After decades of persecution, state sponsored deadly violence against the Rohingya and Kaman Muslims was carried out in Arakan in June and October 2012 that resulted in the killing of many thousands people, massive rape and large scale destruction of villages, homes and properties and displacement of about 150,000 Muslims. In addition the evidences of mass grave have been uncovered by the creditable human rights groups.
Although more than one year has passed from June 2012, still there is no improvement in the human rights situation of Rohingya people. There is no change of attitude of the Burmese government and Rakhine Buddhists towards them. No action has yet been taken against the perpetrators. On the contrary, silence extermination of Rohingyas has been increasingly carried out forcing them to live in squalid living conditions in overcrowded displacement camps in segregation or apartheid like situation without basic freedom, adequate food, medical care, shelter, and sanitation, freedom of movement and access to education and opportunity to work.
Crimes against humanity against Rohingyas continue unabated. National or international humanitarian agencies have been blockaded and aid workers are restricted to reach the Rohingya camps and villages. People are dying of Malnutrition, starvation, infectious diseases. On top of that a discriminatory decree limiting Rohingya families to two children each has been imposed.
Unfortunately powerful countries are giving little attention to the ‘humanitarian disaster’, ‘crimes against humanity’ and genocidal onslaughts being perpetrated against the Rohingyas and other Muslims or ethnic peoples in Burma. Despite this, the British Government is giving President Thein Sein red carpet treatment putting the economic interest to precede the human rights issue.
However, we urge the British Government to take this opportunity to put pressure on Burmese President U Thein Sein to secure the followings:
1. To stop forthwith all human rights violations against the Rohingya and other Muslims in Burma.
2. To ensure religious freedom, and reopen all mosques and madrassas in Arakan.
3. To agree for an international investigation into the abuses against the Rohingya minority.
4. To allow full, free and unimpeded humanitarian access to all those affected and needy regardless of registered or unregistered IDP camps.
5. To repeal or amend 1982 Citizenship Law to conform it to international human rights law standards ensuring full citizenship to Rohingyas.
6. To repudiate publicly the discriminatory decree limiting Rohingya families to two children each.
For more information, please contact:
Ahamed Jarmal +44-7894253729
Aman Ullah: + 880-15584 86910
