Date: 11 November 2014. To, The most Reverend Leaders of Southeast Asian Nations. Sub: Appealing for the Justice and Rights of most persecuted Rohingya. You’re Excellencies, I on behalf of the former Camp Management Committee (CMC) Chairman or leader of Nayapara Rohingya Refugees camp No. 01 and No. 02 in Bangladesh under the supervision of GOB UN, UNHCR, European Commission, USA, UK, Australia, Japan, IKEA Foundation, NGOs, etc and beg to approach you with the prayer and hope that you would be kind enough to take into account as mentioned-above sympathetically. I would like to Heartfelt thanks on behalf of all most persecuted, vulnerable, and helpless Rohingyas from home and abroad to the most honored Southeast Asian Leaders for their efforts to stop, to end the persecutions, Genocide and to find a political and peaceful solution of the Rohingyas. I’m extremely sorry to disclose some real facts according to past and current situation of Myanmar that, although your unlimited efforts, attempts and pressure still the government of Myanmar is stick to its earlier stance regarding Rohingyas. According to my opinion behind the object and reason of persecutions and harassment of all kinds by the Myanmar government on Rohingyas is to uproot the Rohingyas from their native and ancestral land of Arakan. The government of Myanmar ant its Rakhine Community become habit to plot and hatch conspiracies with various tactics, false accusations and fabricated in formations against Rohingyas and to tarnish the image of Rohingyas in the face of World. And also the government of Myanmar always encourages, instigate and act in favor of its blood thirsty and blind Rakhine people to implement and to success with its master plan and ill policies against Rohingyas. The untold inhuman crimes and brutal acts on Rohingyas are going on. I mean according to my knowledge and experience in every 24 hours the government and racist Rakhine people randomly violating Human rights and International Laws according to their wish where the true International Medias are under coup and have no access to perform their duties. The government of Myanmar often compelled itself to take the name of Democracy, Rule of Laws and equal rights at international Conferences but when returned completely forgot and broken the promise. I think the government of Myanmar will try to do any kinds of political violence before the upcoming or in the General Election of 2015 according to its previous trick with the World. I’m extremely sad to express that, still some countries are fueling and in deep relation with the Human rights violating government of Myanmar for their bilateral interests and relations where there is no indication of Democracy and peace. Shame on those Medias and human enemies which and who are directly blaming, defaming and acting with false accusations and fabricated in formations in favor of Human Rights Violators against immaculate Rohingyas without any proof. From 8th June and 21th October 2012, state sanctioned organized killings of the Rohingya Muslims were carried out in Arakan with the direct involvement of the government’s police, soldiers and security forces respectively. Rakhine Nationalities Development Party (RNDP) with the Arakan state government was the main mastermind of the pogrom while Buddhists monks took the lead. The State capital Sittwe (Akyab) and the townships of Maungdaw, Rathedaung, Kyauktaw, Minbya, Mrauk-U, Pauktaw, Myebon, Sandoway, Kyaukpyu, Rambree, were seriously affected. Over 5,000 Rohingya and Kaman Muslims have been killed, drowned and missing; Many Muslim villages with thousands of homes have been destroyed; hundreds of women have been raped; and more than 1,40,0000 people internally displace (IDP). People have been forced to flee their homes. Starvation, diseases and malnutrition are widespread daily causing deaths in villages and under open sky and also in overcrowded displacement camps with squalid living condition, totally inadequate water and sanitation, and almost no education available. Rakhine Buddhists and monks have blocked the flow of foods, essentials and medical supplies, and they even block aid workers and humanitarian agencies from reaching Rohingyas. A system of neo-apartheid is being practiced forcing the Rohingyas to live in the current situation of segregation outside of the town in Sittwe. This is a case of genocide. Present Thein Sein government is responsible for the carnage and he declared that mass deportation of the Rohingyas is the only solution. Burma opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is uncharacteristically silent on the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingyas and messed up the situation with false statement that