The Stateless Rohingya Blog

By Assed Baig Anadolu Agency March 21, 2014 Many Muslim victims continue to live in Internally Displaced People camps, still dreaming of returning home. It’s been one year since a Buddhist mob rampaged through the central Myanmar town of Meiktila, killing local residents and setting fire to their homes. Today, the violence is o ver, but many of the Muslim victims continue to live in Internally Displaced People (IDP) camps, still dreaming of returning home.  The violence started after a mob attacked a Muslim-owned gold shop in the center of Meiktila following a dispute. Later that evening, a Buddhist monk was dragged off a motorbike and beaten by a group of Muslims. He later died in hospital. Over the next two days over 40 people were killed by the mob, which also set about destroying Muslim homes, setting fire to mosques and attacking religious schools.  "They brought them out and killed them with swords," said Thin Thin OO - an eyewitness to th

A session of Union Parliament in Burma’s capital, Naypyidaw. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) By  Lawi Weng The Irrawaddy  March 20,  2014 RANGOON — Burma’s Upper House on Thursday passed an amendment to a clause in the Constitution, removing the right of temporary citizenship card holders to form parties. The decision could further reduce the rights of stateless Rohingya minority in Arakan State, many of who only hold such cards. The proposed amendment could also pose a problem for political dissidents who lack citizenship cards because they lived abroad for decades under the former military regime and are now returning to Burma during the democratic transition. During a session Thursday, Upper House MPs did not object to the amendment put forth by the Arakan National Party (ANP), a proposal first suggested by ANP in August last year. The amendment will now have to be approved by the Lower House. ANP Chairman Aye Maung, whose party represents the Buddhist Arakanese c