August 31, 2012 | Azizah al-Hibri and Robert P. George, Commissioners
Source: Here
For Muslim Americans and other
concerned citizens in Indianapolis and elsewhere in the nation, news
of still more violence against the largely Muslim Rohingya of Burma
highlights the plight of one of the world’s most persecuted
communities and the need for a global response. The latest bloodshed,
coupled with two prior months of riots and murders, has left more
than 700 dead and 80,000 homeless. This violence has been compounded
by the behavior of the Burmese security forces who, according to
major human rights organizations, have participated in killings and
rapes as well as mass arrests against the Rohingya.
Despite recent democratic reforms,
Burma’s new civilian government has failed to reverse decades of
anti-Rohingya discrimination, including denial of citizenship. As a
result, Rohingyas face severe religious freedom restrictions,
including limits on the number of Muslim marriage ceremonies in
certain villages. Authorities routinely deny them permits to build
mosques and often destroy mosques and schools for lacking permits.
The military offerscharity, bribes, and promises of jobs or schooling
for Muslim children converting to Buddhism.
This alarming state of affairs reveals
how much farther Burma’s new government must go in advancing reform
and protecting human rights, including religious freedom. Until
improvements occur, the United States should maintain economic and
political sanctions, including its designating Burma as a “country
of particular concern” for severe religious freedom abuses.
We recognize Burma’s recent changes
and the positive political opening they promise. Yet in the face of
massive violations of human rights, and in particular the right to
religious freedom, we must address the plight of the Rohingya. Public
condemnations and food aid, while necessary, are insufficient when
Burma’s 800,000 Rohingya remain stateless and vulnerable. Moreover,
Burma’s experiment in democratic change will surely fail if it
excludes the Rohingya and other ethnic and religious minorities.
At least three factors contributed to
the crisis confronting Rohingya Muslims.
• First, anti-Rohingya animus runs
deep. Many Burmese view the Rohingya as an unwelcome foreign presence
that the British foisted on Burma in the 19th century. Unfortunately,
even Nobel laureate Aun San Suu Kyi stopped short of publicly
endorsing Rohingya citizenship.
• Second, Burma has a history of
severe religious freedom violations, especially against non-Buddhist
ethnic minorities, including both Muslims and many Christians among
the Chin, Naga, Karen, and Karenni ethnic minorities.
• Finally, Burma’s military
governments for decades maintained power through a divide-and-conquer
strategy which pitted Buddhists, Christians, and Muslims against each
other, and ethnic Rakhine against their Rohingya neighbors.
Reflecting this strategy, Burma’s military in 1982 stripped the
Rohingya of citizenship, and subsequently let violence,
discrimination, and human rights abuses occur with impunity.
The mistreatment of the Rohingya should
arouse the world’s conscience. Besides the ongoing anti-Rohingya
violence inside Burma, at least 350,000 Muslim Rohingya languish in
refugee camps in Bangladesh, Malaysia, and other Southeast Asian
nations.
The new government’s treatment of the
Rohingya serves as a bellwether for its treatment of other ethnic and
religious minorities. Under military rule, Burma was one of the
world’s worst human rights and religious freedom violators. Under
civilian rule, it has yet to put that image behind it and fully
affirm its ethnic and religious diversity by upholding human rights,
including religious freedom, for everyone.
So how can we help the Rohingya?
The international community should
speak out against anti-Rohingya violence and encourage Burma to
increase the Rohingya’s protection. The United States and the UN
have spoken out recently, as have countries like Indonesia, Turkey
and Pakistan. This emerging coalition must support immediate security
measures and a durable solution for the Rohingya in Burma and
throughout Southeast Asia.
Further, the United States and world
community must keep challenging Burma to embrace democracy and
freedom. There must be coordinated efforts to convince Burma’s new
government that protecting religious and ethnic minorities is not
only the humanitarian thing to do, but is vital to security and
prosperity.
If Burma wants a free and prosperous
tomorrow, it must uphold the rights of all of its people -- Rohingya
included -- today.
To interview a USCIRF Commissioner,
please contact Samantha Schnitzer at sschnitzer@uscirf.gov or (202)
786-0613.
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