illegal immigration from Bangladesh was still going on. This cowardly act was at once rebutted by Bangladesh government. If Rakhine Buddhists were in the situation of Rohingyas she would definitely speak out. That’s why the OIC Secretary-General EkmeleddinIhsanoglu rightly said in Brunei, she is only interested in the human rights of the Buddhists because they are human beings and the Muslims are not,’’ As the Rohingyas are oppressed by everyone in Burma’, on 19th November 2012, US President His Excellency Barak Obama told the assembled dignitaries in Rangoon University Convocation Hall the Rohingya should have basic human rights saying, The Rohingya hold within themselves the same dignity as you do and I do.’’ According to Prof. William Schabas, one of the foremost experts on International Criminal Law and the former President of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, ‘’ We’re moving into a zone where the word (genocide) can be used ( in the case of the Rohingya). When you see measures preventing birth, trying to deny the identity of the people, hoping to see that they really are eventually, that they no longer exist, denying their history, denying the legitimacy of the right to live where they live, these are all warning signs that mean that it’s not frivolous to envisage the use of the term genocide.’’ Rohingya problem is ‘religious, political and ethnic persecution’ to rid Arakan of the Muslim population. Since 1942 Muslim-massacre in Arakan more than 1.5 million Rohingya have been expelled or have escaped persecution to Bangladesh and other countries. Under extreme situation, we have become desperate to take dangerous voyages towards Southeast Asian countries in search of protection and, over the years, many hundreds of Rohingyas boat people drowned and became fish-feed of the hungry sharks. The United Nations has described Rohingya as ‘one of the most persecuted peoples of the World. What is happening today against the Rohingya Muslims in Arakan is identical to what happened in Bosnia in the early 1990s against the Bosnian Muslims. Given the ‘hostile attitude and policy of extermination’ of the Burmese government and ‘intimidating attitude and policy of estrangement and exclusion’ of the Buddhists Rakhine towards Rohingya a ‘’Rohingya Autonomous State under the federal Union of Burma’’ in our traditional Homeland in north Arakan is imperative for the existence with dignity and future of the Rohingyas people and our succeeding generations. There has not been any change in Rohingya’s human rights and political issues in the Rohingya’s areas although; many promises were made by the Myanmar government with the World leaders. It was not a new massacre or killing against the immaculate Rohingyas and those kinds of killings have been happening against the Rohingya for many years with the cooperation of Myanmar government by the Rakhine terrorists. In the massacre of 1942, almost 1, 00000 Rohingyas were killed according to our Rohingya leaders. There are again newly begun from the 3th and 8th June the secret killing at death of night to Rohingyas, raping to Rohingyas women, extortion, forced lab our, false cases, looting, destroying the properties, land confiscation, locking and breaking the holy mosques and religious schools, restriction of movement, marriage, livelihood, arbitrary arrests etc; against Rohingyas in Arakan state of Myanmar by the government forces and Rakhine terrorists. The movement and living of 8, Lakhs Rohingyas in Arakan state is become very serious since the Massacre of 3th and 8th June 2012 and situations in the Myanmar’s refugee camp become extremely dire and deteriorating day by day. Rohingyas were used and using as slaves by the Myanmar government. No.01. Master Plan of Myanmar government to annihilate the Rohingyas from the soil of Arakan state and to deprive from citizenship rights. No.02. Policy of Myanmar government is to deprive the educational rights of Rohingyas and the Myanmar government has many kinds of policies and planning regarding the annihilation and elimination of Rohingyas. The persecuted or intolerable Rohingyas are peace loving people and they respect Human Rights laws but they are compelled by the government of Myanmar and Rakhine terrorists to struggling for stay alive. Now the Myanmar government says that Rohingyas are illegal migrants and they are from Bangladesh. Legal Background Before independence, there were not any law defining the rights and duty of citizens and foreigners. So around independence period Myanmar government had enacted a lot of acts and rules to restrict the coming and settlement of foreigners in Myanmar. To mention some; 01. Foreigners act of 1864 02. This act was again and enacted in 1940 