Chittagong, Bangladesh: Rohingyas attended the European Burma Network (EBN) meeting in Brussels, Belgium, on February 18-19, according to Tun Khin, the President of Burmese Rohingya Organization, UK (BROUK).
“We also met with European Officials from the European Parliament and European Commission in the meeting,” he said.
Tun Khin (aka) Ziaul Gaffar and BROUK’s Education and Cultural Secretary, Mohamed Siddique, attended the EBN meeting.
The EBN represents 15 European organisations from 10 countries to promote democracy and human rights. BROUK officially become a member of EBN in September.
The meeting was facilitated by Jared Genser, the President of the Washington based Freedom Now Law Firm.
Soe Aung, the representative of the Forum for Democracy in Burma, addressed the current situation and changes in Burma; Nant Bwa Bwa Phan, of the Karen National Union, updated the situation of the KNU; Tun Khin, the President of the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK, addressed the current situation of the Rohingya people of Arakan; Ben Rogers, the East Asia Team Leader, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, highlighted his recent visit to Burma and Kachin State; Wai Hnin Pwint Thon, Campaign Officer of the Buma Campaign UK, brought an update on the 88 Generation Students and Neil, the Head of EU Policy and Development of the Open Society Institute-Brussels, spoke about the current discussions about Burma within the European Union.
Mohamed Siddique and Tun Khin outlined human rights violations against Rohingya people and pinpointed the denial of citizenship rights and ethnic rights of Rohingya in Burma.
All EBN members have agreed on action plans to raise awareness of the plight of the Rohingya and issues surrounding the 1982 citizenship law.
The junta effectively rendered the Rohingya non-nationals by introducing a new citizenship law in 1982 that turned them into a stateless people. Current government policy in Burma states that there are 135 national races in the country— the Rohingya are not on that list. More recently, the government-owned newspaper New Light of Myanmar has said outright that the Rohingya have no claim to statehood.
"I am very glad that BROUK has become a member of EBN where we had a good opportunity to bring attention to the suffering of our people to international organizations. The recent release of high profile political prisoners has shown that pressure from the international community is working on Burma. It is high time for the international community to push the regime to stop human rights violations in ethnic areas, particularly in Rohingya areas, where Rohingyas are facing serious discrimination," Tun Khin said.
The BROUK delegation also addressed the current situation of Rohingya people during the "Round table discussion on the political and human rights situation in Burma", at the European Parliament on February 20th, which was organised by Christian Solidarity Worldwide.
“I exposed discrimination against Rohingya people by the military regime in Arakan at the discussion meeting and CSW east Asia Team Leader, Ben Rogers, mentioned his recent visit and the situation of Kachin people. The Directorate-General for External Policies of the European Union (Asia, Australia and New Zealand) and other staff from the European external service units attended the discussion ,” Tun Khin said.
The BROUK delegation met on February 21 with Andreas List, who is Principal Administrator of South-East Asia at the European Commission, organized by Christian Solidarity Worldwide.
“I have mentioned that the current changes are not genuine change. If there is genuine change, the regime has to stop ethnic cleansing in ethnic areas, including Rohingya areas, where basic human rights are denied. It might be just to ease sanctions from the western countries and it will be too early to life sanctions,” the BROUK President said.
“We have mentioned to the European officials that we just want our lost rights which are ethnic rights and citizenship rights. We want to live in our homeland with dignity and peace. We want to live with our other ethnic brothers and sisters of Burma in harmony and working together to develop our federal union of Burma. We really welcome the EU’s continued efforts for human rights and democracy in Burma. Please raise with the regime our long time suffering and the Rohingya people’s issues. Instead of protecting our Rohingya people, the regime is practising more human rights violations in Rohingya areas. So, the international community has to protect us as we are human beings," the BROUK delegates said.
