Asean must address Rohingya issue on humanitarian grounds, Surin insists

The Nation

February 4, 2013

The Rohingya immigrant issue is an internal affair of Myanmar, which Asean members should address on humanitarian grounds, former Association of Southeast Asian Nations secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan said yesterday. 

At the root of the problem is the fact that Myanmar's constitution and internal laws do not recognise the Rohingya as citizens, he said. Other groups in Myanmar don't accept the Rohingya, who are based mainly in Rakhine and number about 800,000 in all, he said, adding: "This has to be dealt with gradually, as Myanmar authorities are worried about intervention from the outside world."

"The United Nations has been working on the Rohingya issue, but has to be careful in dealing with it, and Asean needs to address it, especially on humanitarian grounds," he said.

Surin was speaking at a school in Nakhon Si Thammarat run and sponsored by the Pitsuwan family. HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn made a private visit to the Ban Tal pondok school. Surin said the princess had sponsored 14 such schools in the South, including those located in the upper part of the region, where subjects were taught in Thai.

Meanwhile, another 145 Rohingya aboard a Malaysia-bound boat entered Thai waters off the Trang coast yesterday, before they were provided with fresh water and supplies and had their vessel towed out of Thai waters. Two of them are women and there were two children on board.

Marine Police said no arrests were made, because of insufficient shelter that would be needed to house them afterwards. The food supplies provided by the Red Cross included canned fish, omelettes and medical assistance were not provided despite many of them being exhausted and starving, after their fresh water and supplies run out two days ago.

Reporters complained about not being allowed to follow a police boat to cover the provision of supplies. Marine Police claimed that their presence would cause panic among the Rohingya.

Director General of ARU, Dr. Wakar Uddin, meets with Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi

Director General of Arakan Rohingya Union, Dr. Wakar Uddin, and Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi

RB News

February 3, 2013

The Director General of Arakan Rohingya Union, Prof. Dr. Wakar Uddin, met with Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan, Honorable Chaudhary Pervaiz Elahi, and discussed a wide range of political, human right, and humanitarian issues facing Rohingya ethnic minority in Arakan state in Burma/Myanmar. 

Dr. Uddin provided detailed accounts of the recent violence by Buddhist Rakhine against Rohingya ethnic minority in several areas in Arakan, and current status on these issues. Dr. Uddin explained the humanitarian crisis faced by over 120,000 Rohingya IDPs (internally displaced persons) in various camps in Arakan, ranging from health issues, food/water crisis, lack of protection for women in camps, and various problems faced by Rohingya families in many villages. 

“There is ample aid and support for the victims from international communities; however, the aid groups can not get access to all areas for various number of reasons” Dr. Uddin said. “We appeal to Myanmar Government to give the international community free access to all the affected areas, and security for the international teams must be provided by Myanmar Government” Dr. Uddin added. 

Answering questions from the Deputy Prime Minister about the root cause of the problem, Dr. Uddin explained multiple causes ranging from historical perspective, emerging Rakhine racist ideology, to longstanding and contemporary government policies against Rohingya ethnic minority in Arakan. Dr. Uddin also provided details of the mission of Arakan Rohingya Union, and the advances it has made since its formation under the auspices of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in 2011. 

The Deputy Prime Minister told the Director General that his team in Pakistan is well aware of ARU’s diplomatic activities at OIC, United Nations, and in various countries in Europe, Asia, United States, and Canada. The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized the importance of diplomacy and encouraged the Director General to continue ARU’s diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful resolution for Rohingya people in Arakan. The Deputy Prime Minister assured Dr. Uddin that the people of Pakistan will continue to stand by the Rohingyas in their quest for reclaiming their rights in their homeland.

Iranian MPs heading to Myanmar to visit Rohingya Muslims

A senior Iranian legislator says a parliamentary delegation will visit Myanmar in early 2013 to study the situation of the ethnic Rohingya Muslims and violence against the minority in the Southeast Asian country.

"Preliminary agreements have been reached for the visit of the Iranian parliamentary delegation to Myanmar," MP Mansour Haqiqatpour told the Fars News Agency on Saturday.

Haqiqatpour, who is the deputy chairman of the Majlis (parliament) National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, stated that officials of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, the country’s Red Crescent Society (IRCS), and Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) will accompany the Iranian MPs during their visit to Myanmar.

Some 800,000 Rohingyas are deprived of citizenship rights due to the policy of discrimination that has denied them the right of citizenship and made them vulnerable to acts of violence and persecution, expulsion, and displacement.

