Can You Imagine?

U Kyaw Min

RB Article

Apirl 16, 2013 

Most of Myanmar intellectuals, politicians, democracy activists, writers, military men and other officials have a mindset that Myanmar is exclusively a country of Buddhist people. Non Buddhists are not equal to Buddhists. They cannot expect to enjoy equal rights. Muslim whose root can be traced from the time of Myanmar kings or whose ethnicity can be assumed to have mixed up with indigenous blood are regarded as aliens or as a group of settlers affiliated to foreigners. This phenomenon was obviously seen in the media footages during the recent violence against the Muslims. 

According to their perception; persecution, suppression, and discrimination against them are not so deplorable. Democracy concept, here, cannot penetrate in to the mindset of Buddhist people, in context of Muslim status in Myanmar. Very recently one senior and most respected monk, Thidagu Sayadaw said Buddhist is native religion where as Christianity and Islam are alien religions came along with British occupation of Myanmar. Thus adherents of these religions are guests in the country where as Buddhist are host. So the guests should respect the host. This is a discriminatory, harmful perception which will hinder peaceful co-existence of various Myanmar nationalities. 

Due to this sort of vision and political mindset especially among the higher strata of Myanmar people, we saw little sympathetic response to suffering of more than a hundred thousand IDPs in Myanmar. In case of Rohingya IDPs they are accuse of not being genuine citizen. But it is difficult to prove them as non citizen. They have enjoyed citizenship rights from ever before Burmese independence. They have enjoyed the right to elect and to be elected in all Myanmar national elections. This is a clear prove of their being Myanmar citizen. Even in 2010 SPDC sponsored national election these people got the right to vote and they have three MPs from their own community. Yet there are accusations from some quarter that “these people are not Burmese citizen; they should not be resettled in their original place; they should not be provided with newly constructed houses”. But thanks to the president of Myanmar who ordered recently to bring all the IDPs under shelters within three months. This is an encouraging step from government side otherwise many will perish due to hygiene, dehydration, malnutrition, and frustration in IDP camps. 

A campaign in Rakhine State to get thumb print on computer on forms titled, “List of illegal immigrants; shifted population and so on” has terribly terrorized and embarrassed the grass root public who are not familiar with computerized documentation. Peoples are forcibly subjected to sign and give thumb print under the designation of Bengali which is not their option. So they are not willing to cooperate with the campaign. On the other hand they fear they would be punished for their non compliance with the authority. So any plan, project or state mechanism should be transparent and viable. This should not be a burdens or obstacle for the public to support and to cooperate. 

Security issue is more important nowadays because sporadic shooting, killing, and arbitrary arrests are rampant in Rakhine State. Where these guns come from to shoot the innocent people? Why not any action against these? One Thidar Htwe’s rape/murder case had triggered state wise violence and hundreds of thousands were made IDPs. Why not the similar cases occurring almost daily in Rakhine state are noticed? Why not any legal action is going against this? 

My appeal to all concerned is to take this security issue seriously. We have an obligation to restore normal life in Rakhine. Stability and enforcement of Law and order is an urgent need of time. Action should go against every culprit disregards of race and religion. No one should be immune to the action of Law. No one should be allowed to take law in their own hands as it is happing in northern Rakhine State. The conscience of super race and the conception of privileged class as it prevails in Rakhine State is a permanent hazard for peaceful coexistence and tranquil society. So I hope we all will imagine and find the correct solution of conflict in Rakhine State.