Rohingyas are seriously concerned about the upcoming census taking

Huson Salm

RB Article

November 1, 2013

It has been extensively well-known that Rohingyas people are the most persecuted people in the world, designated by the United Nations. It has been coordinated and unanimous approval by the world scholars that there are at least three millions Rohingyas people in the world and of them 1.1 millions are residing in Myanmar. The rest are scattered in the world nations such as Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Europe. Nowadays they are in Australia, America and so on as Diasporas. 

In reality, the Rohingya people have been targeted by successive, the then Myanmar revolutionary council which was led by Ne Win and his successors military governments, to cleanse and eliminate them forever from their ancestral land of Arakan state through more than twenty operations. One after another. The most visible operation was done in the year 2012 and that is still going on by the administrative power of President U Thein Sein. 

Myanmar, soon after gaining independence from the British, there were state sponsored operations, one after another planned to force Rohingyas to leave from their land to other countries of the world. People globally had not been able to become aware of the exoduses of the Rohingya people for fifty years because of lack of information know-how. The acceleration from the 2012 operation has clearly been seen by the world community as a result of 21st century’s information technology’ ability to not be barred or be hidden by any power. 

In truth, Rohingyas are the descendants of Indo-Arian people and the inhabitants of ancient Arakan state since before 10th century. Rohingyas being Indo-Arian descendants and Islam in faith had been subjected to eliminate on ground of ethnically and religiously different, with comparison to diverse races of Myanmar. Rohingyas did not come from foreign land into Arakan state, but they are the sons of the soil. Rohingyas are neither aliens, immigrants, interlopers and sneakers nor the word ‘Rohingyas’ is fabricated by the then Mr.Abdul Gaffar in 1950s but it has been since many centuries ago. 

Rohingyas to be of a graceful race as per the norm of international standard, they are credited with necessary attribution such as: flourished culture, sing-song language, territory, size of population, livelihood, religion, and distinctive identity as a charming race. 

Should be of three millions Rohingya people in accord the world agreed theory in Myanmar, nearly two millions of them have had to flee to escape from the varieties of untold and unbearable oppression and suppression by the past more than twenty operations on helpless Rohingya people. On top of that, Rohingyas who have been residing in Myanmar have been subjected to disenfranchise their birth rights such as citizenship, land ownership, freedom of worship, free movement from one county to another, pursuance of education, medical treatment, free commercialization, renovation of religious buildings, marriage, assembling and so on. Worse again is that Rohingyas are not recognized as citizens of the nation, but widely regarded as infiltrators from neighboring Bangladesh, which both Rohingyas and international community do not accept. 

At the start of Myanmar’s democratic periods in 1948 to 1958, Rohingyas have enjoyed some rights and they were regarded as full fledge citizens of the state. Recognized as indigenous people by the then democratic government, Rohingyas have enjoyed “broadcasting their own language from BBS ‘Burma Broadcasting Service’, to establish university student association, cultural promotion, free movement from one place to another, pursuance of education and commercialization” and so on as equal rights to other races of the nation. 

The entire Rohingya people firmly believe that though the past governments of Myanmar’s multi purposed discriminatory policies on them has been unbearable, agonizing. Awful kinds of inhumanity because of the nature of militarism or that of the bad legacy, right now Rohingyas confidently look forward to the quasi-democratic government of Thein Sein will restore the Rohingyas rights, as the per the quality of democratic government which had been in the past more than sixty years in this country. 

It is learnt that the census taking actions will be carried out in Myanmar nationwide from 30th March to 10 April 2014 under the direction of the Ministry of Immigration and Population. This is to obtain the accurate data and facts via the technical assistance of UNFPA, sister organization of United Nations. 

The task of the nationwide census taking is massive, time consuming and could cost more than 85 million US dollars and of which Myanmar will bear 15 million US dollars on the project. 

In that regard, the mission should not be bias, ignorant, unfair, or leave behind a particular race. The Rohingya people. It is learnt that the draft census list which coming out from the authorities, the race of Rohingya isn’t recommended either in indigenous column or in the others but it is widely believed that Rohingyas would be randomly set down to have in the category of Bengali or Bangladeshi. What a crocked idea and a new Pandora’s Box was created by the government of Myanmar and the unaware technical assistance of UNFPA. 

As Rohingyas are neither Bingali/Bangladeshi nor any other race except Rohingyas that have existed in this country since time immemorial, there should be gravely and necessarily a separate column by the name “Rohingya race” in census sheet to avoid further clashes, unnecessary problems that can be awkward in the entire census process. 

At a time of in this opportunity, Rohingyas are not asking any particular rights from the government but just wishing their basic rights to be restored as per the norm of international standard. Rohingyas should be Rohingyas not Bingali/Bengali/Bangladeshi.