The Stateless Rohingya Blog

By KPN News July 03, 2014 Buthidaung, Arakan State : Immigration officer from Buthidaung check-post at entry and exit point had sent eight Rohingyas to jail since last week, said Hamidullah, a driver who has been plying Maungdaw-Buthidaung route.The immigration officer arrested 29 Rohingyas who travelled with White Card to see their relatives at Buthidaung jail, 21 persons were released after taking kyat 500,000 per each and another eight persons -not able to pay the money- were sent to jail and their trial is going on, said Halim, a Human Rights Watchdog from Maungdaw. Besides, the immigration officers from Maungdaw exit and entry point at four miles gate are taking 1000 kyat who didn’t show “Form 4”, and issuing a token for travelling to Buthidaung. But, last week, the Buthidaung officer didn’t accept the token and arrested 29 Rohingyas with tokens, Halim said. The Rohingya community from Maungdaw and Buthidaung under Maungdaw district need to obtain “Form 4” to tra...

July 3, 2014 Burma: Outbreak of Religious Violence and Hate Speech Must Be Stopped United to End Genocide Warns of Genocide if Provocations and Violence are Allowed to Continue United to End Genocide today called on President Obama and other government leaders of the world to denounce the outbreak of hate speech and violence in Mandalay Burma and make it clear that the government of Burma will be held fully accountable for how it responds. “We are deeply disturbed by the outbreak of inter-religious violence being fueled by rumor and hate-speech in Mandalay Burma and reports that police are failing to protect Muslims who are being targeted by Buddhist mobs”, said Tom Andrews, President of United to End Genocide. “This is how mass atrocities happen and how genocide is fueled. It is critical that officials in Burma understand that the world is watching closely. The government has a fundamental responsibility to protect those who are under attack and threatened with ...

Chief Superintendent Zaw Min Oo talks to the media during a news conference about riots in Mandalay July 2, 2014. Myanmar police fired rubber bullets on Wednesday to disperse crowds of Buddhists and Muslims facing off in the streets of Mandalay, the country's second-largest city, police said. (Photo: Reuters/Stringer) By   Jared Ferrie and Aung Hla Tun Reuters July 2, 2014 Myanmar  police fired rubber bullets on Wednesday to disperse crowds of Buddhists and Muslims facing off in the second-largest city of Mandalay, police said, in the latest outbreak of trouble in two years of sectarian unrest.  Police deployed more than 600 officers after a crowd of about 300 Buddhists including 30 monks began throwing stones near a tea shop owned by a Muslim man at 11 p.m. (1630 GMT) on Tuesday, according to a statement released by Mandalay police. "One policeman, three Buddhists and one Muslim were injured by stones in the incident," the statement said. "Two...

Maungdaw,  Arakan State:  The essential commodities, mainly those which are used in preparation of iftar (fasting breaking) items are being sold at high prices in Maungdaw just from the beginning of the holy Ramadan (fasting month) which started on June 30, said Khala, a trader from Maundaw Town.  One of our correspondents said that the holy month of Ramadan began in Maungdaw with the hike in the prices of Iftar items. Sham Shu, a customer also said that the traders decrease the supply to sell it for high profit during Ramadan. Traders attributed the price rise to low supply and high demand of vegetables in the local markets. A poor villager named Kurshid said that Ramadan is for the rich, as prices of essentials go beyond their purchasing capacity. The marginal income groups, service holders of fixed income groups have to face untold sufferings for price hike of ingredients of iftar and other essentials in holy Ramadan. The advent of the holy month of Ramada...

United States Ambassador to Burma Derek Mitchell, Major General Anthony Crutchfield, and Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labour Tom Malinowski at the US Embassy in Rangoon on 28 June, 2014. (PHOTO: DVB) By Feliz Solomon Democratic Voice of Burma June 30, 2014 A delegation of senior officials from the United States has left Burma with the message that “it is time to engage” the country’s military. Speaking to reporters in Rangoon on Saturday, Tom Malinowski, assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labour, said that the  US is preparing for “cautious” engagement, which could include non-combat training. “The purpose of this engagement, the sole purpose, was and is to speak to the military about the importance of human rights, the rule of law and civilian control,” Malinowski said. He added that “there is the potential for a deeper partnership, even a full partnership, in the future.” The assistant secretary led a week-long de...

150,000 Rohingya IDP (internally displaced people) are currently imprisoned in refugee camps outside of Sittwe in Rakhine State in Western Myanmar.Getty Images By : Ludovica Iaccino Source :  http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/ While many of the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims are preparing to celebrate Ramadan, the month of fasting, there are some who will not be free to acknowledge the most sacred month of the Islamic calendar. IBTimes UK  looks at some of the countries where Muslims are persecuted for their beliefs and also looks back at examples of persecution of Muslims throughout history. Muslims are currently persecuted in: Myanmar The Rohingya are a Muslim minority, originally from Bangladesh, who live in the predominantly Buddhist of Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) . Buddhist extremists refuse to acknowledge the Rohingya and claim they are Bengalis who belong in neighbouring Bangladesh. A New York Times  short documentary  b...

  (Photo: Anurup Kanti Das) By Ananta Yusuf The Daily Star June 27, 2014 The Star explores the history and the origins of the Rohingya community in this week's issue “Our rooftop was filled with dried food The pasture was filled with harvest and chillies We came to Bangladesh leaving behind what we have Thought Muslims will embrace us with care and love How hard we tried to live in Burma, How long we've waited to go back Now memories floated adrift when we look back to the east….” (translated from a Rohingya song) Ayesha Begum (not her real name), a middle aged Rohingya refugee, was singing this Tarana (a form of folk song) on the sea beach of Shamlapur, Cox's Bazar. Time has passed her by all that remains are frustration and insecurity for her life. There is a misconception that Rohingyas do not have their own identity, history and culture. The mainstream media, researchers and political institutions of Myanmar have always tried to ...