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PRESS RELEASE: ROHINGYA DENIED ACCESS TO EDUCATION IN MYANMAR AND BANGLADESH

13th December 2018 

A whole generation of Rohingya children are being denied the opportunity to shape their own future as they face extremely limited access to education in both Myanmar and in refugee camps in Bangladesh, the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK) said today in a new report based on field research among Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.

“If You Want to Harm a Community, Just Don’t Let Them Study”details how a system of segregation building up to genocide in Myanmar, and onerous restrictions imposed by Bangladeshi authorities, mean that quality schooling is off limits to hundreds of thousands of Rohingya children on both sides of the border.

“The Rohingya are suffering from an ongoing genocide, with Myanmar authorities intent on wiping us out as a people. Now more than ever, we need educated Rohingya who can act as leaders for the community, but as long as educations remains severely restricted this will be impossible. We are facing the prospect of a lost generation,” said Tun Khin, President of BROUK.

“Schooling is vital to allowing people to lift themselves and their families out of poverty and to improve their lives. This human right, however, is denied to Rohingya children – this situation must not be allowed to continue.”

Genocide in Myanmar

In Rakhine State, Rohingya have faced serious restrictions on their access to education since 2012, when Myanmar authorities imposed a system of segregation following a campaign of state-organized violence against the Rohingya.

Rohingya children are often unable to attend mixed Rakhine-Rohingya schools but are instead kept in separate education facilities where the quality of teaching is extremely poor. Government teachers often refuse to work in Rohingya schools, or when they do subject students to humiliation and neglect. More than 73% of Rohingya in RakhineState self-identify as illiterate today.

Mohammad, a Rohingya refugee in Bangladesh, described how conditions in Rakhine State changed for him in 2012: “After that, the teacher kept us in separate classes. One for Rohingya, one for Rakhine. They gave them all the attention - all the resources. The teacher would call us ‘Kalar’ [a pejorative term for Rohingya] and would no longer want to teach us.”

There are also reports that since 2017, Myanmar authorities have been targeting teachers and other educated Rohingya - further aggravating the collective capacity for education.

Restrictions in Bangladeshi refugee camps

In August 2017, the Myanmar security forces launched a “clearance operation” in Rakhine State, killing thousands of Rohingya, torching hundreds of villages and committing acts of sexual violence. More than 700,000 Rohingya fled into neighbouring Bangladesh to escape the military’s crimes against humanity, joining hundreds of thousands of other longer-term Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar.

These close to one million Rohingya refugees are now largely housed in dozens of refugee camps in Bangladesh, including the so-called “megacamp” of Kutupalong, one of the largest refugee camps in the world.

The Bangladeshi authorities have imposed restrictions on the type of education that can be provided to refugees, including by banning education in Bangla as well as any formal education that can lead to accreditation. This is apparently because Bangladeshi authorities do not want to create a “pull factor” or incentives for refugees to remain in the country longer term – although it is having a harmful effect on the ability of Rohingya children to access quality education.

Instead, education in the camps is being provided by a range of international and Bangladeshi NGOs as well as community-based organisations. Rohingya are often taught in informal “temporary learning centres” where the quality of education and curriculum can vary significantly depending on the NGO involved.

“The Bangladeshi government has generously opened its borders and allowed hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fleeing for their lives to enter the country. We now urge Dhaka to lift restrictions in the refugee camps – on both residents and aid groups – so that Rohingya children can access schooling unhindered,” said Tun Khin.

“Conditions are nowhere safe enough for Rohingya to return to Myanmar, and refugees are likely to remain in Bangladesh for the long-term. Only by being able to access education and the job market can Rohingya build a future for themselves and contribute to Bangladeshi society.”

Through interviews with Rohingya refugees, international and national aid workers, and other stakeholders, BROUK identified a number of pressing issues around education delivery in the camps.

Classrooms are often severely overcrowded and badly resourced, and recruiting teachers – in particular women – remains a serious challenge. While aid groups have performed heroic efforts in responding to the crisis, there is a lack of long-term planning around education. There’s a shortage of education opportunities for 15-18-year olds, since the emergency context of the refugee response means that primary education has been prioritised over secondary. Some 150,000 children in the camps are still without access to any learning centres altogether.

What must be done

In Bangladesh, BROUK calls on the government to remove all barriers imposed on the Rohingya refugees’ access to education. Furthermore, it is crucial that aid groups and authorities work together to ensure that Rohingya community leaders are involved in decision making around aid and development, and that the provision of education is treated as a long-term issue.