03. The foreigners registration rule of 1948 04. The Burma Immigration emergency provison act of 1947 05. Burma Immigration detention rule of 1941 06. Burma resident registration act of 1949 07. Burma resident registration rule of 1951 08. Burma Union constitution of 1947 09. Union citizenship act of 1948. Despite all these legal corpuses how illegal foreigners can live in Arakan villages wise. No department until today issued any order or notification to the Rohingyas in Arakan to take FRCs. British government also recognized Rohingyas as natives. Rohingyas were allowed to represent in British government Council as natives not as Indians. The nation’s independent Hero or Father Bogyoke Aung San too allowed Rohingyas to represent in his Constituent Assembly of 1946. Then after independence from 1950 to 1990 in each and every parliamentary election Rohingyas got the rights to elect and to be elected. At the last democratically elected parliament in the 1960s, there were at least one Rohingya minister and several Rohingya members of parliament. In 1990 General Election of Myanmar, 04 Rohingya parliament members were elected as well. This is a special rights reserve red only for citizens. Then after more than fifty years how can the Rohingyas be foreigners degraded citizens? Degrading of one’s citizenship is not internationally acceptable. SLORC/SPDC government has deliberately created Rohingyas citizenship issue as a great dilemma, formally Rohingyas got public jobs, enjoyed social security, obtain Myanmar passport, Rohingyas children got access to vocational education. Rohingya villages were provided with schools and hospitals. Rohingyas could participate in local administration council too. But today, Rohingyas are treating as aliens or foreigners. The interpretation of 1982, citizenship law, deprives of Rohingyas citizenship rights. SLORC/SPDC government brings forth issue of so-called 135 indigenous races of Myanmar. Which exclude Rohingyas? In fact, according Myanmar law, the list of the indigenous races should be ratified by parliament. Until now no parliament has ever issued any decision or decree concerning the indigenous races. The most remarkable thing is the NRCs in Myanmar, under residence registries rule of 1951 were issued only to the citizens. Foreigners can’t be registered under section 35 of the said rule. Most noteworthy thing is that the first town in the Union to issue NRC was Maungdaw in Northern Arakan state. Teams of immigration and manpower registration department got down to the grassroots villages to register the people and issued NRCs to Rohingyas. So Rohingyas accusation of today that, Rohingyas got NRCs by fraud and bribery is an act of ulterior motive. Rohingyas of Myanmar’s Arakan state are the most unfortunate people on the earth. Although Rohingya is one of the indigenous ethnic race of Myanmar and are the children of Arakan’ soil, Rohingyas are victims of everlasting persecution by the Burmese military regime. Rohingyas are not equal before the law in Myanmar. In Myanmar license is needed to slaughter goats and cattle etc; but no license is gained to kill a Rohingya. If any elephant or tiger is died in the forest, then the authorities take action against innocent nearby Rohingyas villagers. Whether Rohingyas commit it or not. If the authority kills an immaculate Rohingya then there is no action at all. Means: Rohingyas has less right than four-footed. In fact Rohingyas are treating worse than beasts and animals. Even the basic human rights i.e. right to live with dignity and respect has been taken away from Rohingyas by the Myanmar government and Rakhine terrorists. The Rohingyas have been facing so many kinds of inhuman torture, strict restriction of movement, denial of Rohingyas citizenship, restrictions on religious activities, restriction on Rohingyas economy, trade and business, restriction to the education of Rohingyas children. Rohingyas are subordinated to forced labour, forced relocation, confiscation of Rohingyas properties, summary execution, mass killing, rape and molestation of women folk, insulting of their revered ones; in so much as Rohingyas had to leave hearths and homes leaving behind all the properties. The UNHCR is empowered by UN General Assembly to do for the best and better of stateless people, to work to decrease the statelessness. The MOU of UNHCR with Myanmar has clauses for free movement and issuance of National Identity cards. Where is freedom of movement now for Rohingyas in Arakan state? Where are Rohingyas civil rights? Where are Rohingyas economic rights? Presently Rohingyas are just in a cell camp. Northern Arakan state is nothing more than a concentration camp for Rohingyas. Rohingyas movement even from village