Joint Rohingya Organizational Statement on Rohingya Genocide

Y.B Dato’ Sri Anifah Aman

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Wisma Putra, No. 1, Jalan Wisma Putra, Precint 2,

Federal Government Administrative Centre, 62602,

Putrajaya, Wilayah Perekutuan Putrajaya

Phone: 03-8887-4000

08 November 2012

Dear Yours Excellency,

GENOCIDE ON ROHINGYA OF ARAKAN, BURMA

There are an estimated 8 millions Muslims in Burma. The Muslims in general and the Muslim Rohingyas in particular have long been subjected to ethnic, religious and political persecution. Rohingya are not tolerated and have been denied citizenship despite living in Burma for centuries. Due to large scale persecution, an estimated 1.5 million Rohingya Muslims have either been expelled or have had to flee their homeland to save their lives.

On 11th July 2012, Burmese President Thein Sein declared to UHNCR delegation that he will not recognise Rohingya as Citizens of Burma and Rohingya are branded as illegal Bengali who were brought into Burma to work as farmhands by the English colonialists before the [country’s] independence in 1948 despite the fact that they have been living in Arakan State for centuries. During the 1960s, Rohingyas were recognized as an ethnic group of Burma and news were regularly broadcasted on the national radio channel, Burma Broadcasting Service, in Rohingya Language.

On 11th July 2012, Burmese President Thein Sein declared to UHNCR delegation that he will not recognise Rohingya as a Citizen of Burma. He also further mentioned that he will take responsibility for its ethnic nationalities but it is not at all possible to recognise the illegal border-crossing Rohingyas who are not an ethnic [group] in Burma,” As a last resort, the president said the government is prepared to hand over the Rohingyas to the UNHCR and would set up refugee camps for the group before they were eventually settled in any third country “that are willing to take them”.

Since June 2012, President Thein Sein is implementing Rohingya cleansing plan by driving out Rohingya after burning houses with the help of Rakhine Buddhist.

Massacre of Muslims in Arakan

Brutal violence in Arakan/Rakhine state in western Burma erupted on June 3, 2012, when a large number of Buddhist Rakhine mobs attacked a bus of Muslim pilgrims, killing 10 passengers. The angry mob was reacting to information that a Buddhist Rakhine girl was allegedly raped and murdered in late May by three Muslim suspects. At the time of the attacks, the suspects were reportedly in police custody.

Since violence started, over 1,600 people mainly youths were arrested, over 400 women and girls were raped, over 5,000 people got killed either directly or due to starvation and over 100,000 Rohingya were displaced. Many international communities such as OIC, ASEAN, UN, USA and other NGOs did their utmost efforts to put pressures on Burmese government to stop massacre on Rohingya. Thein Sein established his own commission of enquiry to uncover his crime and he made broken promises to the international communities on Rohingya issues to get advantage of lifting sanctions and to make partnership with western and OIC countries. Unfortunately, Thein Sein revealed his old military dictatorship ways of handling the country’s political issues. He took few week gaps to change his tactic on Rohingya ethnic cleansing and started to ignite 2nd round of killing on 21st of October from Pauk Thaw and Kyawt Thaw areas.

Since 21 October 2012, organized gangs of the Rakhine extremists headed by monks have burned down over 1000 houses, killed hundreds of Muslims and injured many more in the townships of Myinbya, Mrauk-U, Pauktaw and Kyaukpyu.

These genocidal actions have been carried out with the backing of the police, army and security forces with the intent to destroy the whole Rohingya Muslim population of Arakan.

Systematic killings, rape of women and destruction of villages have continued unabated while every single sign of Muslim or Islam is being erased from Arakan. On 23 October, at about 20:00 hours, while the Paikthay village was ablaze in Kyaukpyu Town, the fire fighters came to the spot with tank loads of patrol in the guise of putting out the fire.

The state patronized Rakhine terrorists issued ultimatum to Muslims in Sittwe, Mrauk-U, Minbya, Myebon and Pauktaw and many other places to vacate their villages and properties by October 25 or face violent attacks and forced expulsion.

The blocking of OIC to open its offices in Burma -- despite MoU signed between Burmese government and OIC -- is a clear indication of the Thein Sein government’s intention to carry out its ‘ethnic cleansing’ against Rohingya Muslims without outside knowledge.

It is a great disappointment that the international community has staked so much on Burmese President Thein Sein’s reform process. When he proposed ethnic cleansing of Rohingya they stayed silent, and even when it has really been taken place they still have stayed silent, although the situation is demanding for immediate attention with action. 

 

We appeal to International Communities

1. Urge the UN to intervene in the matter on ground of humanitarianism for the purpose of preventing further death, killing, rape and destruction of the Muslims; and to urgently send UN Peace Keeping Force to Arakan

2. Urge upon the international community, UN, EU, USA, UK, OIC, ASEAN and Burma’s neighbours to put effective pressure on Burmese government to stop violence and crimes against Rohingyas