The Stateless Rohingya Blog

DateJuly 14, 2013 Joint Statement: by Arakan Rohingya National Organisation (ARNO) and Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK) After decades of persecution, state sponsored deadly violence against the Rohingya and Kaman Muslims was carried out in Arakan in June and October 2012 that resulted in the killing of many thousands people, massive rape and large scale destruction of villages, homes and properties  and displacement of about 150,000 Muslims. In addition the evidences of mass grave have been uncovered by the creditable human rights groups. Although more than one year has passed from June 2012, still there is no improvement in the human rights situation of Rohingya people. There is no change of attitude of the Burmese government and Rakhine Buddhists towards them. No action has yet been taken against the perpetrators. On the contrary, silence extermination of Rohingyas has been increasingly carried out forcing them to live in squalid living conditions in overcrowded disp

KPN News: July 13, 2013 Maungdaw, Arakan State: Police personnel from Maungdaw district police department starts harassment and extortion after Burma border security force (Nasaka) was dissolved in Maungdaw today, according to an elder from Maungdaw. “The police personnel with police uniform stationed in Shwezarr Bridge started harassment and extortion of money from Rohingya community who crossed the bridge starting today morning. This bridge security post was control by Nasaka till it was dissolved by order of President Thein Sein on June 11 at about 8:00pm through the TV and Radio News.” “Police personnel extorted 500-1000 kyats per person who crossed the bridge and harassing the person who deny to pay the money to them. The police extorted money even the students –going to school.” The Nasaka was dissolved unexpectedly yesterday night with giving any reason and this morning the police start harassing and extorting money from Rohingya community in Maungdaw, said a

Human Rights Watch July 13, 2013 (London) – Britain’s Prime Minster David Cameron should urge visiting Burmese President Thein Sein to bring those responsible for atrocities against  Burma ’s Muslims to justice, release all political prisoners, and ensure that new legislation meets international human rights standards, Human Rights Watch said today. Thein Sein is visiting the  United Kingdom  from July 14 to 16, 2013.  Despite important changes in Burma over the past two years, many serious human rights problems remain. Pledges  made by Thein Sein, including those to US President Barack Obama in November 2012, to improve human rights remain partially or completely unfulfilled, including granting full humanitarian access to ethnic conflict areas, releasing all remaining political prisoners, amending abusive laws, and allowing the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to establish offices in the country.  “Prime Minister Cameron should not miss an importan

“Rohingyas' Legal Rights to live as dignified Human-Beings in Burma” BRAFA July 14, 2013 Although the call of Mr. Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary General of the United Nations to the Burmese Government President Thein Sein is not too late to grant the citizenship to the ethnic Rohingya minority people of Burma, it is the moral responsibility of President Thein Sein not to delay the restoration of the citizenship rights of the Rohingya people to establish its democratic standing and show of respect to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) so as Burma becomes a dignified, democratic and credible nation in the world. Not only Mr. Ban Ki-moon but also the Governments of Indonesia, United Kingdom, United States of America, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Australia, Malaysia, Turkey, Iran, Ambassadors form Islamic nations, ASEAN, OIC Secretary General, European Union, international Nobel Peace Prize winners, International NGOs and Humanitarian Organizations, Geneva b

Burma Campaign UK: July 14, 2013 Media Release from the All-Party Parliamentary Group For Democracy In Burma British Parliamentarians from the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Democracy in Burma are calling on Foreign Secretary William Hague to prioritise human rights when he meets Burmese President Thein Sein in London. The All-Party Parliamentary Group For Democracy in Burma has recently heard evidence on a number of serious human rights issues, including the continuing recruitment of child soldiers, ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya, religious persecution against the Chin ethnic minority, and possible war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Burmese Army against Kachin civilians. The British government is right to support reforms which have taken place, but must also maintain a healthy scepticism about the process, given that so many serious problems continue to be ignored. Benchmarks and timelines should be put to Thein Sein for impr

Anadolu Agency  July 13, 2013 Burmese politician Suu Kyi can solve the problems of the Rohingya people if she came to power, Ambassador of Bangladesh Zulfiqur Rahman said   ANKARA - Neslihan Dogan   Ambassador of Bangladesh in Ankara Zulfiqur Rahman on Friday said that Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese opposition politician and chairperson of the National League for Democracy (NLD) in Burma can solve the problems of the Rohingya people if she came to power.   The Ambassador of Bangladesh to Turkey Rahman, who has been serving for the past three years in Ankara, talked to the Anadolu Agency (AA) about the situation of Rohingya Muslims.    Rahman said that Bangladesh had been hosting the Rohingya Muslims for the last 35 years and that they started coming to Bangladesh in 1978. "The government accepted 30,000 registered refugees who are still in the camps. There are another 400,000 people who have never been registered as refugees," Rahman noted.    He

Rohingya at the Khao Lak shelter watch a reenactment of the June escape Photo by phuketwan.com By Chutima Sidasathian and Alan Morison PhuketwanNews Analysis July 14, 2013 PHUKET: Authorities are disturbed that one Rohingya woman among a group who escaped from a shelter north of Phuket this week is due to give birth any day now. Complications are feared and as it is the woman's first birth, she had been booked into a well-equipped Phuket hospital. Now she could be forced to give birth while on the run.  Her decision at such a critical time to flee over the wall with two other women and four children raises still more questions about traffickers and Thailand's treatment of its Rohingya captives. While about 1700 men have been held as virtual prisoners since January in cramped conditions similar to jails in Thai Immigration centres, several hundred women and children have been relatively well treated in family shelters.  Even though the shelters are reasonable

Fayas KPN News: July 13, 2013 Since July 11, 2013 Muslims around the world has been celebrating the holy month of Ramadan in the world. But, in Arakan State, Rohingya Muslim is passing Ramadan month with acute difficulties.  One year has passed since the last violence in Arakan State but until now the situation has not change. But, persecution against the Rohingya people is still going on. Yesterday, about one hundred Nasaka personnel went to the Wabeg village of Nasaka Headquarters of Kawarbill of Maungdaw north, and forced villagers to sign a document to confess that they are “Bengali” instead of “Rohingya.” Regarding this, villagers strongly opposed to the Nasaka and fled from their village not to give signatures or finger prints to a document.  But, Nasaka personnel arrested some of the villagers including men and women and forcibly taken away their signatures and finger prints. As a result, most of the villagers including men and women along with their childr