On 2nd November 2012, a five member delegates from the Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organization in Malaysia (MERHROM), has handed over memorandums to the American Embassy, British High Commission, Chinese Embassy and European Union situated in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, demanding urgent intervention to stop killings and conflict. Full text of memorandum is as follows:
2nd
November 2012
Dear
Yours Excellency,
MEMORANDUM OF AN URGENT
INTERVENTION TO STOP
THE ETHNIC CLEANSING TOWARDS ETHNIC MINORITY ROHINGYAS IN ARAKAN STATE OF
MYANMAR.
Myanmar
Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organization Malaysia (MERHROM) strongly condemned
the continuous ethnic cleansing policy towards ethnic minority Rohingyas by the
Myanmar
government. The recent violence which started on 21st October 2012 in
Kyaukpyu, Minbya, Mrauk U, Myebon, and Rathedaung Township caused thousand of
Rohingyas has being killed and thousands of their houses has been burnt down by
Rakhines, police and military. Though
the military has denied their involvement but the villagers confirm the
involvement of the military and the police in the recent violence.
The source from the ground estimated 1000 Rohingyas
has died including women, men, children and elderly while more than 4600 of Rohingya’s
houses and Mosques have been burnt. This
contradicts the number of death stated by the military which is very low
compared to the estimated numbers of death. Until now the military stated only
84 person has died which is not true as they want to cover the real toll death.
Many Rohingyas has reportedly missing but the numbers are unknown.
Currently over 30,000 Rohingyas fled their villages
and become homeless. They had nowhere to go. Thousands of them now are on the
boats on the ocean trying hard to save their lives. Without food and drinks
some of them have died and many more will die due to starvation and
dehydration. Until now we have not receive any information on their situation
on the ocean.
Since the massacre in June 2012, the military, police
and the Rakhines has warned the Rohingyas to flee the Arakan State
if they want to save their life and their family. If the Rohingyas fail to do
so, they will die and that is what happening since June until now. The military regime will never stop until we
are removed from the Arakan
State.
One thing that the World Leaders, United Nations and
International Communities fail to understand is that we the Rohingyas become
the victims of ethnic cleansing policy of the Myanmar government since 1940s. Most
of the time the World Leaders, United Nations and the International Communities
urging the Myanmar government to stop the violence and restore peace in Arakan
State. But, it’s not going to happen because the violence is instigated by the Myanmar government
for their own political interests.
Currently the Myanmar
government is deploying more security forces to improve the situation in Arakan State
but it doesn’t work as the government has no intention to resolve the problem.
The Myanmar
government is just showing to the outside world that they are doing something
to resolve the problem in order to gain the international support for their
political interests. Deploying more security forces is not the solution to the
problem. It will only put the Rohingyas population in worst situation.
In this recent violence, two military officers were
shot by the Rakhines when they were shooting the Rohingyas in Kyawtaw Township.
The military arrested some Rakhines who shooting the Rohingyas and the military
officers in Pasir Uzu @ Zila Fara fisherman village and Yazanabung Uzu @
Nairong village in Kyawtaw
Township. The military
confiscated 36 high quality arms in Pasir Uzu village and 14 high quality arms
in Yazanabung Uzu village. From the 50 high quality arms, the high level
military officer took 3 arms back to Ranggon. We do not know what happen to the
remaining arms.
The question is who gave the high quality arms to
Rakhines and for what purpose? The villagers also stated that the Rakhines are
deploying more arms including long knives before violence started in June 2012.
The Bangladesh government
has arrested one boat belongs to Rakhines in Bangladesh ocean which carry lots
of arms. We do not know how many boats have passed the Bangladesh security check and how many arms have
been deploys by Rakhines into Arakan
State.
The villagers further stated that before the
violence started in June, Rakhines leaders and their community conducted a
secret meeting in Nasaka office in Maungdaw. At that time Rohingyas were not
allow to go out from their houses. The military also close some roads so that
no Rohingyas knows about the secret meeting. The violence in June triggered
after the Rakhines secret meeting was conducted. These are the evidence that
the violence that triggered in June 2012 was planned in advanced by the
military together with Rakhines leaders.
Until now the military government only allows the
Rakhines to hold arms but not the Rohingyas. The military conducted constant
check on Rohingyas houses and they confiscated all knives used in the kitchen. The
curfew is only imposed on Rohingyas while the Rakhines free to move around.
