The Stateless Rohingya Blog

By Bangkok Post May 12, 2014 BRUSSELS - European Union foreign ministers agreed Monday to hold regular discussions on human rights issues with Myanmar and help bring the former pariah state into line with international standards.  The bloc has gradually expanded its contacts with Myanmar since the military-backed government began introducing reforms and released opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi after 15 years of house arrest. But Myanmar's human rights record remains a cause for concern, notably over a recent hike in anti-Muslim violence, for the most part directed against the Rohingya Muslim minority group in the Rakhine State. The human rights dialogue with Myanmar will include annual meetings between top diplomats from both sides to discuss "issues of mutual interest related to human rights, democratic principles and the rule of law," the EU wrote in a statement. The agreement also lists 21 benchmarks for Myanmar to meet. These include the ad...

By Ibrahim Shah Burma Times  May 11, 2014 “Appeal to world including ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) for a swift approach without further delay regardless faith and political views to save Rohingya in western Burma from this upcoming disastrous Monsoon.  Monsoon (Rainy season) will start heavily raining from the last portion of May in western Burma.” The Rohingya ethnic minority of Arakan, western Burma, encounters several catastrophes which are yet not faced by any other people of this earth planet. Initially, Rohingya was made ineligible to citizens of Burma by the 1982 Burma citizenship law, a discriminatory Act, prescribed by Dictator Ne Win  and eliminated them from Burma census 1983. Afterwards, they became non-citizens of Burma. Rohingya people have been facing unimaginable humankind-made catastrophes in numerous ways increasingly since amidst 2012. The brutal Burmese rulers imposed double standard policies.  Officially, R...

By Sarah Naeem Uddin  Centre Daily Times May 10, 2014 In many places in the world, little understanding, cooperation or compassion exists between faith groups. This month’s essay describes one of these places. Here in Centre County, Interfaith Initiative works “to foster compassion, charity and goodwill, and build a healthy interfaith community by promoting respect, understanding, cooperation and friendship among Centre County’s faith communities and their individual members.” Sarah Malone, IICC convener There are as many as 135 ethnic groups in Burma — the Kachin and Karen in the east and the Rohingya in the western state of Arakan, for example. Some of these groups face ethnic cleansing and persecution. The Rohingya, who compose only 4 percent of Burma’s population, are an ethnic Muslim minority from the state of Arakan in Burma, a predominantly Buddhist nation. The Rohingya are regarded by the United Nations as the most persecuted people in the world. Social e...

Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron greets the President of Myanmar Thein Sein in Downing Street, central London on July 15, 2013. By Mark Farmaner Huffington Post Director at Burma Campaign UK. It's a scenario used in endless Hollywood romantic comedies, and many of us will have had a friend in the same situation. Girl meets boy, or boy meets girl, falls hopelessly in love‎, but the friends say he/she isn't what they pretend to be, and don't approve. The friends get ignored, but their new love can't keep up the charade for ever, and their true nature starts to reveal itself. The girl/boy tries to convince themselves nothing is wrong, and put on a brave face to their friends, but deep inside, the doubts creep in. ‎This is pretty much the stage the British government has reached with President Thein Sein of Burma. Make no mistake, they are still doe-eyed, but deep inside, there are doubts, especially following events of the past four months. Pol...

By Associated Press May 09, 2014 WASHINGTON: The US House of Representatives has called on Myanmar to end persecution of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities, in the stiffest congressional criticism yet of the nation’s reformist government. The House approved the resolution late Wednesday after debating the plight of the 140,000 Rohingyas displaced during clashes with majority Buddhists in western Myanmar. Lawmakers of both parties were strongly critical of the Myanmar government. Republican Rep. Ed Royce accused Myanmar of systematically denying the Rohingya basic of human rights, while subjecting them to “unspeakable abuses.” Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern said Rohingya were now dying of preventable causes because severe restrictions and attacks had forced humanitarian groups out of the region. The resolution does not sanction Myanmar, which denies discriminating against Muslims. Meanwhile, Myanmar deported an Australian journalist working for the ne...

By  Burma Times May 09, 2014 Swedish Parliament holds a hearing in the parliament on 8 th  May afternoon. The hearing was hosted by Mehmet Kaplan from the Green Party .The hearing was organised by Swedish Burma committee, civil rights defender, Swedish Rohingya Association, Olof Palme International Centre and Swedish Muslim for Peace and Justice. More than 60  people attended at the hearing including Member Parliament Roger Hadad, from The Liberal Party, members from NGOs, Journalists and Medias from Sweden  and Burmese  refugee from Stockholm. The speakers are Abul Kalam, (Head of Swedish Rohingya Association) , Ms Brittis Edman,( Programme Director of Civil Rights Defenders)  , Tun Khin, (President of Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK) , Ms Shantana –(Swedish Burma Committee ) and Ms Zin Mar Aung (Rangoon based democracy activist). Abul Kalam pinpointed about the census and how it was heavily criticized, which was supported by Swedish gover...

By Munawar Zaman Press TV May 08, 2014 Nizamudin is lawyer by profession but he has been denied credentials back in Myanmar because of being a Muslim. But he, like many others, expresses gratitude to India for giving shelter to people with no identity. At the same time, he urges the Indian government to get involved in their plight. This poor man, himself, is out on the streets to protest against the suffering of Muslims back home. It was a hot summer day as usual but Hundreds of Rohingiya Muslims made their way to India’s protest hub - the Jantar Mantar - where they staged a day long protest against the innocent killings of Muslims back in Myanmar. Most of them see the unrest as an ethnic cleaning backed by the Myanmar government. Many Rohingya Muslims have been killed since clashes began in the western state of Rakhine in Myanmar, and many others are missing or have displaced due to ongoing conflict.Bibi Marium is mother of two children and she calls herself most unfo...