reza Uddin , Rohingya Net , Rohingya Youth , Tin Aung , WHOISROHINGYA , zin zin
Date: Oct 2, 2005 5:13 AM
Subject: Re: [APUF] A Request to Contributors!!

Dear Ko Arzarni Thwe,

All of the first, I'd like to beg your pardon for my lately response. As I am to much busy within these days and it is caused for my delay.As you write, if someone has argument about his genesis then the scientific test DNA is very helpful. One of our own poor literate people also asked me as why I am not dare to have DNA test.

It is not a question for dare or not; it is a question for the so called human dignity of an entire community. As I believed, still you have studied so many chronicles about Arakan and you must be found some Magh elites claimed as they are from Aryan and some others are mongoloid. Now so-called Moe Kyaw Tun claims himself as Indo-Mongoloid. As well I think you have better information on the genesis of the Burman that remains still unclear. Then why not ask them to have DNA test ? Why do only the Rohingya need to have? We the Araknese Rohingyas, who still neither claim the citizenship of other country nor give up living inside Arakan are utmost dare to give protection to our community from every sides. The Rohingyas who temporarily staying in abroad will also return to their motherland for carrying their duty on their community and religion. Rohingya who claimed foreign citizenship are also know their obligations to their faith and race. ",

Dear Ko Arzarni Thwe,

All of the first, I'd like to beg your pardon for my lately response. As I am to much busy within these days and it is caused for my delay.

As you write, if someone has argument about his genesis then the scientific test DNA is very helpful. One of our own poor literate people also asked me as why I am not dare to have DNA test. It is not a question for dare or not; it is a question for the so called human dignity of an entire community.

As I believed, still you have studied so many chronicles about Arakan and you must be found some Magh elites claimed as they are from Aryan and some others are mongoloid. Now so-called Moe Kyaw Tun claims himself as Indo-Mongoloid. As well I think you have better information on the genesis of the Burman that remains still unclear. Then why not ask them to have DNA test ? Why do only the Rohingya need to have?

We the Araknese Rohingyas, who still neither claim the citizenship of other country nor give up living inside Arakan are utmost dare to give protection to our community from every sides. The Rohingyas who temporarily staying in abroad will also return to their motherland for carrying their duty on their community and religion. Rohingya who claimed foreign citizenship are also know their obligations to their faith and race.
All Rohingya intellectuals are realizing now as what is the solution for having a peaceful future of next generations. If you are seeking humanitarian assistances on bringing democracy and human rights inside Burma then you must be pay understanding about each and everyone regardless of race, color and faith. We oppose to all those who does not show the mutual respects according to the parameter of human dignities. We will fight them all those Xenophobia and neo-Nazis who discriminately denying the constitutional rights of the Rohingya community in Burma as well as in Arakan. Personally we have nothing problem with your community and other communities of Burma.
All Rohingya intellectuals are realizing now as what is the solution for having a peaceful future of next generations.

If you are seeking humanitarian assistances on bringing democracy and human rights inside Burma then you must be pay understanding about each and everyone regardless of race, color and faith.

We oppose to all those who does not show the mutual respects according to the parameter of human dignities.

We will fight them all those Xenophobia and neo-Nazis who discriminately denying the constitutional rights of the Rohingya community in Burma as well as in Arakan.

Personally we have nothing problem with your community and other communities of Burma.
We invite all those who justly called for DNA test to all communities for having unclear of their origins. I hope you realize now as what is behind the DNA test. With best regards!!

Ko Ko Linn (YU)

Free Rohingya Campaign (International)

Arzar Ni Thwe <arzarni_thwe@yahoo.com> wrote:
Dear (Ko) Ko Ko Lin,

I believe you have my idea wrong. I am not an Arakan and have no intention to rebuff Rohingyas. All I rasied was a fact that can support the historical facts.

If your historical facts are right, the scientific researches will support it. What I said was that we can support the historical facts with the help of science. That's all. There was no color and no other intentions on the issue. The mail was quite short and I would urge you to re-read it again.However, when you over-react the fact that science can help proof history, people would think otherwise.I completely understand the fact that it is quite insensitive to undertake such kind of research to a comunity, any comunity will feel sad and insulted.

I have mentioned it in my original mail. I understand your feeling. But if I were you and if my historical facts produced were right, then I will proudly welcome such kind of researches and make the wrongs into right. No one will ever say that Rohingyas are not national brothers again anymore, if DNA supports you. You have to understand such test will not reject rohingyas unless rohingya's claims are wrong! If Rohingyas are truely Arab decendents came to Arakan land 500 - 800 years ago, then that\'s it! Rohingyas will have a proud place as a national ethnic!We can seek any other scientific researches, not only DNA, which would support the identity of Rohingya. When you are arguing Dr Aye Chan said this and Ko Zaw Min Htut said this, we (other national brothers) get more confuse and there was not solid conclusion.

I hope you understand my point. And I agree with your point "Only Rohingya needs a DNA test for claiming as Burmese."? I think this issue goes out of Rohingyas. Recently there are a lot of illegal immigrations from China to our country especially to Yangon and Mandalay. This is also an issue of concern. SPDC has no concern over the immigration on that side of the country.

Anyway, please do not take my previous mail as an insult. I am just suggesting a possible solution, effective and fast in stead of arguing over some articles - new and old. If soft methods such as historical articles cannot solve, hard methods in the labs might solve it.

If your historical facts are right, the scientific researches will support it. What I said was that we can support the historical facts with the help of science. That's all. There was no color and no other intentions on the issue. The mail was quite short and I would urge you to re-read it again.

However, when you over-react the fact that science can help proof history, people would think otherwise.

I completely understand the fact that it is quite insensitive to undertake such kind of research to a comunity, any comunity will feel sad and insulted. I have mentioned it in my original mail. I understand your feeling. But if I were you and if my historical facts produced were right, then I will proudly welcome such kind of researches and make the wrongs into right. No one will ever say that Rohingyas are not national brothers again anymore, if DNA supports you. You have to understand such test will not reject rohingyas unless rohingya's claims are wrong! If Rohingyas are truely Arab decendents came to Arakan land 500 - 800 years ago, then that's it! Rohingyas will have a proud place as a national ethnic!

We can seek any other scientific researches, not only DNA, which would support the identity of Rohingya.

When you are arguing Dr Aye Chan said this and Ko Zaw Min Htut said this, we (other national brothers) get more confuse and there was not solid conclusion.

I hope you understand my point. And I agree with your point "Only Rohingya needs a DNA test for claiming as Burmese."? I think this issue goes out of Rohingyas. Recently there are a lot of illegal immigrations from China to our country especially to Yangon and Mandalay. This is also an issue of concern. SPDC has no concern over the immigration on that side of the country.

Anyway, please do not take my previous mail as an insult. I am just suggesting a possible solution, effective and fast in stead of arguing over some articles - new and old. If soft methods such as historical articles cannot solve, hard methods in the labs might solve it.
Regards

AZNT

Ko Ko Linn <ko_linn_yu@yahoo.com> wrote:
Dear Contributors,

Salaam Alaikum!

Regarding the message from Ko Azarni Thwe and continuous attacks by well-known Magh elites, it is indicated that the Rohingya seriously needs a high and sufficient protection from genocide in future. If 97 percent of the total population of a nation will target to a 3 percent community by claiming as:-

1. The only Rohingya needs a DNA test for claiming as Burmese.
2. Rohingyas are illegal migrants of Bengali origins during the colonial periods.
3. Rohingya needs to find third places for their permanent settlement because they are not allowed on the land of Buddhism. The first idea is originated from a Neo-Nazi, Xenophobia, so-called Moe Kyaw Tun who is suggested a SPDC agent and appointed to live and work in Singapore. He has the right to say or write a few word against the SPDC occasionally if it is necessary. Anyway, we have to suggest as all the SPDC and self-claim democracy activists are nothing difference to us. At the final stage his ideology became a supportive to Ko Azarni Thwe and to be suggested as later to everyone of them. I am feeling very proud to say that we, Rohingyas have still no problem with any community of Burma. After knowing everyone as Rohingyas are peace loving, why do they are unaccepted? Are the figure of Rohingyas unacceptable?

3. Rohingya needs to find third places for their permanent settlement because they are not allowed on the land of Buddhism.

The first idea is originated from a Neo-Nazi, Xenophobia, so-called Moe Kyaw Tun who is suggested a SPDC agent and appointed to live and work in Singapore. He has the right to say or write a few word against the SPDC occasionally if it is necessary. Anyway, we have to suggest as all the SPDC and self-claim democracy activists are nothing difference to us.

At the final stage his ideology became a supportive to Ko Azarni Thwe and to be suggested as later to everyone of them.

I am feeling very proud to say that we, Rohingyas have still no problem with any community of Burma. After knowing everyone as Rohingyas are peace loving, why do they are unaccepted?

Are the figure of Rohingyas unacceptable?

The only thing they are denied is their religion. Yes, the Islam is unacceptable. If Rohingya confess their faith into Buddhism then everything will be OK with them.

Now, Rohingya elites have to choice the better way for the safety of their community. If they choice the way to confess their religion into Buddhism, all the inhuman treatments will be removed. It is very easy way. As well, living in silence or only talking for unity without activities will make indeed the illiterate people of the community will choice their way.

If Rohingyas deny the way to confess the religion, then they must be followed after what is the obligation in Islam to them.For the second accusation, while each and everyone trying to bring democracy and human rights in Burma, the only Maghs are extremely serious on the anti Rohingya propagandas by using their webs, medias and other many ways. Every organizations, individuals and intellectuals show a deep concern on the word Rohingya. "

The only thing they are denied is their religion. Yes, the Islam is unacceptable. If Rohingya confess their faith into Buddhism then everything will be OK with them.

Now, Rohingya elites have to choice the better way for the safety of their community.

- If they choice the way to confess their religion into Buddhism, all the inhuman treatments will be removed. It is very easy way. As well, living in silence or only talking for unity without activities will make indeed the illiterate people of the community will choice their way.
- If Rohingyas deny the way to confess the religion, then they must be followed after what is the obligation in Islam to them.

For the second accusation, while each and everyone trying to bring democracy and human rights in Burma, the only Maghs are extremely serious on the anti Rohingya propagandas by using their webs, medias and other many ways. Every organizations, individuals and intellectuals show a deep concern on the word Rohingya.

Why does the word Rohingya make harmful to them? It is considerable. They said as they never oppose to being Islam or Muslims in Arakan. Also they claim as they accept the people by calling them Bengali. So far the word Rohingya is only the problem for them. Why?

If the Maghs have the right to claim themselves as Rakhine, the Pyus have the right to claim as Bhama and so on, then why not us?

Anyway, we should follow them. We should accept and convey our heartfelt thanks to all those anti Rohingya Magh for giving us a new idea for our own future. We need to survive our community by thinking such of a new method.

The recent call of Azarni Thwe for DNA test shows us they ignored or denied all the historical back ground of Rohingya in Arakan which were written by others. They like to say the former democratic leaders used the a tactic by recognizing us as Rohingya and ethnic minority of Burma.

So that, we should better keep the history for past.As now, we have to consider as who will be the best for us. We have two big communities around us. The Magh and Bengali. We need to choice any of one by considering as who will be beneficial in our national survive process. For the Magh, we have got a firm resolution on what is their interest to us and what they are going to do with us along the history. Although the Maghs are unworthy to make an internal change inside Burma. So far their cooperation will not make beneficial to us.When the Magh urged us to find another territory for settlement, we have to think solemnly on this matter. The region where we are given birth and living for centuries is denying our existence. So that we have to choice the ways as:- to protect the territory where we are born and descended; So that, we should better keep the history for past.

As now, we have to consider as who will be the best for us. We have two big communities around us. The Magh and Bengali. We need to choice any of one by considering as who will be beneficial in our national survive process.

For the Magh, we have got a firm resolution on what is their interest to us and what they are going to do with us along the history. Although the Maghs are unworthy to make an internal change inside Burma. So far their cooperation will not make beneficial to us.

When the Magh urged us to find another territory for settlement, we have to think solemnly on this matter. The region where we are given birth and living for centuries is denying our existence. So that we have to choice the ways as:-

- to protect the territory where we are born and descended; or
- to abandon the living by finding a new region. For the first case, we need to struggle in every sides. No one can deny our struggling till we get our constitutional rights.If we like to avoid this tragedy then we have to choice the second method by finding a new territory for settlement. I find a new territory inside Bangladesh that is known as the Bandarban district. Ranghamatti is the best one for us. In this purpose we need to approach Bengalis for assistances. Cooperation with Bengalis will make us beneficial. We should try to get their assistances on driving out the all Maghs from that region to Burma and in new settlement of our community over there. In the history, Bengal is helpful to Arakan for many years. We also need their sympathies to solve our issue. Before we abandon, the Maghs need to prove that they are original inhabitants of Arakan. According to the Magh chronicles Arakan is an Aryan and Dravidian stock. Some Maghs claim as they are from Aryan and sometime other are from Mongoloid. It must be proved that the Maghs are Aryan. Therefore they need to have DNA test first. If they are failed then their migration into Arakan is later

- to abandon the living by finding a new region.

For the first case, we need to struggle in every sides. No one can deny our struggling till we get our constitutional rights.

If we like to avoid this tragedy then we have to choice the second method by finding a new territory for settlement.

I find a new territory inside Bangladesh that is known as the Bandarban district. Ranghamatti is the best one for us. In this purpose we need to approach Bengalis for assistances. Cooperation with Bengalis will make us beneficial. We should try to get their assistances on driving out the all Maghs from that region to Burma and in new settlement of our community over there.

In the history, Bengal is helpful to Arakan for many years. We also need their sympathies to solve our issue. Before we abandon, the Maghs need to prove that they are original inhabitants of Arakan. According to the Magh chronicles Arakan is an Aryan and Dravidian stock. Some Maghs claim as they are from Aryan and sometime other are from Mongoloid. It must be proved that the Maghs are Aryan. Therefore they need to have DNA test first. If they are failed then their migration into Arakan is later 10
th century because the Mongoloid arrived later 10th century AD. When they prove as they are Aryan, we should leave to Bangladesh and all the Maghs now settling inside Bangladesh must be moved into Burma. nI therefore like to urge all our highly educated contributors for working hard to reach our goal rather then wasting times in so-called democracy and human rights in Burma. As for me and our supporters, we are too much emotionally going to start soon the activities according to Magh and burman nepotism. Due to the situation, I like to send my comment on coming Asia forum as "it is another tragedy put off our vein internationally in front our sympathizers and supporters". If my comment is unacceptable, please study well on who are taking a part in this forum from Magh\'s side. In addition, we welcome all non Arakanese Rohingya for only their assistances in our crisis if they wish to have or if they understand what their obligation are, but reject their attempts of leadership to us. Every organization that were formed by the Rohingyas who are foreign citizens or permanent residence of a foreign country and that intended for leading us are invalid. They have no right to use the name of any legal organization that were used or are using by Arakanese Rohingya for their necessaries. ",1]

th century because the Mongoloid arrived later 10th century AD.

When they prove as they are Aryan, we should leave to Bangladesh and all the Maghs now settling inside Bangladesh must be moved into Burma.

I therefore like to urge all our highly educated contributors for working hard to reach our goal rather then wasting times in so-called democracy and human rights in Burma.

As for me and our supporters, we are too much emotionally going to start soon the activities according to Magh and burman nepotism.

Due to the situation, I like to send my comment on coming Asia forum as "it is another tragedy put off our vein internationally in front our sympathizers and supporters". If my comment is unacceptable, please study well on who are taking a part in this forum from Magh's side.

In addition, we welcome all non Arakanese Rohingya for only their assistances in our crisis if they wish to have or if they understand what their obligation are, but reject their attempts of leadership to us. Every organization that were formed by the Rohingyas who are foreign citizens or permanent residence of a foreign country and that intended for leading us are invalid. They have no right to use the name of any legal organization that were used or are using by Arakanese Rohingya for their necessaries.

Finally, I'd like to urge all our valuable contributors to send me comments on my proposal and humbly request for haven't any response to any anti-Rohingya postings. Our goal is to build a peace future for our community and not to make any quarrel with them.

With keen respect,

Ko Ko Linn (YU)

Contributor,
Free Rohingya Campaign (International

True History Discussion.

2006-01-10T08:35:00.000-08:00

Dear Dr. Aye Chan,

Thank you very much your earliest reponse . Dear Dr Aye Chan , I repect you and please respect my voice. I am not written my own word. Please don't try like bubble. Please don't attack personally . I do hope all answer will be referenced by paper not by own. I do hope I will discuss you one by one so that we reach without any disagreement to gether.Please don't mind me I am not Historian but I am resercher.
Sincerly ,

Maung Susan

From: AYE CHAN <kzrhwee@yahoo.com>To: Maung Susan <>

Dear Maung Susan:

I am sure all the points you raised had been clear. Actually, we don't need to argue any more. I will write a paper on the "Phrases of Early Arakan. " Will you wait till then. I am very busy now. You have very little knowledge in the sources materials on Ancient Arakan and historical research methodology. There will be examinations to be held at my university in the first and second weeks of January. I have to read 12 graduation theses. I do not have time to answer all your questions this time. Mail me in the middle of January ,2006. I will respond.

Surely, the claim for the Rohingya Ethnicity is only a bubble. You can use it as political jargon for Rohingya human rights. The NGOs, UNHCR and other organizations will support you to be granted asylum in a third country.

Sincerely, Aye Chan

maungsusan@hotmail.com>, ko_linn_yu@yahoo.com, WHOISROHINGYA@yahoogroups.comSubject: Re: True History DiscussionDate: Mon, 28 Nov 2005 18:16:10 -0800 (PST)

Dear Maung Susan:
I am sure all the points you raised had been clear. Actually, we don't need to argue any more. I will write a paper on the "Phrases of Early Arakan. " Will you wait till then. I am very busy now. You have very little knowledge in the sources materials on Ancient Arakan and historical research methodology. There will be examinations to be held at my university in the first and second weeks of January. I have to read 12 graduation theses. I do not have time to answer all your questions this time.

Mail me in the middle of January ,2006. I will respond. Surely, the claim for the Rohingya Ethnicity is only a bubble. You can use it as political jargon for Rohingya human rights. The NGOs, UNHCR and other organizations will support you to be granted asylum in a third country.

Sincerely, Aye Chan

Maung Susan <maungsusan@hotmail.com> wrote:
Dear Dr.Aye Chan,May I discuss some History of ancient Arakan . I am from Arakan . My name is Maung Susan. I studied some History like researcher. I don't want dispute true history .Here some topic of "Arakan"The word Arakan is definitely of Arabic or Persian origin having the same meaning in both these languages. It is the corruption of the word Arkan plural of the word Al-Rukun. There exists some controversy about the origin of the name of ‘Arakan’ on which traditional and legendary sources differ. In fact, the name of Arakan is of much antiquity. In Ptolemy’s Geografia (150 AD) it was named ‘Argyre’. Early Buddhist missionaries called Arakan as ‘Rekkha Pura’. In the Ananda Chandra stone pillar of Chandra dynasty (8th \r\nCentury) at Shitthaung Pagoda in Mrauk-U the name of Arakan was engraved as “Arakades’s”. In a Latin Geography (1597 AD) by\r\nPeta Vino, the country was referred to as ‘Aracan’. Friar Manrique (1628-43 AD) mentions the country as ‘Aracan’ .Ref: : Amanullah, The Etymology of Arakan, THE ARAKAN, Vol.10, Issue 2, July 1997, P.4.Discussion(1) “Arakan “ is the word originally coming from Muslim . Today Rakhine people called their self “Rakhine derived from “Arakan”(2) If the History is true “ why Arakan people saying that Arakan is coming from Pali. Is that true?(3) Some Historian written that liked a legend untrue story , some people called “Beeloo” that stand for Pali word “Rakkah” . So what is Beeloo word ? Is that true ?. History is not legend.Thanks & Best Regards,MaungsusanExpress yourself ;

of the name of ‘Arakan’ on which traditional and legendary sources differ. In fact, the name of Arakan is of much antiquity. In Ptolemy’s Geografia (150 AD) it was named ‘Argyre’. Early Buddhist missionaries called Arakan as ‘Rekkha Pura’. In the Ananda Chandra stone pillar of Chandra dynasty (8th Century) at Shitthaung Pagoda in Mrauk-U the name of Arakan was engraved as “Arakades’s”. In a Latin Geography (1597 AD) by
Peta Vino, the country was referred to as ‘Aracan’. Friar Manrique (1628-43 AD) mentions the country as ‘Aracan’ .Ref: : Amanullah, The Etymology of Arakan, THE ARAKAN, Vol.10, Issue 2, July 1997, P.4.Discussion(1) “Arakan “ is the word originally coming from Muslim . Today Rakhine people called their self “Rakhine derived from “Arakan”(2) If the History is true “ why Arakan people saying that Arakan is coming from Pali. Is that true?(3) Some Historian written that liked a legend untrue story , some people called “Beeloo” that stand for Pali word “Rakkah” . So what is Beeloo word ? Is that true ?. History is not legend.

Thanks & Best Regards,

Maungsusan

My response

2006-01-10T08:26:00.000-08:00

Dear Ko Ko Linn:

I don't know what you studied at YU. If you studied linguistics, anthropology, and history you may understand how the consonant syllables and vowel sounds are interchangeable when two or more different languages interact in the context of cultural collisions.

I explained to Kyaw Htoo Aung that the name "Roshang" was only the Bengali corruption for "Rakhine." If you study Burmese stone inscriptions the Karen people were called by the Burmese in different names, such as "Sakraw" "Zaying," and at last "Kayin". Even if the Rakhine were called "Roshang" by Bengalis in the AD sixteenth and seventeenth century it does not become an evidence that the so-called Rohingya had lived in Arakan since then. Please read "The Maghs" by Abdul Mabud Khan, a Bengali historian, Dhaka, University Press, 1999. He clearly pointed out that the Rohingyas are the Bengalis living in Arakan who like to be call by that old name "Roshang."
Aye Chan

Ko Ko Linn <ko_linn_yu@yahoo.com> wrote:

Dear Dr. Chan, I have learned at YU exactly what you teach there. Don’t you remember what teach at YU?OK, let me explain like you on what I wrote in my letter. I wrote all the term that you used in your letter is refer to Arakanese. The term Rohingya is also used for Arakanese which is related to Roshang. It is not a problem for me that who used the term, but it is sure that the term Rohang is related with Roshang.

You effort is to misguide the history under the topic of a historian. Please don’t try to mix us with migrated Bengalis during the colonial period. May be our forefathers were confessed Buddhism or Hinduism on that time and later became Muslims. Not only Bengalis but also everyone surrounded Arakan use the term Magh to refer you. If you are Magh came from Magadda of India then you can claim as Rakhine or Arakanes or Roshangya or Rohingya.
We have only problem with those Mongoloid tribes who are claiming themselves as Rakhine or Arakanese. As for us, we are Aryan. Now only need to prove that who are you? Aryan? Dravidian? Or Mongoloid?

Truly! Ko Ko Linn (YU)

AYE CHAN To: Ko Ko Linn , May Yu , Free Rohingya , APUF Cc: BRG , BMG Burmese , DFB Burma , Democracy Burma , NLDmembrsnSupportersofCRPPnNLDnDASSK Date: Nov 28, 2005 6:52 AM

Subject: Re: My response

Dear Ko Ko Linn:

You wrote, "The term Rohingya is also used for Arakanese which is related to Roshang. It is not a problem for me that who used the term, but it is sure that the term Rohang is related with Roshang.h Surely it is related to Arakan and specically it refers to "Rakhine." I have explained you that it is a Bengli corruption. I don't mix up it with the Bengali emigrants in colonial period, presently the inhabitants of Buthidaung and Maungdaw. Read my paper. I classified four groups of Muslims in Arakan State.

I separate the matter of the Bengalis from former Mayu Frontier Area who want themselves to be called Rohingya. This term is nothing to do with their historical background. I refer my paper again. OK! If you studied history at YU, h ave you read Burmese chronicles? All the chronicles, Mahayazawingyi, Hmannan, Monyway Yazawin all claims that the founders of Tagaung Dynasty came from Maghda. That is because of the Indian cultural influence, they attempted to trace the Burmese kings to the Sakkya family of Buddha. It is a common phenomenon in the historiography of Theravada Southeast Asia. Who was your Southeast Asian History teacher.

Hope it is not me. The English people called them English because they believe that they descended from the Angels who came to visit the earth from haven. The French call them Anglettre. Dou you believe that legend? Mr. Ko KO Linn! Professor Qanungo who wrote the History of Chittagong is still alive and teaching at Chittagong University. Ask him. Even the Islamization of Chittagong began after the Moghal conquest of the City in AD1666. It had been a tribal area before that. You know that the peoples from Chittagong Hill Tracts, Tripura State of India, late Assam and Manipur had been inhabited by the Mongoloid peoples. Although you are not an academic, I am ready to explain you if you want to know about that problem. But Don't get exited. Don't swear me. You studied logic. Please draw a conclusion after giving valid reasonings.

Sincerely, Aye Chan

Re: BRG | 4th Anniversary | Salute for the Rohingyas who demonstrated in Kuala Lumpur!!!

