The Stateless Rohingya Blog

Rohingyas wait for aid outside a mosque after the Friday prayers in Sittwe on 18 May 2012. (Reuters) By PressTV September 22, 2014 This episode exposes how the Myanmar government is practicing discrimination by not allowing aid into Rohingya camps. In Rakhine State in Western Myanmar, tens of thousands of Rohingyas are barely surviving in what have been described as concentration camps. The government is stopping aid getting to the camps, effectively leading to the starvation of many to death. The situation is aggravating. Rohingya Muslims account for about five percent of Myanmar’s population of nearly 60 million. They have been persecuted and have faced torture, neglect, and repression since the country's independence in 1948. Myanmar government and armed forces have been repeatedly criticized for failing to protect the Rohingya Muslims.

By Munawar Zaman Press TV May 08, 2014 Nizamudin is lawyer by profession but he has been denied credentials back in Myanmar because of being a Muslim. But he, like many others, expresses gratitude to India for giving shelter to people with no identity. At the same time, he urges the Indian government to get involved in their plight. This poor man, himself, is out on the streets to protest against the suffering of Muslims back home. It was a hot summer day as usual but Hundreds of Rohingiya Muslims made their way to India’s protest hub - the Jantar Mantar - where they staged a day long protest against the innocent killings of Muslims back in Myanmar. Most of them see the unrest as an ethnic cleaning backed by the Myanmar government. Many Rohingya Muslims have been killed since clashes began in the western state of Rakhine in Myanmar, and many others are missing or have displaced due to ongoing conflict.Bibi Marium is mother of two children and she calls herself most unfo...

By Munawar Zaman Press TV May 5, 2014 The Rohingya refugees who have fled Myanmar over increasing violence against them are facing a humanitarian crisis at camps in India, Press TV reports. Hundreds of Rohingya refugees are camping out on the outskirts of the Indian capital, New Delhi. A Press TV correspondent who visited one of the camps in New Delhi says the refugees suffer from lack of food and medicine. The hardship faced by the Rohingya refugees seems to be so severe that even the aid program by the United Nations refugee agency cannot alleviate it. “We are facing extreme hardship especially when someone gets sick. In recent weeks, we lost one of our brothers due to lack of medical help,” Mohamad Haroon, a refugee, told Press TV. Sakuara Begum, a woman refugee, also said, “We don’t get help from anyone. We are facing extreme hardship. My father died recently as he was sick and we couldn’t afford medicine for him. We are in desperate need of food and medicine for ...

BROUK Facebook Photo By PressTV April 29, 2015 They are one of the world's most persecuted minorities. Caught in a cycle of violence and poverty. Denied citizenship in Myanmar, over one million Rohingya Muslims are without a country of their own. Facing decades of a persecution and destruction that UN human rights envoys say could amount to "crimes against humanity". For the first time, this event brings together, activists, academics, judges and survivors of genocide, to discuss whether what happening to the Rohingya Muslims can be called genocide. The event started with a prayer and a minutes silence for genocide victims; from Armenians, Bosnians to Palestinians…and the Rohingyas. Last month, aid agencies were forced to halt operations to Rohingyas after hundreds of extremist Buddhists attacked them. The government is accused of turning a blind eye. Even Nobel peace prize winning opposition leader, Aung Sun Su Ki has remained silent. For surv...

Press TV December 7, 2013 Press TV has conducted an interview with Dr. Randy Short, human rights activist, Washington about the United Nations probe into reports of human trafficking of Rohingya Muslims by Thailand officials. The following is an approximate transcript of the interview.  Press TV: Regarding the UN probe of human trafficking of Rohingya Muslims... Why should such a thing happen first of all? Short: Let’s be honest, it’s a marginalized Muslim population. We understand now that Western countries can go into Burma and cut deals - This happens in other countries that open themselves up to economic exploitation by the West, people willing to look the other way as people are exterminated or pushed off the land.  After all, this is what made America, America; and Australia, Australia; New Zealand, New Zealand; and Canada, Canada; and Argentina... we can go on and on.  It is disgusting, but it’s showing that these people w...

