BURMESE ROHINGYA AMERICAN FRIENDSHIP ASSOCIATION (BRAFA)
4818 South 14th Street, Milwaukee Wisconsin 53221, USA
Tel: (414) 736 4273, (414) 306 1751, Fax: (414) 817 0656
E-mail: contactinfo.brafa@yahoo.com, http://www.brafausa.blogspot.com/
A Presentation at the Milwaukee Turkish Muslim Center on 12/29/2012
Dear respected brothers, Assalamualaikum Wr. Wbr.
I
would like to thank all brothers who are attended at this gathering
today for inviting me to give a paper presentation on the current
situation of Arakan Muslim population in Burma.
Before
going to submit my presentation on the situation of suffering Arakan
Muslim people, I want to introduce all of you about myself and our
organization that is called “The Burmese Rohingya American Friendship
Association. My name is Shaukhat (aka) MSK Jilani and currently, I am
serving the duty as a Chairman in the Burmese Rohingya American
Friendship Association.
For
your information, the Burmese Rohingya American Friendship Association
(BRAFA) is a non-profit community based organization in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin State and it was recently formed by the Burmese Rohingya
residents and American citizens living in the whole Milwaukee area to
advocate the suffering cause of ethnic Rohingya minority people of
Arakan with a peaceful and non-violent diplomatic means to create
awareness on the plights of Burmese Rohingya people and other suffering
minorities and as well as to restore fundamental human rights of
Rohingya ethnic people in Burma.
Today,
the Arakan Muslims especially the Rohingya people are the worst victims
of a pre-planned massacre, genocide, ethnic cleansing and massive human
rights violations at the hands of Burmese government security forces
with the active coordination and collaboration of extremist, racist and
xenophobic Rakhine Buddhist people led by the Buddhist Rakhine National
political forces, Rakhine academicians and intellectuals, Buddhist
monks, etc.
Arakan
Muslim known as Rohingyas has historical and constitutional roots in
Burma. Burma is a large and strategically placed country located between
South Asia and South East Asia, with an area of about 261,970 square
miles and a population of over 60 million. Burma got independence from
Britain on January 04, 1948 as the “Union of Burma” (Now Myanmar). It
has borders with India, Bangladesh, China, Laos, and Thailand.
Burma
is resourceful, multi-national, multi-cultural and multi-religious
country with nearly 140 ethnic races and Rohingya is one of them.
Currently, Burma has a population of over 60 million of which nearly 8
million are Muslims. Of the Muslim population about 3.5 million (both at
home and abroad) are Muslim Rohingyas. In Burma, the Buddhists are
majority people and the Muslims are the second largest religious
community. Christianity and other religions are also practiced.
(1) What is Rohingya and who are the Rohingya people?
The
word “Rohingya” is derived from Rohang, the ancient name of Arakan.
Arakan is situated on the Burma’s south-western part with bordering
Bangladesh. The Muslims of Arakan are the direct progeny of the early
Muslims. They are the descendants of the Muslim Arabs, Pathans, Moors,
Persians, Turks, Afghans, Mughuls, and Bengalis who came mostly as
traders, warriors and saints through over land and sea-route. Many
settled in Arakan and mixing with the local people developed the present
stock of people known as “Rohingyas”.
Rohingyas
are a nation with distinct culture, civilization, language and
literature of their own and were living in their native land since 8th
century A.D. They have been living in old Arakan kingdom which was
known as Rohang or Roshang from generation to generation with other
fellow countrymen Rakhine Buddhist and tribal people in peace and
harmony. There were no religious or racial problems in Arakan until it
was invaded and occupied by Burmese king Bodaw Maung Waing in 1784.
After the annexation of the independent province of Arakan in 1784 by
the Burmese king, the atrocities, violence, hatred, ethnic cleansing,
discriminatory policies and persecutions against the Arakan Muslim
community basically introduced.