2006-01-04T18:26:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,

Don’t forget that the term Rohingya is somehow acknowledged by CRPP that comprised of NLD and U Aye Tha Aung, the secretary and prominent Rakhine leader; in a way by accepting U Kyaw Min as a member who is an MP and Rohingya. I’m dead sure it is just the matter of time to openly recognize Rohingya because they, not like us, do not have freedom.

But I do notice the century old out-dated scare tactic is still used and worked by some extreme Rakhine brothers even we are living in free world.

They are;

If anyone sympathizes or recognizes Rohingya, it is messing the Rakhine internal affair;

The Rohingya case must be left at the mercy of Rakhine alone and others are suggested not to see or hear of it, like what happended in Balkan;

If others do not comply with their demand, they would threaten to abandon the fight for freedom and democracy and give the suggestion to join the SPDC, just to crush Rohingya.

Look at the latest case in a statement issued by Arakan Youth Network Group, on Dec. 13, 2005.

A leader named Khaing Du Wan was expelled with no consideration from the central committee. Why?

The crime;

He recognizes the Rohingya.

Juatification;

Recognizing the Rohingya is flip-flopping and dismissing the glorious history of Rakhine.
It is inexcusable and traitorous crime.
He committed the big crime against the Rakhine, as a whole.

So, think about where some Rakhine still are going.

And is it justifiable for us to ignore the plight of Rohingya constantly crushed by SPDC and threatened by some Rakhine?

I don’t know the Rohingya is ethnic or not, but, I do know they have an equal right like others.

People must have a place to live with dignity. The Rohingya is the people recognized by SPDC, Bangladesh, UN and internationally.

It is quite stunning to learn that the Rohingya is not accepted by NCUB or NCUGB even though they are accepted by SPDC.

Aung Tin, Toronto

Ko Ko Linn wrote:
Dear A-A Comrade Day (or) drlawd,

Thank you very much for encouragement. It is not only a question of discrimination on religion and race but lack of support and cooperation by also all our Burmese related groups. If some of the prominent parties like NCGUB, NCUB, NLD etc. like to have a few activity by joining us then we can draw many attentions from Islamic countries including Middle-east. One we (Free Rohingya Campaign International) invited Prime Minister Dr. Sein Win to pay an officail visit to Middle-East and we also claimed responsible for every arrangement but the NCGUB never taken a consideration on it. If such kind of cooperation we can get, then we can get more supportives from Middle-east.

Regards!!

Ko Ko Linn (YU)
Free Rohingya Campaign International

drlawd wrote:
Dear Friends,I am puzzled. In the subsequent reports of this demonstration in the publications such as Khit Thit (New Era), and in Tayza's Burma Digest, the same demonstration has been credited to Burmese, to Mon, to Arakanese, and NO mention was made about Rohingya.It will be a good idea to check out the major published reports again to verify this.If indeed, Rohingyas have been left out of the report, then it is a HUGE injustice especially since those who are in Malaysian prisons face a very uncertain and terrible future. They risked they lives and should be remembered in history as heroes.The terrible pictures of POLICE BRUTALITY of the young man with long hair and black clothes being choked by the Malay Paleik has tremendous value when you make an enlargement picture and distribute it in pamphlets throughout India and Bengla and in the middle east.IS this how a Muslim Nation like Malaysia should treat a fellow Muslim brother, a Rohingya? If the Muslim world condemns America everytime an Iraqi Muslim is mistreated, THEN, the Muslim World should condemn Malaysia AND Burma for the horrible way Rohingyas are treated. I can understand why the spdc Burmese and the Arakanese Margs hate the Rohingya, ,,,,,But I cannot understand the lack of support from the Muslim World for the suffering of the Rohingya and the lack of help. A-A!Comrade Day---

In Rohingya@yahoogroups.com,

"kunyia" wrote:>> We, the Free Rohingya Campaign (International) would like to convey our > heartfelt thanks to your support .">kunyia@g...> wrote:>> We, the Free Rohingya Campaign (International) would like to convey our > heartfelt thanks to your support .

Truly,> Kunyia>

Free Rohingya Campaign (International)>

info@f...>

http://www.freerohingyacampaign.com> >

----- Original Message ----- >

From: "drlawd" ">drlawd@y...>

To: ">Rohingya@yahoogroups.com>

Sent: Thursday, December 15, 2005 6:08 PM>

Subject: BRG 4th Anniversary Salute for the Rohingyas who demonstrated > in Kuala Lumpur!!!> > > >

Dear Comrades of this Rohingya Group,> > On the D4B yahoo group, I posted this short letter which follows> > below. It is to honor and salute the demonstrators in Kuala Lumpur.> >> > for a long time, I feel sad for the Rohingyas that again and again,> > the cruel spdc enemy has attacked them by robbing, torturing,> > imprisoning, killing etc. In addition, some in the Arakan community> > continue to attack the Rohingya by insulting their culture,> > questioning their history, etc.> > The recent demonstration in Malaysia is proof that the Rohingyas> > are brave enough to fight for the right. I pray that this will earn> > them the respect that they very much deserve, with the acceptance and> > alliance from all other anti-spdc groups.> >> > Ayaydawboan Aungyamyi (AA!)> > Comrade Day> >> > Comrades,> > Let us SALUTE the brave Rohingyas and their Malaysian Opposition> > friends who demonstrated in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.> > Rohingyas have proved time and again that they are brave and willing> > to fight against the enemy.> > Let us welcome them as allies and condemn those who only seek to> > denigrate them.> > Remember, the enemy of our enemy is Our Friend!!!!> >> > AA,> > CD> >> > --- In Democracy_forBurma@y..., "Henry Soe-Win"> > wrote:> >> FYI:> >>> >> ----- Original Message ----- > >> From: ThaungN@a...> >> To: undisclosed-recipients:> >> Sent: Wednesday, December 14, 2005 10:49 PM> >> Subject: Check out AOL News - Malaysian police squash human rights> > rally at East Asia> >>> >>> >> Malaysian police squash human rights rally at East Asia Summit> > venue, detain 19> >> By EILEEN NG, AP> >>> >> KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Malaysian police squashed a> > demonstration Wednesday near the venue of the East Asia Summit,> > detaining 19 activists protesting human rights abuses at home as well> > as in Myanmar and Thailand.

Salute for the Rohingyas who demonstrated in Kuala Lumpur!!!

2006-01-04T17:26:00.000-08:00

----- Original Message -----
From: "drlawd" <drlawd@yahoo.com>
To: <Rohingya@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, December 15, 2005 9:08 PM
Subject: BRG 4th Anniversary Salute for the Rohingyas who demonstrated in Kuala Lumpur!!!

Dear Comrades of this Rohingya Group,

On the D4B yahoo group, I posted this short letter which follows below. It is to honor and salute the demonstrators in Kuala Lumpur.

for a long time, I feel sad for the Rohingyas that again and again, the cruel spdc enemy has attacked them by robbing, torturing, imprisoning, killing etc. In addition, some in the Arakan community continue to attack the Rohingya by insulting their culture, questioning their history, etc.

The recent demonstration in Malaysia is proof that the Rohingyas are brave enough to fight for the right. I pray that this will earn them the respect that they very much deserve, with the acceptance and alliance from all other anti-spdc groups. Ayaydawboan Aungyamyi (AA!) Comrade Day Comrades, Let us SALUTE the brave Rohingyas and their Malaysian Opposition friends who demonstrated in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. Rohingyas have proved time and again that they are brave and willing to fight against the enemy. Let us welcome them as allies and condemn those who only seek to denigrate them. Remember, the enemy of our enemy is Our Friend!!!!

AA, CD

--- In Democracy_forBurma@yahoogroups.com.au, "Henry Soe-Win" > <arqhy11@a...> wrote:>> FYI:>> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: ThaungN@a... >> To: undisclosed-recipients: >> Sent: Wednesday, December 14, 2005 10:49 PM>> Subject: Check out AOL News - Malaysian police squash human rights > rally at East Asia >> >> >> Malaysian police squash human rights rally at East Asia Summit > venue, detain 19>> By EILEEN NG, AP>> >> KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Malaysian police squashed a > demonstration Wednesday near the venue of the East Asia Summit, > detaining 19 activists protesting human rights abuses at home as well > as in Myanmar and Thailand.>> > >

A Rohingya Refugee Woman Gang Raped by Goons

2005-12-27T18:43:00.000-08:00

Teknaf, December 27:

An unregistered Rohingya refugee widow was gangs raped by local goons while she was carrying firewood from nearby hill in southern Cox's Bazar district, Bangladesh, said Hussain, a refugee from the camp.

The victim was identified as Toyuba Khatun, 42, of Dum Dum Mia makeshift camp of Teknaf union, under the Cox's Bazar district. Her husband was dead two years ago after getting serious illness, he further said.
At about 10:00 am, on 18th December, the widow Toyouba Khatun went to nearby hill to collect firewood together with three refugee boys of under ten. She always goes to nearby hill to collect firewood and maintains herself by selling it, he more added.

On that day, in the evening, after collecting firewood, while on her way back accompanied by refugee boys, suddenly a group of local goons came with lethal weapons and forcibly chased all of them to nearby forest. Fastening all the boys to a tree with a rope, the local goons forcibly raped her in routine in front of the refugee boys, said one of the boys.

The victim and the refugee boys were released after for a while, but her earring was taken away by the goons. One of the boys ran to the makeshift camp to inform the incident to the camp.

On hearing the news, some refugees immediately went to the spot and saw the victim was lying on the ground in unconscious state. But the mob of the refugees didn't find the culprits as they had already run away from the spot, said another refugee named Abdul Malik.

At present, Toyouba Khatun is living at her shanty hut without having any aid of medical treatment from any quarter. Some concerned local authorities were apprised of this event by some refugee elders, but they take no action against the culprits till writing this report, he more added.

About 10,000 unregistered Rohingya refugees are living in the shabby and unhealthy shacks on the bank of Naf River in Teknaf without getting any help from outsides in subhuman condition. They crossed Burma-Bangladesh border following religious and political persecutions by present military ruler in Arakan State, Burma.

Source: Kaladanpress Network, December 27, 2005.

link:http://www.kaladanpress.org/kpn/2005/December/news_dec_17.htm

A Rohingya Female Prisoner Died in Jail of Burma

2005-12-23T17:42:00.000-08:00

Kaladan News

Dated: Friday, December 23, 2005

A Rohingya Female Prisoner Died in Jail of Burma

Maungdaw, December 23: A Rohingya female prisoner died on 16th December 2005 in “Lawadak Jail,” which is situated about 2.5 miles in the west of Buthidaung Town, Arakan State, Burma, said a close relative of her from Maungdaw Town.

The dead prisoner was identified as Jubaida Khatoon, 70, wife of Eman Sharif and mother of Khobir, (a business man, who was also arrested in Sittwe ( Akyab), the capital of Arakan State and was sentenced to 7 years jail) of Shikdar Para (village) of Maungdaw Township, the relative further said.

She accompanied by her family members transferred to Rangoon from her native town Maungdaw 20 years ago. But, due to the persecution policy towards Rohingya community, after the Prime Minister Khin Nyunt’s sack, the whole members were arrested by police at Rangoon accusing them ---they are illegal immigrants as they don’t have a form called “Phong Zang Thasay( Form-10),” which is provided by immigration to the person who wants to transfer from native town to another town---,”said another relative from her village.

The arrested family members are: Jubaida Khatoon, her two sons Abdul Majid, 45, Hamid Hussain, 32, her daughter-in- law, 30, (wife of Abdul Majid) and two children of Abdul Majid. They all were sentenced to a 7-year jail term per each at Rangoon in last February 2005, said a trader who is close relation with her.

After 3 months in jail in Rangoon, all the convicts were brought to aforesaid Buthidaung jail from Rangoon. After seven months in Buthidaung Jail, Jubaida Khatoon passed away in jail on 16th December 2005, as inadequate food and medical treatment, the trader more added.

The dead body of Jubaida Khatoon was handed over to her relatives to immediate burial. It is very strange to the people that two officials from the jail came with dead body and stayed until the dead body’s funeral was completed. The officials also took pictures of the dead body of process of the funeral. However, she was buried at the cemetery of Shikdar Para on 17th December, a village elder said.

Jubaida Khatoon left behind her sons, daughters, daughters-in-law, many grand children and other relatives to mourn her death. ##

Situation Report on the Rohingya People in Arakan State of Burma

2005-12-22T18:26:00.000-08:00

By Dr. Habib Siddqui

There are over three million Rohingya people, living both inside and outside Myanmar (Burma). Due to widespread persecution, prejudice and ethnic cleansing inside Myanmar, nearly a half of the population (over 1.5 million) have been compelled to live in exile, particularly in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, U.A.E., Malaysia, and Thailand.

Rejection of Citizenship:

The Burmese military regime has declared the Rohingya non-nationals or non-citizens. The Burma Citizenship Law of 1982, which violates several fundamental principles of the customary international law, has reduced them to the status of “Stateless.”

Colonization of the Rohingya Homeland:

There is a systemic program by the ruling Myanmar regime to alter the demography of Rohingya homeland of North Arakan. This includes extermination of the Rohingya population, confiscation and demolition of Rohingya properties, and construction of Pagodas, monasteries and Government buildings on the sites of demolished mosques and Muslim shrines, and confiscated Rohingya properties. As if these measures are not enough to obliterate Muslim identity, new non-Rohingya settlements with Pagodas and Buddhist monasteries are being built at every nook and corner of the North Arakan, Rohingyas are compelled by Government officials to ‘contribute’ money, food, material, or free labor to state-sponsored projects of colonization and de-Muslimization of Arakan.

In the name of setting up “model villages” Rohingya properties are being handed out to outsiders while the original Rohingya owners are forcibly displaced.

There is also a concerted effort to rename Muslim towns and places with Buddhist names so that Muslim or Islamic heritage of these places is lost forever to future generations.

De-Muslimization:

Of particular concern is the fact that as of 2004, Rohingya villagers are forced to practice Buddhism and take part in various Buddhist festivities. As has been confirmed lately by the US State Department Report on Religious Freedom Report, November 8, 2005, there is a Burmese Government campaign to convert or “Burmanize” ethnic minority regions through coercion or otherwise. The campaign has coincided with increased military presence in the region. The SPDC troops have intensified their attacks on the Rohingya and Islam. In particular, they target the Rohingya Ulema (religious leaders), women and youngsters. Last year, in Maungdaw Township, after a Rohingya girl was reaped by Buddhists, when Rohingya religious leaders condemned the matter, they were arrested. Subsequently, one of the religious teachers was tortured to death in detention. Most of the Rohingya-community leaders are now serving long prison times on false charges, related to citizenship. Others are forced to opt for a life of uncertainty as refugees outside.

Mosques and Muslim holy shrines have been demolished all over Arakan. All these crimes are done so as to efface Islamic heritage and Muslim identity of the Arakan.

To expedite this criminal objective, often times Buddhist-Muslim riots are engineered that invariably result in heavy losses to Muslim lives and properties. Anti-Muslim propagandas are routinely fed in the government controlled media. As of February 2003, books and taped speeches, insulting Islam and Muslims, have become quite common and are being openly sold and distributed.

Even Muslim cemeteries are not immune from desecration and abuses of the government. Buddhist dead bodies are now routinely buried at Muslim cemeteries, while the Rohingya are forced to pay the funeral fees.

Lack of Religious Freedom

The SPDC restricts most Islamic religious services and has frequently abused the right to religious freedom. Muslim students attending state-run elementary schools are required to recite Buddhist prayer daily. Authorities often refuse requests for gatherings to celebrate traditional Muslim holidays and restrict the number of Muslims that can gather in one place.

In 2002, local authorities scheduled demolition of nearly 40 mosques and religious community centers in Arakan. Thirteen mosques were destroyed before the authorities desisted at the request of the UNHCR. The Government subsequently gave permission to repair existing mosques in some area. However, to ensure that destroyed mosques were not rebuilt, they were replaced with government-owned buildings, monasteries, and Buddhist temples.

Rohingyas are not allowed to construct new places of worship. They experience tremendous difficulties in obtaining permission to repair existing mosques. They cannot import religious literature into the country. Muslim religious leaders are routinely arrested or harassed. All these are done meticulously so that within a few years the Rohingya will lose touch with their Islamic heritage.

Depopulation:

The SPDC authorities have been making efforts to ‘dilute’ Rohingya population by practicing what may more appropriately be called genocidal campaigns to ‘ethnically cleanse’ the Rohingyas from their ancestral lands. Frequently, they launch drive operation, create communal riots, and make forced relocation to sweep off the Muslim population. They force Buddhist-Burmans to relocate into Muslim territories. Certain townships, such as Thandwe, Gwa, and Taung-gut, have been declared ‘Muslim-free-zones’ by government decree in 1983. There are still original-resident Muslims living in Thandwe, but new Muslims are not allowed to buy property or reside in the township. Muslims are no longer permitted to reside in Taung-gut and Gwa.

In January of 2005, Government authorities led Buddhist monks to attack Rohingyas in Kyauk Pyu just before the Muslim Eid holidays. Two Muslims were killed and Muslim homes and properties were destroyed. In May 2004, local Buddhist villagers in Kyun Su Township attacked and destroyed properties of 14 Muslim families. Despite a complaint from Muslim leaders, the Government did not take any action to stop the violence.

Many immoral and deplorable measures (like denying rights to or delaying marriage) are also routinely applied by the Government agencies against the Rohingya population to reduce and control their birth rates.

But more appalling is the fact that rape of Rohingya women by Buddhists (civilians and military alike), committed in public or in detention camps or training centers, is encouraged and included as an official military strategy to depopulate Rohingyas from their ancestral homes. Because of the devastating effect rape has on the Rohingya community, rape is becoming an effective weapon to terrorize the Rohingya community and convince them to flee or leave Burma. It is the most horrendous and degrading way of “Ethnic Cleansing.” Unfortunately, without any international agency to monitor and take effective measures to stop this crime against humanity, this method of ‘ethnic cleansing’ is succeeding.

Confiscation of land:

Large tracts of Rohingya farmlands, including Waqf (Endowed) properties, have been confiscated. The Rohingya villagers are frequently uprooted and relocated from their ancestral land. Hundreds and thousands of confiscated lands belonging to the Rohingya have been distributed among the Buddhist settlers who are invited from both inside and outside the Arakan, including nearby Bangladesh. Some of the confiscated lands are used for military establishments. These atrocious measures have forced the Rohingya to become increasingly landless, internally displaced and to eventually starve - forcing them out to cross the border into nearby Bangladesh for life and shelter.

Militarization:

The North Arakan has turned into a militarized zone with increased violations of human rights. Forced labor still exists despite increasing pressure from ILO. The armed forces routinely confiscate property, cash and crop from the Rohingya.

The Rohingya people are exploited as forced laborers into building military establishment, roads, bridges, embankments, pagodas, schools dispensaries and ponds without earning any wage. They are not only forced to “Contribute” their farmlands, agricultural tools, cattle, house-building materials and funds to the new settlers but also forced to pay for Buddhist festivals held every so often. The forced labor situation has become so excruciating that the Rohingya have been rendered jobless and shelter-less.

Restriction of Movement:

There is restriction on movement of the Rohingya inside Myanmar. They cannot go outside the Arakan, nor are they allowed freedom of movement within Arakan from one place to another without permission from the local authority. This humiliating restriction has further been tightened by the regime. No Rohingya is permitted to travel to Rangoon or Myanmar (Burma) proper even on serious medical ground. This inhuman measure has forcibly divided many Rohingya families. It has seriously affected them in all their national activities—social, cultural, religious and educational.

Deprivation of Rights to Education:

Since promulgation of the new Burma Citizenship Law in 1982, the Rohingya students are denied their basic rights to education. The Government reserves secondary education for citizens only. The Rohingya do not have access to state-run schools beyond primary education. They cannot pursue higher studies while professional courses are also barred to them. It is important to point out that all professional institutes are situated outside Arakan. Thus, the Rohingya students are unable to study there because of such travel prohibition. Rohingya students, who passed the selection tests and got formal admission into various institutions of learning, located in Rangoon and Burma proper, are unable to pursue their studies as they are disallowed to travel.

The Rohingya are restricted from even religious learning. Many local Imams (religious leaders) have been arrested for conducting group classes or prayers.

In recent years, the Rohingya students are prohibited from even going to Akyab (Sittwe), the capital of Arakan, to attend Sittwe University for their studies. As a result, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya students face uncertainty with their future studies. These draconian measures, barring the Rohingyas from attending university and professional institutes, are marginalizing them as the most illiterate section within the Myanmar population. They cannot find jobs in civil service, military and most professional areas requiring higher education, and are, therefore, forced to embrace a very bleak future.

Restriction on Marriage of Rohingya:

Since 1988, the Government has permitted only 3 marriages per year per village in the primary Rohingya townships of Buthidaung and Maungdaw in northern Arakan State. Later the Government extended this edict to other townships of the Arakan. In today’s Myanmar, imposition of restriction on marriage between Rohingya couples has further intensified resulting in human rights violations. For example, not a single marriage contract was allowed in May 2005. Without huge sums of bribe money, unbearable for most Rohingyas to pay, even an ordinary permission to get married is impossible to obtain. Yet, after such payments, thousands of applications for the permission to get married remain pending in Maungdaw and Buthidaung Townships.

But, today, the condition of marriage is terrifying. The SPDC Government requires that every Rohingya be registered before they marry. The women applicants are then required to attend a government-sponsored training program in camps and centers that can last for 3 or more days, away from their family members. It is in these camps and centers, that Rohingya women are raped by people affiliated with the camps and centers. These camps have, in essence, become the slave camps with the only difference that women are then returned to their families. This practice is done in order to humiliate and terrorize these women and their family, and force them to leave Burma and migrate to Bangladesh.

Arbitrary Taxation:

Traditionally, Rohingyas are a farming community that depends on agricultural produce and breeding of cattle and fowls as domestic livestock. They are taxed heavily on food grains, including their main staple food – rice, and various agricultural produce. Recently the authorities have imposed a new taxation that included taxes levied on everything that a Rohingya may possess from shrimp, vegetable, tree, animal or bird (for cow, buffalos, goats, and fowl) to roof and house. Even for a minor repair of their homes, they are forced to pay tax. They are required to report birth and death of a livestock to the authority while paying a fee.

The Rohingya have to pay taxes on everything, from cutting bamboos or woods in the jungle to fishing in the rivers and breeding of animas at homesteads.

Other forms of Human Rights Abuses:

Widespread violations of human rights against the ethnic “Rohingya” continue unabated even in places not out of the sight of the UNHCR. In fact, there is no security of life, property, honor and dignity of the Rohingya. Extra-judicial killing and summery executions, humiliating movement restriction, rape of women, arrest and torture, forced labor, forced relocation, confiscation of moveable and immoveable properties, religious sacrileges, etc., are regular occurrences in Arakan.

As a result, severe poverty, unemployment, lack of education and official discrimination are negatively affecting every Rohingya, especially its youths and workforces. The future of the community remains bleak and exodus into Bangladesh has become a recurrent theme.

Forced Eviction and Refugee Exodus:

Forced eviction of the Rohingya villagers is launched occasionally throughout the year. Many centuries-old Rohingya settlements have already been uprooted throughout the North Arakan.

The exodus of the Rohingya into Bangladesh constitutes human rights violations. They are merely branded as “economic migrants” without realizing their unbearable plights. The new arrivals often face arrests and/or “pushback” from the Bangladesh security forces. Due to poor condition within the refugee camps, sometimes tense situation has surfaced between camp authorities and the refugees, resulting in the detention, arrest and punishment of many refugees.

Refugees in Bangladesh:

In Bangladesh today there are approximately 20,000 “documented” Rohingya refugees, out of a quarter million that had arrived in 1991-2, escaping military persecution in Burma. They live in two camps of Kutupalong and Nayapara. Most of the original refugees were forcibly repatriated into the lawless country of Burma, where they continue to face all sorts of human rights abuse in the hands of Myanmar authority. The remaining refugees have refused to return because they fear human rights abuses, including religious persecution.

Unfortunately, the condition within those two refugee camps is not great and lack adequate facilities for a healthy living. Children are deprived of their basic education and healthcare.

Besides, hundreds of thousands of “undocumented” Rohingya are living outside these two camps in sub-human condition with all their uncertainty. Many refugees are camped at a roadside facility at Teknaf, a border town in south-east end of Bangladesh under unpleasant conditions. Unfortunately, there is no help from any quarter for these refugees.

These refugees are also blocked from nominal opportunities of re-settlement in a third country or settlement within Bangladesh.

The NGOs, international human rights and humanitarian bodies are not allowed to visit the areas of undocumented refugees.

Situation in other countries:

There is no international agency to look after the interest of the stateless Rohingya. Because of their lack of legal identity, they are not allowed to work or hold work permit by any name. An estimated 15-20,000 Rohingyas work as illegal workers in Thailand. Their children are deprived of basic human rights. In other parts of the world the situation is not much better because of lack of their citizenship.

Final Words:
There is a very systemic, organized, concerted and criminal design by the SPDC authorities, which can appropriately be termed as ethnic cleansing, genocide and socio-cultural degradation of the Rohingya people in Arakan state of Myanmar. If the process of marginalization and gross violations of human rights against the Rohingya people are allowed to continue there won’t be a single Rohingya left in Arakan within the next fifty years. They will be an extinct community, much like the fate of the native population of Tasmania.

Since 1999, the USA has designated Burma as a “Country of Particular Concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act for particularly severe violations of religious freedom. It is high time that the world body take appropriate measures so that the basic human rights of the Rohingya people are protected and guaranteed under the UN supervision.

