The Stateless Rohingya Blog

Some 15 million people worldwide are stateless and without rights, but the UN hopes to change that BY EMMA BATHA, ALERTNET VIA REUTERS Rejected by the countries they call home and denied the most basic of rights, stateless people live in a shadowy limbo - in the words of one such person, like being "between the earth and the sky".Up to 15 million people are stateless, not recognized as nationals by any country. They are some of the most invisible people on the planet - an anonymity the United Nations hopes to lift  A Rohingya boy bathes in a common bath place in a refugee camp in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh. In 1982, Myanmar passed a law that made it impossible for Rohingyas to get full citizenship. Many fled to Bangladesh in 1991 and 1992 following a government crackdown. Today, an estimated 800,000 Rohingyas live in Myanmar, and up to 300,000 in Bangladesh. through an international campaign it launched Thursday to highlight their plight. "One of the big problem...

Chittagong, Bangladesh :  Burma has shown readiness to take back its registered refugees and undocumented Burmese nationals who have illegally crossed into Bangladesh for years, according to an official newsletter yesterday in Dhaka. “Burma Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Maung Myint showed the interest during the Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) held in the Burmese capital of Nay Pyi Taw on August 25." The annual consultations are so far the highest level connections between the officials of Bangladesh and Burma since the new government took office in Burma. Foreign Secretary Mijarul Quayes led Bangladesh delegation in the meeting, where he referred to the full list of residual Burmese refugees living in Bangladesh camps and requested Burma for early verification and commencement of repatriation, reported in the newsletter. “He also requested Burma to take effective steps for the repatriation of undocumented Burmese nationals illegally entering and living inside Ban...

Dublin, Ireland: Rohingya Community Ireland held a demonstration in Dublin in front of both British and Australian Embassies on 24th August. The demonstration was jointly organized by Burma Action Ireland and Bangladesh community in Ireland with the primary reason of showing the concern over the 16th July attack on Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.   The attacked occurred when a group of villagers from Fawliyapara attacked and robbed both registered and unregistered camps armed with knives, swords, wood and bamboo sticks, which led to at least death, injured more than twenty and destroyed many huts.                  The demonstration successfully underwent with the presentation of a letter and a copy of the report written by the Irish Centre for Human Rights to each ambassador. Although Australian ambassador was away with duty, the other has given full attention on the concerns and issues raised by the community; and promised Deomo...

Maungdaw, Arakan State: An Imam (leader of prayer) of a local mosque of Nari Bill east village of Maungdaw Township was arrested by local Nasaka (Burma’s border security force), on August 22, at about 9:45 pm, while he was returning home after praying Tarabi Namaz (prayer) in the mosque, said a close relative of the victim who preferred not to be named. Dos Mohamed (23), son of Ali Akbar, hail from Nari Bill east village of Maungdaw Township, the an Imam of the local mosque and also Hafezi Quran and religious leader of Tarabi Namaz (especially prayer in Ramadan fasting month). “On that day, at about 9:45 pm, after paying Tarabi Namaz, he was going to his home, but he was halted by the patrol Nasaka personnel and asked him to hand over his mobile set to them, which he denied. But, the Nasaka was taking a photograph of him by giving a mobile set in his hand where the Nasaka personnel had extra mobile sets and camera while patrolling around the villages. Afterwards, he was brought to the...

By KO HTWE Wednesday, August 24, 2011 In this photo taken on Dec. 3, 2008, a Burmese Rohingya refugee boy arrives on a bus for demonstration outside the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Photo: AP) The Malaysia United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is accused of betraying refugees by conspiring with Putrajaya Immigration Office to take their fingerprints and send them back to their own countries, it has been claimed. On Tuesday, several UNHCR-affiliated organizations in Malaysia instructed refugees to provide fingerprints at Putrajaya Immigration Office, claims Shwe Zin, a Burmese refugee living in Malaysia. “I arrived at the immigration office in the morning and was made to queue up. Then when my turn came, I had my fingerprints and a photo taken. And then I was given a printed document written in Malay that said to go back to our own country,” said Shwe Zin. Many registered refugees came to the immigration office to ...

NEWS -  KALADAN PRESS Teknaf, Bangladesh: The refugee students are barred from going to local Junior High school by camp security police, said the parents of the student.  “On August 20, the police inspector Nurul Islam seized books and mobile set from a student while he was returning to the camp after school was over.” “The student is identified as Abubaker Siddique (16), son of Jalal, MRC No. 01723, shed No. 1127 of Nayapara camp.” “Parents of the school boy went to the police officer to get return the books and mobile phone, but the police officer does not return it yet. So the school boy is not able to go to school without taking books.” The refugee boys and girls have no permission to learn in local government schools, the police officer said. However, about 50 refugee students from Nayapara official camp and Leda (Tal) unofficial camp have been learning in Leda Junior Government High school since last three years ago after passing camp education. However, the students s...

NEWS -  KALADAN PRESS Teknaf, Bangladesh: Camp security police inspector seized a cow from Burmese refugees yesterday, at about 12:30, over the allegation that the refugees have no permission to slaughter cow in the camp, said a refugee committee member from the camp. “On behalf of refugees  of Nayapara camp, Mohamed Sultan (44), MRC No. 2628, Shed No. 1034 of Nayapara camp, bought a cow from local village with Taka 25,000 after getting permission from the Camp-in-Charge on July16  for slaughtering on Lailatul Barat day (on July 17) to take a good dish at night of the holy day. On that day, across the Bangladesh and in Arakan State, every household tries to maintain a good dish that night and to pray whole night.” “In similar way, refugees in the Nayapara camp wanted to make a good dish with beef. But, unfortunately, the refugees’ plan was not implemented on that day so they keep the cow in the camp to slaughter on forthcoming holy night (Lailutul Kadar) on August 28 and...