Myanmar Muslim victims’ request Permanent People's Tribunal to investigate the charges of Myanmar's international crimes

7 July 2017

To,

Dr Gianni Tognoni

General Secretary

Secretariat of the Permanent People's Tribunal

Rome, Italy

Subject: ​Myanmar Muslim victims’ request for PPT to investigate the charges of Myanmar international crimes

Dear Sir,

Our group of Myanmar Muslim Human Rights Activists and our fellow Myanmar Muslim activists around the world together with Myanmar Muslim Refugees hereby request that the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal (PPT) take up the urgent case of Myanmar Muslim minority. We hereby make this appeal based on well known Anti-Muslim Atrocities: Hate Speech, Racial-Religious Discrimination, Hate Crimes, Anti-Myanmar Muslim riots, looting, burning of Muslim houses and places of worships and mass murders by successive Myanmar Military Governments in the whole of Mainland Myanmar since 1962.

These Crimes Against Humanity and mass murders are well documented and reported in the International Media, Human Rights Watch, Genocide Watch, Amnesty International, USCIRF's Annual Reports, Fortify Rights but UN, UNSC, ICC, ASEAN, OIC, UNHCR etc failed to prominently highlight our plight and failed to take any action.

After careful consultations among ourselves, activists and concerned citizens from Myanmar, we have opted not to involve the Muslim organisations inside Myanmar in our justice-seeking efforts abroad. For we know that Myanmar authorities would target them should they dare to come on board with our efforts internationally to seek justice and accountability for Myanmar's faith-based persecution and discrimination in a vital forum such as the Permanent People's Tribunal. In a country where anti-Muslim hate speech and organized mass violence enjoys blanket impunity Muslim communities, with their rich associations, are a sitting duck. But please do know that even the Muslims of Myanmar who live in deep fear of government retaliation and popular mass violence naturally long for justice, accountability and the right to life free of fear, uncertainties and anxieties for safety.

We make this request to your good-self, the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal on the basis of compelling evidence of ongoing: widespread institutional discrimination; state sponsored hate crimes; mass killings; wholesale destruction of communities and neighbourhoods; massive forced displacement; apartheid structures of segregation; targeted population control; state denial of Myanmar Muslim identity; forced labour; denial of access to livelihood, healthcare, freedom of movement, and food. Evidence of these genocidal violations, with blanket impunity, is to be found in the extensive and systematic research conducted by a range of academic and human rights organizations. (Ref: United States Commission on Tier 1 CPC Countries Designated by State Department & Recommended by USCIRF 2016 ANNUAL REPORT OVERVIEW)

While working as Human Rights activists, we came to know that former chief of military intelligence ex-general Khin Nyunt, the late ex-brigadier Aung Thaung, Former Chief Minister of Mandalay Division and former chief of military intelligence ex-lt. general Ye Myint, Former President & ex-general U Thein Sein, the present Commander-in-Chief of Myanmar Armed Forces Sr General Min Aung Hlaing, and Former Sr-General Than Shwe are using the Wirathu/Thidagu led 969,Ma Ba Tha and their “Patriots” Swarn Arr Shins and other proxy groups as instruments to commission numerous atrocities against our community of Muslims in Myanmar.

We can prove these allegations based on our close interactions with and previously close relations with the notorious U Wirathu, TIME's "The Face of Buddhist Terror", and our first-hand eye-witness observations of Meiktila and Mandalay Riots.

We hereby wish to request the PPT in Rome to allow us to present to you for the Myanmar Muslims’ suffering for hate crimes against Muslims in Meiktila, Lashio, Mandalay, Pegu, Prome, Yangon etc as I have evidence, material and human witnesses which I could present.

Signed

U Maung Maung (Shwe Karaweik)

On behalf of the following organizational initiators:

Initiators

1. Myanmar Muslim Human Rights Association (Malaysia)

2. Majalis Pertubuhan Kebajikan Al-Islam Malaysia (Ulama dari Myanmar) [ Translation into English = Council of Myanmar Muslim Maulavis’ Welfare Organization in Malaysia]

3. Bama Muslim Council (of Maulavis in Malaysia)

4. Selayang Myanmar Muslim Association (Malaysia)

5. Penang Myanmar Muslim Association (Malaysia)

6. Myanmar Muslim Citizen Journalists (Malaysia-Singapore)

7. Johore Myanmar Muslim Welfare Group (Malaysia)