The Burmese Rohingya Organization UK (BROUK) and People in need foundation, cried to stop “two-child-policy” on Rohingya and called for current attack on Muslim in Burma with EU officials during their two days joint advocacy trip, according to BROUK information.
“The advocacy trip was organized by People in Need foundation. In joint delegation – Tun Khin, the president of BROUK, Marek Svoboda head of People in need foundation and his Program manager Anna Kunova.”
The joint delegation met MEP Eduard Khan, MEP Plilip Kaczmarek Ph.D, Ranieri Sabatucci head of Southeast Asia Division from European External Action Service and other high level officials of European Union where the delegation highlighted Rohingya two child limit policy and recently attacking on Muslin in Lashio, Burma who were sheltering in a Buddhist monastery – more than 12000 Muslim, according to Tun Khin, the president of BROUK.
“European Union has to take immediate actions to stop attacks against Muslim in Lasho and Two Child Policy on Rohingya policy in Burma. President Thein Sein Government is implementing the policy on Rohingya to wipe out the whole minority Rohingya and other Muslims of Burma. Internal Commission backed by Government did not show accountability and justice. It is time for EU to support Independent International investigation what happen in Arakan State in 2012 June and October. EU countries must balance their policy. Lifting up sanctions improving dealing with President Thein government is encouraging to move forward cleansing Muslims of Burma”.
The joint delegation urged European Parliament Members in their meeting; - to put pressure on President Thein Government to stop attack against Muslim of Burma and to stop anti Muslims campaign in Burma; to put pressure on President Thein Sein Government to stop blocking Humanitarian aid to Rohingyas; to support independent international investigation on Arakan Violence upcoming June session on UN Human Rights Council; to stop President Thein government blocking Humanitarian Aid to Rohingya and to call for to amend 1982 citizenship law and to provide international Observers or International Task force to Arakan other areas where Muslim were attacked by 969 groups.
Besides, BROUK President also joined as an speaker of the One World International Human Rights Film Festival together with Lotte Leicht EU Human Rights Watch Director and Marek Svoboda head of People in Need foundation.
President Thein Sein government ethnic cleansing policy against Rohingya is moving forward to drive out whole ethnic Rohingya minority from Burma by using several forms – using Banglali in the name of Rohingya with forced to join in the digital sign and photograph, using false and fabricate case which warmed Rohingya to flee their homeland, according to Ye Lwin from Rangoon.
On the other hands, the two child policy is a a violation of fundamental human rights, according to a statement issued on May 30 by Eduardo del Buey, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
Burma’s government should publicly revoke a discriminatory population control regulation that restricts Rohingya Muslims to having two children, Human Rights Watch press release on May 28.
“The two-child regulation is a further example of state persecution of the Rohingya.”
“If true, this is against the law,” said Ms. Suu Kyi, the opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. “It is discriminatory and also violates human rights.”
“Implementation of this callous and cruel two-child policy against the Rohingya is another example of the systematic and wide ranging persecution of this group, who have recently been the target of an ethnic cleansing campaign,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “President Thein Sein says he is against discrimination. If so, he should quickly declare an end to these coercive family restrictions and other discriminatory policies against the Rohingya.”
“Fear of punishment under the two-child rule compel far too many Rohingya women to risk their lives and turn to desperate and dangerous measures to self-induce abortions.”
“Governments who care about reform in Burma need to speak out about the persecution of Rohingya Muslims,” Adams said. “If this policy had been announced by a Burmese government official before the reform process began, donors would have denounced it in the strongest terms. Now, when the international community’s influence is much greater, governments and donors need to find their voices.”
“The 2005, two-child regulation was an addition to longstanding discriminatory marriage restrictions on Rohingyas in Arakan state. Advance permission to marry came from the Na Sa Ka (Burma border security force), a corrupt interagency border guard force comprising military, police, immigration, and customs. Rohingya couples seeking to marry have had to give a written undertaking that they will have no more than two children. Flouting the two-child restriction is punishable with fines and imprisonment, according to Ye Lwin.
The Arakan State officials, following recommendations from the internationally-rejected 186-page report of a government-appointed commission, announced a mandatory two-child policy to ‘help ease tension’ in Buthidaung and Maungdaw provinces where the majority of the population is Muslim, according to Burma partner statement.
The policy applies to two townships –Maungdaw and Buthidaung- of Arakan State near border of Bangladesh and have the highest Muslim populations - 95 person - in the state and only about 4 percent of Burma’s roughly 60 million people.
There is hope but there is reality. These anti-Rohingya and anti-Muslim movements will not stop anytime soon. It was flawed in the first place as the investigation commission lacked any representation from the Rohingya and did not comply with international human rights standards. Now we see systematic segregation and persecution of one of the most vulnerable groups in Burma. The government must realize that they have the responsibility to protect all peoples within its state borders as an international obligation and must therefore revoke this policy immediately, according to Burma partner statement.
A year after two bouts of violence in Arakan State, this two child policy that applies predominantly to the Rohingya population is perhaps the most obvious outline of potential ethnic cleansing that many have voiced their concerns about, most noticeably in the last Human Rights Watch report.
"The state government is trying to use the Rakhine investigation recommendation, which is outrageous, to justify a policy of limiting births of Rohingya," said Phil Robertson, Asia deputy director of Human Rights Watch.
“If we are talking about genuine reform, if we are talking about reform for all the people for the better of our lives, for the people of Burma, these Rohingya people are also the people of Burma. These reforms have to also benefit them. But at this point we haven't seen anything, anybody that will be pushing the Burmese authorities and Aung San Suu Kyi to do more than what they are doing now,” Myra Dahgaypaw, affiliated with the US Campaign for Burma, said in an interview on May 30.
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