The Stateless Rohingya Blog

Abdul Kalam wants to be resettled,  Photo: Dana MacLean/IRIN By   IRIN News February 28, 2014   BANGKOK- Abdul Kalam, 53, a Rohingya from Myanmar’s western Rakhine State, arrived in Thailand more than 30 years ago, after escaping forced labour in his home village of Nalywah.  “I know I am not safe here. I worry a lot about it. I have seen too many people die in detention or in human trafficking camps,” said Kalam, who is well known within the Rohingya community and is the current president of Thailand’s Rohingya National Organization, which campaigns for the rights of boat people who have arrived in the country over the past decade.  Despite having official refugee status from the UN Refugee Agency for almost 10 years, he himself cannot seek third-country resettlement as Thailand does not allow Rohingyas to be processed as refugees.  There is no data on the total number of  Rohingyas  in Thailand, but unconfirmed reports suggest there could be between 3,000

Burma's Parliament Speaker Shwe Mann addressing both houses on Thursday, 27 February 2014. (Photo: DVB) By  Shwe Aung DVB News February 28, 2014   Burma’s Parliamentary Speaker Shwe Mann urged relevant ministries to draft laws protecting national race and religion during Thursday’s assembly. The recommendation follows a message from President Thein Sein recommending legislative action on a petition he received in July 2013 from the Organisation for Protection of National Race and Religion (OPNRR), headed by Ashin Tilawka Biwuntha (also known as Tiloka Bhivamsa), member of the government appointed National Head Monks Committee. Upon Thein Sein’s receipt of the petition, which was forwarded to the Speaker, 1.3 million people had signed in favour of creating legislation to protect national race and religion. Since that time, the OPNRR said that they have gathered nearly three million additional supporters. In his message to the Speaker, Thein Sein declared t

By Associated Press February 28, 2014 Doctors without Borders is being forced to stop caring for sick people in a Myanmar state torn by sectarian violence, in a move linked to the humanitarian group's work with the long-persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority. Myanmar's presidential spokesman Ye Htut said that the group's contract in Rakhine state would not be extended because they hired "Bengalis," the term the government uses for Rohingya, and lacked transparency in its work. He criticized the group over its handling of patients following an attack in the remote northern part of the state last month. The government has vehemently denied allegations that a Buddhist mob rampaged through a village, killing women and children. Doctors Without Borders said it treated 22 injured and traumatized Rohingya. The United Nations says more than 40 Rohingya were killed, but the government says only one Buddhist policeman died.  Ye Htut said that the group&

By  Alfian ZM Tahir  FMT News February 27, 2014 A Myanmar refugee group condemns last month's attempt to assassinate two visiting political leaders KUALA LUMPUR: A Myanmar refugee organisation has rejected the theory that Muslim activists were responsible in last month’s attempt to assassinate two visiting politicians from that Asean country. Mohamad Sadek, programme coordinator for the Rohingya Arakanese Refugee Committee (RARC) in Malaysia, said he knew of no Rohingya (Myanmar Muslim) who was rash enough to carry out the attack and thereby endanger his relatives back home. Furthermore, he told FMT yesterday, neither his organisation nor any individual Rohingya refugee had the resources or capacity to carry out an assassination mission. “It would be suicide if we tried to assassinate them,” he said. “Thank God no one was hurt. Imagine the retaliation in Myanmar if the two top politicians had been killed. Our relatives back home would also be killed, an