Unwanted Anywhere
covering burma and southeast asia
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Unwanted Anywhere


By YENI MAR — APR, 2009 - VOLUME 17 NO.2


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Decades of neglect have turned the plight of the Rohingya into a regional issue, and any failure to address it adequately will only serve to undermine the bloc’s credibility. 

The Rohingya are the second-largest ethnic group living in Arakan State, after the ethnic Rakhine; in Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Rathedaung townships, in the northern part of the state, they are in the majority. But even though they comprise nearly 30 percent of the state’s population of 2.75 million people, they are often treated as if they don’t exist.

Goodwill Ambassador of the UNHCR Angelina Jolie smiles at Karenni refugee children during a visit to Ban Mai Nai Soi camp in northern Thailand. (Photo: AFP)
Ultra-nationalist campaigns initiated by the Burmese government, often with the support of local Buddhist communities, have long portrayed the Rohingya as interlopers from neighboring Bangladesh and India, arguing that they are just another part of the negative legacy of British colonial rule. 

As part of the effort to drive them out of the state, the Rohingya are routinely subjected to human rights abuses, including forced labor, land confiscation and even restrictions on marriage. They are also frequent targets of extortion and arbitrary taxation.

In 1991, waves of Rohingya refugees fled across Burma’s western border to Bangladesh to escape oppression. About 230,000 of the refugees have since been repatriated under an agreement between Bangladesh and Burma, with the involvement of the UNHCR, while approximately 28,000 remain in two refugee camps in Bangladesh.

As part of the ongoing repatriation program, the Burmese regime has agreed to issue temporary registration cards to returnees. The UNHCR estimates that around 35,000 cards were issued in 2007, with an additional 48,000 issued between January and May of 2008.

But far from providing them with any sort of legal status, the registration cards have often served to reinforce discrimination against the Rohingya.

According to the US government’s 2008 Report on International Religious Freedom, for instance, Burmese authorities insist that Muslim men applying for the cards “must submit photos without beards”—an offensively discriminatory requirement intended to discourage registration.

With no hope of improvement in their situation, many Rohingyas continue to leave Burma, often via Bangladesh. But in their quest for friendlier shores, they often have to pass through Burmese territorial waters, putting them at risk of arrest under Section 13(1) of the 1947 Immigration Law, which prescribes penalties for illegal entry into Burma. 

According to the Arakan Project, many Rohingyas who have been arrested in Burmese waters on their way to Thailand have been sentenced to up to five years in prison for illegally crossing the border. Such prisoners account for the majority of the jail population in northern Arakan State.

Rohingya boat people receive medical treatment at a temporary shelter in Aceh Province after being rescued by local fishermen on February 2. The all-male group of 198, who had not eaten for a week and who included a 13-year-old, was found floating in a wooden boat off the coast of Aceh after 21 days at sea. (Photo: Reuters)
Former inmates of these prisons say that Rohingya prisoners are fed only once every three or four days, and are often subjected to beatings. Little can be done to protect them from such treatment, however, because international agencies such as the UNHCR and the International Committee of the Red Cross currently have no access to jails in Burma.

For those who are pardoned and allowed to return to their home villages, the situation isn’t much better. They often find that their names have been permanently deleted from their household registries, meaning that they are constantly at risk of being arrested again. 

“Since they are no longer administratively listed, many have been forced to flee to Bangladesh again,” according to Chris Lewa of the Arakan Project.

In Bangladesh, life is only marginally less precarious.



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COMMENTS (23)
 
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Khin maung win Wrote:
20/04/2009
Maung Maung,

If you don't know the correct name and spelling of Maungdaw and Buthidaung, don't try to bark
against the Rohingya. I know you are a new fool.

Aung Ko Wrote:
18/04/2009
Kay Win's proposal is absolutely right. SPDC only needs the land of Rohingya and does not want people of that land.

Maung Maung( Ali Khan) Wrote:
18/04/2009
“Rohingya” is the new name for “Bengali” in Burma. According to Kay Win, they are trying make a terrorist land of “Arakanistan” like Afghanistan. They requested the Pakistani president to occupy part of Arakan before Burma’s independence. Now the dog is vomiting bananas.