Date: December 20, 2005

___________________________________________________

Dr. Habib Siddiqui (saeva@aol.com) is an anti-war activist.
His essays appear in a number of websites and newspapers. He has written six books.
His book on “Islamic Wisdom” is now available in the United States and Canada.
________________________________________

Rohingya sentenced for not concluding lectre in time

2005-12-19T08:43:00.001-08:00

19-12-2005
Maungdaw, Kaladan News: A Rohingya elite was arrested and sentenced to a 10-month jail term with rigorous works in Arakan State for not concluding a religious lecture within fixed time, said a relative.

The victim is identified as Oli Ahmed, 55, son of Sayedur Rhaman of Ukilpara (Auk Rwa) of Maungdaw Town in Arakan State. He is also a former immigration staff of Maungdaw Township, he further added. On 10th November 2005, the aforementioned Oli Ahmed held a religious lecture by inviting some religious teachers taking permission from the Township Peace and Development Council Chairman (TPDC) of Maungdaw Township, he more said. The Chairman allowed the applicant to hold the religious lecture nearby house till 10:00 pm.

However, the lecture was ended a few minutes lately on that day, said another man of the locality. However, some days later, on 26th November 2005, the police of Maungdaw Town went to the home of Oli Ahmed by the order of the TPDC Chairman of Maungdaw Township and arrested him for not concluding the lecture within the fixed time, the local man more added. Two days later, on 29th November 2005, the victim was produced before the trial court No.1 of Maungdaw Township, which sentenced to him a 10-month jail term with rigorous work for concluding a religious lecture delaying a few minutes as fixed by concerned authority implicating him under police Act No.49, Raki 932/05, said a lawyer from Maungdaw Town.

After the issue, the Azan (call to prayer) was banned with loud speakers from mosques in the Township of Maungdaw. Previously, the Azan was not forbidden by the authorities concerned, said an Imam (the leader of the prayers) from Maungdaw. A relative of Oli Ahmed said, "A man was sentenced to 10- month jailed with rigorous work for only 10 minutes lateness of ending of a religious lecture is a deliberate action against the Rohingya community."

According to a Sarapa, a new military intelligence group after the Prime Minister General Khin Nyunt sack said, "We come to Arakan State to cripple the whole economic bases of the Rohingya people and to drive them into slave labors without leaving any things for their possessions. We are also projecting that the Rohingya youths to be illiterate," said a university student who recently fled his motherland for his security reason.

Please check it out http://www.muslimnews.co.uk/news/news.php?article=10336

Rohingya sentenced for not concluding lectre in time

2005-12-19T08:43:00.000-08:00

Please check it out http://www.muslimnews.co.uk/news/news.php?article=10336

Rohingya: The Forgotten People

2005-12-09T06:25:00.000-08:00

By Dr. Habib Siddiqui, USA

An often-practiced devious way to grab someone’s land is to deny his right to that property. Nothing could be more horrific when a government itself gets into such a criminal practice***********************************Rohningya:

The Forgotten People**********************************An often-practiced devious way to grab someone’s land is to deny his right to that property. Nothing could be more horrific when a government itself gets into such a criminal practice.

The most glaring example of such a crime can be seen in the practices of the regimes that have ruled Burma (now Myanmar) since its independence from Britain in 1948 (esp. since 1962 when Gen. Ne Win came to power). In our times, one can hardly find a regime that has been so atrocious, so inhuman and so barbarous in its denial of basic human rights to a people that trace their origin to the land for nearly a millennium. The victims are the Rohingya Muslims living in the Arakan (now Rakhine) state. They have become the forgotten people of our time. The ruling junta in Myanmar do not want to know and let others know that the Rohingyas have a long history, a language, a heritage, a culture and a tradition of their own that they had built up in the Arakan through their long history of existence there. Through their criminal propaganda - to garner support among the Buddhist majority - they have been feeding so much misinformation against the Rohingya that even Joseph Goebbles must be amazed in his grave! The level of disinformation has reached such an alarming level that if you were to talk with a Burmese Buddhist, he/she would say that the Rohingyas are foreigners in Arakan; they don’t belong to Burma; they belong to Bangladesh. Such allegations are unfounded. Distinguished scholar Abdul Karim writes, "In fact the forefathers of Rohingyas had entered into Arakan from time immemorial.” Brief geography and history about the place and its people:The word “Rohingya” comes from 'Rohang,' which was the original and ancient name of Arakan. The Arakan State of Myanmar, bordering Bangladesh, is mostly inhabited by two ethnic communities - the Rakhine Buddhist and the Rohingya Muslims.

The Rakhine Buddhists are close to the Burmese in religion and language. The Rohingya Muslims are ethnically and religiously related to the people from the region of Chittagong in south-eastern Bangladesh. The Rohingya Muslims number approximately 3.5 million. Due to large-scale persecution through ethnic cleansing and genocidal action against them, about 1.5 million Rohingyas are forced to leave outside their ancestral homes since Burmese independence in 1948. This uprooted people now live in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Thailand and Malaysia.Origin of the Rohingya:The original inhabitants of Rohang were Hindus, Buddhists and animists. From the pre-Islamic days, the region was very familiar to the Arab seafarers. Many settled in the Arakan, and mixing with the local people, developed the present stock of people known as ethnic Rohingya. Some historians tell us that the first Muslims to settle the Arakan were Arabs under the leadership of Muhammad ibn Hanafiya in the late 7th century (C.E.). He married the queen Kaiyapuri, who had converted to Islam. Her people then embraced Islam en masse. The peaks where they lived are still known as Hanifa Tonki and Kaiyapui Tonki. The second major influx of early Muslims dates back to the 8th century (C.E.). The British Burma Gazetteer (1957) says, “About 788 AD Mahataing Sandya ascended the throne of Vesali, founded a new city (Vesali) on the site of old Ramawadi and died after a reign of twenty two years. In his reign several ships were wrecked on Rambree Island and the crews, said to have been Mohammedans, were sent to Arakan Proper and settled in villages. They were Moor Arab Muslims.” Later, other ethnic groups, namely - the Mughals, Turks, Persians, Central Asians, Pathans and Bengalis - also moved into the territory and mixed with these Rohingya people.

The spread of Islam in the Arakan (and along the southern coastal areas of Bangladesh) mostly happened through the sea-borne Sufis and merchants. This fact is testified by the darghas (shrines), which are dotted at the long coast of the Arakan and Myanamar. The Burmese historian U. Kyi writes, “The superior morality of those devout Muslims attracted large number of people towards Islam who embraced it en masse.” Hence, the Rohingya Muslims, whose settlements in Arakan date back to the 7th century C.E., are not an ethnic group, which developed from one tribal group affiliation or single racial stock, but are an ethnic group that developed from different stocks of people. The ethnic Rohingya is Muslim by religion with distinct culture and civilization of their own.Origin of the Rakhine:The other dominant group that lives in the Arakan is the Rakhine Buddhist. In the year 957 C.E., a Mongolian invasion swept over Vesali (Vaisali) - the capital city - and killed Sula Chandra, the last Hindu king of Chandra dynasty. They destroyed Vesali and placed on their throne Mongolian kings. Mohammed Ashraf Alam writes, “Within a few years the Hindus of Bengal were able to establish their Pala Dynasty. But the Hindus of Vesali were unable to restore their dynasty because of the invasion and migrations of Tibeto-Burman who were so great that their population overshadowed the Vesali Hindus.

They cut Arakan away from Indians and mixing in sufficient number with the inhabitants of the eastern-side of the present Indo-Burma divide, created that Indo-Mongoloid stock now known as the Rakhine Arakanese. This emergence of a new race was not the work of a single invasion. But the date 957 AD may be said to mark the appearance of the Rakhine in Arakan, and the beginning of fresh period.” They were a wild people much given to plunder, violence, cruelty, kidnapping, enslavement and sea piracy, and came to be known as the Maghs of the Arakan. History researcher Alamgir Serajuddin writes, “Their cruelty, comparable only to that of bargi marauders of later days, was a byword in Bengal. Shihabuddin Talish thus described it: "They carried off the Hindus and Muslims, male and female, great and small, few and many that they could seize, pierced the palms of their hands, passed thin canes through the holes and threw them one above another under the deck of their ships.”” After the Portuguese established their settlements in Chittagong, Sandwip and Arakan during the Mughal rule of India, the Rakhine Maghs entered into a scheme of plundering Mughal territory in Bengal by making an alliance with the Portuguese pirates. So the Magh-Portuguese piracy was a menace to the peace of Bengal until 1666, when the Mughals, under the governorship of Shaista Khan (1664-1688) conquered Chittagong from the Arakanese control. That year (1666) marked the decline of the Arakanese Empire. [The Arakanese (Rakhine) Maghs left Chittagong, never to reoccupy it, which became a part of Bengal (and now Bangladesh). ] However, plundering by the Magh-Portuguese pirates continued throughout the 18th century. Historian G.E. Harvey writes, “Renell’s map of Bengal, published in 1794 AD marks the area south of Backergunge ‘deserted on account of the ravages of the Muggs (Arakanese)’…. The Arakan pirates, both Magh and feringhi, used to come by the water-route and plunder Bengal…. Mohammedans underwent such oppression, as they had not to suffer in Europe. As they continually practiced raids for a long time, Bengal daily became more and more desolate and less and less able to resist them. Not a house was left inhabited on their side of the rivers lying on their track from Chittagong to Dacca. The district of Bakla [Backergunge and part of Dacca], which formerly abounded in houses and cultivated fields and yield a large revenue as duty on betel-nuts, was swept so clean with their broom of plunder and abduction that none was left to tenant any house or kindle a light in that region. …… When Shayista Khan asked the feringhi deserters, what salary the Magh king had assigned to them, they replied, ‘Our salary was the Mughal Empire. We considered the whole of Bengal as our fief. We had not to bother revenue surveyors and ourselves about court clerks but levied our rent all the year round without difficulty. We have kept the papers of the division of the booty for the last forty years.’” Because of their centuries of savagery, the Maghs of Arakan earned such a bad name that they started calling themselves the Rakhines. The Rakhines practice Buddhism and their spoken language is pure Burmese with slight phonetic variation.Muslim Influence in Arakan:Arakan, sandwiched between Muslim-ruled India in the west and Buddhist-ruled Burma in the east, at different periods of history, had been an independent sovereign monarchy ruled by Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims. As the threat from the Burmese court of Ava grew, it turned westward for protection. After Bengal became Muslim in 1203 C.E., Islamic influence grew significantly in Arakan to the degree of establishing a Muslim vassal state there in 1430 C.E. In 1404, the Arakan king, dethroned by the Burmese, took asylum in Gaur (the capital of Bengal) and pleaded for help to regain the lost throne. Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah, the Sultan of Bengal, sent General Wali Khan at the head of 50,000 soldiers to conquer Arakan. Wali Khan drove the Burmese and took control of power over Arakan for himself, introduced Persian as the court language of Arakan and appointed Muslim judges (Qazis). Jalaluddin then sent a second army under General Sandi Khan who overthrew Wali Khan and restored the exiled monarch (Mong Saw Mwan who took the title of Sulayman Shah) to the throne of Arakan in 1430. Mong Saw Mwan’s Muslim soldiers settled in Arakan and established the Sandi Khan mosque in Mrhaung.

They eventually became the kingmakers during the Mrauk-U dynasty. The practice of adopting a Muslim name or title by the Arakanese kings continued until 1638. Bisveswar Bhattacharya sums up the position thus, “As the Mohammedan influence was predominant, the Arakanese kings, though Buddhist in religion, became somewhat Mohammedanized in their ideas…” In 1660, the Mughal Prince Shah Shuja fled to Arakan. This important event brought a new wave of Muslim immigrants to the kingdom of Arakan. Dr. Muhammad Enamul Haq and Abdul Karim Shahitya Bisharad in their work “Bengali Literature in the Court of Arakan 1600-1700” state that “[T]he Arakanese kings issued coins bearing the inscription of Muslim Kalema (the profession of faith in Islam) in Arabic script. The State emblem was also inscribed Arabic word Aqimuddin (establishment of God’s rule over the earth).” The Arakanese court’s adoption of many Muslim customs and terms were other noteworthy signs to the influence of Islam. Mosques began to dot the countryside and Islamic customs, manners and practices came to be established since this time. From 1685 to 1710, the political power of Arakan was completely in the hand of the Muslims. Muslim rule and/or influence in Arakan lasted altogether for approx. 350 years until it was invaded and occupied by Burmese king Boddaw Paya on 28 December 1784. The latter is responsible for destroying everything Islamic in Arakan and sowing the seed of distrust between the two communities – Rohingya and Rakhine.Arakan in post-1784 era:Arakan was neither a Burmese nor an Indian territory till 1784. It had managed to retain its independent (or semi-independent) status for most of its existence. In 1784 thousands of Arakanese, Rohingya and Buddhists alike, were killed, and their mosques, dargas and temples destroyed by the Burmese soldiers. During the 40-year Burmese tyrannical rule (1784-1824), nearly two-thirds or 200,000 Arakanese were forced to take refuge in Chittagong (Bengal).The First Anglo-Burmese War (1824-26) ended on 24 February 1826 when Burma ratified the Treaty of Yandabo and ceded Arakan and Tenasserim to British India. At that time, nearly a third of the population of Arakan was Muslims. Burma was separated from British India on 1 April 1937 under the Government of India Act of 1935.

Arakan was made a part of British Burma against the wishes of its people and thus finally Arakan became a province of independent Burma in 1948. For centuries, the Rohingya Muslims coexisted relatively peacefully with the Rakhine Buddhists. However, this changed around the Second World War, when communal riots erupted between the two ethnic groups at the instigation of third parties, most notably the British Raj. The bitterness was fuelled by the pogrom of March 28, 1942 in which about 100,000 Rohingyas were massacred and about 80,000 had to flee their ancestral homes. 294 Rohingya villages were totally destroyed. Since then the relationship between the two communities deteriorated. After Burma’s independence in 1948, Muslims carried out an unsuccessful armed rebellion demanding an autonomous state within the Union of Burma. This resulted in a backlash against the Muslims that led to their removal from civil posts, restrictions on their movement, and confiscation of their property. Under the military regime of General Ne Win, beginning in 1962, the Muslim residents of Arakan were labeled illegal immigrants who settled in Burma during British rule.

The government at the center made efforts to drive them out of Burma, starting with the denial of citizenship. The 1974 Emergency Immigration Act took away Burmese nationality from the Rohingyas, making them foreigners in their own country. As of 1999, there have been no less than 20 major operations of eviction campaigns against the Rohingyas carried out by the successive Governments of Burma. In pursuance of the 20-year Rohingya Extermination Plan, the Arakan State Council under direct supervision of State Council of Burma carried out a Rohingya drive operation code named Naga Min or King Dragon Operation. It was the largest, the most notorious and probably the best-documented operation of 1978. The operation started on 6th February 1978 from the biggest Muslim village of Sakkipara in Akyab, which sent shock waves over the whole region within a short time. News of mass arrest of Muslims, male and female, young and old, torture, rape and killing in Akyab frustrated Muslims in other towns of North Arakan. In March 1978 the operation reached at Buthidaung and Maungdaw. Hundreds of Muslim men and women were thrown into the jail and many of them were being tortured and killed. Muslim women were raped freely in the detention centers. Terrified by the ruthlessness of the operation and total uncertainty of their life, property, honor and dignity, a large number Rohingya Muslims left their homes to cross the Burma-Bangladesh border. Within 3 months more than 3,00,000 Rohingyas took shelter in makeshift camps erected by Bangladesh Government.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) recognized them as genuine refugees and started relief operations.On 18 July 1991 a more dreadful Rohingya drive extermination campaign code named “Pyi Thaya” was launched. This involved killing and raping of Rohingyas, and destroying their properties, plus places of worship. It forced Rohingyas again to seek shelter in Bangladesh. In recent years, while some Rohingyas have returned to Arakan as a result of Bangladesh-Myanmar bilateral agreement, still there are many who are afraid to return to their ancestral homes.Due to the divide and rule policy of the Myanmar government, the relationship between the Rakhine and the Rohingya have become increasingly strained without any trust. The Rakhines, as a matter of fact, have become Rohingya’s worst enemies. With very few exceptions, the Rakhines want to cleanse the Arakan of the Rohingya. In Myanmar, the Rohingyas have been denied their citizenship, uprooted from their ancestral homes and forced to live as refugees and illegal immigrants in Bangladesh. Truly, their plight is worse than those suffered by the Native Americans in the USA and the Mayans in Latin America, and the Palestinians in the Occupied Territories. Solution to the problem:The Rohingya people need help to publicize their plight and their right to live as a free nation. The Buddhist military regimes that have ruled Myanmar are brutal, savage and tyrannical. They cannot be either a guarantor or a protector of human rights of minorities. They will use and have been using their barbarity against the minority Rohingyas to justify prolonging their illegitimate ruling in Buddhist-majority Myanmar. So, the plight of the Rohingyas, regrettably, is not a matter of concern for many otherwise good-natured Buddhists. Under the circumstances, the Rohingyas have no way to protect their basic human rights but to opt for freedom. Freedom is a God-given right of all humanity and can neither be denied nor snatched away from disadvantaged groups for either political expediency or diplomatic acrobatics. The Rohingyas need world body to wake up to the reality of their sufferings and pains.

They need to mobilize world bodies, esp. the UN, to grant them the same privilege that has been granted to the people in south Sudan and East Timor. There is no other way to solve this problem now. Citizens around the globe simply cannot afford to remain silent spectators to this gruesome tragedy of our time. They must act and help to solve the problem.In the meantime, for easing the sufferings of the Rohingya Diaspora community my suggestions are that·

The UNHCR must maintain its support for the material well being of Rohingya refugees in camps in Bangladesh. ·The UNHCR must continue its direct involvement in refugee protection, ensuring the voluntary nature of refugee returns to Myanmar, and providing logistical support to repatriation as required. ·The Government of Bangladesh must cease all pressure on Rohingya refugees to repatriate and consider the possibility of providing options for local integration, with the financial support of international donors.

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By Dr. Habib Siddiqui

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Junta Restrictions Cause Food Shortages Among Rohingyas

2005-12-09T06:18:00.000-08:00

By Clive ParkerSeptember 23, 2005
Claims by an ethnic Rohingya organization that restrictions from the Rangoon government are causing food shortages in Arakan State were confirmed by the head of the World Food Programme in Burma today.

Bhim Udas, the head of WFP’s operations in Burma, said his organization had had to wait more than three months for a permit to transport food aid to Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Rathedaung, three predominantly Rohingya townships in Arakan State.

WFP has been operating in Arakan State for the past 11 years, providing food for an estimated 300,000 people. Despite this, the Burmese authorities have given no explanation for the recent delay in granting access, Udas said. Rangoon’s Department of Relief and Social Welfare was unavailable for comment.

The Arakan Rohingya National Organization said today the situation in these three townships is grave, claiming a 5-year-old girl died this month from starvation and that others are on the brink. “The Rohingya villagers are in [a] famine-like situation,” a statement said.

A late monsoon this year has delayed the rice harvest, Udas said, while food aid has been disappearing across the border into Bangladesh recently, exacerbating food shortages.

Udas explained the junta is practicing what it calls a “limited supply” of food aid to the Rohingya population as it is fearful supplies will continue to move across Arakan’s border with Bangladesh in the future.

However, Udas told The Irrawaddy that WFP had not witnessed any signs of starvation in northern Arakan State during the latest food shortages.

Having this month finally received the necessary permit to transport rice and food aid from Rangoon to Sittwe, the capital of Arakan State, the WFP says that two weeks ago it was able to offer some supplies to vulnerable groups including young children.

“There is progress,” Udas said. “When our food starts moving from Sittwe to Northern Rakhine [Arakan] State [and then] to the three townships in which we are working— Maungdaw, Buthidaung and some parts of Rathedaung—and at least in those three areas… I can say that the food situation will improve and the prices will go down.”

More than 200,000 tonnes of food has already reached Sittwe, Udas added.

ARNO has accused the Burmese military of controlling the rice market in Rohingya areas and forcing the price up to nearly four times that in the capital of Sittwe. It also cites examples of Burmese military personnel arresting those trying to transport rice or offer it to hungry Rohingyas.

This latest example of restrictions on WFP efforts to offer food aid in Burma follows a call by the head of the organization, James Morris, during a trip last month to Rangoon, for the junta to change its ways.

Following the visit, Morris issued a statement in Bangkok saying: “Current agricultural and marketing policies, and restrictions on the movement of people, make it very difficult for many of those at risk to merely subsist.”
Muslim Rohingyas are unable to move freely and are denied Burmese citizenship by the junta, making it difficult for them to secure sources of food from outside their villages.

please check this out:http://www.irrawaddy.org/aviewer.asp?a=5023&z=153

Deprivation of Education in Arakan, Burma

2005-12-08T16:15:00.000-08:00

Arakan, Burma is extremely deprived of high level of illiteracy among the children as well as adults, said Hamid, who is studying in Malaysia University.

Most of the village tracts have at least one primary school (class 1 to 4). But remote areas’ admission is weakened by distance and lack of communication during the rainy season. But, widespread poverty keeps many children have to leave school as they are compelled to support to their families. Most of the students have to give up their schools during the winter and summer seasons to provide helps to their parents in their croplands. Most of the parents send their children for religious education in Madrasa and Maqtab to learn Quarn in Arabic. Furthermore, teaching in primary schools is only conveyed in Burmese language, which most of the children cannot speak and understand, said an intellectual.

There are some middle schools (class 5 to and High Schools (Class 9 to 10), in Buthidaung and Maungdaw Townships. Besides, there are also some self-supported schools where students’ families and villagers have to pay the teachers in cash and in paddy. Some NGOs have also appointed some teachers to schools by providing them rice or paddy per month. A small number of Rohingya children reach class ten and complete basic education, he further added.
There is only one university in Sittwe, the capital of Arakan State, which was established in 1973. Since a travel ban to Sittwe has been enforced on the Rohingya people in February 2001, Rohingya students have been facing more difficulties and problems to join the University. All the students including Rohingya across the 17 townships of Arakan State have to study in Sittwe University except those who got admission at Rangoon University and other institutions. But, Rohingya students were totally banned to go to Rangoon for higher education or other professional subjects. However, to avoid the difficulties, most of the Rohingya students can only study university level courses through distance education, said a university student.

Moreover, Rohingya students have been facing serious difficulties in obtaining permission to sit in their examination, which was held on 6th December 2004. About 205 Rohingya students (regular basis and distance education) from Maungdaw and Buthidaung Townships didn’t get travel passes timely from SPDC authorities to go to Sittwe to sit their annual examination, he more said.

Education levels are also worsened by the lack of teachers in rural areas and the poor quality of teaching. Besides, Rohingya teachers cannot be employed as civil servants and are not allowed to teach in government schools. However, in some rural areas, Rohingya teachers have been appointed temporally by NGOs or by the villagers themselves by supporting them with rice or paddy.
In northern Arakan, about 85% of the schoolteachers are Buddhists (Rakhine and Burman) and the remaining 15% are Arakanese Rohingyas who were appointed by the government before 1988. Government appointed teachers are always Buddhists and “paddy teachers” generally Arakanese Rohingys. There should be enough trained teachers, but Rakhing Buddhists are generally unwilling to teach Rohingya students and often neglect their profession. In addition, teachers receive a negligible salary and it compels them to increase their income through other means. Most of the Rakhing female teachers don’t wish to go to rural areas and concerned authorities don’t take any action against them, said a retired school headmaster on condition of anonymity.

“A good education system is necessary for the long-term development of a country and we all are responsible to work for the improvement of the education system.” (Source: Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, speech given on National Day, November 2002).

Education in Burma has been severely impacted by more than four decades of military rule. The military regime views potentially politically active university and high school students as one of the biggest threats to their grip on power, so all-non military education is treated as expendable. All civilian schools and universities throughout Burma suffer from a lack of resources and qualified educators, a problem found in many developing countries, however, unique to Burma is the fact that the ruling government actively tries to thwart universal and advanced higher education. (Source: HRD 2002-2003 of NCGUB).

The 1982 law on Citizenship makes the Rohingyas foreigners in their own country. The consequences of this non-citizenship law caused lack of freedom of association, impossibility to appeal to justice, or to apply for the public service, limited access to higher education.
The 1983 census shows male to female literacy rates of 86%: 77% in the predominantly Burman divisions, compared to 65%: 50% in the predominantly ethnic states. (Sources: Images Asia Jan 2002).

Due to the deteriorating levels of education available at government schools, students and parents are increasingly turning to other educational options when these are available. In Arakan State, a large number of students are reportedly leaving government schools to enroll in schools run by Buddhist monasteries. Many people in this area believe that monastic education is better quality and less expensive than education at state-run schools. There were approximately 500 students enrolled in just one monastery in Sittwe, the capital of Arakan State. (Source: Narinjara)

Only a small percentage of people in Arakan are able to continue their higher education that passed high school. The majority of students are unable to pursue higher education for economic reasons. In order to support their families, many students have to quit schools to take jobs that don’t require a high education level, sometimes migrating to other countries where there are more employment opportunities. Other students cannot attend universities because they have fled their homes or been imprisoned for political activities.