On
March 28, 1942, there was a pogrom and violence attack against the
defenseless Rohingya people instigated by ultra-nationalist Buddhist
Bama Thakin leaders in which more than one hundred Thousand Rohingyas
were killed by the Rakhine Buddhist people. This is a major attack
against the Rohingya people and as a result of 1942 massacre, 307 Muslim
villages were uprooted and had disappeared from the soil of Arakan and
more than 80,000 Muslims fled to Chittagong and Rangpur Refugee camps to
escape Buddhist Burmese and Rakhine’s persecutions.
(2) Burmese Military Operations against Muslim Rohingya Community
Since
independence of Burma in 1948, the Burmese Buddhist Government
authorities carried out the following mentioned 20 major armed
operations against unarmed and defenseless Muslim Rohingya community in
Arakan are:-
- Military Operation (5th Burma Regiment)-November 1948
- Burma Territorial Force (BTF)-Operation 1949-50
- Military Operation (2nd Emergency Chin Regiment)-March 1951-52
- Mayu Operation-October 1952-53
- Mone-Thone Operation-October 1854
- Combined Immigration and Army Operation – January 1955
- Union Military Police (UMP) Operation-1955-58
- Captain Htin Kyaw Operation-1959
- Shwe Kyi Operation-October 1966
- Kyi Gan Operation-October-December 1966
- Ngazinka Operation-1967-69
- Myat Mon Operation-February 1969-71
- Major Aung Tha Operation-1973
- Sabe Operation February-1974-78
- Nga-Min (King Dragon) Operation-February 1978-1979 (Resulting in exodus of some 300,000 Rohingyas to Bangladesh)
- Shwe Hintha Operation-August 1978-80
- Galon Operation-1979
- Pyi Thaya Operation- July 1991-92 (Resulting in exodus of some268,000 Rohingyas to Bangladesh
- Na-Sa-Ka Operation- since 1992 /span>
- Anti-Muslim riot in Sittwe (Akyab)-February 2001/span>
There
are 3.5 million Rohingya people living both inside and outside Burma
(Myanmar). Due to the above mentioned armed operations, wide spread
persecution, prejudice and ethnic cleansing inside Burma, the majority
of the population ( almost 2 million) have been compelled to live in
exile, particularly in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, U.A.E.,
Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. Recently, few thousands Rohingyas were
resettled in US, EU countries, Canada and Australia, and New Zealand
under the refugee resettlement program of UNHCR. Now, there are 1.5
million Rohingyas are left in Burma, an estimated 500 thousand Rohingyas
are living scattered all over Burma and one million still lives in
their ancestral homeland Arakan state which was renamed as Rakhine state
recently by the Burmese
military Government.
(3) Rohingya National identity and Citizenship Status in Burma
Prior to 1962 the Rohingya ethnic community has been recognized as an indigenous ethnic nationality of Burma.
“The
first elected President and founding member of the Union of Burma - U
Sao Shwe Thaike said that “Muslims of Arakan certainly belong to one of
the indigenous races of Burma. In fact, there is no pure indigenous race
in Burma, if they do not belong to indigenous races of Burma, we also
cannot be taken as indigenous races of Burma.”
During
the previous democratic parliamentary rule from 1948 to 1962, Muslim
Rohingyas of Arakan have enjoyed full fledge Burmese citizenship rights.
There have been foreigners’ act and foreigners’ registration rules but,
Rohingyas were not required to register under those acts and rules. The Burma’s Prime
Minister U Nu, Prime Minister U Ba Swe, other ministers and
high-ranking civil and military officials stated that Rohingya people
are like the Shan, Chin, Kachin, Karen, Kayah, Mon, Burman and Rakhine.
They have the same rights and privileges as the other nationals of Burma
regardless of their religious belief or ethnic background.
