Silent views on Myanmar violence
-Photo by Htoo Tay Zar.
The violence in western Myanmar started from the brutal raping and killing of a Rakhine (formerly known as Arakan) woman by three Muslims, the fact that two of them are reportedly Rohingyas is still a headliner in mainstream media.
The riot occurred in some areas in the Rakhine state, near the border towns of Myanmar and Bangladesh, where most of the population is Rohingya. Despite the riot, other states and divisions throughout the country where a number of Muslims live remained peaceful, proving that the clash was communal-based. Some mainstream media, however, manipulated the news as a religious clash between Muslims and Buddhists in Myanmar.
Since the violence broke out, a number of people from both sides have been severely victimised. Seven weeks after the riot, the local people still suffer from a lack of security despite the presence of government armed forces. To add to the miseries, certain news agencies and extremists further worsened the situation. Local Rakhines, Hindus and some Muslims who were not involved in the riot are now also in need of government armed forces for state security.
The media spread the news that armed forces were cruelly treating the Rohingya, whereas government authorities were detaining people suspected for committing criminal activities such as burning down buildings and being a threat to the public.
The complexity of the situation and limited information from the Myanmar government has left the rest of the world confused. There is no solid definition for the term Rohingya; while Myanmar claims that they are the descendents of Bengalis, Bangladesh claims that they are the citizens of Myanmar. From the pages of history, at some point the authorities of Myanmar seemed to have recognised the Rohingya as people of Myanmar but the Myanmar public now believes that it was due to a corrupt immigration system.
These stateless Rohingyas must be helped with respect to human rights, yet the international community should not ignore the Rakhine people. While thousands of Rakhine people became homeless, they continued to be labeled as racists where none of them started the riot. In addition, even at emergency camps where they take refuge, discrimination on providing adequate aid to victims of the riot reportedly occurs.
International NGOs such as UNHCR who have been supporting the Rohingyas for decades is not paying enough attention to the local Rakhine ethnics. Some monks and monasteries which were the victims of the riot, as a response, denied receiving supports from INGOs.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the world democracy icon, mentioned that the whole issue has to be solved with effective rule of law to both border areas and the corrupted Myanmar immigration. The president of Myanmar who is known as a reformist, U Thein Sein, expressed his concern for the stateless illegal immigrants suggesting that UNHCR operate a sheltered camp for them or for them to be absorbed by another state. The UNHCR immediately rejected the proposal, contrasting their concern for the Rohingya people.
Although the world is pushing Myanmar to accept all the Rohingyas as “citizens” of Myanmar, contradictorily, Muslims around the world are protesting against the Myanmar people and its government. People are stepping on the Myanmar flag, some have burnt photographs of the president, and others have announced that they would organise a jihad against Myanmar. Iran forced the United Nations to send UN peacekeeping troops to Myanmar while the Organisation of the Islamic Corporation condemned the government for accepting all Rohingya people as Myanmar citizens.
Furthermore, some extremist pro-Rohingyas propagated misleading facts about Rohingya by manipulating photos of Chinese monks from earthquakes, dead bodies from cyclones and arresting Muslims in Thailand, and portraying them as Myanmar monks and Rakhine people brutally attacking the Rohingya. Some are even screaming that there is a genocide taking place without even knowing the facts of the situation. Such one-sided force will not assist in solving the current violence but only perpetuate racial hatred.
Some of the Bengali residents who are eligible to be granted citizenship should doubtlessly be granted it, as the Myanmar government and leading politicians have clearly stated so. However, for some of the armed illegal immigrants, Bangladesh has to be responsible and the Myanmar public believes that both countries should organise an efficient dialogue to resolve these immigration issues. Moreover, all prevailing countries should consider supporting the stateless Rohingya people to be absorbed by first-world countries, just like some of the refugees have been given the opportunity to apply for asylum.
The author is a graduate from National University of Singapore and Yangon University of Foreign Languages. Based in Singapore, she covers issues and affairs related to Myanmar on Global Voices, AYM Magazine, SEAYouths Say So and Myanmar Netizens.
The views expressed by this blogger and in the following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.
Bnagladeshi Muslims in Mynmar or Assam, it is same story everywhere!! Prove me wrong, I am happy to accept.Why there are trouble in every part of the world where muslim lives??? Take British muslims, US, Chechinya, Xinjiang of China, Mynmar, India – Gujarat- Assam, Spain, France or any other part..Please explain this…
I AM FELLING VERY BAD WHAT I HAVE SEEN SO FOR as a Muslim we are brothers at every corner .
i am kashmiry and i know who the India are muscling us by its fores .
i thing our Muslim world are sleeping right know but time will come that we will be on the top of the world
very soon the world will realise
You can gauge by the opening lines that it's going to be a biased article.
…The situation has been grave for many decades, and when the recent fighting broke out in a tinderbox environment, it only serves to highlights one of the world's forgotten conflicts for a short period. Responsibility rests not only with the Government of Myanmar to turn away from its policy of segregation and to promote full integration (remember this is a country which still uses the practice of family lists and state authorised marriage as a norm) if it wants to be true to its new image of reform, as well as with its own people who need to find a peaceful solution to living together and resist the temptation to dwell longer in a culture of blame and fear as their long campaign for recognition of human rights seems closer to fruition.