The standard of education becomes high because of the developments in all sectors of the nation. The western media unjustly criticized Myanmar’s education, saying that its level was too low; and that it was far away from meeting the standard. It is one of the many slanders against Myanmar hurled by the persons who do not wish to see her enjoying progress in all quarters. During the ancient times, Myanmars learnt education, religion and morals at monasteries. The colonialists after annexing Myanmar destroyed the nation’s education system and substituted it with its education system to breed colonialist servants. The SlORC/SPDC enacted laws to remove all the remaining colonial influences and thoughts in the education system. Short-term and long-term plans have been implemented for education promotion. Education conferences have been held to seek better means. The Government is building. Myanmar is cooperating with the world nations including the ASEAN to develop her education. Education systems have been firmly established in the nation. Because of racial and status discrimination, it is still difficult for all the people to pursue education in some big countries. But, Myanmar has no discrimination in any part and sector at all. Today, Myanmar has totally discarded the colonial education, and successfully established a firm and advanced national education system. It is a correct system free from errors. (Sources-The New Light of Myanmar, July 5, 2004.)
Burma’s education system has been heavily impacted by the regime’s grip of power. The regime has a fear of student movements, given the history of student movement in the past people’s uprisings. As a result, the regime often shuts down the schools and limits the freedom of education.

Source: Kaladanpress Network, January 5, 2005.

Ban on Marriages, Another Yoke on Rohingya Muslims

2005-12-07T18:39:00.000-08:00

Marwaan Macan-Markar BANGKOK, Dec 6 (IPS) - In Burma's remote west, young men and women are subject to a form of discrimination, considered harsh, even for the military regime in this country. They are banned from getting married. The victims are young adults from the ethnic Muslim-Rohingya community that is concentrated in the hilly Arakan state which shares a border with Bangladesh.

Those who dared violate this ban are subject to heavy penalties, according to human rights researchers and Rohingya political leaders and journalists IPS spoke with. ''We know of at least five couples who were arrested and jailed this year for getting married without permission from the local authorities,'' says Chris Lewa, lead researcher in 'The Arakan Project', an independent group monitoring human rights violations in the area. ''No marriage permission has been granted to a Rohingya since March 2005.'' One 25-year-old Rohingya man was ''beaten and tortured'' by the Burmese border police in the area, known by its local acronym NaSaKa, for marrying an 18-year-old Muslim woman. But, even before the enforcement of the ban on marriages, this year, military authorities had in place a veritable obstacle course that deterred any Rohingya from plans to get married. Prospective brides and grooms had to get permission from four different authorities, including the NaSaKa and immigration authorities. ''Getting this permission could take one or two years,'' says Fayas Ahamed, editor of the 'Kaladan Press Network', a web-based news outlet on Rohingya affairs, produced in the Bangladeshi port city of Chittagong. ''And one had to pay bribes at each point.'' Consequently, the backlog of marriages, delayed and denied in the Arakan state, runs into thousands, Ahamed estimates. ''Since the beginning of 2004, there are at least 10,000 marriage applications pending with authorities''. Such a policy is only one in a series of hardships imposed on the Rohingyas by Rangoon's junta, known officially as the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC). Other restrictions, such as severe limits to stop food items being moved into the Arakan region and a harsh travel ban on the Rohingyas, have prompted community leaders to accuse Rangoon of ''ethnic cleansing''.

''The Rohingyas are being forced to live as if in a concentration camp,'' Nurul Islam, president of the Arakan Rohingya National Organisation, an umbrella group for Rohingya political and separatist organisations, told IPS. ''The SPDC's philosophy is to make life so difficult for the Rohingyas that they will flee to Bangladesh.'' Not only are the current travel restrictions ''more oppressive'' than before, they are also ''far worse'' than what the SPDC has imposed across other parts of Burma, says Islam, who has been forced into exile for his political activities. ''Now you cannot move from one village to another, even a five-mile distance, without getting a pass.

Rohingyas need passes for even day trips to go to health clinics.'' According to Lewa, poverty-stricken villagers have been forced by local authorities to pay for travel passes to collect food aid distributed by the World Food Programme (WFP). ''One pregnant woman was raped in south Maundaw on her way to collect her food package.'' The Rohingyas, largely rice farmers and labourers, are presently facing a ''food crisis'' due to a poor rice harvest and restrictions on the movement of food, said Lewa. ''The NaSaKa and the military (have banned) rice trade within and beyond the area (the northern Arakan state) and even between villages.'' In August, following a visit to Burma, the head of the WFP revealed how restrictions on food distribution had led to ''serious'' malnourishment among children in the country's border regions. Only a fifth of the 5,500 metric tons of rice that the WFP had purchased for the hungry in the Arakan state had been distributed, James Morris, the head of the U.N. food relief agency, told reporters recently. Any trading of food commodities or movement of people in that area requires permits, Hakan Tongul, WFP's deputy country director in Burma, confirmed in an e-mail interview from Rangoon. ''Each lorry requires a permit and this takes time, sometimes weeks to obtain, since the system of permits is highly centralised à (and) if the commander is absent from the office then the permit will not be signed for a long time.'' Such continuing violations are happening three years after Human Rights Watch (HRW), the New York-based lobby, appealed to the United Nations to include the sufferings of the Muslims in the Arakan State to the list of torments endured by other ethnic communities in Burma, at the hands of Rangoon's junta. ''Violence against Rohingya Muslims in Arakan is a way of life,'' HRW declared in the July 2002 report. ''As opposed to other parts of Burma, in Arakan, the violence against Muslims is carried out systematically by the Burmese army.''

The SPDC's hostility towards this largest concentration of Muslims in Burma was amply clear in the early 1990s, when it stripped Rohingyas of citizenship by stating that they do not belong to the 135 national races that Rangoon recognises as Burmese. It was a policy that was in keeping with the denial of Rohingya rights that came into force shortly after the military coup of 1962. Official discrimination and occasional riots against the Muslims have forced tens of thousands of Rohingyas to flee their homes for the safety of neighbouring countries over the past decades. Bangladesh, Pakistan and India are home to some 300,000 Rohingyas displaced by the abuse and violence, while others have found refuge in Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. ''The tragedy of the Rohingyas is the work of the SPDC, nothing more,'' says Ahamed. ''They are gradually trying to suffocate us.'' (END/2005)

Divide & Rule

2005-12-04T19:06:00.000-08:00

By,Dr. Habib Siddiqui

Let me say that the SPDC military regime did not come in the vacuum of history. It has learned the art of "divide and rule," a policy that was patented in the history rather well. The SPDC has succeeded in gaining and holding power over Burma through a combination of skills, not the least of which include that "divide and rule" policy.

Their power is essentially rooted in racism that has permeated Burmese society for centuries. This racism is not limited to the racial supremacy complex, but also playing the card of ethnic racism of one against the other. Thus we see the racism of the Karen against the Burmans, the Burmans against the Shan, the Shan against the Wa, the Wa against the Shan, the Rakhine against the Rohingyas, the Mon against the Burmans, the Burmans against the Chinese, the Christians against the Buddhists, etc. This list is by no means a comprehensive one, but the bottom line is: the military has always exploited it to turn people against each other and thereby increase its hold on power.

The SPDC propaganda, therefore, encourages a blind racist nationalism that is full of references to ‘protecting the race’, meaning that if Burmans do not oppress other nationalities then they will themselves be oppressed, ‘national reconsolidation’, meaning assimilation, and preventing ‘disintegration of the Union’, meaning that if the Army falls then some kind of ethnic chaos would engulf the divided nation.

It is unfortunate to see that now some people who consider themselves to be foot soldiers for bringing in democracy and freedom in Burma themselves are, either knowingly or unknowingly, falling into the trap of the SPDC to deny the citizenship and other human rights of the Rohinger people of Arakan.

To these aberrant group, there is no history of the Rohingya; they are originally from Bangladesh , brought in by the British, etc. Where does such denial of history lead us to? Has humanity ever benefited from such revisionist trend to distort history? I dare say, never. How can one rationalize the fact that for nearly 350 years the rulers in the Arakan had adopted the title of Sultan, and that Rohingers played an important role in the Arakan society?
No, I am not here to teach history of Arakan, but only to appeal to common sense, away from prejudice and bigotry.

Those who are interested in learning history of the Rohingya people may like to study some books before making a fool of themselves with their ignorance and/or confuse others.
Some useful readings:

_ Mohammed Ashraf Alam, A short historical background of the Arakan people
_ N.M. Habibullah, Rohingya Jatir Itihas (History of the Rohingyas), Bangladesh Co-Operative Book Society Ltd., Dhaka , 1995;
_ U Kyi, The Essential History of Burma ;
_ Dr. Mohammad Yunus,A HISTORY OF ARAKAN (Past and Present);
_ British-Burma Gazetteers of 1879.

Burmese MP Kyaw Min’s sister in law sent to prison

2005-11-25T12:33:00.000-08:00

Nov 24, 2005 (DVB) -

Burmese authorities at Arakan State capital Sittwe (Akyab) arrested and imprisoned Habsa, the sister-in-law of Kyaw Min, the detained elected representative (MP) of nearby Buthidaung Township.

Habsa, the sister of Kyaw Min’s wife Teeza, is a native of Buthidaung and she was married to a man from Sittwe and had been living there for nearly a year when she was arrested at the beginning of November for ‘overstepping the boundary’ and sentenced to six months in prison.

She is currently being detained at Sittwe Prison and she was imprisoned thus because she is the sister-in-law of Kyaw Min, insisted those who are close to their family members.

Kyaw Min (a.k.a.) Mohammad Shamsul Anwarul Hoque, an independent Muslim MP and a member of Committee for Representing People’s Parliament (CRPP), was arrested on 17 March and subsequently given a 47-year jail term. He is currently languishing in the notorious Rangoon Insein Jail.

Moreover, his wife Teeza, their two daughters and a son were each given 17 years for allegedly breaking the national identity and immigration laws.

Rohingya issue snowballing?

2005-11-23T16:41:00.000-08:00

We need to take it up with Myanmar govtAn on-the-spot investigation by our roving correspondent in Cox's Bazar has led to some startling revelations. In terms of a statistical understanding of the Rohingya presence in our country we were living in a make-believe world -- that seems to be the eye-opening moral of the story scooped by our reporter.

We were under the impression that all but nearly 20,000 Rohingya refugees have already been repatriated to Myanmar. As many as 2,50,877 refugees had trekked into Bangladesh 13 years ago fleeing persecution on the other side of the border.

The repatriation exercise was hailed as an international success because of the sheer magnitude of the humanitarian task involved. The UNHCR and Bangladesh government could congratulate each other on the positive outcome of negotiations with the Myanmar government. So far so good.

Now, with the foot-dragging on the issue of further repatriation involving 19,841 Rohingya refugees, their number perhaps exceeding the benchmark due to new births, we have an upshot which seems like almost a replay of the humanitarian concerns that had visited us a decade or so ago. By unofficial accounts, there has been a sizeable illegal immigration from the Myanmar side of the Rohingyas into our territory. So, the number of refugees sheltering in Bangladesh is said to be much higher than the 20,000 mark. We would like to have an official statement putting the whole issue in perspective.

Needless to say, there is a strong ground to carry out a census of the Rohingyas in our country and bring it up before the UNHCR on the one hand for humanitarian assistance and engage the attention of the Myanmar government on the other so that the exodus is stopped.

Have we forgotten the Rohingyas?

2005-11-23T16:39:00.000-08:00

Hussain M Fazlul BariFor the last few decades, the ill-fated Rahingyas have gone through oppression, torture and frequent massacres in their historical homeland of Arakan. Since 1948, expelling the Rohingyas from their ancestral land and depriving them of properties have become almost a recurring phenomenon.

Bangladesh is the most affected neighbourMillions of uprooted Rohingyas have taken shelter in many countries of the world since ethnic cleansing of 1942 in Arakan. The crisis took a serious turn in 1992 when 250877 refugees had trekked into Bangladesh fleeing persecution on the other side of border-Myanmar. Bangladesh has almost been successful in handling the issue by sending back 236490 refugees to their homeland. Bangladesh itself is encumbered with its vast population and beset with multifarious problems, yet the way it has dealt the crisis is hailed internationally. The UN (UNHCR in particular) has also played commendable role in this regard. Arithmetically the number of the refugees is now supposed to be around 2000; but in reality the figure exceeds 20000. Apart from new born babies in Rohingya camps, the influx of refugees has been continuous for years. The Bangladesh government provides inadequate facilities in the refugee camps where the vulnerable Rohingyas are passing their days in a shabby and inhuman condition.

Again, many trespassers have been mixed with the local populace. It is almost impossible to identify the illegal immigrants as both are identical in appearance and complexion. Most of them are reluctant to return Myanmar as well. These settlers, being ill-paid labourers, are frequently engaged in criminal activities and environmental degradation in the hilly areas of Cox'sbazar, Chittagong, Bandarban etc. There is no official census available regarding their number and status.

Historical backgroundArakan, a continuation of the Chittagong plain, was neither purely a Burmese nor an Indian territory until 18th century AD culturally, socially, economically and politically, the people of Arakan (also known as Rosang) were independent for centuries. It had remained district due to its topographical peculiarity. Arakan was virtually ruled by Muslim rulers under Sultanate system from 1430 to 1531. The Muslims (Rohingyas) and the Buddists (Maghs or Rakhines) constituted the population of this area. In addition to these majority groups, these are other minority people lived here. In fact, Rohingyas and Maghs had been peacefully co-existing in Arakan like twin brothers in perfect amity until Burmese occupation in 1784. During Burmese rule, two sister communities were put at loggerheads and this heinous policy has been continued with more intensity today.

Myanmar (preciously Burma till 1989) has been ruled by a despots or military junta since 1952. The successive ruling councils are bent on eradicating Rohingyas by terming them illegal settlers. The Buddist settlers have also gradually marginalized and allowed the Rohingyas out of their homestead under clear state-patronage. Actually, Myanmar under military dictatorship continues to be centre of instability and, political and ethnic persecution. The rule of law, human rights, democracy -- these phrases are still far cry in autocratic rule.

The doctrine of self determination The doctrine of self determination is one of the major concepts in political theory and jurisprudence. If played an important role in the process of decolonisation and emergence of many sovereign states in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The issue of self determination and the right to secede versus the territorial integrity attracts huge discussion among scholars and politicians. Nevertheless, this concept has acquired new significance under the UN charter. Subsequently the UN General Assembly attempted to provide greater content to provisions of the charter on self determination through its resolutions and declarations, viz --

(a) Declaration on the Granting of Independence to the colonial countries and peoples (1960);(b) Declaration on Principles of International Law Concerning Friendly Relations and co-operations among states (1970);(c) Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 1993
Neither General Assembly Resolutions nor Declarations provide legal framework for the right to self determination as they fall within the ambit of soft international law. Two International Covenants on Economic, social and cultural rights and on civil and political rights (1966), being directly binding on state-parties, contain the right to self determination in identical language in common article 1. Upon close examination of article 1 of both the covenants, self determination is classified as internal and external self determination.

Para 1 of Article 1 refers to the internal aspect of self determination when it states that 'all peoples have the right to self determination.' Here the reference is not only to the people of dependent countries, but also to the peoples of sovereign states as well. Therefore, internal aspect of self determination is universally applicable to all people. Article 1 conveys two ideas. Firstly, the choice of domestic political institutions must be ascertained by the peoples themselves through free and fair election. Secondly, it necessitates other related rights enshrined in the covenants such as freedom of speech and expression, the right to peaceful assembly, association, right to vote and to be elected and more importantly right to take part in the conduct of public affairs through representatives. Wherever these rights are recognised and respected, the people enjoy the right of internal self determination: and whenever it is tramped down, it is infringed.

Article 1(3) commits all state parties to respect and promote the right to self determination. A close study of the provision reveals that the emphasis is clearly on the trust and other non-self-governing territories.

While the internal self determination is closely linked to the realisation of basic human rights, the external aspect played a key role in ending colonialism.

Is self determination relevant for Rohingyas?With the passage of time, wave of change all over the world, human thirst for knowledge, honour and dignity, a man can no longer tolerate the oppression and injustice of another man. No government is allowed to treat its people in any damn way it likes. Non interference in the domestic affairs of a country is no more available in contemporary international law when it concerns the human rights. The UN charter places human rights in a pivotal position. Several international treaties and declarations in unequivocal terms affirm that gross violations, as seen in Myanmar, of human rights is an issue of international concern. The barbaric and inhuman acts of the junta with an indigenous minority Muslim community is not only insult to UN charter, it is a dangerous signal to the peace & security of the region.

As indicated earlier, Arakan is a territory geographically separate to Myanmar. Its people particularly the Rohingyas are ethnically and culturally distract from others. Besides, it has been arbitrarily placed in a situation of subordination. Furthermore, they are not listed among 135 ethnic nationalities of the country. Since they been persistently subjected to persecution, genocide and expulsion from their homeland, their right to self determination accrues from many standpoints. As the UN practice has not been to endorse the right to secede outside decolonization at least internal aspect of self determination is quite relevant for Rohingyas.
Concluding remarks Regarding Rohingya issue the most important of all is a permanent solution to their long-standing problem. It inter alia involves inviolable human rights commitment about rights and freedoms of the Rohingyas that should be incorporated in the constitution of Myanmar.

In this regard, a true representative government is welcome in the process of roadmap to Democracy in Myanmar. Bangladesh, as the affected neighbour, may come forward for viable political solution of the crisis. Actually the conclusion is declared by the then UN Secretary General Boutros B Ghali at the time of Rohingya influx to Bangladesh in 1992.'UN should endeavour to achieve a political solution to the crisis not merely for the time being but for future as well."

EU envoys slate condition in Rohingya camps

2005-11-11T07:25:00.000-08:00

Thursday November 10 2005 11:14:38 AM BDT

CHITTAGONG, Nov 9:

Ambassadors of the European Commission, France and the Netherlands Wednesday said the human rights of more than 20,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh "are not being respected" by the government, reports UNB.The diplomats made the comments to reporters in Chittagong airport a day after visiting the two refugee camps in the coastal district of Cox''s Bazar, bordering Myanmar.

"The human rights of the refugees are not respected," Dutch ambassador Kees Beemstrboer said while the three diplomats were talking to UNB and a national daily at Shah Amanat Airport.Head of EC delegation Dr Stefan Frowein and French Ambassador Jacques-Andre Costilhes along with Kees Beemsterboer Tuesday visited the refugee camps to have a first hand experience about the ''plight'' of the stranded refugees from Myanmar. The Dhaka office of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) organised the visit.The ambassadors visited Kutupalang camp in Ukhia upazila and Nayapara camp in Teknaf upazila. They also visited the make-shift camp near border town of Teknaf where several Rohingyas had taken refuge.

They saw different facilities inside and talked to the inmates.Among others, UNHCR Country Representative Christopher Lee, Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Shoyebur Rahman and EC Development Advisor Graham Tyrie accompanied the ambassadors.Talking to accompanying journalists at the Airport prior to their departure for Dhaka, they said the overall situation in the camps was appalling and the refugees are deprived of the basic needs.Most of the several lakhs of minority Muslim Rohingya refugees, who fled to Bangladesh in the early 1990s alleging persecution in their border villages in Myanmar, were repatriated to their homes under bilateral agreements and UNHCR supervision.

The remaining 20,000 either refuged to go back or have not been cleared by Mayanmar authorities for repatriation.The diplomats criticised Bangladesh government for failing to provide secondary education for the Rohingya children in the camps. They also expressed their concern for the ''absence'' of fire extinguishers in the camps."International standard is not met in the camps," EC envoy said, adding, "condition of the shelters in the camps is unacceptable."
UNB/ The Bangladesh Observer

Re: Your news concerning illegal activities of Rohingyas in Bangladesh:Habib Siddiqui, USA

2005-11-03T15:08:00.000-08:00

Thursday October 27 2005 14:52:15 PM BDT
Habib Siddiqui, USA
Re: Your news concerning illegal activities of Rohingyas in Bangladesh: http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/7598_1527268,000500020001.htm

Dear Editor,

The reported link between the Rohingya Muslims, now living as refugees in Bangladesh with extremists of JMB is untrue. Rohingyas, like most Bangladeshi and Indian Muslims, follow a very liberal branch of Islam and are Hanafi Muslims. The JMB, on the other hand, follows an extreme ideology, with some commonality with Osama Ben Laden's group. From the eyewitness reports that I have been able to gather from the refugee Rohingya community, the fact is they were handing over books and gifts in an Iftar party, when pro-Myanmar anti-Rohingya Arakanese/Burmese Maghs called police saying that the Rohingyas were distributing arms in the Iftar party. So, without any verification, the police raided the refugee camp and arrested some refugees.

They are victims of the very refugee problem and not of any crime, let alone the arms distribution in an Iftar party. The reason that many Rohingyas again have returned to Bangladesh, in spite of the Dhaka-Yangon pact addressing the repatriation of the Rohingy refugees, is that to this very day their basic human rights are routinely denied in Myanmar. There is no security for them there.

They are denied their citizenship to Myanmar, and are being accused of being illegal settlers from Bangladesh, while their ancestry to the land dates back to the 7th century CE. They are denied basic opportunities of livelihood there. Even for a simple marriage, they have to wait almost a year to get the necessary permission and that too after lots of bribes are paid to government officers.

Many of their leaders (and their family members) are now serving long prison times on citizenship and other ludicrous charges. In this regard, the matter of U Kyaw Min is an exemplary one. He is now serving 47 years prison time in the notorious Insein prison. The Amnesty International has a long list of such detainees

(see: http://www.aappb.org/prisoners2.html Kyaw Min's name is # 311 on that list). What is needed from the International community is to put pressure on the military junta to secure and guarantee basic human rights of these Rohingyas, failing which a plebiscite in the model of East Timor needs to be conducted under the UN auspices to determine whether Rohingyas should opt for an independent state or live within Myanmar as equal citizens.

Regards, Dr. Habib Siddiqui

(an anti-war and human rights activist) Philadelphia, USA

*************************

Bangladesh cracks down on Rohingyas

2005-11-03T14:57:00.000-08:00

Published: Monday, 24 October, 2005, 11:41 AM Doha Time
By Mizan RahmanDHAKA:

Bangladesh has ordered a crackdown on Rohingya Muslim refugees from neighbouring Myanmar as most of them were found to be involved in Islamic militancy.The Ministry of home affairs has directed the law-enforcing agencies to arrest Rohingyas living outside the refugee camps in southeastern Bandarban and Cox's Bazaar districts as many of them were found involved in militancy.The Myanmar ethnic Muslim minority known as Rohingyas, who fled to Bangladesh to avoid military persecution, were kept under strict vigilance as many of them were found linked with the local Islamic militants.The ministry, however, asked the agencies to deal with Rohingyas very cautiously as a number of international human rights bodies were found apparently sympathetic about Rohingyas who had taken shelter in Bangladesh legally or illegally at different places of the two districts bordering Myanmar.

The government sounded the alert after the arrest of 25 Rohingyas in Chittagong and their subsequent statements admitting their link with the Bangladeshi militants involved in the August 17 countrywide series of blasts.The ministry had a meeting and made the decision of nabbing the Rohingyas involved in militancy. The meeting observed with grave concern that Rohingyas were being employed by a number of Islamist militant groups in the name of religion, officials, who attended the meeting, said in Dhaka yesterday.Apart from male Rohingyas, female Rohingyas were also being employed and trained to carry out militant activities, sources present at the meeting said.

The ministry sources said a large number of Rohingyas are now living in Bandarban and Cox's Bazaar without the permission of the government.Over 250,000 ethnic Muslim minorities of Myanmar took shelter in Bangladesh during 1991-1992. Most of the refugees have been repatriated to Myanmar, but there are still more than 20,000 refugees living in camps of Cox's Bazar and Teknaf.The official sources said many of those who were repatriated to Myanmar with the help of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees again entered Bangladesh and were staying here illegally.

Bangladesh police tightening noose on Rohingya refugees

2005-11-03T14:53:00.000-08:00

By Farid Ahmed, Dhaka

Bangladesh has directed the law-enforcing agencies to arrest Myanmarese Rohingyas living outside refugee camps, saying many of them are involved in militant activities.The Rohingyas, Myanmar's ethnic Muslim minority, fled to Bangladesh 1991-1992 to avoid persecution by the military regime. Following reports that many of the refugees were involved with local Islamic militant outfits, the Bangladesh government had mounted a strict vigilance on them, a senior official of the home ministry told IANS.The ministry, however, asked the agencies to deal with the refugees very cautiously as a number of international human rights bodies were apparently sympathetic toward Rohingyas, who had taken shelter in Bangladesh legally or illegally at different places in the two districts bordering Myanmar.The government sounded the alert after the arrest of 25 Rohingyas in Chittagong and their subsequent statements admitting their link with the local militants involved in the Aug 17 countrywide series of blasts and the Oct 3 bomb attacks on courts.

The ministry, at a meeting in the past week, decided to take action against Rohingyas involved in militancy, the official said. The meeting observed with grave concern that many of the refugees were involved with a number of Islamic militant groups in the name of religion. According to sources, some female refugees were also being recruited into militant groups and they were being trained to carry out militant activities.Over 250,000 ethnic Muslim minorities of Myanmar took shelter in Bangladesh during 1991-1992 to evade military persecution in Myanmar's Arakan state.

