MUSLIMS, BUDDHISTS MARCH AGAINST MYANMAR CRACKDOWN
Kuala Lumpur, 22 Jumadil Awwal 1436/13 March 2015 (MINA) – Scores of Rohingya Muslims and Buddhist activists among the Myanmar community in Malaysia yesterday staged a rare protest here.
The protest was to call for an immediate end to the violent crackdown against student protesters in Letpadan, central Myanmar, reports Channel News.
This comes just a day before Myanmar President Thein Sein was scheduled to arrive for a two-day state visit, Free Malaysia Today quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.
Rohingya Muslims and the Myanmar Buddhist community do not usually mix in Malaysia where both groups have sizable numbers in residence but both groups decided to protest and hand over memoranda to the Myanmar government.
The Chin National Front group and the 88 Generation leaders’ representatives were demanding an immediate release of the students detained after clashes with police in Letpadan. Over 100 students fighting for educational freedom were arrested following violent clashes with police.
“If (Thein Sein) could hear us, he should make the situation in Myanmar positive, and not handle it like a dictator,” said Alfred Aung Myin Myint of the Chin National Front.
There are some 80,000 Rohingya Muslims in Malaysia, mostly refugees, and they are using the opportunity to call on Thein Sein to recognise their basic human rights.
Mohammad Sadek, the programme coordinator for the Rohingya Arakanese Refugee Committee Malaysia, said: “We are part of Myanmar and we must have voting rights to support the government for the democratic process.”
There are over 130,000 Myanmar refugees in Malaysia, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Many, like Yaw Han, the chairman of the Chin National Front, believe that pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is their only hope.
“We trust in her than anyone else in Myanmar because she is Aung San’s daughter and we trust him alone,” said Yaw Han.(T/P004/P3)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