to village is restricted. All income sources of livelihood are blocked up. Schools are de-staffed. Rohingyas are rudely treated in hospitals, courts etc; Lands are confiscating. Students are not allowed to go to their institutions, which are mostly in Myanmar proper. About 99% of essential foodstuff has been banned since 8th June massacre not to flow Maungdaw and Buthi Dawng regions so as to starve to death the Rohingyas and leave their ancestral homeland Arakan. UNHCR office in Arakan knows it well. But still today no crucial step has been taken by UNHCR to restore Rohingyas basic rights. If it can’t solve Rohingyas long-standing issue it should take it up to higher organ of the UN. I believe Rohingyas in great dilemma. Rohingyas are in a predicament now. Our case is deserved to be carried up to the table of Secretary General and UN Security Council. So finally solemnly implore to the respectable leaders of the world and personalities of UNHCR to take long-term step to solve the long-standing issue of Rohingyas. UNHCR, EU and OIC are last resort of hope for Rohingyas. I expect Rohingyas will get the light of secure life and peaceful long-term solution through UNHCR, EU, and world’s respectable leaders. I mean World leaders already understood the motive of Myanmar’s military regime and it’s Rakhine Community. Root Causes of the Rohingya Refugees The Rohingya, who have been living with distinct socio-cultural entity, are not tolerated in Burma, and they have long been oppressed and persecuted in a planned way in order to form the Arakan into a purely Burmanized Buddhist Arakan. Apparently, the successive military government of Burma with the aid of ultra racist Rakhine (Magh) have been pursuing the policies of de-Muslimization and Burmanization in Arakan applying various kinds of inhuman policies to drive them out from the soil of Arakan. Indeed it is a problem of religious intolerance and political persecution and is a systematic eradication of an ethnic Muslim minority from their ancestral land; periodically, armed operations were conducted against unarmed Rohingya civilians since her independence on Jan 4th 1948. The armed operations against Rohingyas. 01. Military Operation (5th Burma Regiment) November 1948 02. Burma Territorial Force (BTF) Operation 1949-50 03. Military Operation (2nd Emergency Chin regiment) March 1951-52 04. Mayu Operation October 1952-53 05. Mone-thone Operation October 1954 06. Combined Immigration and Army Operation January 1955 07. Union Military Police (UMP) Operation 1955-58 08. Captain Htin Kyaw Operation 1959 09. Shwe Kyi Operation October 1966 10. Kyi Gan Operation October-December 1966 11. Ngazinka Operation 1967-69 12. Myat Mon Operation February 1969-71 13. Major Aung than Operation 1973 14. Sabe Operation February 1974-78 15. Nagamin Operation February 1978-79 16. Shwe Hintha Operation August 1978-80 17. Galone Operation 1979 18. Pyi Thaya Operation 1991-92 19. Na-Sa-Ka Operation (presently going on) 1992 Out of 19 operations, 18 were carried out within 43 (1948-1991) years time, it means every 2 ½ years there was one operation for Rohingya. Obviously, Rohingyas are constantly and gradually migrated to Bangladesh, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, United Arabs Emirate, Thailand and Malaysia to escape from the persecution. However, the junta and the racist Rakhine (Magh) are still not satisfied and the Na-Sa-Ka operation was started in 1992. The Na-Sa-Ka Operation (1992-presently going on) It was the longest and the worst ever operation in the history of Rohingya. It was a new extermination design, with long-term plans and programmes under the command of ex- Lt. Gen. Khin Nyunt, the Chief of the Directorate of the Defence Service Intelligence (DDSI) and the Secretary No. 1 of the SPDC then. Through this operation, the Rohingyas are made educationally backward, economically crippled, socially and culturally de-generated. Many mosques have been destroyed and closed down. Arbitrary killing, confiscation of land, forced labours, forced relocation, forced ration collection for army, extortion of money and raping of women are the tactics used in this operation. The Citizenship Law of 1982 1982 Burma citizenship law (Pyithu Hluttaw law No.1982-87) supersedes the 1948 Constitution Nationality Laws. According to the 982 law, there are citizens, associate citizens, and naturalized citizens. Under this law, citizens by birth are Kachin, Kayah, Karen, and Chin, Burman, Mon, Rakhine and Shan ethnic groups. The new citizenship law was purposely formulated to target the Rohingya Muslims and denying their rights to nationality and thus rendered them to the status of stateless people. This particular law will continue to create outflow