Most of the refugees have been repatriated to Myanmar with the help of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, but there are still more than 20,000 refugees living in camps of Cox's Bazar and Teknaf. Official sources said many of those who were repatriated to Myanmar had re-entered Bangladesh, where they were staying illegally.

http://www.newkerala.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=40015

Repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar stalled

2005-11-03T13:26:00.000-08:00

Repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar stalled

Published: Thursday, 27 October, 2005, 09:58 AM

Doha Time
By Mizan RahmanDHAKA:

Repatriation of around 21,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees in two camps in southeastern Cox’s Bazar district has almost stalled with only 92 of them sent back to Myanmar in the last one year.“The Rohingya repatriation process has almost been stopped and a political decision is required to accelerate the process,” said Jim Worrall, head of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) sub-office in Cox’s Bazar.

The process has slowed down because these people are not ready to go back home. Further negotiations between the governments of Myanmar and Bangladesh are needed to accelerate the process, he observed.Against this backdrop, the UNHCR is going to build some semi-permanent structures like community centres and toilets for the refugees. These would also help the locals, he mentioned.The refugees are now living in two major camps - Kutupalong in Ukhia and Nayapara in Teknaf.Officials of the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management said that Rohingya repatriation is going on. “Already 95% Rohingyas have been repatriated and 20,700 are still living in two camps,” said one official.Locals, however, said another 20,000 Rohingyas are living in roadside slums in Teknaf.

The slum dwellers said about 1,800 Rohingya families, who entered Bangladesh at different times after the massive influx in 1992, are living in the slums.According to the UNHCR Cox’s Bazar office, the number of unregistered Rohingas living in roadside slums would be around 6,000. “They are not registered because Bangladesh government does not recognise them as refugees,” Worrall said.“The UNHCR cannot look after them until and unless they are recongnised as refugees,” he said.Official entry of refugees in the camps stopped in 1992.Worrall pointed out that the UNHCR cannot force anyone to go back home. “Repatriation happens voluntarily.”The UN body is taking care of the refugees for the last 14 years. In reply to a question, he said the process would continue “as long as there are refugees”.Food for the refugees is provided by World Food Programme (WFP) and the UNHCR is for protecting the rights of the refugees.On the situation in the camps, Worrall said, it is not bad as various UN bodies are carrying out their respective responsibilities. “Although nobody is starving in the camps, this is not an ideal situation for a person to live.”Many refugees in and outside the camps said reports of torture and repression in their homeland prevent them from going back.Registered refugees are not returning home due to lack of peace in their areas while unregistered Rohingyas are fearing imprisonment if they go back without government support, sources mentioned.

The condition of unregistered Rohingyas is miserable and many of them died from starvation. About 30 Rohingyas died from starvation just in one month, some locals said without giving details.These distressed people somehow survive on small earnings as day labour. Many of them suffer from various diseases due to lack of medical facilities. Their children are malnourished due to lack of food.Rahimul Haq, an unregistered Rohingya, said Bangladesh government made a list of them but they are yet to get any relief or assistance.“We are forced to live a miserable life because if we go back home without government support, Myanmar forces would catch us and send us to jail for long. As we are absent from our areas for long, they would not recognise us as citizens of Myanmar,” he added.“In Myanmar, we could not sleep at night fearing torture by government forces,” said Imam Hossain, an elderly refugee at Kutupalong camp. He has been at the camp for 14 years.The Myanmar government confiscated their land and property, he said.Besides physical torture, Myanmar forces also resort to mental torture on Muslims. The Muslims cannot move freely and they face lot of difficulties in arranging marriages of their sons and daughters, Imam alleged.According to locals in Cox’s Bazar and Teknaf, Rohingyas still continued to come to the areas. Many of them got married to locals and merged into them. Their number is around four lakh.A section of Rohingyas work here, earn a lot and send money to their families and relatives back home.

Devaluation of Myanmar currency is an advantage for them, locals said.“If a Rohingya earns 100 taka here, it means 1,500 in Myanmar currency. This is another reason for their reluctance to go back home,” one local mentioned.

Junta Restrictions Cause Food Shortages Among Rohingyas

2005-11-03T13:04:00.000-08:00

Junta Restrictions Cause Food Shortages Among Rohingyas

By Clive Parker

September 23, 2005

Claims by an ethnic Rohingya organization that restrictions from the Rangoon government are causing food shortages in Arakan State were confirmed by the head of the World Food Programme in Burma today.

Bhim Udas, the head of WFP’s operations in Burma, said his organization had had to wait more than three months for a permit to transport food aid to Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Rathedaung, three predominantly Rohingya townships in Arakan State.

WFP has been operating in Arakan State for the past 11 years, providing food for an estimated 300,000 people. Despite this, the Burmese authorities have given no explanation for the recent delay in granting access, Udas said. Rangoon’s Department of Relief and Social Welfare was unavailable for comment.

The Arakan Rohingya National Organization said today the situation in these three townships is grave, claiming a 5-year-old girl died this month from starvation and that others are on the brink. “The Rohingya villagers are in [a] famine-like situation,” a statement said.

A late monsoon this year has delayed the rice harvest, Udas said, while food aid has been disappearing across the border into Bangladesh recently, exacerbating food shortages.

Udas explained the junta is practicing what it calls a “limited supply” of food aid to the Rohingya population as it is fearful supplies will continue to move across Arakan’s border with Bangladesh in the future.

However, Udas told The Irrawaddy that WFP had not witnessed any signs of starvation in northern Arakan State during the latest food shortages.

Having this month finally received the necessary permit to transport rice and food aid from Rangoon to Sittwe, the capital of Arakan State, the WFP says that two weeks ago it was able to offer some supplies to vulnerable groups including young children.

“There is progress,” Udas said. “When our food starts moving from Sittwe to Northern Rakhine [Arakan] State [and then] to the three townships in which we are working— Maungdaw, Buthidaung and some parts of Rathedaung—and at least in those three areas… I can say that the food situation will improve and the prices will go down.”

More than 200,000 tonnes of food has already reached Sittwe, Udas added.

ARNO has accused the Burmese military of controlling the rice market in Rohingya areas and forcing the price up to nearly four times that in the capital of Sittwe. It also cites examples of Burmese military personnel arresting those trying to transport rice or offer it to hungry Rohingyas.

This latest example of restrictions on WFP efforts to offer food aid in Burma follows a call by the head of the organization, James Morris, during a trip last month to Rangoon, for the junta to change its ways.

Following the visit, Morris issued a statement in Bangkok saying: “Current agricultural and marketing policies, and restrictions on the movement of people, make it very difficult for many of those at risk to merely subsist.”
Muslim Rohingyas are unable to move freely and are denied Burmese citizenship by the junta, making it difficult for them to secure sources of food from outside their villages.

Stop Deporting Rohingya Refugees

2005-09-02T09:33:00.000-07:00

September 02, 2005 19:49 PM

Stop Deporting Rohingya Refugees - Tenaganita

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 2 (Bernama) --

The Home Ministry has been asked to review its policy of deporting Rohingya refugees to Myanmar.Making the call Friday, Tenaganita Director Irene Fernandez said her organisation viewed their deportation seriously, saying it was not in line with the government's recent decision.She said the Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced on Aug 1 that Rohingya refugees would be absorbed to ease Malaysia's manpower shortage.Unfortunately, she said, the decision had not been implemented and the refugee status of Rohingyas in this country had also not been recognised by the government."They are being detained and sent back," he told reporters.

Irene said as Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) Chair, Malaysia should play a key role to help Muslims who have become refugees.She claimed that on July 15, the Malaysian authorities deported 16 Rohingya refugees detained at the Juru detention camp in Penang to the IDC detention camp in Thailand enroute to Myanmar.At the same press conference, Teresa Kok, the member for Parliamentary Consultative Council for Myanmar Refugees, said the Home Ministry agreed last year to issue work passes to Rohingya refugees until the political situation in Myanmar improved."Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz also said in Parliament that the Cabinet had agreed to allow Rohingya refugees to work in the country."Unfortunately, till today they are being detained and this showed the government's policy is not implemented," he said.

The Seputeh MP said she discussed the matter with Mohamed Nazri recently and was told that till to date there was no change in the policy to allow Rohingya refugees to work in Malaysia.Rohingya Human Rights Society President Zafar Ahmead (rpt Ahmead) said the Rohingyas did not want to return to Myanmar due to political uncertainties and serious ethnic problems.He claimed some Rohingyas were detained by Malaysian authorities despite having authorisation letters from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).-- BERNAMA

Burmese Rohingya farmers arrested and their farms seized

2005-08-19T02:33:00.000-07:00

Aug 17, 2005 (DVB) - 10 Rohingya farmers from Buthidaung Township, Arakan State in western Burma, were arrested on 24 July by local Burmese authorities who accused them of being dacoits.

The farmers who were used as ‘whipping boys’ were then told to pay 2 million kyat each for their freedom or they would face a 12 year prison term each if they failed to do so, according to Kaladan News.

Meanwhile, an acute shortage of rice within Arakan State is causing untold miseries to local people because of restrictions on the sale of rice within the region which cause inflation and slowdown in sale. Rice has been smuggled into the state from Bangladesh by bootleggers who make big profits.

Similarly, local authorities at Ma-U Pin District in the delta region of Irrawaddy Division, confiscated more than 70 acres of paddy fields from farmers with the excuse that natural gas was found on them. The landless farmers received no compensation from the authorities and some of them had moved to Rangoon to be day labourers.

Please visit: http://english.dvb.no/news.php?id=5410

Rohningya: The Forgotten People

2005-08-19T02:10:00.000-07:00

Rohningya: The Forgotten People

by Habib Siddiqui
(Monday August 15 2005)

An often-practiced devious way to grab someones land is to deny his right to that property. Nothing could be more horrific when a government itself gets into such a criminal practice. The most glaring example of such a crime can be seen in the practices of the regimes that have ruled Burma (now Myanmar) since its independence from Britain in 1948 (esp. since 1962 when Gen. Ne Win came to power). In our times, one can hardly find a regime that has been so atrocious, so inhuman and so barbarous in its denial of basic human rights to a people that trace their origin to the land for nearly a millennium. [1[ The victims are the Rohingya Muslims living in the Arakan (now Rakhine) state. They have become the forgotten people of our time. The Burma Citizenship Law of 1982 has reduced them to the status of Stateless.

The ruling junta in Myanmar do not want to know and let others know that the Rohingyas have a long history, a language, a heritage, a culture and a tradition of their own that they had built up in the Arakan through their long history of existence there. Through their criminal propaganda - to garner support among the Buddhist majority - they have been feeding so much misinformation against the Rohingya that even Joseph Goebbles must be amazed in his grave! The level of disinformation has reached such an alarming level that if you were to talk with a Burmese Buddhist, he/she would say that the Rohingyas are foreigners in Arakan; they donԒt belong to Burma; they belong to Bangladesh.

[2] Such allegations are unfounded. Distinguished scholar Abdul Karim writes, “In fact the forefathers of Rohingyas had entered into Arakan from time immemorial.

[3]
Brief geography and history about the region and its people:
The word ԓRohingya comes from the word ‘Rohang,’ which was the original and ancient name of Arakan. In the medieval works of poets of Arakan and Chittagong, e.g., Alaol, Qazi Daulat, Mardan, Shamsher Ali, Ainuddin, Abdul Ghani and others Ԗ Arakan is frequently referred as Roshang, Roshango Des and Roshango Shar.

The Arakan State of Myanmar, bordering Bangladesh, is mostly inhabited by two ethnic communities - the Rakhine Buddhist and the Rohingya Muslims. The Rakhine Buddhists are close to the Burmese in religion and language. The Rohingya Muslims are ethnically and religiously related to the people from the region of Chittagong in south-eastern Bangladesh. The Rohingya Muslims number approximately 3.5 million.

[4] Due to large-scale persecution through ethnic cleansing and genocidal action against them, nearly a half of them, about 1.5 million Rohingyas, are forced to live outside their ancestral homes since Burmese independence in 1948. This uprooted people are now living in exile as refugees and illegal immigrants particularly in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Thailand and Malaysia.

Origin of the Rohingya:

The original inhabitants of Rohang were Hindus, Buddhists and animists. From the pre-Islamic days, the region was very familiar to the Arab seafarers. Many settled in the Arakan, and mixing with the local people, developed the present stock of the people known as ethnic Rohingya. Some historians mention that the first Muslims to settle in the Arakan were Arabs under the leadership of Muhammad ibn Hanafiya in the late 7th century (C.E.). He married the queen Kaiyapuri, who had converted to Islam. Her people then embraced Islam en masse. The peaks where they lived are still known as Hanifa Tonki and Kaiyapui Tonki.

[5]
The second major influx of early Muslims dates back to the 8th century (C.E.). The British Burma Gazetteer (1957) says, About 788 AD Mahataing Sandya ascended the throne of Vesali, founded a new city (Vesali) on the site of old Ramawadi and died after a reign of twenty two years. In his reign several ships were wrecked on Rambree Island and the crews, said to have been Mohammedans, were sent to Arakan Proper and settled in villages. They were Moor Arab Muslims.

[6]
The third major influx came after 1404, when the Arakan king, dethroned by the Burmese, took asylum in Gaur (the capital of Bengal) and pleaded for help from Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah, the Sultan of Bengal, to regain the lost throne. The Sultan sent tens of thousands of soldiers to conquer Arakan. Many of these Muslim soldiers subsequently settled there. (See the section Muslim Influence in the Arakan - for more details.)
Later, other ethnic groups, namely - the Mughals (e.g., with the flight of Mughal prince Shah Shuja in 1660), Turks, Persians, Central Asians, Pathans and Bengalis - also moved into the territory and mixed with these Rohingya people. The spread of Islam in the Arakan (and along the southern coastal areas of Bangladesh) mostly happened through the sea-borne Sufis and merchants. This fact is testified by the darghas (shrines), which are dotted at the long coast of the Arakan and Myanamar.

[7] The Burmese historian U. Kyi writes, ֓The superior morality of those devout Muslims attracted large number of people towards Islam who embraced it en masse.

[8]
Hence, the Rohingya Muslims, whose settlements in Arakan date back to the 7th century C.E., are not an ethnic group, which developed from one tribal group affiliation or single racial stock, but are an ethnic group that developed from different stocks of people. The ethnic Rohingya is Muslim by religion with distinct culture and civilization of its own.

Origin of the Rakhine:
The other dominant group that lives in the Arakan is the Rakhine Buddhist. In the year 957 C.E., a Mongolian invasion swept over Vesali (Vaisali) - the capital city - and killed Sula Chandra, the last Hindu king of Chandra dynasty. They destroyed Vesali and placed on their throne Mongolian kings. Mohammed Ashraf Alam writes, ԓWithin a few years the Hindus of Bengal were able to establish their Pala Dynasty. But the Hindus of Vesali were unable to restore their dynasty because of the invasion and migrations of Tibeto-Burman who were so great that their population overshadowed the Vesali Hindus. They cut Arakan away from Indians and mixing in sufficient number with the inhabitants of the eastern-side of the present Indo-Burma divide, created that Indo-Mongoloid stock now known as the Rakhine Arakanese. This emergence of a new race was not the work of a single invasion. But the date 957 AD may be said to mark the appearance of the Rakhine in Arakan, and the beginning of fresh period.

[9] They were a wild people much given to plunder, violence, cruelty, kidnapping, enslavement and sea piracy, and came to be known as the Maghs of the Arakan.

[10] History researcher Alamgir Serajuddin writes, ԓTheir cruelty, comparable only to that of bargi marauders of later days, was a byword in Bengal. Shihabuddin Talish thus described it: “They carried off the Hindus and Muslims, male and female, great and small, few and many that they could seize, pierced the palms of their hands, passed thin canes through the holes and threw them one above another under the deck of their ships.

[11]
After the Portuguese established their settlements in Chittagong, Sandwip and Arakan during the Mughal rule of India, the Rakhine Maghs entered into a scheme of plundering Mughal territory in Bengal by making an alliance with the Portuguese pirates.

[12] The Magh-Portuguese piracy was such a menace to the peace and security of Bengal that the Mughals had to step in. In 1666, Shaista Khan (1664-1688), the Mughal governor of Bengal, conquered Chittagong from the Arakanese control.

[13] That year (1666) marked the decline of the Arakanese Empire. [The Arakanese (Rakhine) Maghs left Chittagong, never to reoccupy it, which became a part of Bengal (and now Bangladesh).

[14] However, plundering by the Magh-Portuguese pirates continued throughout the 18th century.
Historian G.E. Harvey writes, Renells map of Bengal, published in 1794 AD marks the area south of Backergunge deserted on account of the ravages of the Muggs (Arakanese)ђ. The Arakan pirates, both Magh and feringhi, used to come by the water-route and plunder BengalŅ. Mohammedans underwent such oppression, as they had not to suffer in Europe. As they continually practiced raids for a long time, Bengal daily became more and more desolate and less and less able to resist them. Not a house was left inhabited on their side of the rivers lying on their track from Chittagong to Dacca. The district of Bakla [Backergunge and part of Dacca], which formerly abounded in houses and cultivated fields and yield a large revenue as duty on betel-nuts, was swept so clean with their broom of plunder and abduction that none was left to tenant any house or kindle a light in that region. Ņ When Shayista Khan asked the feringhi deserters, what salary the Magh king had assigned to them, they replied, Our salary was the Mughal Empire. We considered the whole of Bengal as our fief. We had not to bother revenue surveyors and ourselves about court clerks but levied our rent all the year round without difficulty. We have kept the papers of the division of the booty for the last forty years.

[15]
Because of their centuries of savagery, the Maghs of Arakan earned such a bad name that they started calling themselves the Rakhines.

[16]
The Rakhines practice Buddhism and their spoken language is pure Burmese with slight phonetic variation.
Muslim Influence in Arakan:
Arakan, sandwiched between Muslim-ruled India in the west and Buddhist-ruled Burma in the east, at different periods of history, had been an independent sovereign monarchy ruled by Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims. As the threat from the Burmese court of Ava grew, it turned westward for protection. After Bengal became Muslim in 1203 C.E., Islamic influence grew significantly in Arakan to the degree of establishing a Muslim vassal state there in 1430 C.E. In 1404, the Arakan king, dethroned by the Burmese, took asylum in Gaur (the capital of Bengal) and pleaded for help to regain the lost throne. Jalaluddin Muhammad Shah, the Sultan of Bengal, sent General Wali Khan at the head of 50,000 soldiers to conquer Arakan. Wali Khan drove the Burmese and took control of power over Arakan for himself, introduced Persian as the court language of Arakan and appointed Muslim judges (Qazis).

[17] Jalaluddin then sent a second army under General Sandi Khan who overthrew Wali Khan and restored the exiled monarch (Mong Saw Mwan who took the title of Sulayman Shah) to the throne of Arakan in 1430.

[18]
Mong Saw MwanԒs Muslim soldiers settled in Arakan and established the Sandi Khan mosque in Mrhaung. They eventually became the kingmakers during the Mrauk-U dynasty. The practice of adopting a Muslim name or title by the Arakanese kings continued until 1638. Bisveswar Bhattacharya sums up the position thus, As the Mohammedan influence was predominant, the Arakanese kings, though Buddhist in religion, became somewhat Mohammedanized in their ideas

[19]
In 1660, the Mughal Prince Shah Shuja fled to Arakan. This important event brought a new wave of Muslim immigrants to the kingdom of Arakan.

[20]
Dr. Muhammad Enamul Haq and Abdul Karim Shahitya Bisharad in their work ԓBengali Literature in the Court of Arakan 1600-1700 state that ԓ[T]he Arakanese kings issued coins bearing the inscription of Muslim Kalema (the profession of faith in Islam) in Arabic script. The State emblem was also inscribed Arabic word Aqimuddin (establishment of Gods rule over the earth).Ҕ The Arakanese courts adoption of many Muslim customs and terms were other noteworthy signs to the influence of Islam. Mosques began to dot the countryside and Islamic customs, manners and practices came to be established since this time.

[21]
From 1685 to 1710, the political power of Arakan was completely in the hand of the Muslims. Muslim rule and/or influence in Arakan lasted altogether for approx. 350 years until it was invaded and occupied by Burmese king Boddaw Paya on 28 December 1784. Boddaw Paya may rightly be called the harbinger for destroying everything Islamic in Arakan and sowing the seed of distrust between the two communities Җ Rohingya and Rakhine.

Arakan in post-1784 era:
Arakan was neither a Burmese nor an Indian territory till 1784. It had managed to retain its independent (or semi-independent) status for most of its existence. In 1784 thousands of Arakanese - Rohingya and Buddhists alike - were killed, and their mosques, dargas and temples destroyed by the Burmese soldiers. During the 40-year Burmese tyrannical rule (1784-1824), nearly two-thirds or 200,000 Arakanese were forced to take refuge in Chittagong (Bengal).
The First Anglo-Burmese War (1824-26) ended on 24 February 1826 when Burma ratified the Treaty of Yandabo and ceded Arakan and Tenasserim to British India. At that time, nearly a third of the population of Arakan was Muslim. Burma was separated from British India on 1 April 1937 under the Government of India Act of 1935. Arakan was made a part of British Burma against the wishes of its people and thus finally Arakan became a province of independent Burma in 1948.

[22]
For centuries, the Rohingya Muslims coexisted relatively peacefully with the Rakhine Buddhists.

[23] However, this changed around the Second World War, when communal riots erupted between the two ethnic groups at the instigation of third parties, most notably the British Raj. The bitterness was fuelled by the pogrom of March 28, 1942 in which approximately 100,000 Rohingyas were massacred and another 80,000 had to flee from their ancestral homes.

[24] Two hundred and ninety four Rohingya villages were totally destroyed.

[25] Since then the relationship between the two communities deteriorated to the extent that for the Rohingya there remained hardly any option open other than self-determination in an autonomous territory that would protect their basic human rights.
After Burmas independence in 1948, Muslims carried out an unsuccessful armed rebellion demanding an autonomous state within the Union of Burma. This resulted in a backlash against the Muslims that led to their removal from civil posts, restrictions on their movement, and confiscation of their property.

[26]
Under the military regime of General Ne Win, beginning in 1962, the Muslim residents of Arakan were wrongfully labeled illegal immigrants who had settled in Burma during the British rule. Their history and culture to their ancestral land was conveniently ignored. The Burmese central government made all efforts to drive them out of Burma, starting with the denial of their citizenship. The 1974 Emergency Immigration Act took away Burmese nationality from the Rohingyas, making them foreigners in their own country. Then came the Burma Citizenship Law of 1982 violating several fundamental principles of the international law and effectively reduced them to the status of Stateless.

As of 1999, there have been no less than 20 major operations of eviction campaigns directed against the Rohingyas that were carried out by the successive Governments of Burma. In pursuance of the 20-year Rohingya Extermination Plan, the Arakan State Council under direct supervision of State Council of Burma carried out a Rohingya drive operation code named Naga Min or King Dragon Operation. It was the largest, the most notorious and probably the best-documented operation of 1978.

The operation started on 6th February 1978 from the biggest Muslim village of Sakkipara in Akyab, which sent shock waves over the whole region within a short time. News of mass arrest of Muslims, male and female, young and old, torture, rape and killing in Akyab frustrated Muslims in other towns of North Arakan. In March 1978 the operation reached at Buthidaung and Maungdaw. Hundreds of Muslim men and women were thrown into the jail and many of them were being tortured and killed. Muslim women were raped freely in the detention centers. Terrified by the ruthlessness of the operation and total uncertainty of their life, property, honor and dignity, a large number Rohingya Muslims left their homes to cross the Burma-Bangladesh border.[27] Within 3 months more than 300,000 Rohingyas took shelter in makeshift camps erected by Bangladesh Government. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) recognized them as genuine refugees and started relief operations.

On 18 July 1991 a more dreadful Rohingya drive extermination campaign code named Pyi Thaya was launched. This involved killing and raping of Rohingyas, and destroying their properties, plus places of worship. It forced Rohingyas again to seek shelter in Bangladesh. In recent years, while some Rohingyas have returned to Arakan as a result of Bangladesh-Myanmar bilateral agreement, still there are many who are afraid to return to their ancestral homes.

Due to the divide and rule policy of the Myanmar government, the relationship between the Rakhine and the Rohingya have become increasingly strained without any mutual trust. The Rakhines, as a matter of fact, have become RohingyaԒs worst enemies. With very few exceptions, the Rakhines want to cleanse the Arakan of the Rohingya. [28] Current Status of the Rohingya:

In Myanmar, the Rohingyas have been denied their citizenship, uprooted from their ancestral homes and forced to live as refugees and illegal immigrants in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, U.A.E., Malaysia and Thailand. Truly, their plight is worse than those being suffered now by the Native Americans in the USA, the Mayans in Latin America, and the Palestinians in the Occupied Territories.

There is a systemic program by the ruling Myanmar regime to ethnically cleanse the Rohingya from their ancestral homeland of North Arakan. They are altering the demography of the region through extermination and displacement of the Rohingya population, demolition and confiscation of Rohingya properties (including Muslim endowed Waqf properties), and construction of Pagodas and monasteries on the sites of demolished mosques and Muslim shrines. As if these measures are not enough to obliterate Muslim identity, new non-Rohingya settlements with Pagodas and Buddhist monasteries are being built at every nook and corner of the North Arakan,

The Rohingya Ulema (religious leaders), women and youngsters are often the targets of harassment from the SPDC troops. Most of the Rohingya-community leaders are now serving long prison times on false charges, related to citizenship. [For example, on 29 July, 2005 U Kyaw Min (alias Mohammad Shamsul Anwarul Hoque) the leader of the National Democratic Party for Human Rights and Member of the Parliament, Committee Representing the People֒s Parliament (CRPP) from Buthidaung Township constituency Number 1 in the Arakan State - was sentenced to 47 years imprisonment on charges related to his nationality. His wife and three children were also sentenced to 17-years term on the same ground. Their arrest is in violation of the Articles 1-3, 5, 9, 10, 15-21 of the Universal Declarations of Human Rights.] Other leaders are forced to opt for a life of uncertainty as refugees outside.

