ROHINGYA’S DESTINY AFTER ELECTION
Rohingya crisis that lasts for years has caused effects. From its children until adults. But the basic problem, recognition citizenship, is remains in the top of caution. These years has witnessed that these people has been killed, raped, abandoned, evicted while their house burned with, still, no recognition.
The violation of human right inside the country of Myanmar, has made Rohingya people has no place to go. They sail across Hindian ocean use small boat with full of humans toward neighbouring countries, such as Indonesia and Malaysia. During the escape, they run out of foods, water for a months, and most of their boat sink.
In accordance to the Rohingya issue, Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) has an interview with a Rohingya who as well an activist for the Arakan Rohingya National Organization (ARNO), Razia Sultana, who recently visited Indonesia for an event. Here is the following interview.
MINA: What’s the latest update about Rohingya issue in Myanmar?
Razia Sultana: Myanmar’s presidential spokesman and Information Minister Ye Htut said on Saturday that the government would not grant the right of nationality to the Rohingya Muslim community.
He wrote in Facebook page, our government’s stance is that we wholly reject use of the term Rohingya. The comments came in the wake of the United Nations’ Universal Periodic Review, which examines the human rights situation in all UN member states.
Myanmar court fines 5 men for printing ‘Rohingya calendar’ Tuesday, 24 November 2015
A Yangon court has used a printing and publishing law to fine five men $800 each for their connection in printing a calendar that stated that Rohingya Muslims are an ethnic-religious minority living in Myanmar.
The 2016 calendar mentions the word Rohingya and contains a testimonial that there used to be a “Rohingya radio channel” in the 1950s Burma of Prime Minister U Nu. It said U Nu himself had in public used the word Rohingya. And U Win Htein, a spokesman and leading figure in Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD), said the Rohingya’ Muslims’ plight was not top of the agenda for his party “We have other priorities,” he said. “Peace, the peaceful transition of power, economic development and constitutional reform.”
He also echoed the current military-backed government’s rhetoric about the Rohingya, suggesting they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.
MINA: As the party of National League for Democracy wins the election what would happened to Rohingya people in the future?
Razia Sultana: Aung San SuuKyi aide said before that Rohingya are not our priority.
Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD), said the Rohingya’ Muslims’ plight was not top of The NLD has no policies to improve human rights for the Rohingya.
Senior NLD leaders have spoken out against the Rohingya saying that we are not from Burma, that we are from Bangladesh, that we are illegal immigrants and that we should be put into camps to assess if we should be deported.
Under an NLD government, now we do not expect any improvement or repeal of laws which oppress the Rohingya and take away our rights and citizenship. But I know she is herself has rejected clear evidence of multiple violations of international law against the Rohingya as exaggeration hope after getting the power she will think about us.
All are may not be the anti-Rohingya policies; there is little hope that there will be much improvement on the current situation.We are now waiting and see what an NLD government does.The Rohingya refugees remains the point issue.
MINA: What ARNO has trying to do so far for this?
Razia Sultana: Arakan Rohingya National Organization (ARNO) is one of the representative organizations of the Rohingya people of Arakan, Burma, based in London, the United Kingdom. It is a broad based Organization of the Rohingya People that emerged in 1998. It is one of the Founding member of Arakan Rohingya Union which was formed with the initiative of Euro-Burma Office and Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) The right of ‘self-determination’ of the Rohingya people within the Burmese federation; preservation of their (Rohingya’s) history and cultural heritage without prejudice to the growth and preservation of other religious and indigenous culture in Arakan; condemnation of religious persecution by the military; repatriation of Rohingya refugees from their places of refuge; human resource development particularly in socio-cultural, economic, educational and technical fields; establishment of a welfare society based on equality, liberty, democracy, human rights and freedom for all peoples; “peaceful co-existence” with Rakhine community (Buddhist of Arakan) and among all other peoples in Arakan as well as in the whole of the country; joint struggle with the Burmese opposition and democratic forces; support to landmine ban treaty; support of the rights of Rohingya women and girls to education, health and economic empowerment; educating the youths of the dangers of drugs (including AIDS infection); protection of environment, including forests, rivers, wetland, Coastline Ocean and to save their land from unsustainable logging, killing of endangered species, all forms of pollution, and over fishing and to preserve a green haven for their children and the world; support for future sustainable, appropriate, clean, and beneficial development to the common people.”
ARNO reiterates its call on the United Nations to establish independent investigation into genocide against Rohingya people in Myanmar.