BROUK stresses, however, that the only long-term and viable solution to the crisis lies inside Myanmar. The Myanmar authorities must immediately remove all restrictions on the human rights of Rohingya (including on access to education and freedom of movement), and grant Rohingya citizenship under national law.

“At the heart of the Rohingyas’ lack of access to education are the Myanmar authorities’ genocidal policies. Only when this ends will our community be able to live fulfilled life in peace where we can enjoy our human rights. It is no exaggeration to say that the Rohingya face the real prospect of extinction in Myanmar – the international community must ensure that this does not happen,” said Tun Khin.





Media Release from Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK
For Immediate Release 10th November 2018

ASEAN leaders must push Myanmar to end Rohingya genocide


Southeast Asian leaders must stop burying their heads in the sand and pressure Myanmar to end the ongoing genocide against Rohingya when they gather in Singapore next week, said the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK).

ASEAN heads of state are meeting for the 33rdASEAN Summit in Singapore between 13 and 15 November, when they are expected to discuss political and economic issues facing the region.

“ASEAN’s response to the crisis in Rakhine State has been marked by shameful silence and inaction. As heads of state gather in Singapore next week, they must pressure Myanmar to end all abuses against the Rohingya and show that they will not stand idly by while a genocide is unfolding in one of their member states,” said Tun Khin, President of BROUK.

“The almost complete lack of regional pressure on Myanmar will only mean that Nay Pyi Taw feels emboldened to carry out abuse against the Rohingya in the future. ASEAN has a key role to play in ending the atrocities against Rohingya – leaders must take this seriously.”

Although the ASEAN Charter spells out a commitment to human rights and allows member states to “address emergency situations affecting ASEAN by taking appropriate actions”, in practice the regional bloc’s “non-interference” principle has meant that it has largely stayed silent on atrocity crimes in member states.

Since the Myanmar security forces launched a “clearance operation” in Rakhine State in August 2017 that killed thousands of Rohingya and drove more than 700,000 to flee across the border to Bangladesh, there has been no official ASEAN condemnation of Myanmar’s actions.

Some individual ASEAN states and officials – notably from Indonesia and Malaysia – have, however, spoken out. On 29 August, Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah called on Myanmar to bring perpetrators of crimes against Rohingya to justice, and to let the Rohingya return “to peace and a life of dignity”.

“Malaysia and Indonesia have shown moral courage in defending the rights of the Rohingya. Now it is up to ASEAN as body to follow suit, and once and for all prove that it is genuinely committed to creating a region where atrocity crimes are unacceptable,” said Tun Khin.

The ASEAN Summit in Singapore is taking place as Myanmar is preparing to receive the first group of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh, part of a repatriation deal signed between the two states in November 2017.

Myanmar has announced that 2,260 Rohingya will be returned to Rakhine State in mid-November, even though the refugees themselves have not been formally consulted, and conditions in Myanmar are far from safe and secure for their return. Yanghee Lee, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, earlier this week urged Myanmar and Bangladesh to halt the repatriation plans as Nay Pyi Taw had not taken any steps to create a safe environment for Rohingya.

BROUK stresses that repatriation effort should not start until the full human rights of Rohingya can be guaranteed inside Myanmar. This must include ending all forms of discrimination against Rohingya, granting them full citizenship, and a guarantee of international protection for Rohingya against further abuses by the military.

“The rushed plans to push Rohingya refugees across the border into a country where they were subjected to systematic killings not long ago must be stopped. Myanmar continues to impose widespread discrimination against Rohingya, and as long as no perpetrators have been held to account, the risk of further abuse from the security forces is virtually guaranteed,” said Tun Khin.

“ASEAN leaders should do all they can to ensure that the repatriation plans do not begin until the human rights of returning refugees can be guaranteed. Crucially, the Rohingya community itself must also be consulted about any plans affecting their future.”

For more information, please contact Tun Khin +44 7888714866.



Media Release from Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK
For Immediate Release 27th September 2018

Creation of UN mechanism a vital step towards justice for the Rohingya genocide

The United Nations Human Rights Council’s (HRC) vote today to create an international and independent mechanism to collect evidence of atrocities against Rohingya is a vital step towards justice for genocide and crimes against humanity, the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK) said today.

