The Stateless Rohingya Blog

UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Valerie Amos, visits displacement camps in Myanmar’s Rakhine State UN Photo/David Ohana ICRtoP August 6, 2013 On 3 June 2012, the killing and reported rape of a Buddhist woman followed by the massacre of ten Muslims traveling in Rakhine state marked the  beginning of a series of violent attacks  against the Rohingya communities, their townships and residents in Myanmar/Burma causing  widespread destruction  of Muslim neighborhoods, mosques and villages and massive displacement.  Human Rights Watch ‘s (HRW)  report   “All You Can Do is Pray“ , documents a number of violent incidences against the Rohingya, a minority Muslim population that has long been  discriminated  against in Myanmar/Burma and the region, since the attacks; including government backed  “crimes against humanity”  committed against them during a campaign of “ethnic cleansing”. Despite the government appointed Rakhine Commission’s attempt to provide recom

By Maung Zarni Asia Times August 5, 2013 Over the past three years, change in Myanmar has transpired at a dizzying pace. A cursory look at the turn of events, ranging from the release of hundreds of political prisoners to restored diplomatic relations with the West, indicates on the surface a new national direction  after decades of dictatorship. But what is Myanmar transitioning towards and how best to understand the changes? Thomas Carothers and Larry Diamond, two of the world's leading authorities on democratization, reached more or less the same conclusion after recent visits to the country: that Naypyidaw's goals, definition and modus operandi of "democracy" are at odds with the essence of a truly representative government. Carothers likened Myanmar's reforms with Arab leaderships' top-down reforms in the decade prior to the Arab Spring convulsions that swept through the Middle East and Northern Africa. In his own words: "The s

By Bill O'Toole  Myanmar Times August 7, 2013 Lawyer and activist U Kyaw Hla Aung faced a closed court in Rakhine State on July 31, the first time he has left prison since being arrested on July 15. U Kyaw Hla Aung, who identifies as Rohingya, is accused of inciting a protest in a camp for internally displaced people (IDPs) earlier this year. His supporters, both inside and outside Myanmar say the charges are false and a pretence to silence the prominent Sittwe-based activist. “He's a human rights defender peacefully trying to help his community,” said Jim Lougren of the Frontline Defenders organisation, which works to protect activists in oppressed nations and communities. “It's effectively a case of arbitrary detention...we would argue that this case is without merit.” Since being arrested U Kyaw Hla Aung has not had access to a lawyer or been able to contact his family. He has been charged with rioting armed with a deadly weapon, encouraging person

HRW August 6, 2013 On 25th Anniversary of Crackdown, Accountability, Rule of Law Remain Elusive The mass killings 25 years ago in Burma are an unaddressed open wound that challenges the government’s rhetoric of reform. The government should shed itself of 50 years of denial about military abuses by showing that it stands with the Burmese people and not with the killers of the past. Brad Adams, Asia director (New York) –   Burma ’s President Thein Sein should commit to an independent investigation and fair prosecutions of officials and commanders responsible for the mass killings of pro-democracy protesters 25 years ago. Burma’s friends and donors should make clear that genuine reform in Burma means ensuring justice for victims of the 1988 massacres and other serious human rights violations. The 1988 protests and crackdown were a watershed moment in Burma. From March to September 1988, the suppression of mass pro-democracy demonstrations throughout B