of refugees which overburden other countries and create threats to peace and tranquillity within the region. The Rohingya problem is a man-made tragedy recurring in cycle. The neighbouring countries, particularly Bangladesh, are over burdened with the Rohingya influxes. It creates regional instability posing serious threat to the world peace. Racial and religious intolerance. The present situation of the Rohingyas are the result of join oppressions by the ultra-racist Rakhine and Burmese military government through forcible expulsion from their homeland by means of persecution, genocidal massacres, torture and harassment in the most inhuman manner. According to histories, Arakan was illegally occupied by the king Bodaw Paya in 1784. How long will the Rohingyas endure and suffer? Rohingyas have been in great hardship situations and become political football between Myanmar and Bangladesh for many decades. 65, Years under discrimination, various types of harassment, tortures, persecutions and repression etc; ‘’The Rohingyas’’ over two decades of Refugee life in Bangladesh since 1992 to 2014 ‘’The Rohingyas’’ So, this time we don’t want to go back empty handed and without our trial and rights. Almost 30,000, Rohingya refugees are waiting for a new life of their children and they are not allowed to exercise and enjoy their Rights of refugees according the law of UN Geneva Convention nor them agreeing to recognize as citizens by the Myanmar government. Unknown to IC and World, According to our parents Rohingyas became refugee 5 to 7 times in Bangladesh. The IC and world knew only about the 1942, 1978 and 1992. According to IC and world Rohingyas had become refugee three times, portions of them had been repatriated to Arakan, through bilateral repatriation agreement between Rangoon and Dhaka in 1978 and 1992, but it does not provided adequate safeguards to the refugees upon their return and yet their problem still remains unsolved and pending. Sad to mentioned that, in both agreements (1978 and 1992), the refugees were not accepted as citizens of Burma, instead, the technical word Myanmar residents was used. Apparently, the Rohingyas were fallen prey again and again to the atrocities of the junta and its Rakhine terrorists. I’m very grateful to Bangladesh and its people for sheltered and co-operating the Rohingyas for decades. Bangladesh is a densely populated famine and minute country in the world so; we don’t want to create trouble for the people of Bangladesh. Pre-requisites for repatriation There must be Rohingyas or Community leaders of refugees in the agreements. 1. Recognize Rohingya as an indigenous ethnic minority of Myanmar and issue full Citizenship ID, Cards. 2. Must guarantee the safety and full protection of the returnees upon their return to Arakan (Burma). 3. Honor our rights to be rehabilitated in our respective original places and villages. 4. Return all the confiscated properties and lands of the returnees. 5. To give assurance for religious freedom and rights of movement. 6. To give access for higher education and to provide enough Medical facilities. Religious, Madarasa / University, mosques, graveyard, banking, economical and marriage facilities etc.... 7. Ensure equal rights, political rights, employment’s rights according to his/her qualification like other indigenous ethnic group of Burma. 8. stop human rights violation, racial stubborn discrimination, religious discrimination extortions, force labor and arbitrary arrest etc especially on Rohingyas. 9. To allow performing of religious celebration and renovate our confiscated mosques without any preventions. 10. Thousands of Thanks and appreciation to Govt. of Bangladesh that we are cooperated to stay in Bangladesh for over two decades, it is a small and over populated Country. So we would not like to be any more burdens with such critical Refugee life. 11. Must be existed UN office on Human rights Watch. With full power as per p-s wise and district wise especially on Rohingyas dominated areas. 12. Hand over the power to novel Laureate Dow Aung Sein Suu Kyi We urge for a legal durable solution according to 1951 convention and 1967 protocol as well as international law. I’m/ we are seeking your legal collaboration, assistance and support for our legal battle of Justice and Rights and hope that you will kindly and deeply take into account according to above-mentioned subject. Your sincerely, Camp Management Committee (CMC’s) Chairman or Leader: Name: Mohammed Islam, MRC# 00309, Shed No.975, Room No. 06, Block, E. Nayapara Rohingya Refugees Camp Bangladesh. Email: islam00309@ovi
Posted on: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 16:33:02 +0000
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