“Today’s brave vote at the HRC marks an encouraging move towards accountability for some of the worst crimes imaginable. Finally, the international community has shown that it is willing to back up statements with action to end Myanmar’s ongoing genocide against Rohingya people,” said Tun Khin, President of BROUK.

Members of the HRC today voted overwhelmingly to create an impartial and international mechanism to gather evidence of atrocity crimes against Rohingya, which can be used in future criminal prosecutions.

The resolution was passed by the Council by 35 votes in favour, seven abstentions and three votes against (Burundi, China and the Philippines).

The vote followed the devastating report by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) on Myanmar, which was released in full last week and called for the prosecution of Myanmar’s top military command for genocide and crimes against humanity.

BROUK have consistently called for the international community to take action and hold the Myanmar authorities to account for their genocidal policies against Rohingya people. Thousands of people have been killed and more than 700,000 Rohingya driven to flee into Bangladesh since Myanmar launched its murderous “clearance operation” in August last year.

This is just the latest manifestation of a decades-long attempt by the Myanmar authorities to wipe the Rohingya out as a people. This has included vicious state-sponsored discrimination that has confined Rohingya in Rakhine State to an open air-prison, and similarly brutal and violent operations against Rohingya by security forces.

The HRC resolution does not create an international court or tribunal to try Myanmar military leaders who are responsible for atrocities. BROUK has long urged members of the UN Security Council to refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in order to ensure a comprehensive investigation into the range of crimes by the Myanmar military across the whole of the country.

“The international community must now build on today’s HRC vote and ensure that the evidence gathered by the new mechanism can serve its purpose – to hold those responsible for genocide to account,” said Tun Khin. 

“Members of the UN Security Council must stop hiding behind politics and refer the situation in Myanmar to the ICC. If Myanmar is allowed to get away with genocide against Rohingya, it will be a dark stain on the world’s conscience forever.”

“We now urge members of the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee to take the next step and push the UN Security Council to refer the situation in Myanmar to the ICC.”

For more information, please contact Tun Khin +44 7888714866.



Media Release From Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK
3rd September 2018

Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK: Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo Must Be Freed

Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK strongly condemns the sentencing of Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo.

They were sentenced to seven years in jail today after being convicted of breaking the Official Secrets Act. Evidence that came out during the trial showed that they were framed by the police. The police force in Burma is under the control of the military.

“These journalists were simply doing their jobs, exposing massacres of Rohingya villagers which the United Nations has now concluded constitutes genocide,” said Tun Khin, President of Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK. “We admire the bravery of these journalists, working to uncover massacres of Rohingya villages.”

Since its founding Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK has campaigned for freedom of expression and for the release of all political prisoners in Burma. It saddens us that this is still necessary under a government controlled by the National League for Democracy.

“The international community now needs to apply real pressure to the government of Burma to free these journalists and all political prisoners,” said Tun Khin. “Political, technical and financial support should only go to the government once it starts to respect human rights, including media freedom.”

For more information, please contact Tun Khin +44 7888714866.



Media Release from Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK

For Immediate Release 27th June 2018

Special Rapporteur’s call for accountability for Rohingya atrocities must be backed with action

The Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK) welcomes the calls for an international accountability mechanism made today by Yanghee Lee, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar.

In an oral update to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva today, Yanghee Lee urged the creation of a body under the auspices of the United Nations to investigate human rights violations against the Rohingya. Ms. Lee said the body was needed to end “the cycles of violence faced by the people of Myanmar”.

“The Special Rapporteur is absolutely correct that only justice can ensure that Myanmar does not feel emboldened to continue its genocidal policies against the Rohingya. The international community must act of Yanghee Lee’s important speech today and as soon as possible ensure that an international accountability mechanism is established,” said Tun Khin, President of the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK.

“We also welcome the Special Rapportuer’s mention of the need for the International Criminal Court to play a prominent role in ensuring justice for crimes against the Rohingya. It is unconscionable that members of the Un Security Council are spending their time playing politics instead of doing the right thing, which is referring the situation in Myanmar to the Hague.”

BROUK further urges the Myanmar authorities to cooperate with the international community in order to ensure justice. The Myanmar government has a deplorable track record of blocking international efforts to scrutinise its rights record, including by refusing access to the Special Rapporteur and the UN Fact-Finding Mission, which was established by the Human Rights Council in 2017.