Besides,
according to 1947 Burma Constitution, 1947 Burmese Residence and
Registration Act, 1948 Burmese citizenship law, and 1974 Burmese
Constitution, Rohingyas are Burmese citizens. Rohingya people have
enjoyed public employment in all level and also obtained Burmese
passports as citizens of Burma. Being an integral part of the Burma
citizenry, Rohingya people had exercised the right of franchise in all
general public elections held in Burma during the later colonial period
from 1935 to 1948, parliamentary democracy rule (1948 – 1962), Ne Win’s
Burma Socialist Program Party (BSPP) period (1974- 1988), 1990
multi-party general election held by the State Law and Order Restoration
Council (SLORC) and finally, the State Peace and Development Council
(SPDC)’s 2010 elections, including its
constitutional referendum held in 2008. In their exercise of franchise,
The Rohingya people elected their representatives to the Legislative
Assembly, to the Constituent Assembly, to the Parliament, to the
People’s Assembly and People’s Councils of different levels.
Rohingyas
representatives were appointed as Cabinet ministers, Parliamentary
Secretaries and in high government positions. As an indigenous race and
community group of Burma, Rohingya had their own political, cultural,
and social organizations as well as they had a program in their own
language in the official Burma Broadcasting Services (BBS) and also
Rohingyas’ participation in the official “ Union Day” celebration in
Burma’s capital, Rangoon, every year.
(4) Revocation of Citizenship Status of Rohingyas in Burma
In
Burma, the ethnic Rohingya community has been systematically deprived
of their national identity and citizenship status after former military
dictator General Ne Win take over the power in March 1962 from the
civilian democratic government. With the promulgation of the most
controversial and discriminatory citizenship law of 1982 which violates
several fundamental principles of customary international law standards,
the Rohingya people who had inhabited in Arakan as early as 788 A.D.,
were now legally considered as non-nationals or illegal immigrants in
their own country-Burma. In spite of their indigenous status recognized
by the previous parliamentary governments, the Rohingyas were not listed
among the so-called 135 ethnic nationalities of the country recorded by
the Burmese Successive military
regimes with an ulterior motive to make them “stateless people” within
the country. Since then, military regime used Rohingya issue as an
instrument to win the hearts of civilian Buddhist people in Arakan
State.
To
restore the rights of citizenship of the Rohingya minority in Burma,
the restrictive and controversial 1982 Burma citizenship law which
offends the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) should be
repealed immediately, and replaced with a new law founded on basic
principles of human rights. The new law should honor equality and
non-discrimination, and help create an inclusive and tolerant Burma.
(5) Recent violence, and genocide against the Arakan Muslims
The
recent eruption of violence, ethnic cleansing and genocide against the
ethnic Rohingya minority and Kaman Muslims in Arakan in June-2012
witnessed the brutal killings of ten Muslim pilgrims who were returning
to Yangon (Rangoon) after the completion of their spiritual services at
Thandwe Township. The ten Muslim pilgrims were killed on June 03, 2012
in the presence of security police and local Burmese government officers
by an armed mob of 300 ethnic Rakhine in Taung Goke Township after the
rape and murder of a Rakhine lady (27 years old) called Ma Thida Htwe in
Kyauk Ni Maw, Rambree Township on May 28, 2012 by three alleged local
Muslim youths. The government arrested the three Muslim youths on the
spot and one committed suicide whilst in police custody according to
police statement. The remaining two
Muslim youths have recently been sentenced to death by military judge
in the court of Kyauk Pru District.
Since
then, Rakhine extremist together with Buddhist monks under the
leadership of Rakhine Nationalities Development Party (RNDP) and Rakhine
Youth Association (Wanthanu Rakhetha Group) began to burning, looting,
destroying, and demolishing of Muslim villages and houses in Akyab
(Sittwe), Ratheydaung, Buthidaung, Maungdaw, Pauktaw, Minbra, Mrohaung, Kyauktaw, Mreybone, Kyaukpru townships in Arakan State.
This
violence is directed against the Rohingyas and Kaman Muslim in Arakan.
The government did nothing to prevent it. The army, police and security
forces have become killer forces. The popular slogan of the Buddhist
Rakhines under the leadership of RNDP (Rakhine Nationalities Development
Party) is “Arakan is for Rakhine Buddhist people. Muslim Rohingya has
no rights to live in Arakan and needed to be kicked out of the country.