By Press TV November 24, 2013 Press TV has conducted an interview with Sarnata Reynolds, Statelessness Refugees International, Maryland about the issue of the dramatic depravation of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar camps; them being violently persecuted by the majority Buddhist community assisted by the government, which has rejected a UN resolution. The following is an approximate transcript of the interview.  Press TV : When we want to take a look at the situation of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar it’s nothing new at this point, but this development of how the UN has pretty much urged the country, in this case to grant citizenship to the Rohingyas; but highlighting the case should invoke some kind of aid translating down.  Why is that not happening? Such as what we’re seeing in these camps in terms of the ones that have been displaced now living in these camps.  Reynolds : That’s a good question and the UN resolution I should say is such a positi...

By  PressTV November 10, 2013 Ahmad Irshad along with his family fled Myanmar at the age of 14, because they feared being killed by extremist Buddhists. Living in Jammu region of Indian-controlled Kashmir, he believes the life they live now is no less than a punishment for them.  Working in a walnut packaging factory is the only chance of survival for thousands of refugees -- young and old.  India is not a signatory to the United Nations convention relating to the status of refugees. Since there is no law that deals with foreign refugees, the government will decide whether or not to grant the Rohingyas, refugee status on a case-by-case basis.  Asylum seekers can be given the UN refugee cards instead, which the agency says could also take time.  Rohingyas are believed to be the most persecuted community of the world. Tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees living across the Indian sub-continent hope their lives will one day change for the bett...

Hundreds of Muslims in Myanmar become homeless after Buddhists burnt their homes and shops in Sagaing region of the violence-wracked country. Local officials say more than 300 people are currently sheltering at a school after Buddhist mobs torched their homes two days ago.  On Saturday, around a thousand anti-Muslim rioters rampaged through villages in the northwestern town of Kanbalu in the central region of Sagaing. The mobs set fire to Muslims’ properties and attacked rescue vehicles.  Sources say dozens of houses and shops were left in charred ruins.             "The fires burned until last night, but they have now been extinguished after it rained heavily," said Myint Naing, a local MP for the opposition National League for Democracy party. This is the fourth anti-Muslim riot to break out in central and northern Myanmar this year.  Similar violence in the Western Rakhine state last year left nearly 200 people dea...

Groups Burmese received with hostility to the UN Special Rapporteur Press TV August 13, 2013 The United Nations has urged the Myanmar government to hold talks with Rohingya Muslims to avoid further violence in the west of the country. United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) spokesman Adrian Edwards made the remarks at a press conference in Geneva on Tuesday. "UNHCR is reiterating its call for peaceful dialogue and confidence-building between the (internally displaced persons) and government. We believe this is key to avoiding further violence," Edwards said. Meanwhile, UN's human rights envoy for Myanmar Tomas Ojea Quintana was visiting Rakhine state, where violence killed one and injured ten others last week. Rohingya Muslims have faced torture, neglect, and repression in Myanmar for many years. Hundreds of Rohingyas are believed to have been killed and thousands displaced in recent attacks by extremists who call themselves Buddhists. ...

Heavy flooding in eastern Myanmar has forced some 25,000 people to take refuge in relief camps.(file photo) PressTV July 31, 2013 Heavy flooding in eastern Myanmar has forced some 25,000 people to take refuge in relief camps, officials say. Monday torrential rain, which led to serious flooding in Karen State, has driven thousands out of their homes, forcing them into around 80 relief camps, the director of the social welfare, relief and resettlement department, Chum Hre, told AFP on Wednesday.  "Altogether 24,499 flood victims have been evacuated in Karen State," Chum Hre said, adding that about hundred others have been evacuated in Mon and Rakhine.  He further added that helicopters have been sent to the same areas, though "It is very difficult to reach some of the disaster-hit places because of the bad weather and landslides."  Some areas across the border with Thailand have also been swamped with water due to the heavy rains.  Tha...