Maybe the author has tried to write a balanced article, but I think she – like the rest of the world – is writing from a lack of real information on the situation. There are very few people, especially outside of the country, who could claim to have a good grasp of the current facts on the ground. It does appear though that the Govt of Myanmar is pursuing a policy of separation, rather than integration, and that the Rohingya people are being forced to live in camps, either by their own fear of leaving or by the state authorities. Sadly the UN mission is also compromised by a lack of impartiality and are downplaying the health situation of those people confined in camps which is dire and a serious concern; already there are many who have died of malnutrition and dehydration.
Americans and Europeans are at increasingly frustrated why should it be their responsibility to absorb all these Muslims who can never be integrated into these societies.
Increasingly Americans & Europeans are asking why can't the rich MErn and N.African countruies as well as other predominantly Muslim nations such as Malayisia, Indonesia, Turkey, Central Asian nations accept their co-religionists.
Not only does immigration of these people bode well for the west, it will also prevent untoward backlashes that's already brewing all over Europe (Norway, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, UK) and the US with these poor Muslims at the recieving end.
I have checked out the unedited facts of the sad situation. The article here is not true representation of fact. Muslims there are being tortured, burnt, killed with extreme prejudice, hate, and bigotry. Their lives are in duress. They are in terrifying condition of destitution and death. Taliban volunteers are considering the difficult ordeal of trekking there and defending the helpless Muslim refugees with their own lives.
You muslims are always like that. You will shout others for human rights, regilious rights and blur blur!!!
Let me ask you a question, how many buddists/christians in your muslim countries? How many churches, temples and pagodas in muslim countries? Did you conserve even ancient budda statues? or Did you destroyed?
None of muslim country didn't accept other religious to be developed in their country. But they are talking about religious right. Shame on you!! To me it is so funny. Taliban are warmly welcome from Myanmar. You will know who myanmar are. Come on!! Myanmar, buddists are naturally peaceful people however they all are ready to sacrifice their lives fo prevent their country and their religion.
It was very saddening to know about the plight of Burmese Muslims. We so often talk about Muslim Umma and no boundaries among Muslim countries . These are 8 lakhs Rohingyas muslims. There are 58 Muslim Nations. If Muslim countries accept these helpless people, it is very small number each Muslim country will be burdened with.
In my view life is more important than citizenship. Citizenship issue can also be solved by pressing Muslim countries to amend their rules and grant these unfortunate people citizenship papers. This may not be a problem if intention is to solve the issue. Muslim nations will surely not be interested to create more Hammas & Hijbullahs.
We must solve the problem and let people settle down. Can you believe India accepted 30 million Muslims from Bangladesh +200 million Muslims who opted to stay after partition ? Muslims in India enjoy enormous political, social , economic and religious powers. We Hindus also take pride that all Muslims can celebrate their faith openly and without any fear. If you happen to visit India you will find a Mosque everywhere ,be it in the centre of prime road or government offices. I see people of all religions paying respects.
Regards
Its not the solution of the problem to pressurizing other muslim countries to grant citizenship to Burmian Muslim. if Burma is not ready to accept these people than why other country will accept??? if you feel heat from your natives, would you like to left your own motherland???????? the solution must be as no ones right's of living be deprived.
this is not a religious conflict . this is just a conflict between the illegal immigrants and local ethnicity. We against ROHINGYAS for ethnicity even if they are BUDDHISTS .
why is that there is a problem with only Muslim people in every country whether they are majority or minority. exception maybe Indonesia.
INdonesia? I think the majority religion ppl there set a church on fire there recently.
Whom do we expect to stop killings? The whole world countries are busy for their own self-defense.
bring in neutral bodies like UN, or Human Rights to report the situation in depth (like Gaza in the past) & also suggest political solution to the problem;
This writer looks so biased that she is not ready to accept the fact that Muslims minority is simply prosecuted and being forced to leave Myanmar. she should read UN reports and statements of Myanmar government officials.
Suffering is like a plauge, once started it will devour any human it gets its hands on. regardless of cast color or religion. Think like human, one human is killing other human who cares about the label he/she wearing on their black heart. Just imagine your self standing on the place invisiabley while the killings were going on. We are sitting here behind our computers talking so easily about suffering hate and injustice. think about those who were part of such horrific incidents just once. You will understand talking about it so easy, where going throught is llike a nightmare from hell.
The whole truth is that myanmar government is playing game. They burned both buddhist and bengali houses and they are making war between them .
What so ever the ethnic group one belongs … He should be treated with iron hands….
Please stop killings in Burma of Muslims they are all human being like other people why the world and UNO not take any action on these killings.
for your kind information rakhine formerly arakan was a seperate free muslim state since 1438.and british government invaded this country 1787. at this time muslim papulation were 35000.when it got independance from british government 1948 these rohingia muslim,s citizenship were accepted.in 1962 general nay wen deprived them from citizenship, till then they living statelees and most persucated minorities in the world.