The Stateless Rohingya Blog

Pro-democracy students holding a banner shout slogans during a demonstration outside the Burmese     Embassy in Bangkok, on Aug. 7, 2011. (Photo: AP)    IRRAWADDY WASHINGTON — Even after the formation of a new government following last year's general election, further reform in Burma is needed before the US can lift sanctions on the country, a key US lawmaker has said. “Sadly, Mr. Speaker, the regime in Burma has not made the necessary progress to justify lifting the restriction,” Californian Congresswoman Laura Richardson said in her speech on the floor of the US House of Representatives on Friday. Speaking in favor of House Resolution No 66, which if passed would extend US sanctions on Burma for another year, Richardson argued that in light of continuing human rights abuses in the country,  lifting economic sanctions at this time would send the wrong signal to the Burmese regime, the international community, and, most importantly, to dissidents worki...

Maungdaw, Arakan State:  Maungdaw Township General Administrator (earlier known as Mayaka in Burmese) U Aung Kyaw Oo on July 22 released an order against the Rohingya community calling them Bengalis, said a local elder from Maungdaw Town. “In this notice, he mentioned that though an order has been released earlier for the Bengali people who have been living in Arakan State to use Form (4) when they want to go from one place to another, they do not use Form (4) for traveling. They carry temporary ID cards without taking Form (4).” In reality, Form (4) is only for foreigners, but the authorities force the Rohingya people to complete this form when traveling to other places. Otherwise, Rohingya travelers are not able to go other places. The authorities also force them to take Bengali names in place of Rohingya, said a trader from the locality. As a result, it is learnt that the travelers committed crimes against existing law Act No. (188), and the concerned authorities give puni...

Tekanf, Bangladesh:  The bodies of two fishermen, one Bangladeshi and one Rohingya, were recovered at the Naf riverbank of Shapuri Dip under Teknaf Union yesterday, said a local from Teknaf. On August 6, five fishermen went fishing in the river with a small engine boat from the east side of Shapuri Dip. The boat sank in the heavy rains and wind. After the boat sunk, three of the fishermen were rescued by another fishing boat, but two went missing. However, the two fishermen’s bodies were found at the Naf riverbank of Shapuri Dip after one day, said a fisherman. A trader from Teknaf said, “Heavy rainfall has continued along the border area for three days. There is plenty of water around the roadsides and farmlands of locals.” Mahabul Haqu, a police officer from Teknaf Police Station, confirmed that five fishermen went fishing with an engine boat, but their boat sank in the river. Three fishermen were rescued, but two were found dead. Besides, three days of heavy rain has...

The bullet holes at the Rangoon General Hospitals that snuff out the lives of doctors and nurses tending the wounded have long been fill up and the pools of blood in front of the American embassy has been washed away. The White Bridge at Inya Lake has cleansed, while Kyandaw crematorium where the Junta troops burnt both the dead and wounded has been renovated and green vegetation has grown tall over the mass graves. But for the Burmese people they are still hearing the silent moan of the wounded, the epic calling of the dead and the clarion call of the persecuted crying out for help or at least to do something so that the atrocities which they have suffered at the hands of the Burmese army will not repeat again to their younger generation.  One and a half decades have passed and still the men in uniform who have committed these indescribable atrocities are still in power and still continuing its brutalities as the Depayin episode indicates. There is no remorse, no request for forg...

Teknaf, Bangladesh: Thirteen Arakanese Rohingya were arrested by the BGB (Bangladesh Border Guard) at the Nila border yesterday while attempting to cross the border illegally into Bangladesh. Later, they were pushed back to Burma, said a source from Nila close to BGB. Arrested and push backed Rohingya in the border area, Nilla The group was arrested at about 1:50 pm yesterday while trying to climb to the bank of the Bangladesh side after crossing the Naf River with a rowboat near Nila Village in Teknaf. A group of BGB from Nila, led by BGB officer Nurul Amin, saw the boat with the Arakanese Rohingya and went to the spot to arrest the 13 Rohingya including women and children. It has not been confirmed why the group crossed the Burma-Bangladesh border, but some said that they want to seek work in Bangladesh as they did not have jobs in Burma. Most Arakanese Rohingya are jobless in their own country. Some come to take medical treatment, while others come to visit their relatives in t...

By AHUNT PHONE MYAT The National League for Democracy is due to take its appeal to the UNHRC (Reuters) Burma’s main opposition force is preparing to file an appeal to UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva this week regarding the future of its existence. The National League for Democracy (NLD), which won the 1990 elections but was denied power by the ruling junta, was legally dissolved following its decision to boycott last November’s polls. The party, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, has consistently stated that the dissolution was a violation of its rights; moreover, that the Supreme Court’s rejection of an appeal on 28 January contradicted a number of articles in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. That claim then prompted the NLD to seek a higher authority. Lawyer and NLD spokesperson Nyan Win said yesterday that the Burmese government’s two-decade campaign to sideline the party was a violation of international law. The appeal has gone through three courts in Burma’...

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – Burmese ethnic leaders continue their calls for pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi to act as a cease-fire mediator in the ongoing negotiations between the government and ethnic groups. Dr. Shwe Khar, the ENC general-secretary. Photo: KIC The latest call came from the Ethnic Nationalities Council (ENC), which said that it welcomed the open letter signed by Suu Kyi urging the government troops and ethnic armed groups to stop fighting and work to solve problems by using peaceful ways. She said she welcomed a chance to mediate to solve the problems regarding ethnic issues.   “We think if a person like Daw Suu [Aung San Suu Kyi], who is trusted by the people, mediates between the two sides, it will be better,” Dr. Shwe Khar, the ENC general-secretary, told Mizzima. Suu Kyi’s open letter released on July 28 addressed to President Thein Sein, the Kachin Independence Organization, the Karen National Union, the New Mon State Party and the Shan State Army, said, ...