The Stateless Rohingya Blog

Persecution increased after Major General Maung Oo’s visit: Maungdaw, Arakan State :  After ex-Western Command Commander Major General Maung Oo’s visit to the north Arakan, the persecutions are increased against the Rohingya community in Maungdaw Township, said a local trader on condition of anonymity.

Cox’s Bazar: Bangladesh:  The authorities of Bangladesh had been arresting more than 200 Rohingyas in special drives alongthe Bangladesh-Burma border since started the month of September  2012 ,  said a reliable source from Cox’s Bazar.  “Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Coastguards and police arrested more than 200 Rohingya Muslims in different drives along the border.”

After a visit to the troubled Rakhine state of Myanmar recently, a U.S. team has said people there continue to face persecution and displacement. Kelly Clements, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, who led the team, strongly recommended immediate humanitarian assistance and access to international aid for the affected people. The team was in Myanmar from September 7 to 10 and in Bangladesh from September 11th to 13th to assess the situation and hold talks with officials on how to reduce tensions and improve humanitarian situation. (Many Rohingya refugees fled to

The checkpoint looms. There are armed guards on both sides of the road. Our taxi – a cross between a  tuk tuk and a pickup truck – lurches. The driver gasps, hesitates. He is nervy and jumpy and clearly afraid. And yet, five minutes earlier, this same young man had boldly offered to take us to our destination, for a   hefty   fee. He knew we had no choice. Had just seen another driver turn us down with a grimace and a slicing motion to his throat. It was apparently dangerous where we wanted to go.

Maungdaw, Arakan State: U Maung Oo, the chief of Arakan state had met Rohingyas in Maungdaw to discuss recently happen riots in Arakan at Regional Development Association (RDA) office on September 13 at about 3:00pm, according to an elder from Maungdaw.  “The meeting was organized by RDA and in the meeting, U Maung Oo and two Rohingyas MP- U Aung Zaw  Win and U Shwe Maung were attended as special gust from Rangoon and other USDP members from Maungdaw –U Tun Hla Sein, U Soe Win, U Hls Myint and U Jangir. Thirty Rohingyas from maungdaw attended the meeting to discuss about recent situation and real fact and evident.” 

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) welcomes yesterday’s European Parliament resolution on the persecution of Rohingya Muslims in Burma, which called on the Burmese government to amend its controversial 1982 citizenship law that effectively stripped the Rohingya of citizenship and allow humanitarian aid to Rakhine State “as a matter of urgency”.

The United States has urged Bangladesh to provide humanitarian assistance to the Rohingyas who have already taken refuge in Bangladesh from the neighbouring Rakhine state of Myanmar. “Basic essential services —  food , sanitation and healthcare —should be provided to the Rohingyas,” US Ambassador in Dhaka Dan W Mozena told a press conference at American Centre in Dhaka yesterday afternoon.