DEMAND FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION TO STOP THE ATTROCITIES BY RAKHINES ARMED GROUPS AGAINST ROHINGYA MUSLIMS

H.E. U Tin Latt

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar

No. 8 C, JALAN AMPANG HILLIR

55000, KUALA LUMPUR

Dear Sir,

 DEMAND FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION TO STOP THE ATTROCITIES BY RAKHINES ARMED GROUPS AGAINST ROHINGYA MUSLIMS

 PEMBELA, a coalition of not less than 70 Islamic Non-Governmental Organizations, wishes to express our intense anger, grief, desperation, helplessness and frustration by the recent and
current events inArakan,Myanmarbut with the hope that it provides the impetus to the citizens of the world to seek a deeper understanding of the conflict and to show solidarity with the Rohingya, the real victims. We hope the world will finally wake up to the realization that a just and comprehensive resolution of the Rohingyas tragedy is urgently required.

 The current Arakan crisis is the latest in the history of the Rohingya tragedy which started with their forced expulsion from the area. The Rohingya have since been displaced, made stateless, humiliated, dehumanized, terrorized and massacred. This gross injustice and inhumane actions to the Rohingya people by your government is being witness by the world when your government will be put on trial at the world court against human atrocities.

 PEMBELA views with grave concern the current conflict that is triggered by sectarian violence inArakan,Myanmarbetween Muslims and Rakhines.

 The killing of 10 Muslims on the 3 rd June 2012 in Taungup by Rakhines will potentially be a full fledge community clash if the government is not serious in handling the issue amicably. Even within the curfew period enforced in Maungdaw since June 8th, 2012, resources are disseminating reports that the Rakhines are allowed by the police to burn houses of the Rohingya.

Currently the tension is escalating and we regret that the authorities are not acting swiftly against the Rakhines for their continued atrocities.  To make matters worse, the security personnel in Maungdaw were involved in the killing of 2 Rohingya when police personnel open fire at a group after Friday prayers.

 The police are also reported to have allowed Rakhines to set on fire houses and shops belonging to Rohingya community in at least 4 villages until 9 June, 2012.

 The security personnel are aggravating the tension when many are injured when they open fire at the villagers who are trying to help a burnt down village, Sawmawna. The Sawmawna village- three mile Nasaka gate – under Myothu Gyi village tract was set on fire by Rakhine racist which as we receive the report is still burning.

 The security force – Army, police, Hluntin and Nasaka- fired to the air near thevillageofPandawpin, Nyaung Chaung, Myoma Khayoungdan and MyothuGyi to stop the Rohingya who want to help the village “Sawmawna”.

 We condemn the burning of a mosque that was reported executed by the Rakhines racists mob while the security personnel only stood by . The military restrict the movement of Rohingyasm to even protect their properties while the Rakhines are free to move and continue the atrocities.

 We are following closely the news of the atrocities as it unfolds and will not be only distant observers while the injustice is perpetrated.

 We urge the United Nations and OIC Countries to immediately interfere since there is no indication that the situation could be resolved as soon as possible. If the tension continues, it will evolve into the reigniting of the 1942 massacre.

 We demand that the police officers protect innocent civilians.

 We further demand those security personnel who are indirectly working hand in hand with the Rakhines killers  to exterminate the Rohingya to be discharged and action taken to persecute them if found guilty of conniving with the attackers.

 The continued pursued policies of exclusion and persecution against Rohingyas while some hardhearted Rakhine academic and politicians are engaged in racist and xenophobic plans to marginalize and exterminate them, are still the order of the day.

 The government continues to treat them as aliens using this oppressive nationality law in a random manner. The depopulation of Rohingya and simultaneous populating of Rakhines in Arakan has since evolved into a systematic ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya , most cases in a brutal way. Records of Muslim properties being ransacked: shops, houses and mosques were looted, destroyed and burned, are indisputable.

In the situation of Rohingya, the 1982 citizenship law promotes Burmanization or Rakhinization aimed at exterminating the Rohingya population from Arakan. The Rohingya Muslims have been living under constant fear since the introduction of the Citizenship Law in1982. Reports of abduction, torture, rape, extrajudicial killings are an open secret. The restrictive law has resulted in the present discrimination and the fanning of hatred against Rohingya labelled as foreigners , when in fact it has been historical proven that Rohingya is a legitimate citizen of the independentBurma. They are decedents of the Arakan Muslim civilization since the 7th century.

It is with these facts, which are the underlying root cause of the present tension and violence that we demand the government of Myanmar take appropriate measures to protect the vulnerable Rohingya community and find ways to compensate them for the lost of their properties , homes and land.”

On behalf of PEMBELA

Aminuddin Yahya

Chairman

c.c

 1. The Honourable  Mr. Ban Ki-moon

Secretary-General, United Nations

The Honourable Dato’ Seri Anifah Aman

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia

Source: Here