Myanmar’s Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis

The persisting humanitarian crisis of the Rohingya minority in Myanmar has been a global concern after two bouts of organised mass violence against them in 2012. While the Rohingya persecution has been going on for nearly four decades, Myanmar’s reforms launched in 2011 facilitated the international media’s coverage of the mass violence.

Myanmar’s treatment of the Rohingya is an unmistakable breach of international human rights laws. Successive Burmese military governments have since early 1970s viewed the Rohingya Muslim minority, who live on their ancestral borderlands between the Islamic country of Bangladesh and Buddhist Myanmar, as “a threat to Myanmar’s national security and local Buddhist culture”.

The Rohingya persecution by the Myanmar military began in 1978 under the pretext of a crackdown on the illegal Bengali immigration into Western Myanmar from the then newly independent Bangladesh. The military used the Rohingya as a proxy population against the extremely nationalistic and anti-Myanmar Rakhine people, who resent Myanmar rule as a colonial occupation of their once sovereign nation. (Courtesy of Inter Press Service)

Myanmar nationalists seek to depose new Christian VP

A group of Buddhist nationalists is seeking the support of a notorious group of monks responsible for laws deemed to target Myanmar’s Muslim community in its crusade to remove a Christian lawmaker newly elected as vice-president.

But the monks — the ultra-nationalist Ma Ba Tha — have so far refused to join a demonstration against the appointment of ethnic Chin Henry Van Thio, organized by the Buddha Gonyi religion protection group.

“We, Buddhist people, can live together with Christians peacefully as they are not hostile to people of other religions,” Ma Ba Tha monk Pamaukkha told Anadolu Agency on being asked Thursday if they were going to join the demo. (Courtesy of news.videonews.us)

Myanmar Government Plan Includes New Ethnic Affairs Ministry

Myanmar's incoming government has released its plan for a new government, including a new ethnic-affairs ministry for the nation scarred by sectarian tensions and repression of some ethnic groups.

New president Htin Kyaw submitted his proposal Thursday, with a parliamentary debate on it scheduled for Friday.

The plan includes the ethnic ministry in a wider civil service reform plan aimed at streamlining the bureaucracy left behind by the military government that ruled Myanmar for decades. A Cabinet of 36 ministries is expected to be slimmed down to 21. (Courtesy of VOA News)

The least-worst option in Rakhine State

The entire raison d'être for 20 years of military rule — at least insofar as the official line went — was to ensure Myanmar was on a sustainable path to peace and reconciliation before the handover to a civilian government, thus avoiding the conflicts that beleaguered and ultimately brought down the U Nu administration in 1962. So why is it that after taking nearly two decades to draft, Myanmar’s Constitution reads like an instruction manual for provoking discord?

The Constitution, still in its infancy, is hardly a robust document. Military leaders have taken the broadest possible interpretation of Article 59(f) to disqualify Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from the presidency, but raised no objection when departing President U Thein Sein was returned to the “honorary” chairmanship of the Union Solidarity and Development Party last August and campaigned in the November election, despite Article 64 barring incumbent heads of state from taking part in political activities. Ethnic seat allocations in state and regional assemblies (Article 161) are based on census data from more than 30 years ago and are without doubt disenfranchising ethnic communities in various parts of the country. (Courtesy of Frontier Myanmar)

In Search Of A Home : Rohingya Refugees In New Delhi

The Rohingyas have been described as “one of the most persecuted minorities in the world” by the United Nations, yet the Rohingya refugee crisis is almost entirely absent from world headlines, and ignored even by many prominent international organisations and world governments. Rohingya Muslims belonging to Arakan region of Myanmar have been expelled from their homeland following the clashes with Rakhine Buddhist population. The seeds of this hostility were sown back in the 18th century when the Buddhist from the south of Burma conquered the Arakan region which had a considerable population of Muslims who were ultimately forced to flee to neighboring Bengal, then part of the British India. Again, to further their economy, Britishers sponsored a forced migration of many people from Bengal to the Arakan region (this included the Rohingyas and the native Bengalis) for farming purposes. Hence, perpetuating the conflict which escalated into a large scale violence, reaching its high point in 2012.

In the recent past, many Rohingyas have migrated to countries like Pakistan, Malaysia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia etc, They have been living in poor conditions and have witnessed physical as well as psychological violence.

In India the Rohingyas are living in refugee camps in New Delhi, Hyderabad and elsewhere. In New Delhi, they stay in Kanchan Kunj area. The only mark of identification they have is an identity card provided by the UNHCR. The latter also looks into their grievances and immediate needs. The men of the camp work inside the camp in small constructions or are employed outside in local market. (Courtesy of thecitizen.in)

Ban welcomes election of first civilian Prez in Myanmar

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has congratulated Htin Kyaw for being elected as Myanmar's first civilian President in over five decades and expressed hope that the country will continue to be on the path of democracy and national reconciliation.

Following the historic national polls last November, Ban congratulated Kyaw, elected by the Myanmar Parliament.

"He welcomes this as a significant achievement towards advancing the democratic reforms ushered in by the outgoing Government," a statement issued by Ban's spokesperson said.

"The Secretary-General hopes the people of Myanmar will continue steadfastly on the path of democracy and national reconciliation and, at this defining moment of transition, calls upon President-elect U Htin Kyaw, as well as all other significant stakeholders, to work inclusively towards a smooth and peaceful consolidation of unity and stability in the country," it added. (Courtesy of Business Standard News)