The Rohingya people have the ‘right to exist’ in Arakan, illegitimate SPDC has no authority to decide their fate
ARAKAN ROHINGYA NATIONAL ORGANISATION
ARAKAN, BURMA
Press Release
1st February 2009
The Rohingya people have the 'right to exist' in Arakan, illegitimate SPDC has no authority to decide their fate
It is terrible that State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) again starts making false and concocted propaganda against the Rohingya people's 'right to exist' in Arakan, a clear sign of 'ethnic cleansing'. The regime is pretending not to hear the Rohingya's outcry and international reactions to stop systematic persecution of this ethnic Muslim community.
As appeared in the "New Light of Myanmar" dated 30 January, 2009 the SPDC has admitted to have launched series of operations over the decades against the Rohingyas under the prestext "to scrutinize the Bengali immigrants illegally immigrated into Rakhine region of Myanmar".
Under the pretext of scrutinizing so-called illegal immigrants, the regime has already killed, drowned and driven hundreds and thousands of Rohingya over the decades, which are well documented rousing international condemnations calling for actions. An estimated 1.5 million of Rohingya population are in Diaspora particularly in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Thailand and Malaysia. Let there be an independent international investigation team to determine the status of Rohingyas inside and outside the country. Human rights are universal and the SPDC cannot continue to deny us the 'right to exist' in our historical homeland. This is crime against humanity, an international crime with international jurisdiction.
To accuse the Rohingya Arakanese as Bangladeshi illegal immigrants is a clear indication of SPDC's hostility towards Bangladesh and is a provocative act against her. Being a country overburdened by the Rohingya influxes for nearly 60 years, and to nip it on the bud, Bangladesh should urgently protest and take up the issue in the world forums.
The SPDC's accusations are rebutted as follows:
1. Arakan found itself at the crossroads of two worlds: South Asia and Southeast Asia, between Muslim-Hindu Asia and Buddhist Asia, and amidst the Indo-Aryan and Mongoloid races. During its days as an independent kingdom until 1784, Arakan encompassed at times the Chittagong region in the southern part of today's Bangladesh.
2. History testifies that till 10th century the rulers and the ruled in Arakan were Indians similar to that of Bengal. Rohingya is the only race in Arakan who are similar to Bengalis. The independent kingdom of Arakan was ruled by Buddhists and Muslims in share and share a like.
3. Bengal ruled and influenced Arakan for centuries while Chittagong was under uninterrupted rule of the Arakanese for more than two hundred years. So, the presence and existence of Rohingya in Arakan, who look like Chittagonians cannot be taken unusual. Similarly it is not strange that there is existence of Rakhine, Marma, Chakma, in Chittagong region of Bangladesh.
4. Rohingya are a people whose settlement in Arakan dates back to 7th century A.D. They have developed from different stocks of people living en bloc in a common geographical location in Arakan well before the Burman's invasion in 1784. The area between Kaladan river and Naf river emerged as the "Traditional Homeland of Rohingya" before the British occupation of Arakan in 1824. During colonial period, the British Military Administration recognized the separate identity of Rohingya and declared the northern part of Arakan as the "Muslim National Area" vide publication Notice No. 11-OA-CC/42 dated 31 December 1942.
5. SPDC also states, "Around 1948, the illegal immigrants demanded that Myanmar designate Buthidaung and Maungtaw [Maungdaw] as their province". Of course, the Rohingya, like many other ethnic groups of Burma, demanded a state, under Burmese federation, in their 'Traditional Homeland' in between the Kaladan river and Naf river measuring about 4000 square miles, where Rohingya still predominate. They rose in arms when their peaceful legitimate demand was met with persecution and injustice. This was nothing wrong in a country where civil war is continuing till today.
In the statement the SPDC threatens that it will continue launching operation against so-called illegal immigrants. It is a clear signal that the regime will exterminate the remaining Rohingya population by forcibly dispossessing them of their land and their expulsion in the most in human manner.
We, therefore, appeal to the international community, United Nations, OIC, neighbouring countries, regional organisations, NGOs, human rights and humanitarian organisations to pressurise the SPDC to stop its systematic persecution of the Rohingyas and to respect their 'right to exist' in Arakan.