ARNO welcomes and endorses the just released documentary film titled“Al Jazeera Investigates -Genocide Agenda”,legal analysis prepared for Fortify Rights by the Allard K. Lowenstein International Human Rights Clinic at Yale Law School titled “Persecution of the Rohingya Muslims: Is Genocide Occurring in Myanmar’s Rakhine State?”, and the report “Count Down to Annihilation: Genocide in Myanmar “of the International State Crime Initiative at the School of Law, Queen Mary University, all of which clearly established the facts that Thein Sein government has committed ‘atrocity crimes’ with intent to destroy the ethnic Rohingya from their ancestral homeland of Arakan/Rakhine State.
ARNO has once again stressed with highest appreciation the previous report, “Slow-Burning Genocide of the Myanmar’s Rohingya” by Burmese academic Dr. Maung Zani and Alice Cowley, published in Pacific Rim Law & Policy Journal, June 2014, of the University of Washington.
Arakan Rohingya National Organisation expresses its strong concern at recent exhumation on 1 and 4 May of dozens of bodies from mass gravesites near human traffickers’ brutal camps in southern Thailand. More such graves are believed to exist in the region.
Arakan Rohingya National Organisation welcomes the resolution of the United Nations General Assembly adopted on Monday, 29th December 20014, urging Myanmar to grant full citizenship to its Rohingya Muslim minority and grant them equal access to services.
MINA: As many people doubt with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for solving this issue, what’s your opinion about her?
Razia Sultana: Personally I like her very much from beginning I m very much inspire with her non violence issue. But about her silence about Rohingya genocide I m so disappointed, I know she has some limit but
Not that much she should say something about this issue still m hope for her support. In this moment she has no power & her party is elected by average vote so she have to give positive comment about Rohingya nation issue and suggested her parties member be aware with history they know better than us about our history we don’t need to prove ourselves who we are in meantime. They have to earn clear concept about history then they should comment our ethnicsame.
MINA: In your opinion, who should be responsible for Rohingya case?
Razia Sultana: The Rohingya, an ethnic Muslim minority, Since June 2012, Anti-Muslim violence in Burma has been roundly condemned in statements from the UN, international governments, regional bodies, and human rights groups. Undeterred by negative international attention, the Burmese government has not attempted to provide a system of transitio54nal justice for Muslims who have been attacked. On the contrary, government officials have participated in new attacks, tightened restrictions on Muslims, blocked aid from displaced Muslim populations, and segregated the mostly stateless Rohingya and other Muslims from the rest of the population.
Although the government’s defense injustice, the international community has failed to take necessary action to protect Muslim victims. The international community has so far done nothing to protect us. The world appears to be sitting on the fence, as we are being systematically persecuted.
We are the most persecuted people living on the face of earth — has been twisted into refugees in their own country. We Rohingyas are a people with no civil rights and from time to time subjected to unsystematic violence. The world knows this, but still says nothing.
MINA:Do you believe political solution could solve the issue?
Razia Sultana: 80% believe that it can solve by politic cause it start from politic issue not fully of course it is religion issue also but when religion come in to the point it become politic issue only pointing religion can’t properly find solution must involve this issue with politic, country rule by politic policy so poultice can find solution.
MINA:What do you expect from international standing for helping Rohingya people to achieve their peace in life and to get their citizenship?
Razia Sultana: Myanmar now on the track of democracy we hope our elected government solves this issue as soon as possible. International political community & human right council or international organization must give pressure to solve this issue. 56 Muslim country in this world no one directly pointing or do agree to resolve this situation or no intention to solve this problem we 1.3 million who are more than 4% in the Myanmar population now under persecuted & helpless it seems like not happing anything or not a very big deal. I am addressing do something by Internationally pressure if our elected government don’t agree to give us citizenship, but here addressing elected government will take power after 5month in this time what happen for present situation what about the people who are now in Myanmar IDP camp or strictness about all over Myanmar for Muslim, about name of security killing Muslims must stop to giving International pressure to military government.
MINA:What’s your message to the world about it?
Razia Sultana: The international law have responsibility to protect the ethnic nation. if you are 1 person still you are a nation & human being, every human being have right to live in this world. Name by religion name by nation, name by ethnicsim can’t ignore others right; we are people of this world we have equal right in our country & land. Treat like as human we ensure government that our nation wants to live together wants to give effort to build a perfect democracy & prosper Myanmar.
MINA:What do you expect from Indonesia government as we are the biggest Muslim population country to help Rohingya issues?
Razia Sultana: Indonesia is a largest Muslim country has ability to communicate to Muslim world & ASEAN community. This largest Muslim country can easily pressure Myanmar government by internationally or by OIC Or by ASEAN community. can give Rohingya people better opportunity suppose education scholarship for youth give asylum then they can find better life in this Muslim world most of people are taking asylum in this country as Muslim can give this opportunity to Rohingya people. Ensure that Protection must be proper in refugee shelter.(M02/R04/R03)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
