The Stateless Rohingya Blog

Photo Reuters By Tim Robertson Newmatilda February 14, 2014 Burma's Rohingya Muslim minority are once again under savage attack. They have little international or domestic political support, writes Tim Robertson from Yangon When I arrived in Yangon, the first thing I was told was that was that my hotel was a very bad one, in a very bad part of town, full of far too many Muslims. Then, a couple of hours later, driving past the Shwedagon pagoda, the taxi driver proffered a prediction: in 2500 years Buddhism will be wiped out. It will be erased by Muslims who, he told me earnestly, kill without compunction. Buddhists — variously described as "peaceful", "non-violent" and "loving" — will be unable to defend themselves. The opposite is closer to reality: the United Nations has demanded the Burmese Government investigate "credible information" of violence against the Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State between 9 - 14 Januar...

Photo :Nayapara refugee camp By Mizan Rahman/Dhaka Gulf Times February 14, 2014 Bangladesh has decided to document Rohingya refugees from neighbouring Myanmar as they pose a serious threat to the country’s security, according to a senior official in Dhaka. The state-run Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics is set to conduct a survey to profile undocumented Rohingyas living in the country. “Many undocumented Rohingyas are living in Bangladesh and we need to have their profiling due to security reason,” foreign secretary Md Shahidul Haque said. Rohingyas, the Myanmar nationals, had started to come to Bangladesh since their first influx in late 1970s following sectarian violence in the Rakhine state of Myanmar, close to  Bangladesh border. Bangladesh now hosts 30,000 refugees in Cox’s Bazar camps, and in addition to the number, about half a million undocumented Rohingyas are residing in other parts of the country, “posing serious threat to security, envir...

By Naw Noreen DVB News February 14, 2014 Tomas Ojea Quintana met with protest as he arrived in western Burma’s Arakan State on Friday during his last visit to the country as United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Burma. Nyo Aye, protest leader and member of the Rakhine Women’s Network said the protestors gathered in five areas along Quintana’s route from the Sittwe Airport to the town’s prison and displacement camps, demanding that he get out of town. “We don’t want him here,” she said. “This is the ninth time he is in town and every single time he comes here, he only pays attention to Bengalis, and we are protesting his biases.” Many Burma nationals use the term Bengali to refer to the ethnic Rohingya Muslim minority, which are not recognised as one of Burma’s official ethnic groups, and are legally denied citizenship. Rohingya Muslims have been termed by the United Nations as among the world’s most persecuted peoples. Quinta...

By World Bulletin February 13, 2014 1,300 Rohingya detained in immigration detention centers in Thailand sent back to Myanmar authorities 3 months ago. Human Rights Watch reacted with "serious worry" Friday to news that Thailand deported 1,300 Rohingya Muslims back to Myanmar three months ago under the supervision of an unnamed "NGO." Thailand's immigration bureau commissioner told local newspaper the Bangkok Post on Wednesday that all 1,300 Rohingya detained in immigration detention centers in Thailand had been sent back to Myanmar authorities “in a clear and transparent manner” under the supervision of an “NGO (non-government organisation) working on protecting the rights of minorities”. “We don’t even know what NGO he (bureau commissioner Pharnu Kerdlarpphon) is referring to,” Sunai Pasuk, Thailand's Director for Human Rights Watch, told the Anadolu Agency on Friday. “We are seriously worried because they sent them back to the Myanmar au...

Rohingya & Rakhine Women take part in sewing training funded by UNHCR in Maungdaw, Myanmar. © UNHCR/K.Lynn By  Aung Aung  February 12, 2014 Inter-communal peace is acceptance of cultural and religious identity. Cultural diversity is inevitable both in Western and Eastern democracies. But over the past three decades, the term ethnic and religious has been being misused by the regime of Burma that caused 100s of violence against humanity throughout Burma. After 2nd World War, communal conflicts in the World took place known as Cold War which caused lost of millions of lives. Following the 9-11 terrorist attacks, new communal conflicts were systematically conducted by the particular politicians all over the World in the name of “War on Terrorism”. Myanmar regime took advantages of “War on Terrorism” started Buddhist propaganda by building Dhammaryun (Buddhist preaching house) in every street, every ward, every village and every school. Real road to pea...

By KPN February 12, 2014 Maungdaw, Arakan State : The deputy Judge is extorting money from Rohingya who faced trial in Maungdaw Judge Court, said Halim, Human Rights Watchdog from Maungdaw.  U Than Htun Oo, the deputy judge of Maungdaw judge court used his power in trials to extort money from Rohingya who case was hearing under his supervise, starting 500,000 kyat to 1000,000 kyat depended on the person, the watchdog said. U Than Htun Oo used his power when a case was able to bill or dismiss – release temporarily (by a court of law) and unconditionally release- but he used the law to extort money from person, saying he will send him to jail and sends his assistant to negotiate for demand money to release, said Anno, a victim of the Judge. The judge also issued trial date very near which harmed the people didn’t able to prepare for next date trial and asking money  for day long time,  Anno, more said. Recently, the judge extorted 1000,000 kyat fr...

Basara IDP camp near Sittway, Myanmar. Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2013. Recent tension in Myanmar have forced thousands of ethnic Rohingya Muslims into makeshift camps.  © David Longstreath/IRIN  By  IRIN News February  13, 2014 SITTWE, 13 February 2014 (IRIN) - More than 170,000 people remain displaced and in need in Myanmar’s western Rakhine State after two rounds of inter-communal violence between Buddhist ethnic Rakhine and Muslim Rohingya communities in 2012. The vast majority - 138,000 - are Rohingya, while close to 5,000 are ethnic Rakhine. Another 36,000 people are living in 113 isolated villages, with minimal access to livelihoods and basic services.   View slideshow According to government figures, a total of 167 people were killed in the violence (78 in June and 89 in October), while 223 were injured (87 in June and 136 in October), and more than 10,000 buildings and homes were damaged or destroyed. IRIN visited two camps for ...