Riots between Buddhists-Muslims are often engineered that invariably result in heavy losses to Muslim lives and properties. Anti-Muslim propaganda is routinely fed in the government-controlled media. As of February 2003, books and taped speeches, insulting Islam and Muslims, have become rather common and are being openly sold and distributed.

Of particular concern is the fact that as of 2004, Rohingya villagers are forced to practice Buddhism and take part in various Buddhist festivities. They are forced to pay for Buddhist festivals held every so often. Even Muslim cemeteries are not immune from desecration and abuses of the government. Buddhist dead bodies are now routinely buried at Muslim cemeteries, while the Rohingyas are forced to pay funeral fees. The North Arakan has been turned into a militarized zone with increased violations of human rights practiced by the military troops. The Rohingya people are exploited as forced laborers into building military establishment, roads, bridges, embankments, pagodas, schools dispensaries and ponds without earning any wage. Their women and girls often face rape and sexual harassment from these troops and their contractors. They are also forced to work for free in the new settlements. The forced labor situation has become so excruciating that the Rohingya have been rendered jobless and shelter-less.

In order to extinct the Rohingya, the authorities have imposed undue restrictions on marriage between Rohingya couples. For example, not a single marriage contract was allowed in May 2005. Without payment of a huge sum of money, something that is unaffordable for most poor Rohingyas, as bribe, the corrupt officials dont allow any marriage to take place. Even after such payments, thousands of applications for the permission to get married remain pending in Maugdaw and Buthidaung Townships. Rohingyas are restricted from moving outside the Arakan. Even for movements within the same locality they require clearance from the authority. Because of such restrictions, they are not permitted to travel to Rangoon or Myanmar (Burma) proper for serious medical emergency.

Since promulgation of the new Burma Citizenship Law in 1982, the Rohingya students are denied their basic rights to education outside the Arakan. It is important to point out that all professional institutes are situated outside Arakan. Thus, the Rohingya students are unable to study there because of such travel prohibition. In recent years, the Rohingya students are prohibited from even going to Akyab, the capital of Arakan, to attend Sittwe University for their studies. These draconian measures barring Rohingyas from attending universities and professional institutes are marginalizing them as the most illiterate section within the Myanmar population. They are forced to embrace a very bleak future for them.

Traditionally, the Rohingya are a farming community that depends on agricultural produce and breeding of cattle and fowls. Unfortunately, they are forced to pay heavy taxes on everything they own: cattle, food grains, agricultural produce, shrimp, tree, and even roof of their homes. Even for a minor repair of their homes, they are forced to pay tax. They are required to report birth and death of a livestock to the authority while paying an arbitrary fee.

Extra-judicial killing and summery executions, humiliating movement restriction, rape of women, arrest and torture, forced labor, forced relocation, confiscation of moveable and immoveable properties, religious sacrileges, etc., are regular occurrences in Arakan. As a result, severe poverty, unemployment, lack of education and official discrimination are negatively affecting every Rohingya, especially its youths and workforces. The future of the community remains bleak and exodus into Bangladesh has become a recurrent theme. The new arrivals unfortunately often face arrests and/or ғpushback from the Bangladesh security forces. These refugees are also blocked from nominal opportunities of re-settlement in a third country or settlement within Bangladesh.

There is no international agency to look after the interest of the stateless Rohingya. Because of their lack of legal identity, they are not allowed to work or hold work permit by any name. To survive, many work as illegal workers in Thailand and other places where they and their children are deprived of basic human rights.
Solution to the problem:

The Rohingya people need help to publicize their plight and their right to live as a free nation. The Buddhist military regimes that have ruled Myanmar are brutal, savage and tyrannical. They cannot be either a guarantor or a protector of human rights of minorities. They will use and have been using their barbarity against the minority Rohingyas to justify prolonging their illegitimate ruling in Buddhist-majority Myanmar. So, the plight of the Rohingyas, regrettably, is not a matter of concern for many otherwise good-natured Buddhists. Under the circumstances, the Rohingyas have no way to protect their basic human rights but to opt for freedom. Freedom is a God-given right of all humanity and can neither be denied nor snatched away from disadvantaged groups for either political expediency or diplomatic acrobatics.

The Rohingyas need world body to wake up to the reality of their sufferings and pains. They need to mobilize world bodies, esp. the UN, to grant them the same privilege that has been granted to the people in south Sudan and East Timor. There is no other way to solve this problem now. Citizens around the globe simply cannot afford to remain silent spectators to this gruesome tragedy of our time. They must act and help to solve the problem.

In the meantime, for easing the sufferings of the Rohingya Diaspora community my recommendations are that

The UN should immediately consider forming a fact finding mission to investigate violations of human rights against the Rohingya people of Arakan in Myanmar and take all measures to ease their pains and sufferings, including putting pressure on the ruling junta to release political prisoners. The UNHCR must maintain its support for the material well being of Rohingya refugees in camps in Bangladesh and elsewhere. Օ The UNHCR must continue its direct involvement in refugee protection, ensuring the voluntary nature of refugee returns to Myanmar, and providing logistical support to repatriation as required. The Government of Bangladesh must cease all pressure on Rohingya refugees to repatriate and consider the possibility of providing options for either local integration, with the financial support of international donors, or re-settlement in a third country.
Notes:
1. http://www.freerohingyacampaign.com/

2. See,e.g.http://www.bangladesh-web.com/view.php?hidDate=2005-08-10&hidType=OPT&hidRecord=0000000000000000055839

3. The Rohingyas: A Short Account of their History and Culture, Arakan Historical Society (A.H.S), Bangladesh, June 2000. See also: Mohammed Ashraf Alam, Historical Background of Arakan, the SOUVENIR, Arakan Historical Society, Bangladesh, 1999; Moshe Yegar, The Muslims of Burma, A study of Minority groups, Wiesbaden, Otto Harrassowitz, 1972

4. http://www.rohingya.org/summary.htm

5. Mohammed Ashraf Alam, A short historical background of the Arakan people: http://www.rohingyatimes.i-p.com/history/history_maa.html ; M.A. Taher Ba Tha, The Rohingyas and Kamans (in Burmese), Published by United Rohingya National League, Myitkyina (Burma), 1963, P.6 Ֆ

7; Maung Than Lwin, Rakhine Kala or Rohingya, The Mya Wadi Magazine, issue July 1960, PP.72-73; N.M Habibullah, Rohingya Jatir Itihas (History of the Rohingyas), Bangladesh Co-Operative Book Society Ltd., Dhaka, 1995, PP.32-33. 6. R.B. Smart, Burma Gazetteer Akyab District, Vol. A, Rangoon, 1957, P.19. 7. British-Burma Gazetteers of 1879, page 16

8. The essential History of Burma by U Kyi, P.160 9. Op. Cit. 10. Note the similarity of the word Magh with Mog, Gog and Magog ֖ the Mongolian tribes (also known in history as Scythians). Others contend that the name Magh originated from the Magadha dynasty that was Buddhist by faith. 11, Muslim Influence in Arakan and the Muslim Names of Arakanese kings: A Reassessment by Alamgir M. Serajuddin*(From Asiatic Soc. Bangladesh (Hum.), Vol. XXXI (I), June 1986. 12, G.E. Harvey, The History of Burma, London (1928), pp. 142-4. [Note also that there are still places in Chittagong that go by the names Arakan Bazar, Feringhi Bazar, etc. showing its Arakan and Portuguese heritage.] 13. During Sher Shahs rule, Chittagong was under his rule. At a later time, it became a zone of contention between Mughal and Arakanese rulers. 14. Bengal-Arakan Relations (1430-1666 A.D.) by Mohammed Ali Chowdhury, Kolkata, Firma KLM Pvt. Ltd., 2004. 15. Alam, op. cit. 16. Mohammad Ashraf Alam, op. cit. 17. Bangladesh District Gazetteers, P.63 (See: http://www.rohingya.org/not_settler.htm) 18. Journal of Burma Research Society (JBRS) No.2. P.493. Historians disagree on whether or not the Arakanese rulers themselves became Muslims. (See: Bengal-Arakan Relations (1430-1666 A.D.) by Mohammed Ali Chowdhury. Kolkata, Firma KLM Pvt. Ltd., 2004; and http://www.rohingyatimes.i-p.com/history/history_maa.html) 19. Serajuddin, op. cit. 20. The Arakanese Maghs treacherously killed Shuja and his family members in 1661. (G.E. Harvey, Outline of Burmese History, Longmans, London (1947), pp. 95-6) 21. Dr. Enamul Haq O Abdul Karim Shahitya Bisharad, Arakan Rajshabhay Bangla Shahitya, Calcutta, 1935, PP. 4- 22. D.G.E. Hall, A History of South-East Asia, Third Edition 1968, the Macmillan Press Ltd., London, U.K.; G.E Harvey, Outline Burmese History, Longman, Gree & Co., Ltd., London, 1947; Nurul Islam, The Rohingya Muslims of Arakan: Their Past and Present Political Problems, THE MUSLIM MINORITIES, Proceedings of the Six International Conference of World Assembly of Muslim Youths (WAMY), Vol. I, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1986. 23. The SLORC Publication ‘ Thasana Yongwa HtoonkazepoҒ p.65. 24. http://www.ibiblio.org/obl/docs3/BNI2005-03-08.htm 25. Sultan Mahmud, Muslims in Arakan, The Nation, Rangoon, April 12, 1959. 26. ibid. 27. Genocide in Burma against the Muslims of Arakan, Rohingya Patriotic Front (RPF), Arakan (Burma), April 11, 1978, PP.2 4; Dr. Mohammed Yunus, A History of Arakan Past and Present, 1994, PP.158 ֖ 159. 28. Dr. Shwe Lu Maung, Dr. Aye Chan, U Mra Wa, Dr. Khin Maung (NUPA), and Major Tun Kyaw Oo (president of the Amyothar Party) are few of the exceptions that recognize birth rights as well as genuine citizenship of the Rohingya people.. Even Dr. Than Tun, rector of Mandalay University and former professor of history, Rangoon University makes strong recommendations on Rohingyas as ethnic group and bonafide citizen of Arakan. (Ref: http://www.ibiblio.org/obl/docs3/BNI2005-03-08.htm)

Letter of Condolence (King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz)

2005-08-13T03:27:00.000-07:00

Letter of Condolence Page -1

Letter of Condolence Page -2

The View of Burmese Historian Professor Dr. Than Tun

2005-08-11T02:33:00.000-07:00

"The 'Kyaukza' of 1442 C.E."

In the "Kyaukza" stone insscription serial No.963/20-23-804- Burmese Era 1442 C.E. there is indication of Muslim King's reign of Arakan in 14th century who were frineds of Burmese Kings and used to visit them. The Kings of Arakan had Muslim titles. If they were not muslim Kings mentioned in the incription, the Muslim Kings of Arakan might be Rohingya Muslim Kings, from the Mayu river valley, the eastern of the Naf River . Rohingyas claim their existence there of over thousands years. If not thousands years, their existence might be from the time of 1202 C.E . When the Muslims conquered Bengal, that is 800 years. (Dr.Than Tun, Kalya Magazine August 1994, Pages 27-28 , with the reference of Luce, G.H."K'yan(chin)" Mru and K'umi (N. Arakan)", Phases of Pre-Pagan Burma, Languages History, Oxford ,SoAS, 1985,76-97).

EU urged to give shelter to Rohingya refugees

2005-08-09T04:23:00.000-07:00

Aug 8, 2005, 11:58

Communications Minister Barrister Nazmul Huda on Monday called upon the international community, including the countries of the European Union, to give shelter to the Rohingya refugees so that they do not become stateless. As a small but populated country, Bangladesh's capacity is very limited to bear the extra burden of the Rohiynga refugees.

Although, it has all sympathies for the distressed people rooted out from the neighbouring Myanmar, he added.

There are now about 20,500 Rohingya refugees in two camps in Cox's Bazar. Besides, 6,000 more refugees are living in makeshift camps at Teknaf in an extremely risky situation of high tide and cyclone. Of total 2,50,000 Rohingyas, who took shelter in Bangladesh during 1991 and 1992, so far 2,36,600 have repatriated to Mynamar, UNHCR sources said.Huda was speaking at a daylong seminar on Rohingyas organised by the Centre for Development Studies (CDS) in the auditorium of Jatiya Press Club with Prof Dr Asif Nazrul in the chair.

Justice Abdul Wahab, Representative of United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) Christopher BC Lee, Ambassador of the Netharlands Kees Beemsterboer, President of Ganatantrik Karmi Shibir Nurul Haque Mehedi, Brig. Gen (retd) QN Salam and Father RW Timm, among others, spoke on the occasion. Huda said Bangladesh-Myanmar bilateral relations have been improving further day by day and both the governments are talking Rohingya issue side by side with other issues of welfare and development.

BC Lee said UNHCR is happy to note that the voice of the Rohingyas is still heard in other voices. He urged the Bangladesh government to do better for the Rohingyas as much as it can. Calling upon all to stand beside the Rohingyas, Kees said as the refugees do not have any voice it is the duty of others to raise their voice on their behalf. Narrating the sufferings of the Rohingays, QN Salam said in Myanmar the Rohingyas have to pay extortion for birth, marriage, death, job, business and even for arranging a football match.

Plz check it out :http://nation.ittefaq.com/artman/publish/article_20707.shtml

The Plight of the Rohingya People of Arakan state of Myanmar

2005-08-05T10:06:00.000-07:00

----- Original Message -----
From: Habib Dr Siddiqui
To: info@freerohingyacampaign.com ; nfbnews@gononet.com
Sent: Friday, August 05, 2005 5:42 PM
Subject: The Plight of the Rohingya People of Arakan state of Myanmar

Dear Editor,

I have been involved with human rights issues for more than two decades, . Yet I must take the blame for not voicing my concern as loudly as I ought to have done to show the utter criminality of the regimes that had ruled Myanmar since 1948 (esp. since 1962 when Gen. Ne Win came to power) in their wilful failure to protecting human rights of the Rohingya Muslims of the Arakan state. In the entire history of mankind, one can hardly find a regime that has been so atrocious, so inhuman, so barbarous in its denial of basic human rights to a people that trace their origin to the land for nearly a millennium. Yes, the Rohingya Muslims have been living in the Arakan since the 12th century. In Myanmar, they have been denied their citizenship, uprooted from their ancestral homes and forced to live as refugees and illegal immigrants in Bangladesh. Truly, their plight is worse than those suffered by the Native Americans in the USA and the Mayans in Latin America, and the Palestinians in the Occupied Territories.

Nothing can excuse us from the criminal silence that we practice in not voicing our concern about the plight of this uprooted people. As I said in the beginning, I am one such guilty person of not being vocal enough to draw the attention of our world people. This I say, because I am originally from Chittagong, Bangladesh - not too far from Arakan, and surely not from Cox's Bazar where tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees have been living for more than a decade.

The Rohingya people need our help to publicize their plight and their right to live as a free nation. The Buddhist military regimes that have ruled Myanmar are brutal, savage and tyrannical. They cannot be either a guarantor or a protector of human rights of minorities. They will use and have been using their barbarity against the minority Rohingyas to justify prolonging their illegitimate ruling in Buddhist-majority Myanmar. So, the plight of the Rohingyas, regrettably, is not a matter of concern for many otherwise good-natured Buddhists. Under the circumstances, the Rohingyas have no way to protect their basic human rights but to opt for freedom. Freedom is a God-given right of all humanity and can neither be denied nor snatched away from disadvantaged groups for either political expediency or diplomatic acrobatics.

In the meantime, for easing the sufferings of the Rohingya Diaspora community my suggestions are that

The UNHCR must maintain its support for the material well being of Rohingya refugees in camps in Bangladesh.
The UNHCR must continue its direct involvement in refugee protection, ensuring the voluntary nature of refugee returns to Myanmar, and providing logistical support to repatriation as required.
The Government of Bangladesh must cease all pressure on Rohingya refugees to repatriate and consider the possibility of providing options for local integration, with the financial support of international donors.

Best regards,

Dr. Habib Siddiqui

Philadelphia, USA

email: saeva@aol.com

Burma Arakan MP Kyaw Min and family fined on top of sentences

2005-08-03T05:29:00.000-07:00

Aug 2, 2005 (DVB) -

The imprisoned elected representative (MP) of Arakan State Buthidaung Township, Kyaw Min and his family members, were not only given lengthy prison terms, but also fined individually, it has emerged.

55- year old Kyaw Min, who is also a member of the Committee for Representing People’s Parliament (CRPP) was arrested on 17 March, which was followed by the arrest of his wife and three children, and they were all indicted on charges relating nationality and political laws, and other unclear charges.

Recently, Kyaw Min was sentenced to 47-years in prison and his wife and children each received a 17 year prison term. A kangaroo court within Rangoon Insein Jail also fined them 50,000 kyat each and if they refuse to pay, the court ordered them to serve 2 extra years each.

The family’s close relatives attempted to see them at the prison on 1 August, but they were turned back by guards. The health conditions of Kyaw Min’s wife Tiza and one of her daughters are reported to be very poor.

Hefty sentences were imposed on the family after Kyaw Min refused to sign a pledge promising to quit the CRPP, according to sources close to the family.

Plz check it out: http://english.dvb.no/news.php?id=5317

Burmese Arakan MP and family given lengthy prison terms

2005-08-03T05:18:00.000-07:00

July 29, 2005 (DVB) -

The elected representative (MP) of Arakan State Buthidaung Township and Committee for Representing People’s Parliament (CRPP) Kyaw Min and his family members were given lengthy prison terms by a Burmese court on 29 July.

The arrest of Kyaw Min on 17 March was followed by those of his wife and children who have all been detained in the notorious Insein Jail in Rangoon. They were tried by a court situated within the prison, and Kyaw Min was given a 47 year prison term and his wife and three children were each given a 17 year term.

Another member of CRPP, Htaung Co Thang told DVB that all the charges against Kyaw Min are not known but he was sure that his colleague was charged with Emergency Provision Act 5J and acts relating to nationality laws.

Thang added although it is not strange to arrest and detain Kyaw Min with political acts, he finds it hard to understand why the authorities of Burma’s military junta, State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) arrested Kyaw Min’s family members who were not interested in politics.

Plz check it out: http://english.dvb.no/news.php?id=5300

Feedback to RNS's reply on Shah's reponse to AC

2005-07-25T02:14:00.000-07:00

Hi RNS,

I am not surprised of your reply to Br. Shah’s response because of your intolerance and eyesore of "Rohingyas’ right of ethnicity". I just wonder whether you never heard of Rohangya or ever hide of Rohangya.What was the name of old Arakan…dude?????? (ROHANG). Her people are then called Rohangya........got it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You xenophobic Rakhines regardless of learned or laymen have been utmosttrying to distort or wipe out Rohingyas’ ancestral history and heritagethrough various mechanisms including lethal program for decades but yourcruel plans and designs have not yet achieved and will never attain in thefuture as well because we young generation are becoming more and more conscious and aware of your (Ultra racists Rakhine and Burmese Chauvinists) joint propaganda against our existence. We are not Bengali. If we are Bengali by our descendents and races, there should not have a problem for us to accept because they are cultured and humane people unlike Moghs the civilized term Rakhines who are wild and hostile by nature.

Mr. RNS, Moghs have so far tested Rohangyas’ patience, humanity and friendliness but not the reverse sides of them. When we become like you, I think you will not have problem to pronounce the word “ROHANGYA” and to deemtheir motherly rights in Arakan of Burma forever.Take note that we will never and ever give up our legitimate and territorial rights in Arakan under any circumstances and time frame because Rohangyas are bonafide sons of ROHANG, the old Arakan.Good luck!!!!!

A R Arakani

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dear Rakhine brother Mr. Rannin Soe,

Many thanks for your unhealthy and dis-respectful respond to my learnedfriend Mr. Shah Arakani. Your responding is very rude and unprecedented inthe net group. You always try to write negative sources against positivefacts and accurate data. Please maintain equal balance and dignity when youtry to refute someones statement or article. In fact, my learned friend ShahArakani described a notable and considerable reply to honorable Sara U Aye Chan on his Rohingya issue with giving many creditable references from historical background.

Dear Ranin Soe,Please come to realize the true factors and try to be a real politician orsocial activist with competitive political knowledge in the multi-racial and mainstream of democratic society in this global village. You have nothing todeny the following facts and data written by honorable Mr. Shah Arakani whohas a vast experience and resourceful knowledge in Arakanese historical surface even though he is neither a historian nor Ph.D. holder like yourrespected big brother Dr. Aye Chan who always seems a sole historian fromArakan.

Respectfully,

Shau Khat Isla alias MSK Jilani

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Rannin Soe <wrote">ranninsoe@...>wrote:

Dear Shah Arakani,

I would like to mantion to you about so called Rohingya.I never hardname as Rohingya in my life.Otherwise who are called us name as Mogh they are Bangali. So I can saidyou are Bangali. I really felling your citizen ship right but you are tried to lie.You can said you are came from Bnagladesh from 200 ys ago.Than you can demand ur citizenright so we will support that human being.

With Best Wishes

Ran Nin Soe

Reply to Dr. Aye Chan's response to Rohangya issue (Part-3)

2005-07-21T04:14:00.001-07:00

Yes, of course. Again, as I've mentioned earlier, unlike Rohangyas in Arakan and Burma, we live in a "Free World"--you are in Japan and I'm in North America. In this free world no one is being pushed against his/her will. You don't need to provide any comment if you don't want to. But I HONESTLY believe that you cannot come up with an honest response regarding the issue that I brought earlier--eg: State sponsored infiltration of Bengali Moghs into Arakan and recognition of existence and full citizenship right of Rohangyas under the U Nu's (democratically elected) government.

-Shah
A survivor

===============================

AYE CHAN

wrote:
My first letter is enough. No more comment.
Aye Chan
A Truthful Historian

Reply to Dr. Aye Chan's response to Rohangya issue (Part-2)

2005-07-21T04:04:00.000-07:00

Dear Dr. Aye Chan,

Unlike Arakan State and Burma for Rohangyas, this is a free world, and of course, you don’t need to write if you cannot provide logical explanation about your prejudice statements. It’s natural to show intimidation where there is no convincing argument to present. I’d like to mention that I’m NOT after branding you with names. With due respect, it is natural for those terms to follow based on your context and logic.

As a saying goes “ everything looks yellow to a jaundice eye. ” As I’ve said earlier, there is no room for the WHOLE TRUTH in your writing unless you take off your prejudice eye-ware at least for a moment. I know for a fact that you will be after the history because that is your biggest strength, or I’d say most powerful tool, to wipe us out from our ancestral land. But you should also note that it is not necessary to have a doctoral degree in history to dig out the truth and have a logical argument.

I was not after the history books that you are pointing to; I was after the WHOLE truth, the real phenomenon. Although you’ve been pointing out those books, you are not after how many Rohangyas got killed or left the country, but you’re ONLY after how many Bengalis (specifically Muslims and Hindus but NOT Mogh) came into Burmese soil in the British colonial era. So you just weed out the clauses and phrases that favour your partial truth. You dare NOT mention anywhere in your writing about the infiltration of Bengali Moghs into Arakan which is a continuation from the British colonial era to this very day. This type of bizarre obscenity is nothing different from expansions of Zionism—the god given right for every Mogh to migrate to Arakan. Every one knows that infiltration of Bengali Moghs into Arakan State is not in any history book because Burma is the darkest place on earth for liberal journalists and the infiltration of Mogh is state sponsored.

Although nearly the entire population of Burma and the rest of the world considered Burmese government after U Nu is illegal, and whatever it has done is unacceptable, you still accept that illegal government’s racial propaganda and hatred towards Rohangya is legal to support your point. However, you flatly deny the status of Rohangya that was accepted under U Nu’s government, the only democratically elected government since the independence of Burma. The irony is that no matter how illegitimate, immoral and unacceptable an action appeared to be, you legitimize it if the action taken is against the Rohangya.

The bottom line is you are whole-heartedly for the enjoyment of Bengali Moghs in Arakan and Burma at the expense of Rohangyas, while I’m merely for my survival in a lawless world.

Sincerely,
Shah Arkani
-----------------------------
AYE CHAN wrote:

Dear Friends:

It may be my last letter to you all. This is the first time for me to hear the bizarre term "Academic Power." Even if there is academic power in the world it would be only the driving force to push the truth into the public panorama. I have written many times that I just revealed a historical truth. Anybody can challenge me in the academic field if there is any prejudice or fabricated information in it. There are a lot of citations in my paper. Please check them with the original source materials. The Burma Gazetteers can be bought in Rangoon, and are available in many libraries especially of Cornell, Michigan, Yale and London Universities. You can make copies of India Office Records that I quoted at British Library in London and most of them are published in two volumes by Hugh Tinker and Andrew Graffin.