The Myanmar government has so far refused to extricate the stateless Rohingyas in the western state of Rakhine from their citizenship limbo, despite international pressure to give them a legal status.

Rohingya Muslims have faced torture, neglect, and repression in Myanmar since it achieved independence in 1948.

Hundreds of Rohingyas are believed to have been killed and thousands displaced in recent attacks by Buddhist extremists.

Buddhist extremists frequently attack Rohingyas and have set fire to their homes in several villages in Rakhine. Myanmar Army forces allegedly provided the extremist Buddhists containers of petrol for torching the houses of Muslim villagers, who are then forced to flee.

Myanmar’s government has been accused of failing to protect the Muslim minority.

Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has also come under fire for her stance on the violence. The Nobel Peace laureate has refused to censure the Myanmarese military for its persecution of the Rohingyas.

Rohingyas are said to be Muslim descendants of Persian, Turkish, Bengali, and Pathan origin, who migrated to Myanmar as early as the 8th century.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have issued separate statements, calling on Myanmar to take action to protect the Rohingya Muslim population against extremist Buddhists.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/12/23/279609/iranian-mps-heading-to-myanmar/

"No well behave to Rohingya Refugee in Bangladesh" By Dr Dipu Moni the foreigner minister of Bangladesh.

‎ In a recent Conference, Dr Dipu Moni the foreigner minister of Bangladesh asked to the people of Bangladesh for not to well behave with Rohingya Refugee and resistance the Rohingya entrence. And she also urged to arrest them who are entered by anyhow and push back them. We have our attempting to repatraite them who are registered Rohingya Refugee she added.
But according to internationally accepted durable solutions for Refugees, the hosted country can start voluntary repatriation for Refugees return to their former country of nationality when conditions prevail that allow return in safety and dignity; which is totally impossible and out of imagine for the registered Rohingya Refugee in Bangladesh as the inhuman violence like Genocide, Arson, Rape and Ethnic Cleansing are going on Rohingya Muslim in full swing by the Rakhine Buddhist and Security Forces.

Not only that, the President Thein Sein also announced earlier this communal violence that the responsiblity for the Rohingya will not taken by him. And he ( the President of Myanmar) also requested to the Chief of UNHCR to deport/deportate the Rohingya to Refugee camp and resettle to a third country if any country willing to take them.

In such situation, how the Rohingya Refugee of Bangladesh are possible to go back to their homeland?? Why the Government of Bangladesh try to give salt to wound??

Thailand pushes 200 Rohingya back to sea

From: AAP
January 30, 2013 4:51PM

THAILAND'S navy has blocked more than 200 Rohingya refugees from entering the kingdom as part of a new crackdown on refugees from violence-hit western Myanmar (Burma), officials say.

Thousands of Rohingya - members of a stateless Muslim minority group described by the UN as one of the most persecuted in the world - have fled Myanmar in recent months, mostly believed to be heading for Malaysia.

A Thai navy official in Bangkok said more than 200 Rohingya were found on Tuesday about 40 kilometres off the Thai mainland.

"We took them food and water before pushing them towards a third country," said the official, who did not want to be named, on Wednesday.

Local media said the Rohingya were found near Raja Noi island in the Andaman Sea off Phuket province - a magnet for foreign tourists.

National Security Council secretary-general Paradorn Pattanathabutr told AFP on Monday that Thailand would turn away any more Rohingya boat people who tried to land on its shores.

The tougher stance came after Thai authorities said they were investigating allegations that army officials were involved in the trafficking of Rohingya.

An explosion of tensions between Buddhist and Muslim communities in Myanmar's western state of Rakhine since June 2012 has triggered a huge exodus of Rohingya.

More than 1300 members of the minority group have been detained by Thailand after landing on its shores in recent months.

Officials have said those already in Thailand will be allowed to stay for six months in detention while the government works with the UN refugee agency to find third countries willing to accept them.

Myanmar views its population of roughly 800,000 Rohingya as illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and denies them citizenship.

Oman ready to help Rohingyas

Wednesday, January 30, 2013 Oman_Daily_Observer,
Oman Daily Observer
January 30, 2013

MUSCAT — Omani representatives along with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), world’s top Islamic body, have visited Myanmar’s Rakhine state several times to survey the fallout from deadly attacks on Rohingya Muslims.

“Oman has great concerns” about the humanitarian situation in Rakhine, Oman Charitable Organisation (OCO) chief Ali bin Ibrahim al Raisi, told the Observer in an exclusive interview.

