Anonymous Takes On Plight Of Rohingya, Targets Government, Urges Action

For months, Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International have been calling on the United States to address what has been considered one of the world’s most dire humanitarian crises in the world today. Due to the inaction of global media outlets and the U.S. government to address the near-genocide of the nearly one million Rohingya, a Muslim minority in Burma, hacktivist organization Anonymous is taking the lead, using social media to drive its point to the masses. 

Taking a stand against the government’s actions, Anonymous took down multiple Burmese government websites March 24, linking its action to “Operation Rohingya”— a global online campaign gaining international attention on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook, intended to draw attention to the government’s ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya population. As of March 25, the campaign had dominated Twitter, generating outrage among users. 

On the list of targeted government websites were the president’s office, the ministry of education, the ministry of foreign affairs and the central bank, among others. 

In a video published March 25, a day after the hacktivist activities, Anonymous addresses the brutality of the situation, illustrating the plight of the Rohingya Muslims, whom have been subject to death, rape, starvation, the burning of homes and slave labor at the hands of the Rakhine Buddhist ruling party. 

“It’s important the information we’re going to share with you goes viral as quickly as possible,” the Anonymous video begins by stating. “The ethnic Rohingya people of Myanmar, Burma in Southeast Asia are about to be massacred.” 

The video goes on to describe life for the Rohingya in Myanmar, where the government refuses to recognize the more than 800,000 Rohingya people as citizens. They are denied basic rights, including education and health care, and are considered by the government to be “subhuman.” The Rohingya have never been welcome in Myanmar, creating a divide between Buddhists nationalists who review the Rohingya population as outsiders. 

In June, tension between the two groups escalated when reports circulated regarding the rape and death of a young Buddhist girl, allegedly by the hands of three Rohingya men. As a result, 10 Rohingya men were killed, setting in motion a back-and-forth conflict with the government on the side of the mainstream Rakhine Buddhist population. 

Carrying out message of human rights organizations 

The message spread by Anonymous is not far from what leading global humanitarian organizations have been reporting for the last year. In August 2012, it was estimated by HRW that nearly 100,000 Rohingya had already been displaced, with hundreds killed in a conflict labeled as the worst incident of sectarian violence the small country had ever seen. 

In an August interview with Mint Press News, Phil Robertson of Human Rights Watch painted the picture of the ethnic targeting of the Rohingya population, highlighting that they are the world’s most persecuted people, as they’re denied legal status in all countries, including Myanmar, despite a heritage that dates back generations. 

“The Rohingya have lived in the Arakan state for centuries and know no other home — having been born and lived there all their lives,” Robertson said. 

Despite their unreasonable situation, he claimed their state of living has been kept outside of the spotlight, allowing the government to carry on its action without international repercussions. 

“The international community has to renew its push on the Burmese government to end the access blackout, permit international media and monitors into the region, and initiate a full and independence investigation of the violence, holding all responsible no matter their rank or position,” Robertson said in an email. 

That is what Anonymous is now calling for, using its social media presence to draw attention to the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya. On Twitter, the hashtag #OpRohingya and #RohingyaNOW are trending, creating a social media firestorm that’s generating outrage. 

It’s the hope of activists that such action will serve as a lobby power against the U.S. government, making the issue too large to ignore. 

“We call on the Anonymous collective to stand with those for whom no one else will stand,” its statement says. “We will call on Anonymous and all supporters of human rights to stand against this great injustice, to give the Rohingya a voice, before they are completely eliminated.” 

U.S. turning blind eye to potential ‘genocide’ 

Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Burmese President Thein Sein in September, applauding his nation for moving toward democratic reform and rewarding it (and the U.S.) by lifting sanctions on the country. 

“In recognition of the continued progress toward reform and in response to requests from both the government and the opposition, the United States is taking the next step in normalizing our commercial relationship,” Clinton said during September’s visit. 

As reported by Reuters in July 2012, the lifting of sanctions would allow U.S. oil companies to carry out exploration in Myanmar, an untouched oil resource in the Asia region. 

In November, President Barack Obama traveled to Burma to applaud the nation on its shift to democracy. While he briefly mentioned the plight of the Rohingya to a civilian crowd, it did not impact the U.S. easing of sanctions. 

“If the atrocities in Arakan had happened before the government’s reform process started, the international reaction would have been swift and strong,” Brad Adams, Asia director for HRW said in a press release. “But the international community appears to be blinded by a romantic narrative of sweeping change in Burma, signing new trade deals and lifting sanctions even while the abuse continues.” 

See the Anonymous video below