“Myanmar keeps insisting it has nothing to hide, but still refuses to allow independent and credible international monitors inside its borders. If the Myanmar government is as serious about tackling human rights abuses as it claims to be, it needs to immediately extend full cooperation to the international community,” said Tun Khin.

For more information, please contact Tun Khin +44 7888714866.



Media Release from Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK

For Immediate Release 25th June 2018

EU sanctions on Myanmar too limited to ensure justice for Rohingya atrocities

The European Union’s move to impose sanctions on Myanmar security officials is a small, positive step towards ensure justice for the ongoing genocide against the Rohingya people, but they do not go nearly far enough, the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK) said today.

The sanctions, announced today after a meeting of EU Foreign Ministers in Luxembourg, include asset freezes and travel bans targeting seven officials in the Myanmar military and Border Guard Police.

“These sanctions are a limited step in the right direction by the EU and at least show that the international community is willing to back up condemnation with concrete action. It is, however, deeply disappointing that many of those Myanmar officials most responsible for orchestrating the genocide against Rohingya have been let off the hook, most notably the Commander-in-Chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing,” said Tun Khin, President of BROUK.

“The EU and other international actors must also realise that they cannot limit themselves to sanctions in order to push Myanmar to end its genocidal policies. Only by ensuring that Myanmar’s authorities are brought to justice for their crimes can we ensure that these will not be repeated again in the future.”

The EU said the sanctions were due to atrocities and serious human rights violations committed by the Myanmar security forces against Rohingya in Rakhine State since August 2017. The seven individuals targeted include Lieutenant General Aung Kyaw Zaw and Major General Maung Maung Soe. The sanctions announced today add to an EU arms embargo already in effect against the Myanmar military forces.

Other international actors have taken limited actions against individual Myanmar officials. In December 2017, the USA imposed sanctions on Maung Maung Soe for his role in “widespread human rights abuse against Rohingya civilians”.

The need for accountability

In August 2017, the Myanmar security forces launched a vicious “clearance operation” in Rakhine State in which thousands of Rohingya men, women and children were killed, whole villages were torched to the ground and almost 700,000 people were forced to flee into neighbouring Bangladesh.

The Rohingya people have suffered violence and systemic discrimination in Myanmar for decades, where they are denied citizenship and face severe restrictions on their human rights.

Despite these well-documented atrocities at the hands of the security forces, hardly anyone has been held to account. BROUK urges the international community to play a role in ensuring justice for the Rohingya people, and in particular calls on members of the UN Security Council to refer the situation to the International Criminal Court.

“Individual sanctions are important and send a message that atrocities against the Rohingya people will have consequences. But they will ultimately not be enough to push Myanmar to end its blatant efforts to wipe the Rohingya out as a people,” said Tun Khin.

“To end the cycle of violence against Rohingya, those responsible for horrific crimes must be held to account. The international community must play a role in this, as Myanmar is both unwilling and unable to investigate itself. The hope of the Rohingya for justice now lies with the International Criminal Court, and UN Security Council members must refer the situation to the Hague immediately.”

For more information, please contact Tun Khin +44 7888714866.



Media Release from Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK

For Immediate Release 22nd May 2018


International Development Committee report must spur UK to act on Rohingya atrocities


Today’s report by the International Development Committee of the UK Parliament shines a light on ongoing ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya people in Burma and must lead to the UK government taking concrete action, said the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK.

The report calls for a “dramatic change” in the UK’s engagement with Burma, in the light of recent ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya people. The Committee also cites violations in other ethnic conflicts and shrinking space for freedom of the media and civil society as evidence of Burma’s deteriorating human rights situation. 

“This very welcome report must spur the UK government into action. The report clearly spells out that the ethnic cleansing against Rohingya in Burma means the UK cannot continue engaging with the Burmese government as if nothing has changed,” said Tun Khin, President of the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK).

“The continued refusal of the UK government and the international community as a whole to take serious action against the Burmese military is sending a dangerous signal that atrocities will be accepted. There is no question that the genocidal policies of the Burmese military are still continuing. The worst of the violence may be over, but our people are still being driven from our homes through forced starvation and systemic discrimination.”

In February, a delegation from the International Development Committee was refused visas to enter Burma at the last minute. Burma has also denied access to other international observers, notably members of the UN Fact-Finding Mission, which was established in 2017 by the Human Rights Council (HRC) to "establish the facts and circumstances" of alleged security force violations

The UK must push for justice

In August 2017, the Myanmar military launched an operation in Rakhine State that was characterised by human rights violations that amounted to crimes against humanity. Thousands of people were killed, hundreds of homes burned down and at least 693,000 people were forced to flee across the border into neighbouring Bangladesh.