For more information contact:
Nurul Islam
AFK Jilani
Email: info@rohingya.org
ARAKAN, BURMA
Press Release
1st February 2009
The Rohingya people have the 'right to exist' in Arakan, illegitimate SPDC has no authority to decide their fate
It is terrible that State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) again starts making false and concocted propaganda against the Rohingya people's 'right to exist' in Arakan, a clear sign of 'ethnic cleansing'. The regime is pretending not to hear the Rohingya's outcry and international reactions to stop systematic persecution of this ethnic Muslim community.
As appeared in the "New Light of Myanmar" dated 30 January, 2009 the SPDC has admitted to have launched series of operations over the decades against the Rohingyas under the prestext "to scrutinize the Bengali immigrants illegally immigrated into Rakhine region of Myanmar".
Under the pretext of scrutinizing so-called illegal immigrants, the regime has already killed, drowned and driven hundreds and thousands of Rohingya over the decades, which are well documented rousing international condemnations calling for actions. An estimated 1.5 million of Rohingya population are in Diaspora particularly in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Thailand and Malaysia. Let there be an independent international investigation team to determine the status of Rohingyas inside and outside the country. Human rights are universal and the SPDC cannot continue to deny us the 'right to exist' in our historical homeland. This is crime against humanity, an international crime with international jurisdiction.
To accuse the Rohingya Arakanese as Bangladeshi illegal immigrants is a clear indication of SPDC's hostility towards Bangladesh and is a provocative act against her. Being a country overburdened by the Rohingya influxes for nearly 60 years, and to nip it on the bud, Bangladesh should urgently protest and take up the issue in the world forums.
The SPDC's accusations are rebutted as follows:
1. Arakan found itself at the crossroads of two worlds: South Asia and Southeast Asia, between Muslim-Hindu Asia and Buddhist Asia, and amidst the Indo-Aryan and Mongoloid races. During its days as an independent kingdom until 1784, Arakan encompassed at times the Chittagong region in the southern part of today's Bangladesh.
2. History testifies that till 10th century the rulers and the ruled in Arakan were Indians similar to that of Bengal. Rohingya is the only race in Arakan who are similar to Bengalis. The independent kingdom of Arakan was ruled by Buddhists and Muslims in share and share a like.
3. Bengal ruled and influenced Arakan for centuries while Chittagong was under uninterrupted rule of the Arakanese for more than two hundred years. So, the presence and existence of Rohingya in Arakan, who look like Chittagonians cannot be taken unusual. Similarly it is not strange that there is existence of Rakhine, Marma, Chakma, in Chittagong region of Bangladesh.
4. Rohingya are a people whose settlement in Arakan dates back to 7th century A.D. They have developed from different stocks of people living en bloc in a common geographical location in Arakan well before the Burman's invasion in 1784. The area between Kaladan river and Naf river emerged as the "Traditional Homeland of Rohingya" before the British occupation of Arakan in 1824. During colonial period, the British Military Administration recognized the separate identity of Rohingya and declared the northern part of Arakan as the "Muslim National Area" vide publication Notice No. 11-OA-CC/42 dated 31 December 1942.
5. SPDC also states, "Around 1948, the illegal immigrants demanded that Myanmar designate Buthidaung and Maungtaw [Maungdaw] as their province". Of course, the Rohingya, like many other ethnic groups of Burma, demanded a state, under Burmese federation, in their 'Traditional Homeland' in between the Kaladan river and Naf river measuring about 4000 square miles, where Rohingya still predominate. They rose in arms when their peaceful legitimate demand was met with persecution and injustice. This was nothing wrong in a country where civil war is continuing till today.
In the statement the SPDC threatens that it will continue launching operation against so-called illegal immigrants. It is a clear signal that the regime will exterminate the remaining Rohingya population by forcibly dispossessing them of their land and their expulsion in the most in human manner.
We, therefore, appeal to the international community, United Nations, OIC, neighbouring countries, regional organisations, NGOs, human rights and humanitarian organisations to pressurise the SPDC to stop its systematic persecution of the Rohingyas and to respect their 'right to exist' in Arakan.
For more information contact:
Nurul Islam
AFK Jilani
Email: info@rohingya.org
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