“Dr.
Aye Maung, Chairman of Rakhine Nationalities Development Party (RNDP)
and one of the great masterminds who create June-2012 communal violence
in Arakan against the Muslims, said that Rakhine state must be
established like Israel. He issued the statement describing how the
Rohingya must live in separate areas and should be promptly settled in
other countries within a short period.”
In
fact, it is a government sponsored pre-planned massacre, and it is a
state terrorism against unarmed and peaceful living ethnic Rohingya
people. Silent extermination with sporadic killings, arrest, rape,
destruction and extortion continue unabated today.
Unfortunately,
the news media has been quoting the highly controversial government’s
statement giving the number of deaths as few hundreds whereas at least
2,500 Rohingyas were killed and thousands of people disappeared that
were presumably killed. Unknown numbers of Muslim girls and women have
been raped and sexually abused by the Burmese security forces and
Rakhine Buddhist youth, shops and business locations have been looted
and seized by the Arakan State Government agencies, and at the present
moment, more than 135,000 Rohingyas including Kaman Muslims become
refugees and internally displaced persons, about 16,000 Muslim houses
plus 57 mosques from 70 Muslim villages have been burned down and
destroyed across 8 townships in Arakan while the number of injuries of adults and
arbitrary killing of child is uncountable during the attack and ethnic cleansing since the month of June to October 2012.
(6) Crimes against the Rohingyas and present situation
1. Arbitrary arrests, torture, summary execution, custodial killings are rampant,
2. Confiscation of farm lands, uprooting of Muslim settlements, establishment of new Buddhist settlements on evacuated Muslim land,
3. Demolishing, destroying, and burning of mosques, Muslim houses and villages, Islamic religious schools,
4. Confiscation of Muslim owned shops and Business centers,
5. Rape and dishonoring of Muslim women and girls, banning hijab wearing of Muslim women,
6. Restriction
on movement, even from one village to another within the same locality,
on socio-cultural and religious activities, Islamic marriages, trade
and business,
7. Revocation
of citizenship depriving the Rohingya citizenship rights including the
right to seek higher and professional education,
8. Unbearable taxation on all agricultural produces and even on domestic livestock like cattle and goats etc.,
9. Uprooting
of villages and eviction of inmates creating internal refugees or
making them to wander from place to place while causing refugee exodus off and on in to neighboring countries,
10. Issuing notification to the local Buddhist people not to do any business deals with Muslim Rohingyas in Arakan, and including,
11. Creation of artificial famine and forced starvation by blocking the distribution of humanitarian goods and medicines are also counted as crimes against humanity,
The
above mentioned 11 points are crimes against Muslim humanity at present
day by the military government in Arakan-Burma and the extermination
policies towards the Muslims including ethnic cleansing of Arakan
Rohingya Muslim population have been continued effectively while world
Medias and international community leaders keep continuing their role
but still, there is no positive sign have reached for a concrete
solution.
In
order to find a permanent solution for the Arakanese Rohingya
community, the international community, world leaders, ASEAN member
countries, European Union, Muslim World, the US Administration including
the United Nations must effectively engage with Burmese government as
well as putting strong pressure to end the violence and crimes against
ethnic Rohingya and other minorities in Burma.
Final Appeal
In
view all of the above, on behalf of Burmese Rohingya American
Friendship Association (BRAFA), I would like to appeal all brothers, all
American communities to come forward in favor of Rohingya Muslim
population of Arakan-Burma and join with us for the peaceful movement to
save the lives of suffering Muslim humanity from the genocidal actions
of the Burmese Buddhist authorities as well as to advocate
for the rightful citizenship status of Rohingyas in Burma by all
available peaceful means as they are a part and parcel of 1.3 billion
Muslim Ummah around the world.
Thank you very much and Wassalam.
With best wishes,
Shaukhat @ MSK Jilani
Burmese Rohingya American Friendship Association (BRAFA)
Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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