So far, the Burmese authorities – both the military and the civilian government headed by State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi – have refused to commit to providing justice and hold those responsible for violations to account. BROUK has urged the UN Security Council to refer the situation in Burma to the International Criminal Court. Since Burma is not a party to the ICC and has not accepted the court's jurisdiction, only the Security Council can refer the situation to the Court.

“We urge the UK government to do everything it can to ensure that the UN Security Council refers the situation in Burma to the International Criminal Court. There must be justice for the crimes against the Rohingya people to break this cycle of abuse. The Burmese military and civilian government are both unable and unwilling to hold perpetrators to account – the hope for accountability now lies with the international community,” said Tun Khin.

For more information, please contact Tun Khin +44 7888714866.



Media Release from Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK

For Immediate Release 
2nd May 2018

BROUK welcomes Liechtenstein Support for Burma ICC Referral


Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK welcomes the support of Liechtenstein for the UN Security Council referring Burma to the International Criminal Court. 

Liechtenstein UN Twitter account, @LiechtensteinUN tweeted on 30th April:

Amb. Wenaweser at #UN event with @BenFerencz today coveys his hope that #UNSC members will return from their #Myanmar visit with renewed sense of duty to take action including #ICC referral #ACTcodeofconduct.


Despite overwhelming evidence of large scale violations of international law against the Rohingya, including evidence from several of the United Nations’ own agencies, members of the United Nations Security Council have refused to support referring Burma to the International Criminal Court. The United Nations has stated that these violations of international law are so serious that they could constitute genocide. 

Rohingya organisations worldwide have been calling for years for the UN Security Council to refer Burma to the International Criminal Court. Had they done so, the current crisis might never have happened. 

Kachin civil society organisations, also suffering from large scale violations of international law, have also called on the United Nations Security Council to ‘do their job’ and refer Burma to the International Criminal Court.


“We would like to thank the government of Lichtenstein for supporting a UNSC referral of Burma to the International Criminal Court,” said Tun Khin President of the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK. “Lichtenstein is showing principled leadership. We need to build a global consensus, not just of Security Council Membership, but all UN members, to overcome potential opposition by some Security Council members. The UK can’t claim leadership on this issue when it is dragging its feet and refusing to support an ICC referral. It is time Boris Johnson stopped blocking Foreign Office backing for an ICC referral.”

For more information please contact, Tun Khin +44 7888714866.



Media Release from Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK)

For Immediate Release 12th February 2018

Myanmar’s Genocide of Rohingya Is Not Over: Rohingya Need UN-Protected Safe Zones

Nayapara Camp, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh: The genocide of Rohingya in Myanmar is far from over, said the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK) after a 4-day fact finding trip to Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.

“The evidence is mounting that the Myanmar military, led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, and supported by the civilian government led by State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, continues its genocidal campaign of the Rohingya people,” said BROUK President Tun Khin, who met with dozens of Rohingya who arrived in Bangladesh in late January and early February from villages in Buthidaung and Rathedaung Township.

The events that have unfolded and the evidence that has come to light prove that the government's claim of carrying out a security operation is a farce. The Myanmar military's actions clearly show an intent to destroy the Rohingya's homes, their livelihoods, and their very lives. 

New arrivals spoke of ongoing military abuse, including arbitrary arrests, disappearances, forced starvation, extortion, denial of access to rice fields, denial of access to humanitarian assistance, prevention of access to markets, forced labour and increasing pressure to accept the National Verification Card (NVC), part of a government plan which effectively denies Rohingya identity and citizenship. New arrivals in Bangladesh also reported that movement restrictions, pressure from local Rakhine extremist groups and lack of aid had created major shortages which forced them to flee to Bangladesh.

“We were forced to leave our homes by security forces, who said we had to have our pictures taken for a family list, but when we returned to our houses they had been burnt down by security forces and Rakhine extremists. Later we were accused of burning down our own homes and arrested. After paying bribes, we were released and fled from the country,” Anuwar, 25 years old from Kyauk Phyu Taung village, Buthidaung Township, told BROUK.

