Who Holds Real Power in Myanmar?

(SITTWE AKYAB, Myanmar) - Nearly four months after the bloodiest clashes between Myanmar's ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and stateless Rohingya left the western town of Sittwe in flames, nobody knows when and how the problem can be solved.

While the Rahkine can move freely, can do their jobs as usual, nearly one million Rohingya have effectively been confined to a series of rural displaced camps and in detentions, they can’t move freely, can’t go to schools and jobs, their lives are worse than prisoners.

Rohingya are heavily discriminated and alleged that they are intruders who came from neighboring Bangladesh to steal scarce land of Rakhine. Rohingya are protected in camps and in some villages but they are not allowed to go out for security concern.

Elsewhere in Rakhine state, the army has resumed forced labor against Muslims, ordering villagers to cultivate the military's paddy fields, act as porters and rebuild destroyed homes of Rakhine Buddhists, according to a report by the Arakan Project, an activist group.

Raping Rohingya girls and ladies, looting their properties, and torturing are continuously carried on by NaSaKa, security forces, and polices. Rohingya people do not know to whom they need to appeal their cases; they don’t know who has real power, Rakhine authority or central government.
Financial Blocks to Rohingyas in MinBya, Friday, 5th August 2012

MinBya, Arakan- Myanmar Agricultural Bank in MinBya Township has stopped giving out agricultural loans to Rohingyas in the area. Besides, the bank refused to give back the savings of Rohingya farmers in the banks, too.

“The Bank Manager U Thar Aye, a strong supporter of Rakhine National Development Party (RNDP), said upon the requests of Rohingya farmers that Bank officials would go to their villages and disburse the loans to the farmers.

But no official from the bank has gone to Rohingyas’ villages to give out the loans. Besides, Rohingyas are unable to withdraw their savings from the bank” said a Rohingya on phone from MinBya.

Myanmar government provides an amount of Kyat 50,000 loans and Kyat 10,000 loans for the monsoon agriculture (such as Paddy crops) and other seasonal crops respectively to the farmers through the agricultural banks in Myanmar. The interest rate of the loan is 1.25% a month.

The farmers need to settle the old loans before taking out a new one. Like others, Rohingya farmers in MinBya had received the loans till February 2012.



Even though Rohingya farmers have settled their old loans, the new loans are not given out to them. Sadly, they can’t go the main branch of the bank situated in the downtown of MinBya for the fear of being attacked by Rakhine extremists. For the worse, Rohingyas farmers are unable to get back their 7-year savings in the banks.

As a result, they are struggling to survive and having great difficulty in their agriculture of paddy crops which their life-line. And Rohingya farmers are afraid of going to their farms because many farmers are being inhumanely killed by Rakhine extremists in Pauk Taw and MinBya.

One Rohingya youth, Amanullah, who is 16-years old, is the son of U Abdu Rashid who lives in West Gaudusara Village, Maungdaw South. He was killed by Border Security Forces, NaSaKa on 3rd October, 2012. The two youths were returning from Kayindan Quarter to Pandaw Pyin, after their shopping. They were called by NaSaKa at 5:30 PM on that day while on the road. The friend of Amanullah from Pandaw Pyin was released alone after he was severely tortured.
Spark in Bangladesh

Hundreds of Buddhist Monks peacefully demonstrated in front of Bangladesh Embassy in Yangon to protest recent attacks against Buddhist temples on 5th October 2012.

Rohingya leaders including U Kyaw Myint, former C.R.P.P member, fully condemned the communal violence of Bangladesh. Rohingya people can realize the feeling of the Rakhine minority in Bangladesh as they have been suffering in Rakhine State of Myanmar.

When our houses and Mosques were being burnt, our Rohingya people were being killed in inhumane ways, I personally appealed to the Buddhists World for help, and no Buddhist leader except Dalai Lama condemned the violence of Rakhine Buddhists.

We should condemn every one of those who involved in violence and killed but we are not allowed to insult other religion, Myanmar monks have right to protect against violence in Bangladesh but they have no right to insult religion, in the below picture, monks insult not only Islam but also other religions which believe that everything in nature has a soul such as Brahmanism and Shintoism.


Rohingya and Burmese People

Due to the racist propaganda of different Burmese regime throughout its history, most of Burmese people including young Rohingya generation could not have the chance to know Rohingya people and the term “Rohingya.” Burmese regime could easily crack down all demonstrations including saffron but when time came for Rohingya, the regime had no idea how to stop Rakhine terrorists.

War in Kachin State is remarkable evidence that Myanmar regime’s hand is still on all the government structures, late military leaders involve in all political fields. The Myanmar government could stop Rakhine Buddhists easily but it gave license to Rakhine for annihilation of Rohingya in the name of national security. Rakhine Buddhists have been taking military training everywhere in Arakan State and building strong army while Rohingya have nothing for survivals.

Rakhine Buddhists believe that they are Aryan descendants who are the most superior, who take care of their race much more than other race, which call fatherland as German Aryan contrast to Rohingya people who say Arakan is our mother land. Rakhine claimed that they are the sole origin in Arakan State ignoring the authentic historical records Rohingya.

Movement is still restricted for Rohingya people in all parts of Rakhine state, preventing all Rohingya villagers from going to work, accessing markets, food supplies, health services and education but Rakhine Buddhists gain more and more rights which includes building strong army , every township of Arakan State, Rakhine are taking military training, every Rakhine aged 16-50 are compulsory for that training.

Rakhine Political parties agreed that they should have an army stronger than Kachin , their main demands are building a strong military of their own, autonomy and annihilation of Rohingya people. Unlike Kachin State, the government give chances to Rakhine, either government is developing racism or Rakhine Buddhists control the whole Myanmar; 90% of monks in Myanmar are Rakhine, most of them knew Bangali language , and most of have relatives in Bangladesh who are Bangladeshi.

“The Rohingya people are peace-loving, cooperative, and obedient people. They want to live in Burma in peace and security, abiding the laws of the country, according to the constitution, but they want guarantees from the local, state and national governments that they will be treated equally. They should have all rights. The Rohingya people want to make sure that they are bona fide citizens recognized as an indigenous people of Arakan under the current Burmese constitution.”

We should endeavor to create an atmosphere of peaceful coexistence in Arakan State where all Burmese citizens can live together peacefully and in happiness. We should try to make Arakan like Golden Ages of Mrauk U dynasty when Muslims , Buddhists and other religious persons had lived harmoniously and had made Golden Arakan.

We would like to request the United States government, European Union countries, non-aligned movement, the Asian countries, the Organization of the Islamic Conference and international non-governmental organizations to send international observers into all townships where Rohingya people are suffering persecution and put pressure on the government of Myanmar to restore peace and promote reconciliation between the Rohingya and Rakhine.

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