The Stateless Rohingya Blog

Myanmar boys get their new National Registration Cards at a releasing ceremony [EPA] Al Jazeera: July 8, 2013 Forty-two children released as country seeks to reduce the use of child soldiers after global outcry. Myanmar has released 42 children and young people from its armed forces, encouraging increased efforts to reduce the use of child soldiers, the UN has said. The former military-run nation, long accused of violating human rights, has decreased - but not completely halted - the number of children recruited to the army. Ashok Nigam, the UN’s resident coordinator in Myanmar said, “We are very happy for the 42 children and their families today but we must accelerate efforts so that many more children benefit from release." According to the statement 34 of those freed were under 18 while the remaining eight were young people who had been recruited as children. Myanmar released 42 children in September 2012 and a further 24 in February followin

KPN News: July 8, 2013 Maungdaw, Arakan State: Rohingya community from Maungdaw north are not able to sleep in their home at night for fear of arrest and most of the villages become war field after authority forced them to participant in the digital fingerprint and photograph, said a village administration officer from Maungdaw south. “The authority –mostly Nasaka personnel- tried to arrest who were not voluntary participated in the digital fingerprint and photograph program. The Rohingya community escaped from their villages while the Nasaka entered the villages to collect the family lists with digital fingerprint and photograph program as the concerned authority forced to sign as Bengali race and recently illegal enter from Bangladesh which treated them as foreigners.” The Nasaka personnel are hunting the Rohingya at night , entered the village and arrested who ever met  or looting Rohingya home while nobody were found in the home, said a student from Maungdaw. “