Residents of Sin Daung say many Rohingya are still living in Buthidaung Township. The refugees told BROUK that soldiers have built a military camp in the village and are using Rohingya for forced labour. Villagers also report that military personnel have threatened the remaining residents with “clearance operations” and a repeat of the massacre in Gu Dar Pyin, where the Associated Press has uncovered evidence of five mass graves.

Recently arrived refugees also reported that pressure from local Rakhine groups had effectively buffered a policy of starvation. “Rakhine extremists threatened us if we left the village. We can’t get out to get food. We were without food for two to three days. Our village was surrounded by Rakhine people. Rakhine people have taken all our rice stock piles,” said Hameed Hussein, 29 years old from Anauk Pyin village, Rathedaung Township.

“It is clear that the Burmese military want the remaining Rohingya to leave Rakhine State and are using different tactics to drive them out. Genocide does not have to be a military attack, these are genocidal policies and they are still getting away with it,” said Tun Khin.

Also adding to the evidence of genocide is the investigative report by Reuters: “Massacre in Myanmar” (https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/myanmar-rakhine-events/) published on 9 February, which draws for the first time on interviews with Buddhist villagers who confessed to torching Rohingya homes, burying bodies and killing Muslims.

The arrest of Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo while reporting this atrocity indicates the Myanmar government and military's attempt to cover up their crimes and muzzle those who speak against them.

“Almost six months after this brutal campaign began, the military operation against the Rohingya continues, only now they are using different tactics to drive our people out. The UN Security Council meeting on February 13th provides an opportunity for the international community to finally take steps to stop Myanmar’s genocide of the Rohingya and put in place UN protected safe zones for Rohingya communities in Myanmar.” said Tun Khin. 

“Not a single country has taken any serious action against the Burmese military and this has sent the message that the military can simply carry on its operations, driving more Rohingya out of the country. At the same time, the army has stepped up attacks against other ethnic minorities, in particular the Kachin. The international community's failure to respond has created a system of impunity. Rohingya have no means to defend themselves. The international community: the EU, USA, UK, Canada and OIC members have a responsibility to protect them and must take concrete steps to save this community, including the elderly, women and children, from Myanmar’s brutal campaign of killing, rape and destruction, and be given access to provide life-saving humanitarian aid and services. Furthermore, action should be taken to refer the situation in Burma to the International Criminal Court, impose a UN-mandated global arms embargo, and issue targeted sanctions on military companies."

For more information, please contact Tun Khin +44 7888714866.




Media Release from Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK

For Immediate Release 
Saturday 7th October 2017

Starvation Causing Thousands of Rohingya to Flee to Bangladesh - Security Council Ignored

Starvation caused by military and government restrictions on aid, movement, as well as new human rights violations and security concerns, are triggering a new wave of Rohingya people fleeing to Bangladesh. Without immediate action to lift these restrictions, tens of thousands of Rohingya will leave their villages and homes in the coming days and possibly hundreds of thousands in the coming weeks.

Thousands of Rohingya have already been arriving in Bangladesh because of lack of food in their home villages, as the government and military use starvation as another way of enforcing their ethnic cleansing campaign. Based on interviews we have conducted with refugees arriving in Bangladesh today, and with Rohingya still in Burma, the food crisis has now reached a tipping point where it has become impossible for people to stay.

In addition, military attacks and burning of villages has not ceased since UN Security Council called for an end to the violence against Rohingya. Nor has aid been restored.

The quarter of a million Rohingya now left in Burma are being subject to a range of different human rights violations depending on where they live. Forced labour is being used, and there are fears of this increasing as crops become ready for harvest but many Rohingya farmers have fled. Extortion is also being used with Rohingya in some places being forced by the military to buy livestock taken from Rohingya who have fled at triple the market value. Harassment and extortion through threat of arrest is also increasing. In one village called Oolaphay many houses were destroyed near police posts. Rakhine mobs accompanied by the military burned homes in Maungdaw Town three days ago.

Yesterday at 8pm Kyauklaykha market in Maungdaw was burnt down by soldiers and security forces. Also at about yesterday midnight Kakyaba Market in Buthidaung, where shop owners were Rohingya, was burnt down.

“Rohingya are now being starved out of Burma and unless real pressure is put on the government and military to lift aid and movement restrictions most of the Rohingya left in Burma will be forced out within weeks,” said Tun Khin, President of the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK. “The military and government have ignored the United Nations Security Council. Starvation is the new tool to commit Genocide of Rohingya.”

