Myanmar’s Rohingya See Little Benefit from New Citizenship Effort ------------------------------------- Pilot Program Grants Identification Cards, But Fears of Violence Keep People Trapped in Camps MYEBON, Myanmar — Sitting in a small rattan shack, Aye Khaing holds out her most-valued new possession: a pink identification card, indicating she is a full citizen of this country after years of statelessness. Ms. Aye Khaing is one of 40 ethnic Rohingya in the area who now—in theory—have the ability to move freely around Myanmar, attend university, hold political office and enjoy other rights that were once a distant dream for the country’s long-suffering Muslim minority. Yet more than two months since receiving her citizenship, Ms. Aye Khaing and others in the pilot program haven’t been allowed to leave the squalid displaced-persons camp they have called home since religious violence broke out in Myanmar two years ago. Border guards and police, perched on watchtowers above, say that it is too dangerous for them to exit, and that they must keep the Rohingya Muslims in camps to maintain the area’s security. “It is like I am under house arrest,” said Ms. Aye Khaing. Myanmar’s government is experimenting with an unprecedented program to grant citizenship to some Rohingya, among the world’s most-oppressed minority groups. The effort is designed to resolve bitter divisions over the more than one million Rohingya—deeply unpopular among Myanmar’s Buddhist majority—that have threatened to destabilize Myanmar in recent years and poisoned its relations with Western governments. But the process is already running aground as local opposition spreads. A 15-minute motorcycle ride from the camp where Ms. Aye Khaing resides, members of the Arakan Women’s Network, a Buddhist-rights group, has held protests with placards warning “No Rohingya in Our Land.” Many Buddhists also refused to leave their homes in protest on the day the first Rohingya got their citizenship cards in September, shutting schools and businesses. “We cannot accept [them] as citizens,” said Khin Thein, founder of the Arakan Women’s group, which formed in the wake of the 2012 riots that pitted Buddhists against Muslims. A friend of hers, chiming in, said he would kill any Muslim he sees on the street—then, with a laugh, added that he was “just kidding.” The impasse has forced the government to suspend the project—introduced so far only in the Myebon camp—until security improves. Some critics are questioning the government’s sincerity—and whether it has the capacity to protect Rohingya if the program expands. Some Rohingya are losing hope entirely, with record numbers fleeing the country by boat in hopes of finding better conditions elsewhere. Win Myaing, a spokesman in Rakhine state, where most Rohingya live, said officials were increasing security in the area but added that it is “difficult to say” when so-called citizenship verification will restart. The question over what to do with Myanmar’s Rohingya has simmered for years since large numbers migrated to the country from South Asia during British colonial rule. Many Buddhists consider Rohingya Muslims as illegal immigrants who get a disproportionate share of goodwill and aid from the international community. Rohingya say they have been living there for generations and deserve better treatment. Divisions exploded into the open with the end of Myanmar’s military regime several years ago. Anti-Rohingya violence left at least 160 dead and displaced more than 140,000 Rohingya from their homes, leaving them dependent on international aid in camps like the one where Ms. Aye Khaing lives. Their growing desperation has prompted stern warnings from Western officials, including President Barack Obama during a visit to Myanmar in November. Aung Lwin, a Rohingya, said Rakhine state’s chief minister and other senior officials have visited several times in the past six months, each time stressing they will prioritize citizenship claims. But he said the new documents are meaningless until the government can assure their safety and let them leave their camp. “They have lied to us,” he said, surrounded by dozens of Rohingya, nodding in agreement. source : The Wall Street Journal
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 15:50:25 +0000
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