The Stateless Rohingya Blog

AFP / South Asia August 20, 2013 Myanmar has strongly denied previous accusations of ethnic cleansing A Rohingya girl stands near the Bawdupa IDP camps outside of Sittwe August 11, 2013.  Photo- Reuters Myanmar must address anti-Muslim propaganda and stamp out a culture of impunity for religious violence or risk “catastrophic” levels of conflict, a rights group warned Tuesday. Physicians for Human Rights described attacks on Muslims, that have swept the country since fighting first broke out last year as “widespread and systematic,” in a report examining unrest that has killed around 250 people and left tens of thousands homeless. The US-based group said that while the situation in the country currently appeared calm, a failure to properly investigate and deal with the causes of the tensions risks further clashes. PHR reported that “the brazen nature of these crimes and the widespread culture of impunity in which these massacres occur form deeply tr...

BGB arrested Malaysia bound boat people in Sharpour Dip KPN News  August 19, 2013 Teknaf, Bangladesh: Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), police and Bangladesh Coastguard arrested more than 58 boatpeople for Malaysia in different areas of Teknaf on August 19 and 17, according to a local named Habib from Teknaf.  BGB arrested 24 boatpeople from gola para area, Shah Pour dip, under Teknaf police station, while they were trying to go Malaysia by trawler owner group and traffickers – Hakhim Maji, son of late Abdul Gani, Ilias, son of late Sultan Ahmed, Md.Noor, son of Mohammed Ullah, Nur Hossain, Jiabul and Musa, son of dead Nazir Ahmed on August 19, according to BGB official. Arrested peoples said, Shah Pour dip trafficking syndicate members -Nur Hakim Maji, son of late Abdul Gani and Aman Ullah, son of Abdul Karim took 20000 Bangladeshi Taka per person to send them to Malaysia. After entering Malaysia, they were supposed to pay again 150000 Bangladeshi taka more ...

Human Rights Watch August 20, 2013 End Inhumane Detention, Family Separation of 1,800 Muslims from Burma (Bangkok) – Thailand’s government should release ethnic Rohingya from Burma who are detained under inhumane and unsafe conditions, and ensure their protection needs are met, Human Rights Watch said today. On August 13, 2013, the Thai cabinet considered a plan to transfer 1,839 Rohingya who have been held in immigration detention facilities and social welfare shelters across Thailand to refugee camps on the Thai-Burmese border. “Some senior Thai officials have recognized the Rohingya’s plight but they are still considering proposals that would keep them detained,” said Brad Adams, Asia director. “The Thai government needs to end the inhumane detention of Rohingya and ensure the United Nations refugee agency and other international organizations have full access to provide much needed protection and assistance.” On August 9, the Thai minister of social develop...

A dead body of Rohingya found in Naf River Bank KPN News: August 19, 2013 Teknaf, Bangladesh: Rohingya dead bodies were found by the police of Teknaf , near Dumdum Meah on August 18, said an officer from Teknaf police. 30 Rohingyas who crossed the Naf River with small row boat which capsized and sank in the River on August 16 and dead bodies were found after capsized the boat till now, the officer said. “Three dead bodies have been rescued by the Teknaf police since capsizing the rowboat on August 16.” They dead bodies were sent to Cox’s Bazar government hospital for autopsy, said an aide of police. According to sources, many victims of Rohingya have been missing in Naff river after boat sank. The boat capsized because of over loaded and it was also got heavy rain during crossing the Naff River. They were illegally crossing the river to Burma from Bangladesh at night through the entry point of Zadimora under the Teknaf police station, said Mohamed Hasso...

  Tomas Ojea Quintana (C), United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation, walks with Rohingya Muslims as he visits Aung Mingalar in Sittwe, Burma, August 13, 2013. By   The Myanmar Times August 18, 2013 Tomas Quintana, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, makes headlines whenever he visits Myanmar. This is not surprising. He is outspoken – too outspoken for many, as he often draws attention to uncomfortable truths. But many who have met Mr Quintana, including staff at The Myanmar Times when he visited our office in February, have found him to be sincere in his desire to report on and improve the human rights situation in Myanmar. He has campaigned on many important issues, including political prisoners and the culture of impunity in the military. Anyone who disagrees with his observations should have the right to express their views, through a peaceful protest, Facebook post or opinion article. Reasoned a...

A checkpoint leads into the Aung Mingalar sector of Sittwe. Photograph: Tom Farrell Buddhist extremists are stirring up hatred of Rohingya and other Muslims in a display of racism that is part of a political agenda By   Tom Farrell The Irish Times August 19, 2013 Just beyond the administrative buildings in Sittwe, capital of the state of Rakhine (Arakan) in northwestern Burma, a checkpoint halts all unauthorised travel into the town’s last Muslim quarter. The police sit around looking listless in the tropical heat. A few hundred metres beyond is Aung Mingalar, into which about 7,000 mostly Rohingya Muslims were confined following last year’s violence. In June and October last year, vicious clashes between Muslims and Buddhists convulsed Rakhine. Buddhists, who form the majority, targeted the Rohingya, a much despised minority. They were divested of their citizenship in 1982 and have so far seen few benefits during the rapid liberalisation after March 2011 w...

A Buddhist man brandishes a machete amid rising tensions in Sittwe, Burma. Photograph: Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters By Editorial of Oman Tribune August 18, 2013 Nearly two years after the unprecedented violence against Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslims, six Buddhists are about to be tried. The six are responsible for the lynching of 10 Muslim bus passengers that sparked the violence. Although the trials are being held a bit late in the day and is the result of a lot of international pressure, there is a degree of satisfaction that at least a few of the guilty are being punished at last. The fact, however, is that many more Buddhists are evading the law for the killing of Rohingyas. More than 200 Rohingyas were killed in the violence in the country’s western Rakhine state and about 50 in Meikhitila that led to thousands fleeing to neighbouring Bangladesh and other nearby countries like Thailand. Even today, scores of Muslims are leaving Myanmar.  The reasons for the continuin...