For more information, contact Tun Khin on +44(0)7888714866 or +88 01723549740.




Media Release from Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK
1st September 2017


160,000 Newly Displaced Rohingya Creates New Humanitarian Crisis – Attacks Ongoing

Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK sources indicate that around 160,000 Rohingya have been displaced by the new military offensive which began on August 25th.The government and military are only assisting displaced Rakhine people. Where Rohingya populations live or have fled to, no humanitarian access is allowed. 

Aid is also being blocked to Rohingya displaced by previous violence and attacks. 

At least 10,000 Rohingya are trapped in Buthidaung and Rathaedaung mountain area without food, water or medicine. Children, the injured and elderly are already dying. 

“For many thousands it’s now a week since they were forced to run from their homes, they don’t have food, water, medicine or shelter,” said Tun Khin President of Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK. “Unless international action is taken to ensure aid access, there is a risk that more people will die from hunger and disease as by direct attacks by the military.”

Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK is shocked by the lack of a strong international response to the new military offensive, given the scale of human rights violations taking place. 

“One week into this major military offensive, the international community has done nothing, despite knowing crimes against humanity are being committed, said Tun Khin.“Our history is one of suffering but even for us we are now witnessing the most horrific situation in our history. We need action from international community, but we aren’t even getting strong statements. No wonder the attacks carry on.”

For more information please contact, Tun Khin +44 7888714866.



Date- 29th August 2017

Invitation- Protest against Mass Killings of Rohingya in Northern Arakan/Rakhine State, Burma/Myanmar

From 25th August Myanmar army and police forces have been carrying out indiscriminate killing of Rohingya civilians, torching and wholesale destruction of their homes and villages. More than 700 Rohingyas, mostly old men, women and children were massacred, and at least 18 Rohingya villages were burned down in the townships of Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Rathedaung in Rakhine State. As of Today at least 80,000 people are internally displaced causing a great humanitarian disaster. Due to curfew order, blockade and extensive destruction of foodstuff and essentials, there is an acute shortage of food, medicine, and other necessities. The situation is exponentially worsening.

The Rohingya Community in the UK is holding a demonstration in front of the Foreign & Common Wealth Office of the U.K. to urge the U.K. Government to put pressure on the Myanmar Government to stop this unprecedented campaign of terror and brutality, and to immediately discuss the issue in the UNSC. 

We would like to invite you to join with us and raise your voice to protect Rohingya lives in Arakan. Thank you so much.

Please show your solidarity with us. 

The demonstration will take place as follow;

Time: 14:00-15:00

Date: 30th August 2017 (Wednesday)

Place: Foreign & Commonwealth Office, King Charles Street, London, SW1A 2AH

Nearest Tube Station Westminster (District Line and Jubilee Line)

For more information please contact, Tun Khin +44 7888714866.



Media Release from Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK)

For Immediate 
Release Thursday 24th August 2017

Urgent Action Needed to Implement Rakhine Commission Recommendations

Today the Rakhine State Advisory Commission led by former UN chief Kofi Annan published their final report on Rakhine state. We, BROUK welcome the recommendations made by the commission, but we are concerned whether the NLD-led government will actually implement them, and call on the international community to ensure that the recommendations are implemented as quickly as possible. 

At the top of the government’s agenda should be the revising of the 1982 Citizenship Law in line with “international standards and treaties”, “to ensure full and unimpeded humanitarian access … to all communities in Rakhine State”, to “ensure freedom of movement for all people in Rakhine State, irrespective of religion, ethnicity or citizenship status” and “closing all IDP camps … and ensure that return/relocation is carried out in accordance with international standards”.

The Commission issued its interim report in March with 30 points of recommendations. However, there has been very little implementation of those recommendations, and even those where action was taken were not done in a proper manner, for example proper support for those moved from camps. There is little political willingness to solve the Rohingya issue from the Burmese Military, NLD government and Rakhine State government. In fact they are all currently escalating tensions and increasing the likelihood of further violence. 

Rising tensions, instability, and any further violence is likely to be used as an excuse by authorities for not implementing recommendations.

It is time now for the international community to put collective pressure on the government in Burma to implement the recommendations submitted by the Kofi Annan Commission. 

BROUK President Tun Khin said, "The international community has supported the Kofi Annan commission but unless they now pressure the government to implement the recommendations without delay, the whole process will have been a waste of time. We also need to see action on the serious human rights violations committed by the Burmese army, which was not covered by the Commission.”

