The Stateless Rohingya Blog

A Muslim man sits in a shelter in Rubber Garden refugee camp Times photographer Kaung Htet, thetimes.co.uk The National ‎- May 29, 2013 Two years is a very long time in politics. In 2011, when the military junta in Myanmar opened the door to political and economic reform, there was a flurry of diplomatic activity from around the world. The release from house arrest of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi drew praise, and the transformation of General Thein Sein from military hardman to civilian president brought promises of economical normalisation. By and large, western and regional governments have kept up their end of the bargain. Sanctions have been lifted and world leaders, including US president Barack Obama, have visited a nation that was once a pariah. Just this month Thein Sein made a friendly return visit to Washington. But as the West has lined up to welcome Myanmar in from the cold, it is in Myanmar where politicians are failing to deliver. A trou...

A man salvages items in the courtyard of a partially-destroyed mosque after sectarian violence spread through central Myanmar, in Gyobingauk. (Photo: Ye Aung Thu/AFP) Eric Randolph The National March 29, 2013 BANGKOK // He emanates the soft-spoken calm expected of a Buddhist monk, but the venom that Sayadaw Wirathu directs at Myanmar's Muslim population has led many to see him as one of the chief instigators of the violence that has convulsed the country in the past two weeks. Wirathu, a monk based in the northern city of Mandalay, has described himself as "the Burmese Bin Laden", even though he is stridently and noxiously anti-Muslim. The misnomer notwithstanding, Wirathu has become a key figure in a growing movement of extremist Buddhists who have taken advantage of increased freedom in Myanmar to foment communal tensions. A video that circulated on the internet this week shows Wirathu addressing a crowd and declaring, "We Buddhists let...

The Rohingya booth at the Dubai international aid conference, where representatives at the event hope to spread the word among international aid donors about the cause of the Rohingya. Christopher Pike / The National  The National March 27, 2013 DUBAI // A group of Rohingya have travelled to the UAE to highlight their people's plight to international aid organisations. The Rohingyaare a Muslim minority from the predominantly Buddhist Myanmar. Twelve of their people set up a stand at the 10th Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development (Dihad) conference and exhibition. "Our mission is to empower the Rohingyas so they can communicate directly with international NGOs," said Amjad Romman, general coordinator of Bader Gateway, a Saudi Arabian charity that arranged the group's visit. "The Dihad conference is a unique opportunity to get all these NGOs under one umbrella. This is the Rohingyas' chance to present the...