File photo shows residents sitting on a railway track watching buildings burning around a mosque in Meiktila, central Myanmar. Press TV : July 20, 2013 Officials in Myanmar have lifted a state of emergency imposed in a riot-hit area in March where deadly violence claimed dozens of lives. According to a notice published in the New Light of Myanmar daily on Saturday, the order was revoked “as peace and stability has already been restored” in the central town of Meiktila and surrounding areas. On March 20, extremist Buddhists attacked dozens of houses and mosques in Meiktila. The state of emergency was declared on March 22. More than 40 people were killed and 12,000 people were displaced during three days of clashes in the town. In 2012, violence against Rohingya Muslims in the western state of Rakhine left about 200 people dead. Rohingya Muslims have faced torture, neglect, and repression in Myanmar for many years. Hundreds of Rohingyas are believed t...

Rohingyas are seen at a camp for displaced people in Myanmar's western Rakhine State (file photo). Press TV July 10, 2013 Several human rights groups and activists have strongly criticized the Myanmar government for its silence over growing violence against the Rohingya Muslims across the Southeast Asian country. Several international rights groups and activists warned in a joint statement on Monday that impunity for the Buddhist assailants will further embolden them to commit more crimes against the Muslim minority, and will turn Myanmar into a breeding ground for extremism.  The statement comes more than three months after authorities failed to charge any suspect in connection with an attack on an Islamic school that claimed dozens of lives in central Myanmar.  The school on the outskirts of Meiktila town was razed during the bloodshed in March that triggered an outbreak of violence against the Muslim across the southeast Asian country. Hundreds of thugs u...

File photo shows Muslim Rohingyas at the Say Thamagyi Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp, located on the outskirts of Sittwe, capital of Myanmar's western Rakhine state.  PressTV: June 18, 2013 A United Nations agency says thousands of people remain displaced in Myanmar a year after extremist Buddhists launched deadly attacks against Rohingya Muslims in the country’s Rakhine State. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Tuesday that some over 140,000 people remain in camps with little hope of returning home. The UN sources noted that the violence has claimed up to 167 lives and destroyed 10,000 buildings in the troubled region. Myanmar Army forces allegedly provided the fanatics with containers of petrol for torching the houses of Muslim villagers, who were then forced to flee. Myanmar’s government has been repeatedly criticized for failing to protect the Muslim minority. International and rights groups accuse My...

Aung San Suu Kyi at today’s World Economic Forum BBC debate in Naypyidaw (Photo: Simon Roughneen) PressTV: June 7, 2013 Myanmar’s opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has rejected criticism leveled at her over her silence about the persecution of the Rohingya Muslim community, while announcing her desire to run for president. The Muslim minority of Rohingyas in Myanmar accounts for about five percent of the country’s population of nearly 60 million. The persecuted minority has faced torture, neglect, and repression since the country achieved independence in 1948. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have called on Myanmar’s government to address the plight of the Rohingya Muslim population and to protect the community against Buddhist extremists. “At the moment nobody seems to be very satisfied with me because I’m not taking sides,” Suu Kyi said. “I have not been silent. It’s just that they are not hearing what they want to hear from me.” “I do not wa...

 Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Mohammad Khazaei Press TV: May 18, 2013 Iran’s Ambassador to the United Nations Mohammad Khazaei has urged a swift end to the violence and the breach of human rights against the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. In a meeting with the ambassadors of the member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Khazaei said suppression and violence against Muslims are taking place despite Myanmar’s claims of democratization and reform.  He criticized a lack of consensus and coordination among Muslim countries to adopt a resolution in condemnation of the atrocities against the Muslims in Myanmar, stressing the importance for Myanmar’s government to take effective measures to stop the violence.  “At a time when Muslim countries are concerned about the situation in Myanmar, the political whim of certain Western states to establish better relations with Myanmar’s government has weakened the process of looking ...

Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama holds a speech at University of Maryland, US on May 7, 2013. PressTV: May 8, 2013 Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has condemned extremist Buddhist monks’ attacks on Rohingya Muslims in the Southeast Asian country of Myanmar.   During a speech at the University of Maryland on Tuesday, the Dalai Lama said killing in the name of religion was “unthinkable.” "I think it is very sad," said Dalai Lama, adding, "I pray for them (the monks) to think of the face of Buddha," who had been a protector of Muslims. He continued by saying that the root of seemingly sectarian conflict was political, not spiritual. This comes as hundreds of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar are believed to have been killed and thousands others displaced in recent attacks by extremists who call themselves Buddhists. The extremists frequently attack Rohingyas and have set fire to their homes in several villages in Rakhine. ...

Described by the UN as being amongst the most persecuted people in the world, over 80,000 Rohingyan people have been left without shelter and protection from the recent violence in Myanmar. Photo Muslim AID Press TV: May 03, 2013 The United States has eased another set of sanctions against Myanmar despite the ongoing persecution of the Rohingya Muslim community. The Obama administration made the announcement on Thursday, calling for an ease of restrictions on many of Myanmar’s military rulers, their business partners and immediate families. Last year, Washington lifted a set of sanctions against Myanmar that limited trade between the two countries, including removing Myanmar’s President Thein Sein from the list of banned officials. “Since 2011, the civilian-led Government of Burma has takenimportant steps toward significant social, political, and economic reform that demonstrate substantial progress on areas of concern,” the US Department of State said. Myanm...

This picture shows a mosque destroyed after hundreds of extremist Buddhists armed with bricks stormed a group of Muslim villages in Okkan in Myanmar on Wednesday, May 1, 2013. Iran’s Foreign Ministry has denounced the recent attack by extremists on Muslims in the city of Okkan in Myanmar that led to the destruction of the community’s houses and holy sites. Hundreds of extremist Buddhists armed with bricks stormed a group of Muslim villages in Okkan, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) north of Yangon, on Wednesday. The Buddhist mob targeted Muslim shops and destroyed at least two mosques that left one man dead and ten others injured.  Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said the clashes in Myanmar would lacerate the feelings of the people in the Islamic world and put at stake the achievements made through political and economic reforms in the country.  He lamented the destruction of the holy sites as well as threats against Muslims’ lives, and ...

May 01, 2013 Press TV: Press TV has conducted an interview with James Jennings, the president of the Conscience International from Atlanta to shed more light on the issue of Muslims in Myanmar. What follows is a rough transcription of the interview.  Press TV: Mr. Jennings, why is the international community silent on the issue of Muslims in Myanmar? What makes this most persecuted Muslim minority left defend for themselves?  Even we see the police force there standing idly and watching in cold blood how bad these people are being treated by others?  Jennings: This is a major problem, it is a long-term problem, it is one that Ban Ki-moon of the United Nations has said is one of the greatest humanitarian problems if not the greatest one in the world and the reason is this, that the Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine province of Myanmar are people who are stateless, not only are they stateless but they are really unwanted in the country and as far as Bangladesh is ...

PressTV: April 24, 2013 Myanmar has been the scene of deadly clashes over the past twelve months. According to reports by the I-H-H, Humanitarian Relief Foundation, a large number of villages were torched and thousands of Muslims were killed brutally. Tens of thousands were also displaced. Those who were able to escape the country, went to neigboring Bangladeshi refugee camps where they are trying to survive depending on what humanitarian relief groups like the IHH provides for them. Recently the violence has spread to 12 different cities in Arakan Region, only 3 of which NGOs can enter, which actually makes it impossible to come up with accurate numbers of Muslims who have been killed, tortured or displaced. The massacre the Arakanese people have been subjected to is unbelievable. Reports of Muslims being burned alive, buried alive, womenbeing raped, people being tortured to death keep coming in from those who have visited the region. Many humanitarian rel...