Joint Press Release: BROUK, Restless Beings, BMA (UK), BRCUK and BCUK

Joint Press Release 

Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK), Restless Beings, Burmese Muslim Association UK, Bradford Rohingya Community UK and Burma Campaign UK

For Immediate Release Thursday 5th November 2015

Give Rohingya Back Their Vote - Stop Genocide against the Rohingya

100 people joined a protest at the British Foreign Office today calling on the British government to support a UN Commission of Inquiry into possible genocide against the Rohingya of Burma.

The protest comes three days before elections in Burma where almost all ethnic Rohingya have had their right to vote taken away.

Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK), Restless Beings, Burmese Muslim Association UK, Bradford Rohingya Community UK and Burma Campaign UK are jointly organising this protest ahead of elections due in Burma on Sunday 8th November.

Rohingya people living in the UK demanded: 'Give us back our vote! And stop Genocide against Rohingya'

Last week, International State Crime Initiative report from Queen Mary University, Al Jazeera's Genocide Agenda Report, a legal analysis by the Lowenstein International Human Rights Clinic at Yale Law School, and the human rights organisation Fortify Rights, found 'strong evidence' that genocide is being committed against the ethnic Rohingya of Burma. They called for a UN Commission of Inquiry into the human rights situation in Rakhine State, where most Rohingya in Burma live.

The protest called on the British government to support a UN inquiry into evidence of genocide against the Rohingya in Burma.

Tun Khin, President of Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK said " We have lost everything from our ethnic rights to citizenship, the right to marry, have children, and now the right to vote and the right to be candidate. The UK government should not be funding the Union Election Commission of Burma or any other Burmese government bodies of any kind which apply discriminatory policies against the Rohingya. If they do, they are complicit in that discrimination. It is deeply troubling that the international community does not oppose strongly, or consider unreasonable, the genocidal acts against the Rohingya. Whenever genocide happens, they say never again. It is time to stop Genocide against Rohingya in Burma".

Mabrur Ahmed, Director of Restless Beings said, "As the recent reports claimed, the Rohingya are now facing genocide. How many more reports, countless number of dead acts of pure xenophobia before the international community acts?" The marginalization, persecution and the acts of Genocide against Rohingya should no longer be tolerated".

Kyaw Zwa, Chairman of Burmese Muslim Association UK said, "Rohingya Genocide in Burma is the outcome of anti-Muslim sentiment. Anti-Muslim sentiment is the outcome of religious based ethno-nationalism in Burma. There are layers of hatred and ideology involved behind the Rohingya Genocide. In order to address the Rohingya issues, we need to address the root cause and solution is not feasible without addressing the root cause".

Mohammed Njamuddin, General Secretary of Bradford Rohingya Community UK said, "We want our all our rights back as all other ethnic minority are getting. The continued Genocide and disfranchisement will force more refugees and the international community has to take immediate action to stop the genocide".

Mark Farmaner, Director of Burma Campaign UK, said, "The UK can't keep saying never again when there is ethnic cleansing or genocide, and now stand by and do nothing when experts warn of genocide against the Rohingya. The British government must support a UN Commission of Inquiry into human rights violations against the Rohingya."

For more information, please contact:

Tun Khin +44 (0) 7888714866

Mabrur Ahmed +44 (0) 7506100785