The Stateless Rohingya Blog

The Burma Army continues to attack people in three townships of Ba Maw District, Kachin State: Mun Si Township, Shwegu Township and Ba Maw Township. On 16 December 2011, Burma Army soldiers killed a woman from Prang Kawng Village. The woman, 30-year-old Lamung Kaw Seng, suffered from a mental disability. As Burma Army troops approached the village, all the villagers fled except for Lamung Kaw Seng. When the soldiers found her, they killed her and threw her into a toilet pit. 

( Mizzima ) – UN Watch, a nonprofit NGO, told a recent session on women’s rights of the Forum on Minority Issues of the UN Human Rights Council that three countries routinely discriminate against minority women, naming Burma, Iran and Pakistan.

By kaladan News Teknaf, Bangladesh:  Camp security police inspector Nurul Islam unnecessarily has been harassing the refugees of Nayapara official camp since he was transferred to the camp, said a refugee elder from the camp. “The police inspector Nurul Islam poked Ms Hamida Khatun’s private organ with a stick on December 12 which was intolerable behavior for a female in social society for disregarded of his order by her husband.” “Hamida (30), wife of Shabbir Ahmed, MRC # 23140, Block B/1012/ 4 of Nayapara official camp.” 

By SAW YAN NAING Activists pray at Botataung pagoda to release political prisoners on Nov. 20, 2011, in Rangoon. (Photo:  More than 1,500 political prisoners remain in Burmese prisons, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners -Burma (AAPP), despite assurances from a government advisor that only 300 “prisoners of conscience” are now behind bars. Based on its most recent figures, AAPP said there are at least 1,572 individuals in Burma who have been arrested and sentenced on political grounds, and are believed to currently be in prison.

By ( Mizzima ) - Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba arrived in Burma on Sunday, as Japan considers resuming official economic development to the country that is struggling to emerge from decades of military rule. Koichiro Gemba, the Japanese foreign affairs minister, right, met with Burmese Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin, who visited Japan in October 2010. Photo: mofa.go.jp Gemba's visit, the first by a Japanese foreign minister since 2002, comes as part of international efforts to engage Burma's new military-backed civilian government. The foreign minister will try to increase the momentum of reforms started by President Thein Sein since he took office nine months ago. In the latest series of diplomatic overtures by major countries, Gemba will underscore Japan's readiness to assist Burma’s transformation into a democratic country and reduce poverty, especially in rural areas, according to an article in the Mainichi Daily News on Sunday. After meeting...

By gulf-times Bangladeshi coast guards detained 23 boat migrants in the Bay of Bengal for attempting to migrate illegally to Malaysia, police said yesterday.  Guards acting on a tip confiscated the boat and arrested the migrants on Friday night on the Naff river estuary near the  Eighteen of those detained were Myanmar citizens who had entered illegally into Bangladesh, police said. They were to be deported.  The five Bangladeshi citizens would be charged for attempted illegal migration, police officer Abdur Razzak said.

Kaladan press News Ukhiya, Bangladesh:  A refugee from Kutupalong makeshift camp was abducted by local youths yesterday at about 4:00 pm, said a refugee leader from the makeshift camp. “The refugee prohibited the local youths who frequently enter the camp and disturb the refugees’ females and harassing refugees.” Abul Kalam (45), the abducted refugee from Kutupalong makeshift camp, said a relative. “Kalam was kept in a local area where severally beat up by the local youths and forcefully took a statement that included giving 5000 taka within two days.”   If he fails to give 5000 taka, he will be abducted again, according to sources. A refugee committee member told the Kaladapress, “We fled from Burma to Bangladesh for persecution, extortion, taxes, forced labor and etc. by Burmese authority. We are facing same problem in Bangladesh.” “We live in small huts and miserable condition and working hard for our survival; we don’t disturb the local people. But, we don’t...