All of us Arakanese know Buthi Down and Maung Daw Bengali Kular want to join Bangladesh because they are Bengali.

I am Muslim, but we should fight all of your Bengali terrorists if they are trying to separate from Arakan. We are living hundreds of years very peacefully with Arakanese people. You are making big problem within 50 years. Nobody is asking you to stay here if you do not wish. You can go Bangladesh - hope you do not need permission.


Moe Aung Wrote:
17/04/2009
kay win,

Now there's an idea. Why don't we trade with Bangladesh - Buthidaung and Maungdaw - with the Rohingya, and Chittagong Hill Tracts with the Buddhist Chakma and Marma, a bit like what we did with China in Kachin State, though somewhat on a larger scale and involving different ethnic/religious groups?

kay win Wrote:
17/04/2009
Rohingya have similarities with the people of Bangladesh, just as there are similarities between the Rakhines and the Burmans, the Shan and the Thais, the Burmese Chin and the Indian Chin. The fact is, the Rohingya people are not migrants but indigenous people. By universal right, if we Burmese do not like the Rohingya people, northern Rakhine should be an independent country or join with Bangladesh, or the USA or UK or any other country.

JIn Wrote:
15/04/2009
Dear Sir,

They are original Bengali, from Chittagong Division, Bangladesh. You know the Indian Navy arrested 155 so-called Rohingya. At last, the Bangladesh government said they would take them back to Bangladesh, saying they are citizens of Bangladesh.

The meaning of Rohingya is not a race or a nation. It is only a word for refugee or homeless.

SY Alam Wrote:
14/04/2009
Maung Zaw,

Wow! You have plenty of educated people in your SPDC government. Do they know how to spell dialogue? Thank God we have still blind people like you. Good for the SPDC. You are blind, and they have one eye, so the SPDC's people are better than you.

Maung Zaw Wrote:
13/04/2009
True,

Than Shwe washed his hand six times after his handshake with Mr. Gambari. You have shown your true color of heart. Keep it up.

Maung Zaw Wrote:
13/04/2009
Moe Gyaw,

You are right. All Muslims currently living in Arkan State are of Bengali descent. Their elders had cheated U Nu's goverment with the creative word "Rohingya." At that time very few educated people were in the goverment. Now we have plenty of highly qualified people who can not be easily fooled. U Nyan Win also said same thing. No Rohingya but Bengali. Bravo!

Cougar Wrote:
11/04/2009
FYI, Kaalaa means black in Hindi.
http://utopianvision.co.uk/hindi/dictionary/word/black

Cougar Wrote:
10/04/2009
FYI, Kala means black in Urdu.
http://www.dictionaryurdu.com/kala.html

Moe Gyaw Wrote:
10/04/2009
If those Bengalis didn't make up the story to adopt a new name, it might be worth debating. Say something like we migrated to Rakhine because lands are scarce; overpopulated, and the Bangladesh government doesn’t want us to come back because we mistakenly sided with Pakistan in the Bangladesh independence struggle and so on.
A piece of advice for Bengalis: Honesty is the best policy.

SY Alam Wrote:
10/04/2009
To Okkar and True,

If you conduct a DNA test in Arakan, all Rakhines will be Burman. According to a reliable source from Arakan State, all Buddha statues will be replaced with Than Shwe's statue.

Rakhine don't like Buddha because he was a kalar from India. Okkar, why do you still believe in Buddha? Don’t you know he was an Indian kalar? If each and every house has a kalar in their mind and heart, how can you clean every person's mind, heart and house? I think you guys need to see psychiatrists. Before you clean Rohingya you need to take the Buddha from your homes.

SY Alam Wrote:
10/04/2009
To True,

For human beings, it is more important to havea beautiful heart and mind than physical beauty. I think you need to see a psychiatrist.

Khin maung win Wrote:
10/04/2009
Around 9 AM today, about 30 Arakanese in exile participated a ceremony to recognize their National Flag & Anthem at Taw Kyaung Buddhist temple in Cox’s Bazaar, southern part of Bangladesh.



