The Stateless Rohingya Blog

Demonstrators shout slogans in support of the Rohingya Muslims in Burma during a protest outside the United Nations’ offices in Sanaa, Yemen, last year. (Photo: Reuters) William Boot Irrawaddy News July 26, 2013 International human rights groups are putting pressure on Western governments to re-apply conditions for trade and investment with Burma in an effort to make President Thein Sein’s government deal properly with continuing abuses in the country. “Let’s ensure that they talk human lives before they talk dollar signs,” urged an online petition by the global advocacy group Avaaz ahead of Thein Sein’s visit to France and England last week. Meanwhile, in its latest report on Burma made available to The Irrawaddy, the business risks analysis company Maplecroft warns potential investors that the “near-total absence of judicial independence and a weak rule of law foster a culture of impunity in [Burma]” that poses a serious threat to business. Avaaz says it su

Aijaz Zaka Syed Arab News July 25, 2013 THE United States says it’s concerned over the growing Islamophobia around the world. In its annual report on the state of political and religious freedom around the world, the State Department has denounced a sharp spike in anti-Muslim sentiment and violence: “Government restrictions, which often coincided with societal animosity, resulted in anti-Muslim actions that affected everyday life for numerous believers.” From Western nations like Belgium, home to European Parliament, where the veil is seen as the flag of invading Islamic armies, to emerging Asian giants China and India, many usual and unusual suspects find themselves in the dock. However, it is Burma or Myanmar, lately the scene of raging atrocities against Rohingya Muslims, that justifiably attracts the strongest censure. Senior officials and security forces are seen as openly fanning the waves of attacks that have killed hundreds and displaced hundreds of thousands. The p