Currently, the Rakhine population has continued
their life as usual unlike the Rohingyas who are struggling to seek refuge with
no access to food, water, medical and shelter. While the Rakhines Buddhist are
free to do their daily activities, the Myanmar government increased the
curfew on Rohingyas.
Since June until now, all 17 Township in Arakan State
has been affected by the violence instigated by the Myanmar government. The most
affected Township are Maungdaw, Sittwe, Kyaukpyu, kyauktaw, Minbya, Rathedaung,
Mrauk U, Myebon, Pauktaw and recently Punima. The Rohingyas were the most affected
population in the Arakan
State. They have very
little or no access to food, water, medical and shelter. Though the foreign
government and International humanitarian organizations gave lots of aid to Arakan State
but the aid hardly reach the affected Rohingyas as they had to go through
blockages from the Arakan State Chief Minister and the Myanmar
government. Finally only little aid
could reach them. The rest are taken by the Myanmar government for their own
interest.
The Myanmar
government will continue their ethnic cleansing policy towards Rohingyas. If
the World Leaders, United Nations and the International Communities fail to act
at this very critical time, there will be more death on Rohingyas population. The
continuation of the ethnic cleansing policy on Rohingyas will only increase the
number of Refugees and Asylum Seekers in the World and specifically to the
ASEAN Region.
We are frustrated as our Democracy Leader Aung San
Suu Kyi is not able to do anything to stop the killing on Rohingya population
even after receiving her Noble Prize. Aung San Suu Kyi’s silence on our plight
has puzzled us as she was recognized Internationally as a Democracy icon. For
many decades the Rohingyas population has supported Aung San Suu Kyi but she
has turn blind eyes to our plight.
We are very frustrated as the biggest mandated body
in the world which is the UNITED NATIONS has FAILED in their duty to save the
lives of the affected Rohingya minority even after they announced that the
minority Rohingyas is the most prosecuted ethnic in the world. Unfortunately,
until today the United Nations has failed to carry their mandate as they only
watching the defenseless and hopeless Rohingyas has been killed without taking
any real action. Until now we do not know what is the plan of the United
Nations to stop the massacre over Rohingyas.
We are Questioning the United Nations why until now
they fail to send Peace Keeping Mission to the affected area in Arakan State?
What else you are waiting for? What is stopping you from sending your Peace
Keeping Mission in this very critical situation? How many lives more must be sacrifice before
you can take real action? WE cannot put the business and trade before the human
lives. The United Nations must be accountable for the massacre of Rohingyas in Arakan State.
The failure of the United Nations to stop the massacre caused thousands of
Rohingyas has been murdered brutally.
The United Nations has adopted the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on 10 December 1948. Since then the United
Nations has successfully restore peace in many conflict areas. However until
now the United Nations and World Leaders fail to intervene in Rohingyas plight.
WE do not know what exactly stopping the United Nations from entering Myanmar
especially in this very critical time.
The root cause of the problem is the state ethnic
cleansing policy on Rohingyas in Arakan
State. The proposal of
the president Thein Sein to remove the Rohingyas from Myanmar shows the clear rejection of Myanmar
government on Rohingyas. Therefore we urge the government of the United States of America
to urgently:
- pressure the United Nations Security Council to send their Peace Keeping Mission to Arakan State to control and monitor the human rights abuses
- bring the General Thien Sein, former General Thein Shwe and General Kyin Nyunt to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for killing, raped, torturing, detaining and abusing ethnic Rohingya and other ethnics.
- add more pressure to Myanmar Junta to stop the killings, torture, detention and violence towards ethnic Rohingyas
- stop the economic and political relationship with Myanmar until they resolve the conflict and recognized ethnic Rohingya as the citizen of Myanmar with equal rights
- pressure the Junta to allow the International Humanitarian Organizations to go into Arakan State to provide aid especially, food, medicine and shelter
- pressure the Bangladesh government to allow the International Humanitarian Organizations to extend their services to the affected Rohingyas
We
thank you for your Urgent Intervention to resolve the conflict and Save the
Rohingyas from the state sponsored ethnic cleansing.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Mr.
Zafar Ahmad bin Abdul Ghani
President
Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organization Malaysia
Tel No: +6016-6827287
Blog: www.merhrom.wordpress.com
Email: rights4rohingya@yahoo.co.uk
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