Procedure were as bellow;



Attendants were praying three times Namotasa as an opening ceremony
U Sandawara Buddhist monk was give speech as a patron
U Rakhawantha young Buddhist monk was read an Arakanese historical Radu ( satirical poem)
Arakan National Flag was flied mean while Arakan National Song was singing
U Sandawara was give speech as a successfully end of their ceremony around 10 AM.


Accordance to an attendant, this ceremony was held in Thailand , India and the Royal Norway also.





The GMA online news
Mr True
What are they doing in Bangladesh?How you define it?Don't lick Burman boot open your eyes think in deep.

Mr.True Wrote:
08/04/2009
I read a story when I was young. The name of the story was The Crow (Kyee) who pretended to be a peacock (Doung). Bengali Muslims are very similar to the Crow. They pretend to be an ethnic group of Burma. But other people see them as completely different from Burmese people in culture, religion, features, character, etc. The international community is wise. They don't believe what they hear and see only. They can think deeply to decide if it is true or false.

If Bengali migrant workers want the international community to believe they are an ethnic group from Burma, I would suggest that they buy some good soap and shampoo and wash their bodies at least three times a day until their color changes. And then you can pretend to be an ethnic people from Burma. Good luck in your future!

But remember, you should read the story above first before you do it.

Moe Aung Wrote:
07/04/2009
De Thit,

"Chinogya" would definitely get the same treatment. A name change may not even be necessary at this rate. Trouble ahead, thanks to the junta.

Maung Zaw Wrote:
05/04/2009
Chinese people will not need to change their name to "Chinogya" because their appearance is like Shan and Karen. Khin Nyunt and Nyan Win (the current foreign minister) can move freely in China. Nobody would be able to distinguish them from Chinese. I will like to thank Irrawaddy for their unbiased, uncorrupt and factual writing. Keep up the good work, Irrawaddy.

SY Alam Wrote:
05/04/2009
To De Thit,

According to the history of Arakan, it appears that the name Rohingya has a prehistoric origin. In Burma, ethnic cleansing is going on. If you read history you can understand what happened to Arakanese during Bodawpaya's invasion. The Burmans killed more than 250,000 Arakanese and they forced more than 120,000 Arakanese into exile in Bangladesh; their descendants, who are now Bangladeshi citizens, call themselves Rakhine. The Muslims from Arakan State call themselves Rohingya and want to be recognized as Rohingya. It seems that the Rohingya problem is a symptom of hate crimes by the illegal army. There is nothing wrong with them calling themselves Rohingya—it is perfectly in accord with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United Nations Charter. Most of the Rakhines are not anti-Rohingya, except for bigoted ultranationalists, because they know history. How about you?

Okkar Wrote:
04/04/2009
I wonder if Irrawaddy editors are Muslims. They seem to be pro-Islamic and dedicated the whole issue of the Irrawaddy to Bengalis.

Take a look at those photos of refugee supposedly from Burma. Do they look remotely like people from Burma? I think it is high time to call for DNA testing of every single refugee that claims to be from Burma. A proper DNA test can reveal the origin of these people. Thailand and other countries who are looking to send back these refugees should conduct DNA profiling and testing to determine whether or not these refugees belong to Burma at all.

At a time of rising militant Islam and rising terrorist attacks by jihadists, the international community can see the danger in supporting the claim of these Muslim Bengalis. That is the reason why the US and EU are not supporting the Bengali's call. They don't want to see the rise of militant Islam in Asia, either.

De Thit Wrote:
02/04/2009
Suppose the Chinese people in Mandalay changed their name to "Chinogya" and claimed they are an indigenous ethnic people of Burma, what would you say on this issue?

SY Alam Wrote:
02/04/2009
The Irrawaddy is the world's only window to
Arakan. Thank you very much, Irrawaddy.

Aung Ko Wrote:
02/04/2009
The international community cannot solve the root problems of the Rohingya if the future political leaders of Burma have no will to end this crisis. None of the most powerful countries will use its arms to terminate the power of the Burmese junta. It is foolish to hope for the help of Western countries.

We hope the future leaders of Burma will respect the human rights of others, otherwise this region will not be at peace. Some see Arakan as like Gaza, but I believe the people of Gaza want to build their own government—the Rohingya want to survive as human beings in their own land, which is quite different to Gaza.

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