For more information, please contact Tun Khin +44 7888714866.



Media Release from Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK

For Immediate Release 
Tuesday 16th May 2017

Burned, Stabbed and Shot – Physical Evidence of Atrocities Committed against the Rohingya

A new report, Burned, Stabbed and Shot – Physical Evidence of Atrocities Committed against the Rohingya, published today by Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK documents physical evidence of atrocities committed against the Rohingya by the Burmese Army. 

On October 9th 2016, the long saga of oppression endured by Myanmar’s Rohingya minority entered a new phase. For the first time in a generation, members of the group staged an armed attack, on this occasion against three Border Guard posts, killing nine.

The assault was answered with months of systematic and widespread violence perpetrated by Myanmar’s military. A "flash report" released by the UN’s Office for the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) on February 3 concluded that these operations likely involved crimes against humanity; the paper detailed acts of “devastating cruelty” including systematic rape, torture and killing.

The report contains further evidence advances the civilian population was targeted in an organised manner by state forces which systematically targeted civilians, including children, in a campaign of killing and cruelty.

What is new about the material contained in this report is that it documents, through photographs, testimony and forensic analysis, physical evidence of attacks against civilians. 

One case study is of a boy aged 8 who was burnt when soldiers set fire to his home after killing his father.

Another case study is of a 16 year old who was shot in the back whilst running away when the Burmese Army attacked his village. 

The report argues that the international community must not allow the obstruction of the Fact Finding Mission by the government of Burma to lead to further impunity for crimes being committed. If obstructed by the government, the Mission must collect evidence by other means, and this report demonstrates that it is possible to collect evidence in neighbouring countries.

The report contains detailed practical recommendations of steps the government of Burma should take to address the situation. 

“For the past 20 years the international community has failed to act when the government of Burma has ignored recommendations about the Rohingya in UN General Assembly Resolutions, UN Human Rights Council Resolutions, and by Special Rapporteurs ,” said Tun Khin, President of the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK. “This must not be allowed to happen again after the Fact Finding Mission reports. This time we need action or we’ll keep seeing these kind of abuses over and over again.”

For more information please contact Tun Khin +44 7888714866





RB News
March 17, 2017


The International Conference of Rohingya (ICR), an event with the theme of “The Plight of the Rohingya: Searching for Solutions,” was held on 14-16 March 2017 at Putrajaya Marriott Hotel, Malaysia. The idea of organising the ICR was initiated by YAB Dato’ Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, when he was addressing the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on the Rohingya issue in September 2016. The ICR is jointly organised by the Institute of Public Security of Malaysia (IPSOM), Amal Foundation of Malaysia (YAM), International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS) and the International Federation for Relief and Development Malaysia Chapter. The objective of the conference is to discuss the Rohingya issue, its impact on world geopolitics and to find the best innermost solutions to resolve said issue. 

The ICR presented 6 renowned international and local speakers and moderators with vast experience and expertise on the Rohingya issue. They spoke on the multi-dimensional complexities of the Rohingya crisis, focusing on thoroughly selected topics that cover history, racial equality and religion. This included insights from the perspectives of international bodies such as UNHCR and OIC. More than 250 participants from 13 countries attended. The audience included international and local delegations of diverse background, and the participation of humanitarian activists, academicians, researchers from various Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), as well as civil servants. 

The three-day conference marks a landmark effort by Malaysia in its pursuit of a humanitarian mission moving toward ending the atrocities and crimes against the Rohingya. 

Deputy Prime Minister Dato' Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi gave the closing speech of the event and stated that efforts and actions will continue to stop the Rohingya crisis. Malaysia’s Foreign Minister, Dato Sri Anifah Aman, also gave a speech during the dinner at the conference. 

BROUK President Tun Khin said "It was a great honour to speak at the International conference on Rohingya 2017.” He expressed many thanks to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and all the people of Malaysia for showing their solidarity to stop the Genocide of the Rohingya. He strongly urged the following points during the meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Dato' Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Foreign Minister Dato Sri Anifah Aman. 


1. To support UN Commission of Inquiry. 

2. To bring the Rohingya genocide issue to the Security Council or any other UN assemblies and demand justice and accountability. 

3. To put stronger pressure on The Myanmar government to end the Rohingya Genocide. 

4. To call an ASEAN meeting to call for effective action to end genocide against the Rohingya in Myanmar. 









    • Rohingya Exodus