Oman along with the OIC has agreed to provide development projects in the Rakhine state and not just humanitarian aid. The OIC is mobilising efforts to put in place a Special Fund for reconstruction and rehabilitation of Rakhine State.

During a recent OIC fact-finding mission to Myanmar, the OIC signed a memorandum of co-operation with Myanmar to establish a Humanitarian Affairs Office.

“Once OIC starts working in Myanmar, the OCO will launch a campaign in the Sultanate for involving the public in raising funds for Rohingyas,” said Al Raisi.

“Oman is keen to build houses in Myanmar and to invest in sectors such as manufacturing and agriculture so as to generate jobs for the people,” he added.

As part of the OIC, Oman has been in talks with the Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. She has promised to co-operate with the OIC. All Islamic countries are keen to launch programmes in Myanmar for the oppressed Rohingyas, he added.

At a summit in Mecca, the 57-member OIC condemned “the continued recourse to violence by the Myanmar authorities against the Rohingya minority and their refusal to recognise their right to citizenship”. Myanmar in August agreed to allow the OIC to provide aid to the region, on the condition it agreed to assist all communities in the area.

The OIC is keen to increase economic co-operation with Myanmar to help generate greater opportunities for its younger generations. Suu Kyi said that Myanmar badly needs investment in manufacturing sector as many young people in her country are without jobs.
Oman along with the OIC has condemned the killing of Rohingyas in Myanmar and announced that OCO is ready and keen to work in the Rakhine state to help improve its humanitarian situation, added Ali al Raisi.

The OIC has said Rohingyas face ‘genocide’ in Rakhine as violence against the ethnic minority rages on. The UN said recently more than 22,000 Rohingyas have been displaced in western Myanmar. The UN has described the “Rohingya community as the Palestine of Asia and one of the most persecuted minorities in the world”.

Human Rights Watch has released satellite images showing “extensive destruction of homes and other property in the predominantly Rohingya area”.

Myanmar’s estimated one million Rohingyas are officially stateless, and regarded by the government of Myanmar as illegal immigrants, rather than one of its 135 official ethnic groups.
Last year on December 25, the UN General Assembly issued a resolution expressing concern over the persecution of Rohingyas. The resolution called on Myanmar’s government to “protect all their (Rohingya minorities’) human rights, including their right to a nationality.”

The OCO along with the OIC team in its further visits to Myanmar would again assess the needs of humanitarian assistance for those affected by the violence in Rakhine state and co-ordinate with Myanmar authorities to develop a plan for the urgent provision of this assistance.

The OIC has built an alliance between the humanitarian organisations in the 57 member countries to undertake practical steps on the issue of Rohingya minority. The OCO is an active member of this alliance.

Experts say since Islam is the defender of the oppressed people, it is incumbent on all the 57 OIC members to take measures to help put an end to the mass murder of the Rohingya minority in Myanmar.

Racha Rohingya ‘helped on’ by Thai Navy

Wednesday, January 30, 2013 Phuket_Gazette,

PHUKET: The group of Rohingya refugees discovered off Koh Racha Noi today – numbering 205 in total – were given food and water before being “helped on” in their southbound journey.

On hearing the news of the refugees’ arrival, Rawai Municipality quickly dispatched a speedboat with basic provisions. The boat departed Chalong Pier about midday, and on arriving at Koh Racha Noi officers on board discovered that a Royal Thai Navy vessel was already there.

About 10 Thai Navy officers checked the refugees and handed out food and water before “allowing” the refugees to continue their journey toward Malaysia, the Phuket Gazette was told.

Throughout the day the Gazette received conflicting reports about the refugees: some stating that there were only men and boys on the boat; others claiming women and children were also on board, as has been the trend with recent Rohingya arrivals in Thailand.

One of the reports received by the Gazette identified Sarit Chandee, a villager on Koh Racha Yai, saying that the Rohingya were first spotted at sea by local fisherman last night.

Mr Sarit described the boat as having two levels, being only several meters wide and 30m long.

The Gazette has yet to learn whether the hundreds of Rohingya reported earlier today at Koh Phra Thong, on the Phang Nga coast north of Phuket, were also “helped on” – or if they were taken into custody by Thai officials, like the hundreds of Rohingya who have arrived by boat over the past few weeks.

The number of Rohingya coming ashore in Phang Nga has forced officials to relocate hundreds of them to immigration centers in other provinces across Southern Thailand (story here).

State news agency MCOT reported yesterday that the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought clarification from a variety of agencies on the plight and options of well over 1,000 Rohingya migrants currently in Thai custody (story here).