The Stateless Rohingya Blog

KPN News June 27, 2013 Two separate motorcycle accidents that happened in Maungdaw clearly illustrate how state authorities apply the law differently based on one’s religion or ethnicity. When 3 Natala villagers (resettled Rakhines or Burmans) were seriously hurt in an accident that happened on June 22 while travelling from Udaung to Aley Than Kyaw, Nasaka (Burma’s border guard force) immediately brought them to the government hospital. But when 2 Rohingyas were also in an accident on the same highway the next day Nasaka arrested both men and made them bribes before being released. The Natala were treated fairly, but the Rohingyas were arrested and ended up having to buy their way out of jail. The recent accidents show how Nasaka exploit Rohingyas’ stateless position in order to extort money. “They are both human being but the law was not applied evenly,” said one Rohingya elder from Maungdaw.

GlobalPost-Open Hands Initiative reporting fellows interview the Buddhist monk U Wirathu, founder of the anti-Muslim 969 movement, in Mandalay, Myanmar. (Marc Laban/AsiaWorks Television) Kevin Douglas Grant Huffington Post June 24, 2013 YANGON, Myanmar — As an estimated 140,000 Rohingya Muslims sat captive in  squalid refugee camps  in Rakhine State and across the border in Thailand and Bangladesh, a group of red-robed Buddhist leaders gathered here in Yangon last week, dismissing what human rights groups have called a genocide as “illusions created by the Arab media.” “I really take pity on [my critics],” said the Buddhist monk U Wirathu, founder of Myanmar’s 969 movement , accused of mobilizing a campaign of murder, arson and displacement against Muslims in Rakhine and across the country. “They are under the influence of media backed by the Arab world. Europeans and Americans are educated people, but sometimes certain illusions are created by the Ar...

Internally displaced Rohingya boys in a camp for displaced Rohingya people in Sittwe, northwestern Rakhine State, Burma, May 15, 2013. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)  Gary Feuerberg Epoch Times June 24, 2013 Religious violence between Buddhists and the Muslim ethnic group, the Rohingya, returned again in April to Burma (officially known as Myanmar) in its western state of Rakhine (also called Arakan). The discrimination and violence against the minority Rohingya Muslims is taking on an increasingly uglier tone. Kira Kay, correspondent for PBS Newshour, reported on June 18 that in April, “Over the three days of violence, at least 50 people, mostly Muslims, were burned alive or hacked to death; 18,000 were displaced; 12 of the town’s 13 mosques were destroyed or badly damaged.” Once people realized the police would not intervene, they were emboldened to murder Muslims, according to Burmese parliament member Win Htein, who witnessed it and said that the mob was c...

Khao Lak Police Station: the women have been refused their case file Photo by phuketwan.com By Chutima Sidasathin and Alan Morison Monday, June 24, 2013 PHUKET: A family refuge north of Phuket was being turned into a fortress today as the women and children inside faced death threats and local police appeared unwilling to expose the involvement of officers in people-trafficking.  A direct death threat was made at the weekend by a Thai man at the gates of the family refuge in the popular tourist destination of Khao Lak, where 61 Rohingya women and children are being housed.  The female director of the refuge has been issued with a gun and security cameras now record all activities around the perimeter of the shelter. In trying to pursue allegations of abduction and rape, three women and two children and the shelter staff supporting them were today being given the run-around by police throughout the province of Phang Nga. With people-trafficking in T...

Chittagong, Bangladesh : Burma has approved in principle to restart a long-delayed voluntary repatriation program for Rohingya Muslim refugees from Burma, living in the country, said Bangladesh`s foreign Secretary.   Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Mohammad Shahidul Haque said that Burma and Bangladesh reached an agreement to resume the program during annual foreign office consultations in Nay Pyi Taw from June 12-17. When asked a Rohingya refugee teacher, “We are willing to go back to Arakan State, Burma, if we get our appropriate rights like other ethnic groups.” The refugee teacher also said, “We have been living in Bangladesh refugee camp since 1991-92, but we don’t see our future. We live in a big cage like jail, so we want durable solution urgently.” “We have encouraged the Burma government to restart the process. They have agreed and are   looking for an appropriate time to restart the process,” Mr Haque told The Myanmar Times on June 15. ...

KPN News:  June 22, 2013  Buthidaung, Arakan State: Four Rohingya villagers were brutally killed by a group of Natala villagers on June 16, said an elder from the village on condition of anonymity. The deceased have been identified as Mohamed Habib (47), son of Nazir Ahamed, Mohamed Yasin (17), son of Mohamed Habib, Abdul Goni (18), son of Mohamed Yousuf and another one ( not available ).  They all hailed from Singdi Parang village tract of Buthidaung south. The deceased Rohingya went to the forest to collect firewood and vegetables in morning of June 16, but they didn’t back to their home in the evening of that day, according to sources  A group of victims’ relatives went to different areas of mountains side to look for their love one whereabouts in the morning of June 17. But, they didn’t get any information, sources said. However, on June 19, the relatives got information from some sources that they were killed by a group of Natala ...

Mayu press : June 22, 2013 (Jeddah) The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) formed a Rohingya Registry Committee under the supervision of Makkah based Jaliyat, an organization for providing Iqama (Stay Permit) to every single Rohingya Body lives there. The persons of Registry Committee approve thousands of non Rohingya as Rohingya to getting Iqama (Stay Permit) with 25-30 thousands Riyal per head. The government of Saudi Arabia attempts to help Rohingya only who are in KSA with free Iqama (Stay Permit) and job facilities as the Burmese Buddhists proceed to vanish whole Rohingya Community from their homeland, Arakan, Burma. The Saudi Authority asked Rohingya Registry Committee to justify and list all the Rohingya live in KSA with complete profile. Regarding the information on data list, the registry committee preferred more Bengali than actual Rohingya to be input profile. As they follow the Breach of Order by taking 25-30 thousand Riyal per non Rohingya. Hence, it can be c...