Rohingya Of Myanmar Do Not Want To Be Part Of Bangladesh

By Nay San Lwin
RB Opinion
March 22, 2014

A controversial article written by Zeeshan Khan from Dhaka Tribune on March 20, 2014 is horrible and has cause problems. The author, Zeeshan Khan isn’t an external contributor to Dhaka Tribune but he is journalist of it. According to his name I believe that he is a Muslim.

Many Rohingyas left from their native land because of the persecution by Myanmar authorities and most of them are taking refuge in the neighbouring country of Bangladesh. As they are again persecuted in Bangladesh by local people, we can’t say that Muslims sympathize the Muslims. Although about 500,000 Rohingyas are in Bangladesh as documented refugees and undocumented refugees, not one has a chance to move politically or anything else. The Rakhine Buddhists on the other hand, who have fled from Myanmar have many chances.

I know some journalists in Bangladesh are taking money from Rakhine politicians and are writing up many wrongs against Rohingyas and publishing in the media. As an example: Rakhine historian Professor Aye Chan used to send articles to Rahul Chakma and posted many articles in Bangladesh media against Rohingyas. If Professor Aye Chan denied this fact, I can challenge him to talk to me face to face. Now I’d like to accuse that something of the author of “A referendum in Rakhine state?”, Zeeshan Khan.

Rohingyas are taking risky sea journeys and leaving from their native land because of torture, extortion and various types of oppression. Yet none of the Rohingya think for an armed revolution, separating the state from the country and collaborating with the neighboring country Bangladesh. There was proof of whether Rohingyas wanted to be part of Myanmar when Rakhine Buddhists asked for Rakhine state. The Rohingyas wanted to be part of Union of Burma and they were under direct administration of central government by the name of Mayu Frontier special administration when Rakhine state was allowed to form.

I have only two points to criticize the article of Zeeshan Khan. First is that as I said above, something is behind the author of that controversial article. If I accuse more the author, Zeeshan Khan was backed by Rakhine politicians to do so. Why I am accusing this is that the census is too close in Myanmar and we have enough evidence that president Thein Sein accused that all violence based on religious were organized by Rakhine politicians. So, the intention of this article is to create more tension while the census is knocking their doors. Another point is that as the government is accusing the Rohingyas to be illegal intruders or immigrants. The author’s intention is to realize what can happen if this accusation continues.

So the Myanmar Government must realize now what an outcome would be if an unjust accusation keep continuing if Rohingyas are willing to do what the article author wrote. A journalist has ability to change opinions and can also make things better or worse. The Myanmar government must be very careful.

However whether the author wrote that article with good intention or backed by Rakhine politicians, this has nothing to do with the Rohingyas. Rohingyas only want the same rights as other ethnic groups have in Myanmar. They are not going to betray Myanmar. I know that the international community won’t leave the Rohingyas in this persecution and they will find out many ways to free these persecuted people.

Although there were some Rohingya armed insurgency groups they all decided to move forward with non-violent struggle and left their revolution since the past twenty years. They even do not think to take back arms when many lives were claimed since June, 2012. Everyone must investigate whether Rohingya rebel groups are present or Rakhine Buddhist extremist groups. Many fake photos spread through Indonesia and Turkey. Those were doctored and completely a conspiracy against Rohingyas. Myanmar has earned a very bad image in the world because of the extremism of Rakhine Buddhists. So this is the time to be careful more than ever.

Here I want to say again, Rohingyas will never separate from Myanmar. So it is the responsibility of the Myanmar government whether they like to talk to the Bangladesh government through diplomatic channel or whatever they like to about the article. Myanmar presidential office director Zaw Htay said they will talk to the Bangladesh government through Bangladesh embassy in Yangon, according to local journals.

If there was a referendum, the Rohingyas will say “We are Burmese. We are Myanmar’s Rohingya. We are part of Myanmar and we will always be part of Myanmar.”

Nay San Lwin is an activist and blogger. He can be reached via Twitter @nslwin.