One thing you have to know about me is that I am a historian. History is concerned with the contexts of a society remote in the time. It is obligatory on me to reconstruct the past. Nobody urged me to write that paper. I have written many articles, especially on the inter-ethnic relations in the peripheral areas of Burma. If you want to read I can mail some of them to you. In the beginning of next year a paper on cross-cultural relations in the Northeastern Burma is coming out. It has already been on press now. However, I can tolerate in whatever words you have branded me. I am a historian. I always believe the truth can never be hidden long.

Sincerely, Aye Chan

Reply to Dr. Aye Chan's response to Rohangya issue (Part-1)

2005-07-21T03:34:00.000-07:00

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.

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

A letter for Saya U Aye Chan by (Aung Tin, Toronto) - Part (2)

2005-07-21T02:59:00.000-07:00

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 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 News wrote:

----- 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

A letter for Saya U Aye Chan by (Aung Tin, Toronto) - Part (1)

2005-07-21T02:49:00.000-07:00

Dear Saya U Aye Chan,

With due respect, allow me to ask some questions regarding Rohingya.

I'm in no way going to question you when Rohingyas or chittagonians settled in the land since I don’t have the capacity to judge, obviously. I hope the argument and counter argument will be done by knowledgeable people with mutual respect.

For me, as far as my vision can so, I really don’t see big different between the Ethnic Rights and basic Human Rights. Let me explain quickly before I get shot from everywhere for saying that.

I do respect the ethnic rights including self determination and I do believe they are inalienable.

When rights are ignored, when identities are threatened, people have no choice but to fight back to protect their rights and identities. Once their rights and identities are secured, once they feel they are not threatened by their fellow country men, once they witness equality applies for everyone; I don't think people will content to stay in their own limited cocoons. They will come out and they will communicate, share, absorb, adapt, may assimilate, who knows. The notion that all people came from one single father and mother is widely accepted. If it is true, we all are from the same parents after all.

Anyway, right now, we have to fight for the rights and identity. After that we are going to set up the wall to protect. It is going to take a very long way to put down the wall. It entirely depends on how much progress we can achieve in terms of trust.

Here are some of my questions for you, if I may. Let’s say they are Chittagonians . These people wanted to be called as Rohingya.
1. Do they have a right to change their name or not?

My argument is that the name Eskimo has historical context. When they didn't like to be called, the name changed. I think Siam changed to Thai too.
The second question is regarding claiming the ethnicity.
2. By looking at the demography in border areas, are there some kinds of widely acceptable guidelines to recognize as ethnic belonged to one country? If yes, please educate us and if no, what should be in the case of our country.
My argument is Rakhaine, Rohingya, Naga, Chin, Kachin, Shan, Wa, Padaung, Karen, Mon, Pashu and Salone etc. have been settling both sides of border areas such as Bangladesh, India, China and Thailand. Except for Rohingya and Pashu almost all others do not have the problem for claiming the ethnic rights in both countries, as far as I know.

Rakhaines who lived in Bangladesh for centuries do not have any problem to reclaim the ethnicity belonged to our land. I do suspect that Rohingya and Pashu are having the trouble to claim ethnicity in Burma because they are Muslims.

My third question is for you and the leaders of Rakhine in exile. As we all know, disagreements are everywhere in politics. People start the work where they agree upon and at the same time, people sort out the common ground from the disagreements. While they are working where they can; they learn, know, and share each other. In this way, they accommodate each other's concern, address properly and build the trust. So my question is;
3. Even though you both (Rakhaine and Rohingya) have the disagreement for the terminology of Rohingya, why can’t you start work where you both agree such as confronting the SPDC, sharing the knowledge, spreading the Democracy and Human Rights etc?

I dearly hope some of you are not thinking or planning to subdue the Rohingya if they don’t live by your term.
As far as I can cope, there are three concerned areas. I may be wrong.

The first one is to guarantee the basic Human Rights including culture and religion for Rohingya. The Rakhaines do not seem to have problem for accepting those.

The second one is self-determination stretched to secession or merger with Bangladesh if Rohingyas were given ethnic status.

If so, we have to look these as legitimate and credible concern or imaginative and artificial one in today’s world. Secession or merger was possible during the cold war due to the polarizing interest of the two biggest rival groups in mankind’s history. Now, secession or merger is interest of nobody including India, Bangladesh, China, Thailand, ASEAN, US, EU, NATO etc. you name it. I don’t think it is credible to deny the rights of Rohingya for the concern of secession.

The third one is raised by some that the concern of creating an Islamic state.

Some people might had some dream sometimes ago, but it is non starter.

Aung Tin, Toronto.

Joint emergency mission to Teknaf sees plight of Rohingya Myanmarese

2005-07-19T18:16:00.000-07:00

This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Marie-Hélène Verney – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 19 July 2005, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

UNHCR, the European Commission and diplomats from five donor countries have completed an emergency mission to Teknaf in the Cox's Bazar district of Bangladesh to see for themselves the plight of more than 6,000 Myanmarese from the Rohingya ethnic group living in extremely risky and deplorably squalid conditions.

The mission, last Friday, saw the Myanmarese literally living on the tidal river flats of the Teknaf River, which forms the border with Myanmar. They are extremely vulnerable to seasonal high tides, flooding and cyclones during the monsoon season. There is no water or sanitation at the site, creating a health hazard. Since late last year, the international community has been asking the government to move the group as a matter of urgency, but so far has not received a response.

The European Commission has said it will provide emergency humanitarian assistance for water and sanitation once the group is moved to safer ground. The government and the local authorities consider the group illegal immigrants and say they should return to Myanmar.The Teknaf group originally formed two and a half years ago after the Bangladesh government moved some 3,600 Rohingyas from villages in the surrounding areas where they had been living for up to 10 years, to a spot along the Teknaf River. Six months later, they were again moved 2 km to the current site.

The group has been growing as more Rohingyas facing problems with local communities have moved to the area. A small number of new arrivals from Myanmar, and some 'double-backers' – the term used for refugees who repatriated to Myanmar, then fled again – are also part of the group. There are no accurate figures for the composition of the group, and numbers range from 6,000 to 10,000 as the population fluctuates.The group are unregistered people of concern to UNHCR.

The only difference from Rohingya refugees in the two government-run camps is that they were either not in the camps during the 1991-92 influx, or they had arrived after the 1994 cut-off date for prima facie refugee status. Even though Rohingyas in the group have been living unregistered outside the camps, their reasons for coming to Bangladesh are the same as the refugees in the camps.In the early 1990s, over 250,000 Rohingyas fled across the border to Bangladesh and were sheltered in 20 camps. Some 236,000 Rohingyas have since repatriated to Myanmar. Currently, about 20,500 registered refugees are living in the remaining two government-run camps in the Cox's Bazar district in difficult circumstances with poor shelter, sanitation and security conditions.

The Bangladesh government has not agreed to any self-reliance or self-sustaining activities in or outside the camps, insisting that the only solution for these refugees is repatriation to Myanmar. But so far this year, only 90 refugees have chosen to return home in spite of an increased repatriation package given by UNHCR.

Story date: 19 July 2005UNHCR Briefing Notes

http://www.unhcr.ch/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/news/opendoc.htm?tbl=NEWS&id=42dcdd6ad

Rohingyas from Myanmar living in risky conditions in Bangladesh

2005-07-19T18:08:00.000-07:00

19 Jul 2005 12:57:12 GMT

Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

TEKNAF, Bangladesh, July 19 (UNHCR) – Perched precariously on the edge of the muddy tidal river flat, with the hills of Myanmar in clear sight across the broad expanse of the Naf river, a group of more than 6,000 Rohingyas from Myanmar are living in extremely risky conditions in Teknaf, Cox's Bazar district in the south-eastern tip of Bangladesh.

"We are really suffering here," said one of the group's Mahjees, or leaders. "When it rains, the rain comes down from the hills behind, and during the high tides, the water comes from that side," he added, gesturing towards the salty Naf river that flows into the Bay of Bengal some kilometres away. He said the water often reached knee height, saturating their shelters.

Constructed from wood from the forest and bits of plastic and thatching, the tattered makeshift homes of this ethnic Muslim group are right on the high tide mark, jammed up against the road. There is no water or sanitation at the site, creating a health hazard particularly for the large number of young children in the group.

Another 20,500 Rohingyas from Myanmar are registered in two government-run camps – Kutu Palong and Nayapara – south of Cox's Bazar town.

In a joint initiative last Friday, UNHCR, the European Commission and diplomats from five donor countries visited the Teknaf group to see their plight for themselves, after urging the Bangladesh government for months to move the group to safer ground.

"They are living in very dangerous and risky conditions, in an area prone to flooding and cyclones during the monsoon," European Commission Ambassador Esko Kentrschynskyj said after the joint mission to Teknaf.

The group of Rohingyas from Myanmar now at Teknaf, Bangladesh, are living in appallingly squalid and dangerous conditions on the tidal river flats prone to flooding. © UNHCR/I.Bayzit

Since late last year, the international community has been asking the government to move the Teknaf group as a matter of urgency, but so far has not received a response. The European Commission has said it will provide emergency humanitarian assistance in water and sanitation once the group is moved to safer ground. However, the government and the local authorities consider the group illegal immigrants and say they should return to Myanmar.

"The Teknaf group of Rohingyas are people of concern to UNHCR, as they fled Myanmar for the same reasons of persecution as the refugees in the camps who came here in a big influx in 1991-1992," explained UNHCR's representative in Bangladesh, Christopher Lee. "The only difference is that these Rohingyas were living outside the camps, or arrived after a 1994 cut-off date for prima facie refugee status, so they were not registered."

"We came to Bangladesh because we had some problems in 1992," said one Mahjee. "In 1994 I repatriated. Our lands were confiscated before and when we repatriated we got some land back. Then it was taken again. Even worse, they brought people, Burmese from Yangon, and settled them on our land. The Myanmar government says, 'You have no nationality, you have no citizenship.' We were forced to leave," he added.

During the refugee exodus in the early 1990s, some 250,000 Rohingyas in Myanmar fled by foot or boat into nearby Bangladesh and were sheltered in 20 camps. An undetermined number settled in the surrounding area. More than 235,000 Rohingyas have since repatriated, leaving the 20,500 currently living in poor conditions in the two government-run camps in Cox's Bazar district.

The Teknaf group formed after the Bangladesh government moved some 3,600 Rohingyas in 2003 from villages in the surrounding areas where they had been living for up to 10 years, to a spot along the Naf river. Six months later, they were moved two kilometres to the current site. The group has been growing as more Rohingyas facing problems with local communities have moved to the area.

The Mahjees said they suffered severe ill-treatment at the hands of the villagers and local authorities before being moved to the current site.

A small number of new arrivals from Myanmar, and some "double backers" – a term used for refugees who repatriated to Myanmar, then fled again – are also part of the group. There are no accurate figures for the composition of the Tefnak group and numbers range from 6,000-10,000 as the size of the group fluctuates.

The Tefnak group struggles to survive in their precarious surroundings. The men try to find work fishing, cutting wood in the forest, or pulling a rickshaw, the main mode of transport in this lush, overpopulated, rural area of Bangladesh.

"We are facing a lot of trouble, especially medical," said another Mahjee. "If we eat one time, we have to starve another and the children are not getting any education. We are Muslims. We came to another Muslim country, but we don't find peace."

The group is also suffering from medical complaints, particularly diarrhoea, but they lack health care and money to buy medicine.

"We are suffering very much," said one woman, dressed in blue instead of the customary black burqa and veil of the Rohingyas. "We don't have rations, food, medicine. We get sick with diarrhoea, we use bark from the tree as medicine. We are dying because of (the lack of) food and water. A lot of people died here. We collect leaves from the forest and cook them for our children. We collect water from the forest and rainwater but it is not enough," the mother of five added.

Members of the joint mission to Teknaf said they would continue to pursue the humanitarian relocation of this group with the government.

By Jennifer PagonisIn Teknaf, Bangladesh

http://www.unhcr.ch/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/news/opendoc.htm?tbl=NEWS&id=42dcf74a4

EU looking for durable solution to Rohingya refugee problem

2005-07-19T18:05:00.000-07:00

Sunday July 17 2005 11:48:51 AM BDT
From Govinda Shil

COX'S BAZAR, July 16:

The European Union is looking for a durable solution to the Rohingya refugee problem and will support any government move to allow the refugees to form their own community in Bangladesh for a longer period.

The EU thinks more than 10,000 of the Rohingya refugees may face a human disaster anytime as they are living in makeshift camps, without potable water, food and proper sanitation system. Those refugees entered Bangladesh nine months ago, many of them for the second and third time, to escape ethnic persecution in Myanmar."If those refugees decline voluntary repatriation, they have rights to stay here," said Esko Kentrschynskyj, EU Ambassador and the head of EU delegation.A total of 20,500 refugees have been sheltered in two of the United Nations High Commission for Refugee (UNHCR) camps. But those who came last year are residing in makeshift camps. The government is yet to hand over to the UNHCR.A total of 1,740 families are living in those temporary camps, made of polyethylene sheets, hard boards and bamboos.

The situation of women and children are quite vulnerable as they starve most of the time and do not have access to safe drinking water. Many of the families have three to five and in some cases more than seven children. Their miseries are getting multiplied because of rains that cause inundation in the camps.Senior diplomats and officials of the High Commissions and envoys of Canada, EU, USA, Italy, Norway and Australia visited the makeshift camps at Kerontoli village under Teknaf thana Friday.The EU Ambassador said these 10,000 refugees must be taken to a better place immediately to ensure better living condition for them.

Canadian High Commissioner to Bangladesh David Sproule was appalled to see the inhuman conditions refugees were living in. The entire camp area was badly stinking, there was no water, the paths were muddy and floors of the camps were damp."The first priority is to shift these people to a place where we can give them safe drinking water and sanitation facilities," said Sproule adding, anybody would get sick in this situation.

The UNHCR is looking for government approval to take them to their own facilities for which many donors are ready to pay for the expenses.The Country Representative of UNHCR, Christopher Lee, said he is looking for government decision to give these people "refugee status" and provide them some humanitarian assistance.
The Financial Express

plz check it out: http://www.bangladesh-web.com/news/view.php?hidDate=2005-07-17&hidType=BAE&hidRecord=0000000000000000052809

Myanmar refugees clash in Bangladesh, 40 hurt

2005-07-19T18:02:00.000-07:00

COX'S BAZAR, Bangladesh (Reuters) -

At least 40 Myanmarese Muslims were wounded on Sunday when rival groups clashed over refugee registration at an unauthorised camp in southeastern Bangladesh, officials said.
Police brought the violence under control at Damdamia where thousands of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar have lived illegally for a decade as unregistered refugees.

The refugees, who fled west Myanmar's Muslim-majority Arakan state to escape alleged military persecution and find work, are living outside two official government refugee camps in the Cox's Bazar district, 400 km southeast of Dhaka.

More than 20,000 Rohingyas now live in the two government camps at Kutupalong and Nayapara near Cox's Bazar.

"The clash occurred this morning as a group was demanding inclusion of more refugees in the list handed over to the government," said administrative officer Mohammad Mohsin Chowdhury.Sticks and bricks were used during the hour-long clash, he said.Earlier refugee leaders handed over a list of more than 6,000 refugees to the government, but one group complained thousands of Rohingyas had been omitted.

The list was prepared as part of a plan to give the Rohingyas refugee status after a recent visit to their camp by a team of the European Commission and the U.N. High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR), another official said.Some 250,000 Rohingyas crossed into Bangladesh in early 1992. Most had been repatriated by 2002 under UNHCR supervision.Since then there has been little homeward movement while more Rohingyas have trickled in across the porous 320-km Bangladesh-Myanmar border.

Bangladeshi officials say most of the Rohingyas are economic migrants whom Myanmar authorities are not keen to take back.

Despite requests from some international agencies, impoverished and overpopulated Bangladesh has said it will never offer the Rohingyas a permanent home.

http://in.today.reuters.com/news/NewsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2005-07-17T173052Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_India-209569-1.xml

Arakan Kyaw Min and family still detained inside Rangoon Insein Jail

2005-07-19T17:59:00.000-07:00

June 28, 2005 (DVB) -

Kyaw Min, the elected representative (MP) of Buthidaung Township, Arakan State and a member of Committee for Representing People’s Parliament (CRPP) who has been detained for more than three months in Rangoon Insein Jail, is still being tried secretly and not allowed to see his family members.

The Burmese authorities arrested Kyaw Min on 17 March and his wife Tiza and daughters Wai Wai Nu and Khin Khin Nu on 5 May, but they are all being detained separately in the same jail.
According to latest reports, local authorities raided and searched Kyaw Min’s home in Buthidaung and asked detailed questions about him in early June.

One of the National League for Democracy (NLD) legal advocates Nyan Win who has been assigned to represent Kyaw Min, attempted to see him at the prison in early June but he was turned away on both occasions.

According to Nyan Win, it is assumed that Kyaw Min and family members are being charged with Act-18 relating to nationality laws.

Plz check it out: http://english.dvb.no/news.php?id=5057

Repatriation of Rohingyas remains incomplete

2005-07-19T17:55:00.000-07:00

By BDNEWS, DhakaJun 19, 2005, 12:35

The repatriation of Rohingya refugees remains incomplete although 12 years have been elapsed since the government took steps in 1993 to send them back to their homes in Myanmar. More than 2.5 lakh Muslim ethnic minorities, popularly known as Rohingya refugees, fled their country, Myanmar, to escape the persecution by the Myanmar military junta in 1991.

The Bangladesh government struck a deal with Myanmar to repatriate the refugees under the mediation of UNHCR in 1993. Since then, a total of 236,594 Rohingya refugees of 47,313 families have been sent back to their homes till March 17 this year, a monthly report of the Refugee Release and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said. Now, some 20,544 refugees have still been languishing in the two makeshift camps of Kutupalong and Nayapara in Cox's Bazar for repatriation till Sunday, according to the report jointly made by the RRRC and UNHCR. Besides this, there are an estimated two lakhs 'unofficial' Rohingya refugees living in Cox's Bazar district.

The government's latest plan to send back the remaining refugees by June 2003 could not be implemented as the process was very slow. Moreover, the process of repatriation was stalled for few months last year following political unrest in Myanmar. In the last two years, only 3,323 Rohingyas were repatriated but the high birth rate helped quick rise of the number of refugees. According to RRRC estimate, the number of newborns in the refugee camps is 22 in a week while that of deaths is two. According to sources, the main reasons of the slow repatriation are the lack of motivation of the officials, lack of coordination between officials and various departments of the governments, threats of terrorism by Rohingya militants, reluctance of the refugees to return due to relief-dependence and non-cooperation by the NGOs and aid agency officials.

The alleged link of the refugees with Islamic extremist groups and activists in Bangladesh were also blamed for the slow repatriation.The joint report of RRRC and UNHCR said only 210 refugees were repatriated last year while 3,113 in 2003 and 760 in 2002.In Kutupalong camp, there are about 8,000 refugees awaiting repatriation while there are 12,000 refugees in Nayapara camp. Besides, the Rohingya refugees, there are about 158 refugee in the camps who are from Myanmar (non-Rohingya), Iran, Somalia and Sierra Leon. Repatriation is fully a voluntarily process. None can be forced or families be broken to expedite the repatriation," said Mulusew Mamo, Deputy Representative of UNHCR in Bangladesh.

Plz check it out :http://nation.ittefaq.com/artman/publish/article_19316.shtml

Ethnic Myanmar refugee pleads for policy change

2005-07-19T17:50:00.000-07:00

By MASAMI ITOStaff writer

A refugee from Myanmar belonging to an ethnic minority urged Japan on Monday to grant asylum to more of his compatriots, saying they face serious persecution back home.

Zaw Min Htut, president of the Burmese Rohingya Association in Japan, is a member of the Rohingya minority group. He was recognized as a refugee by the Japanese government in March 2002.

So far, eight people from the minority group have been granted refugee status here, but there are 30 to 40 others still seeking asylum, Htut told a news conference.

Earlier in the day, Htut talked with Foreign Ministry and Justice Ministry officials about the situation confronting his minority group in Myanmar, as part of a series of actions marking World Refugee Day.

At a news conference after the two meetings, Htut spoke of human rights violations by the military regime in Myanmar.

"We are the only people in the world without a country," Htut said of alleged human rights violations carried out by the ruling junta. "We are not recognized as citizens" by the military rulers, he added.

Current law in Myanmar regarding citizenship has three categories: full citizens, associate citizens and naturalized citizens.

Amnesty International reported in 2004 that a vast majority of Rohingyas have been excluded from citizenship by not qualifying for any of the three categories.

The watchdog group recommended to the Myanmar government that it amend the citizenship law to ensure that "all legal provisions and all decisions regarding citizenship are free of any discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, sex, language or religion."

Htut stressed that the Rohingyas' human rights are violated to the extent that they are unable to move freely from one city to another, go to school or a hospital, or even marry without permission from the authorities.

World Refugee Day observed-UNHCR for govt support to solve refugee crisis

2005-07-19T17:46:00.000-07:00

Tuesday June 21 2005 09:22:26 AM BDT

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) stressed stronger and proactive government initiative for a permanent solution to refugee problem facing Bangladesh for long.Christopher Beng Cha Lee, UNHCR Representative in Bangladesh, made the suggestion talking to newsmen here on the eve of the World Refugee Day, observed worldwide yesterday.He emphasized formulating a policy and urged experts, policy makers and lawyers to come forward in this regard. Lee appreciated the role of the Bangladesh Government for extending various supports to around 20,500 Rohingya refugees left over at Kutupalang and Nayapara camps in Cox’s Bazar, waiting for repatriation to their homeland.

He said refugee situation in Bangladesh is quite different from other countries because around one crore people of the country crossed border and took refuge in India during the Liberation War. "With this tolerance, it is supporting the Rohingyas for more than last one decade," said the UNHCR representative.Our Diplomatic Correspondent adds: Former official of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) Aziz Ahmed has said that the refugee problem was one of the aspects of the country’s war of independence in 1971 when about one crore people from Bangladesh had to take shelter in India for their safety and security Addressing a seminar on the refugee at the Liberation War Museum in Dhaka yesterday Aziz Ahmed narrated endless suffering of the people of Bangladesh when they were forcibly displaced from their hearth and homes.

The seminar was arranged on the occasion of the World Refugee Day observed in Bangladesh and elsewhere in world in a befitting manner. The theme of the day is "courage". In a message on the occasion yesterday UN Secretary General Kofi Annan called upon all concerned to face the refugee problems with fortitude and courage.Aziz Ahmed also focused on a century old refugee scenario of the world saying that many displaced persons meanwhile had returned their homes but many could not go back.

None can say when they will be able to go back.Speaking on the occasion UNHCR Deputy Representative in Bangladesh Mulusew Mamo narrated various aspects of the Rohiynga refugees who had been living in Bangladesh since 1991.Mamo appreciated the government’s cooperation in tackling the refugee problems since 1991 when the Rohiynga Muslims from Myanmar entered Bangladesh. Museum Trustee Ali Zaker also spoke on the occasion.

The office of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Bangladesh observed the World Refugee Day by holding a discussion on the refugees’ rights, essay competition, cultural programme and prize distribution in the two refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar.On the occasion Cox’s Bazar Environment Journalists Forum held a rally in Cox’s Bazar, which was participated by journalists, lawyers, UNHCR staff and common people.
The Independent / UNB, DHAKA
http://www.bangladesh-web.com/news/view.php?hidDate=2005-06-21&hidType=NAT&hidRecord=0000000000000000049468

The repatriation of Rohingya refugees remains incomplete although 12 years have elapsed

2005-07-19T17:43:00.000-07:00

Monday June 20 2005 11:30:11 AM BDT

The repatriation of Rohingya refugees remains incomplete although 12 years have elapsed since the government took steps in 1993 to send them back to their homes in Myanmar, reports BDNEWS.More than 0.25 million (2.5 lakh) Muslim ethnic minorities, popularly known as Rohingya refugees, fled their country, Myanmar, to escape the persecution by the Myanmar military junta in 1991.

The Bangladesh government struck a deal with Myanmar to repatriate the refugees under the mediation of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 1993.Since then, a total of 236,594 Rohingya refugees of 47,313 families were sent back to their homes until March 17 this year, a monthly report of the Refugee Release and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) and the UNHCR said.Now, some 20,544 refugees have still been languishing in the two makeshift camps of Kutupalong and Nayapara in Cox's Bazar for repatriation until Sunday, according to the joint report of RRRC and UNHCR.Besides this, there are an estimated 0.2 million 'unofficial' Rohingya refugees living in Cox's Bazar district.

The government's latest plan to send back the remaining refugees by June 2003 could not be implemented as the process was very slow.Moreover, the process of repatriation was stalled for a few months last year following political unrest in Myanmar.In the last two years, only 3,323 Rohingyas were repatriated but the high birth rate helped increase of the number of refugees quickly.According to the RRRC estimate, the number of newborns in the refugee camps is 22 in a week while that of deaths is two.According to sources, the main reasons for the slow repatriation are the lack of motivation of the officials, lack of coordination between officials and various departments of the governments, threats of terrorism by Rohingya militants, reluctance of the refugees to return due to relief-dependence and non-cooperation by the non-government organisations (NGOs) and aid agency officials.

