The Stateless Rohingya Blog

The Nation March 16, 2013 The UN's refugee agency on Friday called on the government to investigate reports that Thai navy men shot at Rohingya boat people fleeing sectarian conflict in Myanmar. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has asked the Thai government to verify recent reports that a Rohingya boat was towed out from Thai waters and that shots were fired during the interception. "The UNHCR has met the survivors of a boat incident reported in Phang Nga, southern Thailand, cross-checked their accounts with other sources and established that the incident is the same one reported by boat people who arrived in Aceh, Indonesia, on February 26," said the agency's spokesperson Fatoumata Lejeune-Kaba.  She said that UNHCR staff in Indonesia spoke to some of the 121 arrivals in this group, which includes women and children. "UNHCR is gravely concerned that people fleeing unrest could have been turned away and exposed to

BRCA President Mr. Anwar’s interview with SBS World Radio News over the concern of President Thein Sein visit to Australia The Federal Government is being urged to raise human rights issues during a visit next week by Burma’s President Thein Sein. Radio Link _media_audio_world-news_130312_257882 The calls follow a United Nations report expressing concern over how Burma is making the transition from military rule to democracy. Santilla Chingaipe has the details. Recently, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Burma released a report highlighting developments in Burma after decades of military rule. Tomas Ojea Quintana says despite progress, Burma still needs to tackle serious human rights challenges. Mr Quintana says only then can democratic transition and national reconciliation succeed. “It requires ensuring that new legislation such as the proposed Printing and Publishing Law does not claw back advances in freedom of expression. It includ

World Bulletin: March 15, 2013 Muhammed Yunus, president of the Rohingya Solidarity Organization, said that the Myanmar administration did not allow Rohingya Muslims to receive higher education. The Turkish Religious Affairs Foundation (TDV) started a project for the Rohingya Muslim students in order to cover their university expenses. A hundred students are to be supported at two universities, with which agreements have been concluded. TDV Deputy Director General Mustafa Tutkun told AA that the Rohingya Muslims faced serious problems about receiving education and that they could not make their voice heard when they did not have access to higher education. "As long as the Rohingya Muslims stay uneducated they cannot contribute to their cases on solving their problems," said Tutkun. Tutkun said that they met with officials from the International Islamic University Chittagong in Bangladesh and made an agreement on covering the educational expenses and scholarship