The alleged link of the refugees with Islamic extremist groups and activists in Bangladesh were also blamed for the slow repatriation. The joint report of RRRC and UNHCR said only 210 refugees were repatriated last year while 3,113 in 2003 and 760 in 2002. In Kutupalong camp, there are about 8,000 refugees awaiting repatriation while there are 12,000 refugees in Nayapara camp.Besides the Rohingya refugees, there are about 158 refugees in the camps who are from Myanmar (non-Rohingya), Iran, Somalia and Sierra Leon.
http://www.bangladesh-web.com/news/view.php?hidDate=2005-06-20&hidType=NAT&hidRecord=0000000000000000049373

U.N. agency asks Malaysia to hire refugees

2005-07-19T17:35:00.000-07:00

Mon June 13, 2005 1:57 PM GMT+05:30

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia should allow 50,000 refugees, many from neighbouring Indonesia and Myanmar, to work in the country legally in order to make up for a labour shortage, the U.N. refugee agency urged on Monday.

Volker Turk, representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said Malaysia's recent expulsion of more than 100,000 illegal foreign workers had created a void.
"You have a refugee population here who cannot be deported," Turk told reporters at a meeting organised by the agency. "Why not use this population? Why not allow them to work legally?"
Malaysian Home (Interior) Minister Azmi Khalid could not be immediately reached for comment.

The UNHCR says 40,000 of Malaysia's refugees are registered with it, among them 20,000 from Indonesia's war-torn province of Aceh, and 10,000 members of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslim minority.

Malaysia is not yet a signatory to the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees, which has been ratified by 145 nations. It views refugees as illegal immigrants.
Late last year Malaysia agreed to let the Rohingyas stay in the country temporarily, which meant they need no longer fear deportation, but Turk said the policy had yet to be implemented.

"We harbour hopes that this decision will be implemented by World Refugee Day on June 20. That would be the best gift for all the refugees here," he said.
Turk said Malaysia had detained about 900 refugees in its illegal labour crackdown in March.
The crackdown followed an immigration amnesty, during which more than 100,000 illegal foreign workers -- mainly Indonesians -- left in return for freedom from prosecution, but the exodus caused some acute shortages of unskilled labour.

Malaysia relies on foreign unskilled labour to do dirty, poorly paid work that locals shun, but the number of illegal immigrants, estimated at 800,000 or more ahead of the amnesty, causes the government a fiscal and administrative headache.

But their sudden departure hit a range of industries such as the construction and plantation sectors, leading to concerns among economists about the potential impact on economic growth and on inflation through higher wages.

http://www.reuters.co.in/locales/c_newsArticle.jsp

Undocumented Rohingya refugees suffer in silence

2005-07-19T17:32:00.000-07:00

By Anisur Rahman Khan back from Cox’s BazarMay 26, 2005, 13:37

About 14,000 Rohyingyas, who entered Bangladesh illegally 15 years ago, were staying at an undocumented Rohyingya refugee camp at Dumdumia under Teknaf upazila in Cox’s Bazar district.Most of the people in Rohyingya camp have been suffering from starvation, diarrhoea, malnutrition, unhygienic sanitation, lack of pure drinking water and lack of proper treatment.

Talking to The New Nation, some Rohingyas burst into tears while describing the sufferings of their family members and children from various diseases. They described heinous torture and sexual abuses done on them by the Myanmar army before they had entered Bangladesh.For example, Myanmar police had violated Syeda Khatun, when she was 14. Later she married one Zafar Alam.Syeda, hailing from Mamra, Akyab in Myanmar was forced along with her parents to push into Bangladesh about 12 years ago by Nasaka.This ethnic Muslim woman has been staying at Dumdumia, Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar district.

The 25-year-old woman, while explaining her harrowing tale to The New Nation, said, “When I was 14 years old, the Mamra sadar police of Myanmar called me to their camp and two police personnel raped me. Subsequently, I was able to flee from their heinous claws after two days in the police camp.”Syeda said those policemen threatened that since she was a Muslim, she would be killed unless she did not carry out their order. ‘At least 10 minor Muslim girls were continuously raped by several police personnel in this camp when I was there,’ Syeda said.Another victim Hasina Begum, 20, wife of Ahmad Ali, hailing from Merulla, Mongdu of Myanmar, said that Nasaka Bahini attempted to rape her, but failed. She said she managed to escape after the local people protested.According to stranded Rohingyas, many people had died from starvation and lack of proper treatment at the camp. Abdul Hakim (25) who married Laila Begum (20) hailing from Youngshons, Buchidong, were living in Bangladesh for the last 15 years illegally.“We want to return to our homeland Arakan. But Nasaka and Myanmar police torture us mercilessly, and even they sexually abuse our wives and daughters.

We want peace and release from their barbaric torture permanently,’ Zalal Uddin (40) said crying. “We are living here without food, medicines, water and also without job. I think my son could not survive long because he is not getting food and medicines,” he said.This substantial community of Rohingyas have been effectively denied Myanmar citizenship, are subjected to severe restrictions of movement, to forced labour, forced evictions, extortion and arbitrary taxation.

Rohingyas, an ethnic Muslim community of Myanmar, had been evicted from their homes to Bangladesh territory by Nasaka.Some human rights organisations like Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Bangladesh Lawyers Association and Human Rights Forum (HRF) were working for securing the rights of these Rohingyas.They are trying to attract international attention to the matter to solve the problem. These human rights organisations alleged that even volunteers could not supply food to these Rohingyas because of the government’s restrictions. These illegal Rohingyas requested the governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar, as well as international community to solve the issue immediately, as they want to return to their motherland Myanmar.Plz check it out : http://nation.ittefaq.com/artman/publish/article_18703.shtml

Detained Burmese MP Kyaw Min’s family allowed to hire lawyer

2005-07-19T17:26:00.000-07:00

May 12, 2005 (DVB) -

The police of Rangoon Tamwe Township recently notified a relative of detained elected representative (MP) of Arakan State Buthidaung Township U Kyaw Min, that his wife and two children who were arrested on 5 May, are to be allowed to hire a lawyer of their choice.

U Kyaw Min who is also a member of the Committee for Restoration of People’s Parliament (CRPP), was arrested on 17 March and he is currently being detained at the notorious Rangoon Insein Jail.
The National League for Democracy (NLD) has assigned one of its legal advocates U Nyan Win to defend Kyaw Min’s family at the court.

“All we heard is the case is to be put forward at the court on 20 May and we are still trying to get in touch with them,” said U Nyan Win. “We will only know on that day what they are going to be charged with if we meet them. We are preparing matters relating to immigration acts.”
Please check it out http://english.dvb.no/news.php?id=4731

Stateless Clan Finally Gets Right to Work

2005-07-19T17:22:00.000-07:00

INT'L LABOUR DAY-MALAYSIA:

Stateless Clan Finally Gets Right to Work Baradan Kuppusamy KUALA LUMPUR, Apr 29 (IPS) - Finally after a long and hard struggle for recognition, Jaafar Hussein, a Rohingya refugee from Burma, can afford to smile this International Labour Day, which falls on May 1. ''I have worked illegally, been hunted and lived in fear for over nine years,'' Jaafar, 34, told IPS in his room in a ramshackle hut in Kapar town, a mecca for small scale industries that hires foreign workers about 30 kilometers southwest of the capital. ''A work permit would give us some status...we don't have to run and hide like thieves,'' said Jaafar who makes electronic components in a small backyard factory for a firm in China. ''I might even get married and raise a family,'' he said with a smile. His colleagues, about a dozen of them who crowd the hut, laugh uproariously. The Malaysian government has decided to address a long-festering refugee problem involving the Rohingya to help solve the nation's desperate labor shortage. It announced in Kuala Lumpur recently that it will issue work permits to the 10,000 Rohingya within its borders.

The Rohingyas are Muslims from Burma and have lived here illegally since the late 1980s. They have been subject to periodic arrests, beatings and deportations. Deprived of citizenship after Burma gained independence from Britain in 1948, Rohingyas were persecuted and gradually pushed out of Arakan state, their homeland in Burma. Since then, they have shunted about from one inhospitable Asian state to another for nearly 50 years.

A sizeable Rohingya community lives as refugees in Bangladesh. But the Rohingyas prefer Malaysia because it is Muslim, wealthy and officials are reasonably lenient and easily bribed to close one eye. Their plight is made worse by the fact that many Asian countries, like Malaysia, have refused to sign the 1951 United Nation Convention on Refugees. Officially there are about 10,000 Rohingyas in the country but the refugees themselves estimate their population at 35,000. The discrepancy is another indication of the long years of neglect the Rohingyas have suffered, both here in their adopted country and in Burma, their birthplace.

Unlike his predecessor Mahathir Mohamad whose eyes were firmly on the leap forward to industrialisation, his successor Abdullah Badawi has a heart for the small man that the great wheel of development has neglected. Abdullah's emphasis on agriculture, fisheries and health and welfare is giving the Malaysian poor and the displaced a status. Even Rohingyas, who were periodically arrested and taken to the Thai border and told to walk across and disappear, have come to benefit from the change in policy. Burma refuses to recognise the Rohingyas as its nationals making it difficult to negotiate with the junta to repatriate them. Because they are stateless people, Malaysia also refuses to recognise them as refugees.

Though many Rohingyas hold letters from the Geneva office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugess (UNHCR), recognizing their status as ''persons of concern'', Malaysian police seldom recognise these documents. In a vicious cycle of exploitation, Rohingyas are paid low wages because they have no proper papers and no legal status. As a consequence many Rohingyas work at night and sleep in wayward places during the day to avoid arrest. ''We mostly work in night markets slaughtering and cleaning animals and fish and as garbage collectors,'' said Rahiman, a Rohingya working at the Pudu fish market in the city.

Unlike the men, many of the Rohingya women are treated as 'non-people' without any education and skills. This forces many of them to be street beggars. While the new policy could mark a reversal of fortunes for the Rohingyas, there is still fear that the Malaysian government could retract their pronouncements. Last year the government raised hopes saying Rohingyas would be given refugee status but that policy has been quietly shelved. ''We hope the new policy to give us work permits does not suffer the same fate as the promise to recognise us as refugees,'' said Rahiman. A temporary quirk in the country's migrant worker situation is helping Rohingyas win some status. A move to deport some one million undocumented Indonesian workers and rehire them as legal workers has backfired for a variety of reasons causing a severe labour shortage forcing the government to canvass as far as Pakistan and Nepal for cheap labour. Recognition for the Rohingyas is now seen as way to fill the shortfall.

After several months of discussions with the UNHCR office here, the government announced it would issue temporary stay permits to the Rohingyas allowing them to work legally. They can also get medical care and send their children to Malaysian schools. ''It is time they are absorbed into the labor force,'' Home Minister Azmi Khalid told IPS. ''There are already here and it would be a waste if we don't recognise them or give them job opportunities.'' Human rights lawyers and activists have welcomed the move. The usually critical Malaysian Bar Council gave kudos to the government and urged it to stick to its promises.

''They are in accord with international principles, as well as the Convention on the Rights of Refugees and the Child,'' said Bar Council President Yeo Yang Poh. S Arulchelvam, coordinator with SUARAM, a leading human rights organisation, too, was in agreement with the Malaysian Bar Council. ''It would give Rohingyas a status they had struggled for many years and also better their living conditions,'' he told IPS. ''The government must also ensure the Rohingyas are not exploited by unscrupulous employers. They are entitled to all the legal protection enjoyed by Malaysian workers under the law,'' added the rights activist.

''They also have a right to better housing, schooling and medical care.'' The UNHCR also sees the latest Malaysian government's move as a way to alleviate the vicious cycle of abject poverty that tends to strangulate the Rohingyas. ''It recognises the reality that third country resettlement for Rohingyas are almost zero and that most of them have lived here and settled albeit in terrible circumstances,'' a senior UNHCR official said. ''This is one path to better themselves...we are working with the government to help them.'' (END/2005)
orginal message link : http://www.ipsnews.net/africa/interna.asp?idnews=28495

U Kyaw Min being interrogated in Insein Jail

2005-07-19T17:18:00.000-07:00

Apr 12, 2005 (DVB) -

The elected representative (MP) of Buthidaung Township, Arakan State, U Kyaw Min who has been detained since 17 March, is being interrogated behind closed doors at Rangoon Insein Jail and not allowed to see his family members.

It is still not known why Kyaw Min was arrested and what he is being interrogated on, according to a source close to his family. Despite repeated trips to the prison, his family members are still not allowed to see him.

As he is not allowed to see his family and receive basic things including medicines, his family members are serious concerned for the health condition of Kyaw Min who has been suffering from high blood pressures.

plz check it out here : http://english.dvb.no/news.php?id=4486

Systematic religious persecution in Myanmar

2005-07-19T17:13:00.000-07:00

18 October, 2004
MYANMAR

Systematic religious persecution in Myanmar

Yangon (AsiaNews) – Religious freedom is systematically violated in Myanmar. Violence strikes without distinctions Christians and Muslims and sometimes Buddhists as well.
A report by Forum 18, an organisation dedicated to religious freedom, accuses the military regime of gross violations of human rights. The issue was one of the topics discussed at the recent Europe-Asia (ASEM) meeting held in Hanoi (Vietnam) on October 7-9. However, the international community remains reluctant to act as some voices have made clear. Nobel laureate Bishop Desmond Tutu said that “the words of protest [. . .] from world leaders ring hollow when they do not translate into action”.

Here is a short outline of the situation of the country’s main religious groups.

Christians

The largest Christian community lives in Chin State in the north-west part of the country near the Indian border. They constitute about 90 per cent of the local population.

Human rights activists allege Chin Christians are subject “to systematic persecution”. The military junta, they charge, have sent hundreds of Buddhist missioners into the state to convert Christians. Converts are promised special privileges such extra supplies of rice, the opportunity to attend prestigious schools and exemption from forced labour.

Chin children have been taken from their families on the pretext of providing them with a good education but were instead sent to Buddhist monasteries where they are trained to be Buddhist monks. Some of the mostly 11-year-old boys have not been able to see their parents.
Printing Bibles in the Chin language is also considered illegal. In 2000 alone, about 16,000 copies were seized and burnt.

The government has also closed down more than 80 churches around the capital Yangon in 2001 and has denied Christians the right to meet in places built in the last hundred years. Since 1994 all applications for new churches have been turned down. Gatherings that exceed five people other than for Sunday mass require a permit.

The International Labour Organisation has documented cases where forced labour was used to prevent people from celebrating religious holidays. Last year an entire village was ordered to work through the Christmas season preventing the Christian residents from celebrating Christmas and the New Year. They had to carry by hand food supplies and ammunitions for the soldiers.

Muslims

The Muslim community is also victim of religious persecution. The worst case involves the Rohingya, a minority that lives in Rakhine State in western Myanmar. Not only have they been denied Myanmar citizenship but the government has arbitrarily confiscated their properties, destroyed their homes and burnt their crops. Thousands had to move to neighbouring Bangladesh.
Intolerance vis-à-vis Muslims touches other areas as well. Refugees in camps along the border with Thailand speak of soldiers forcing them to eat pork just to humiliate them.

Buddhists

Buddhists have not escaped religious persecution when they have voiced criticism against the regime. Ethnic Shan live primarily in the mostly Buddhist north-east corner of the country, but they, too, have been subjected to the same abuses visited upon Christians and Muslims: rape, forced labour and discrimination.

The long arm of the regime has also reached beyond the border of the country. The wife of Myanmar’s ambassador to Great Britain told Buddhist monks in London, Birmingham and Manchester not to take part in events organised by the Colindale monastery (north London) because of its support for democratic groups in exile. Id they did not cooperate, monks would have their passport revoked.

Buddhists constitute around 89 per cent of Myanmar’s 46 million people. Christians and Muslims are 4 per cent each.

Plz check it out here http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=1711

True event of embassy fire in Malaysia

2005-07-19T17:09:00.000-07:00

4/14/2004The Event of Embassy Fire

Three Brothers Rohingyas Muslim went Myanmar embassy for recognitionof Myanmar citizenship and getting Myanmar passport for three times.Each time they brought along with some documents showing the proofof that they are Myanmar citizen because they do not possessNational Identification Card. One of them brought a photocopy of hisfather's certificate which is awarded as the third gradecommemorative person in Myanmar independence. Each time, Myanmarembassy staff postponed their meeting with Ambassador U Hla Maungand Myanmar embassy staff still denied to recognize them as Myanmarcitizen. Later, they were told to come and see Ambassador U HlaMaung and to process their case on April 7, 2004 at visa sectionroom.

When they went there on that day, Ambassador U Hla Maung and embassystaff told them that they cannot be recognized as Myanmar citizenwithout giving any reason.. They showed their proper documents toAmbassador but still denied and asked them to bring originaldocuments. Then, Ambassador U Hla Maung and embassy staff told themto get out of the embassy in haughty manner. The argument wasgetting serious and embassy staff called the illegal workers who areliving inside embassy compound to beat them and to get them out. Theillegal workers started punching them on their faces, beating themand getting them out of the embassy compound. They were so angry andthey called their friends, their wives and children. Then theybrought the petrol from the petrol station near by and put them inplastic bags.When they got back in front of embassy compound, the illegal workerscame out again and attacked them with their axe and knives.Rohingyas did not have any weapons except petrol bags.

They defendedthemselves and they snatched the axe and knife from the workers andthey fought them back. At the same time, they touched the petrolplastic bags and threw them into the embassy compound. In fact, theRohingya brought just a few of petrol plastic bags not more than 10but inside embassy, the fire suddenly grew bigger than they threw.

They do not know how embassy staff did with the fire in order not toput out but to getting bigger and more devastating.

plz check it out here http://www.innwa.com/dev/show_news.asp?id=226

Malaysia detains Myanmar refugee protesters

2005-07-19T17:04:00.000-07:00

Mon March 7, 2005 5:10 PM GMT+05:30

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian police detained about two dozen Myanmar refugees on Monday for protesting outside the office of the U.N. refugee agency to demand speedy resettlement, witnesses and officials said.

Women and children were among the protesters, from the Rohingya ethnic group, who held up posters reading, "We need immediate protection", and "We want speedy resettlement", before police bundled them away, witnesses said.

Rights groups and the UN refugee agency fear a drive by Malaysia to deport illegal migrants, which began this month, puts refugees and asylum-seekers at risk of being returned to countries where they may suffer detention or torture.

"They have been arrested because of what was considered an unlawful demonstration," Volker Turk, country representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said.
"Of course we protested on their behalf, but immigration authorities have taken them away to verify their status and have said they will release those who are found to be refugees."
Leaders among the Rohingyas, who came to Malaysia in the 1990s from Myanmar's northern state of Arakan, could not immediately be reached for comment.

The UNHCR says there are more than 10,000 Rohingya in Malaysia, making them the largest group of asylum seekers.

Myanmar disputes their origin and refuses to let them return.

Malaysia's biggest crackdown on illegal migrants since 2002 is aimed at about 200,000 to 400,000 people who stayed on beyond a four-month amnesty for illegal workers -- mostly Indonesians, Filipinos and south Asians -- to leave without punishment.
About 400,000 people took up the offer. Those who stayed risk fines, jail and a whipping for men younger than 50.

About 1,407 people have been detained since the crackdown began on March 1, immigration officials said, of a total of 12,973 whose papers were checked. They can be held for 14 days until officials decide whether to prosecute or deport them.

Malaysian ministers have made conflicting statements about how the country would treat migrants with UNHCR documents certifying them as refugees but Turk said the agency had been told genuine refugees or asylum seekers would not suffer.

The UNHCR has set up a 24-hour operations room to answer requests for document verification from officials involved in the crackdown, he added.

"We have had several dozen calls since March 1. Some people have been released, and about 22 are in detention, even though they have UNHCR documents," Turk said. "But we have asked authorities to release them."

About 35,000 people are registered with the UNHCR in Malaysia, Turk said. Most of the refugees are from Myanmar, ruled by a military junta, and Aceh in Indonesia, where a long-running separatist revolt has driven hundreds from their homes.

Last year, the government told the Rohingyas they would get temporary residence permits to help them find work since they could not return home, Turk said.

please check it out http://www.reuters.co.in/locales/c_newsArticle.jsp?type=worldNews&localeKey=en_IN&storyID=7824868

Another Burmese MP U Kyaw Min( Buthidaung) detained while U Kyaw San staging hunger strike

2005-07-19T16:53:00.000-07:00

March 18, 2005 (DVB)

U Kyaw Min, a member of Committee for Representing People’s Parliament (CRPP) was arrested at his Rangoon home by the authorities of Burma’s military junta, State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) on 17 March.
A CRPP member told DVB that special police agents came to his home around midnight and told him to follow them for some “questions”. But it is still not known why he was arrested and where he is being detained.
52-year old U Kyaw Min is the elected representative (MP) of No.1, Constituency, Buthidaung, Arakan State, and a working member of Human Rights and Democracy Party.

Meanwhile, Sagaing Division National League for Democracy (NLD) chairman U Kyaw San who was arrested on the same day at his Rangoon home, is staging a hunger strike, according to his wife, Daw May Nwet.
“When I went to see him this morning, he told me that he has not been eating since yesterday evening. Don’t come and give me food, he was shouting like that. I heard that but did not see him. He is being detained at Insein Police Station,” she told DVB

Please check out here: http://english.dvb.no/news.php?id=4276

Reply to Aye Chan by Kunyia

2005-07-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

Dear Dr. Aye Chan,

We are very grateful to read your explanation about Rohingyas , which you means they are without historical background .Right before you,they had historical background because the world did not have historian like you (Thu dae Thi) then.

So I am really sorry! Why you are behind these oppressed tracing all activities instead of tracing Bangladeshi Jhumia Maghs, who reached to the peak of Arakan administration (Authority) because they are your co-religionist????

My Dear Dr.Aye Chan,

I would like to ask you simple innocent questions,,,

Are you going to collect all Magh from all over the world as Israeli so called JEWS from Ethiopia, Russia and etc..

If Magh can change to their name Rakhine , why cannot say Muslim of Arakan themselves Rohingya where they are people of Rohong…..

It will be better to advise you to follow Islam as most of your people are claiming them breeding religion in the name of ANTI MUSLIM. As a historian you do have judge in every corner not only in the Rohingya side but also you have to take care to safeguard the territory of Arakan Land which was 20,000 sq miles before now 14,200 sq miles at present .Also lost more than 100 sq miles in demarcation of border between Bangladesh and Burma in (MA SA LA) Ne Win’s regime.

So you better to consider reality not writing the propaganda of Rohingya and ostensible matters.

Please visit:
http://www.rohingya.jp/pdf/ABU%20ANIN%20_%2027-5-2004%20_[1]_RFG.pdf
http://www.rohingya.jp/pdf/swemaw.pdf
http://www.rohingya.jp/pdf/rhistory1.pdf
http://www.rohingya.jp/pdf/drac1.pdf
http://www.rohingya.jp/pdf/mgayechan.pdf

Thanks,
kunyia
Free Rohingya Campaign

Dear reader,
I’m sharing the brief about magh people of Arakan shown below.

MAGH PEOPLE OF ARAKAN
Why do Maghs want to disown their own name? The fact is that for more than 2 centuries from the middle of 16th century till 1784, the year of Burmese conquest of Arakan, the Maghs of Arakan in collusion with Portuguese freebooters caused such an agonizing terror and consternation in the minds of people of Bengal that the name Magh becomes synonymous with pirates. The fierceness, cruelty, lawlessness and their obnoxious activities had led the land under occupation to earn the ignoble name of "Magher Mulluk" which means a land without law, justice and order. Magher Mulluk has become a proverbial meaning lawlessness.

The Buddhist community of Arakan owns the name Magh only as their lineage of ancestry traces to Magadha origin of Bihar. But the purity of Arian blood in these Magadah immigrants was lost as a result of intermarriages between them and their co-religionists – the Mongolians and Burmans, who overwhelmed the region intermittently for centuries. Later they are almost assimilated into Burmans. Their culture, civilization, language and appearance are as same as Burmans. Some of them are although struggling for Arakan, but their mentality and behavior are of Burmans. Burmans write their language as Burmese. They speak it with slight phonetic differences.

An account of the mid-seventeenth century historian Shahabuddin Talish "Fathya–I–Ibriya p. 183" suffices to authenticate the fact that those Maghs marauders belonged to the kingdom of Arakan. The account appears in his Fathya–I–Ibriya p. 183 as such "Arrcan pirates, both Maghs and Firingi, used constantly to (come) by water route and plunder Bengal. They carried off the Hindus and Muslims, male and female, great and small, few and many, that they could seize, pierced the palms of their hands, passed thin canes through the holes, and threw them one above another under the deck of their ship. In the same manner as grain is flung to fowls, every morn and evening they threw down uncooked rice from above to the captives as food". The Maghs have earned such a bad name during last many centuries that it has become a great shame for their descendants of today to own the name Magh. Instead they had started calling themselves as Rakhine the derivative of which is directly related to Arakan and Muslims. In Bangladesh district gazetteers, Chittagong, p. 115, wrote, "The term Rakhaing is in fact the corruption of Roang/Recon, the old name of Arakan. Hence all terms Rakan, Rakanj, Arkhank, Recon, Arraco, Arrcan used by different historians are related to either Roang or Arakan. It is in no way related to Rakkhapura as claimed by Arakanese chronicles”.

Today Burmese JUNTA says that there is no Rohoingyas, next day they will say, is there any Maghs? O’ Magh people, wait for this.