Minority rights and freedom of religion must be placed at the heart of Burma’s first civilian-led government in over half a century, Minority Rights Group International (MRG) said today. Curbing ethnic violence in northern Burma and ending the persecution of the Rohingya minority should be at the top of the agenda.
Minority Rights Group International is an international human rights organization working to secure the rights of ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities and indigenous peoples.
According to the Minority Rights Group International, Military abuses against ethnic Ta’ang, Kachin and Shan communities in northern Burma have left a stain on the country’s much-lauded democratic transition and ending the escalating conflict should be a priority for the incoming government led by Aung San Suu Kyi. Testimony collected from local human rights groups suggests that the Burmese army has targeted unarmed civilians, torched villages and committed other egregious human rights violations in the past few weeks alone. (Courtesy of Asian Tribune)
April 1, 2016
Time for action not words
Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi yesterday saw the fulfillment of the democratic dream for which she had labored so hard and at such personal cost. Her close political ally, Htin Kyaw, was sworn in to the presidential role from which Suu Kyi herself is barred under the constitution written by the outgoing military.
To judge by the international media coverage of the ceremony, there was hardly a dry eye in the house. “The Lady” as she is affectionately known had triumphed. Burma is back on the path toward stability and justice. Or is it?
It had been widely assumed that Suu Kyi’s failure to tackle the marginalization of Burmese Muslims, particularly the persecuted Rohingya minority, was due to her reluctance to provoke the military junta. Thus the Nobel Peace Laureate could make a few comforting noises about problems that would need to be addressed in due course and her fans around the world were satisfied. To judge from yesterday’s wall-to-wall media coverage, they have not changed their minds. (Courtesy of Saudi Gazette)
To judge by the international media coverage of the ceremony, there was hardly a dry eye in the house. “The Lady” as she is affectionately known had triumphed. Burma is back on the path toward stability and justice. Or is it?
It had been widely assumed that Suu Kyi’s failure to tackle the marginalization of Burmese Muslims, particularly the persecuted Rohingya minority, was due to her reluctance to provoke the military junta. Thus the Nobel Peace Laureate could make a few comforting noises about problems that would need to be addressed in due course and her fans around the world were satisfied. To judge from yesterday’s wall-to-wall media coverage, they have not changed their minds. (Courtesy of Saudi Gazette)
Rohingya left behind in Myanmar's power transition
As Myanmar's NLD-led government assumes the mantle of power, there is little indication that things will get better for the ethnic Rohingya people, as Lucy Kafanov reports from Rakhine state.
Abdul Rashid, 47, watched helplessly as his wife Rukia's body stiffened and began to shake uncontrollably - her face contorted in pain as the convulsions raked her emaciated frame. His eldest daughter applied a wet compress to her mother's head, trying to hold her steady, while the younger siblings huddled together in a corner, whimpering silently.
Minutes later, the seizure was over. Rukia remained unconscious as the raspy sound of her labored breathing again filled the cramped thatched bamboo hut. (Courtesy of DW.COM)
Abdul Rashid, 47, watched helplessly as his wife Rukia's body stiffened and began to shake uncontrollably - her face contorted in pain as the convulsions raked her emaciated frame. His eldest daughter applied a wet compress to her mother's head, trying to hold her steady, while the younger siblings huddled together in a corner, whimpering silently.
Minutes later, the seizure was over. Rukia remained unconscious as the raspy sound of her labored breathing again filled the cramped thatched bamboo hut. (Courtesy of DW.COM)
Myanmar's shame: Living inside Rohingya ghettos
As the sun creeps closer towards its midday peak, the inhabitants of Dar Paing camp move out to the dusty streets to escape the oppressive heat of their single room dormitories.
This is home to thousands of Rohingya Muslims, a stateless people not recognized nor wanted by Myanmar's government.
Located near Sittwe, in the country's western Rakhine state, the camp is alive with sounds -- children recite verses at a makeshift school, while fruit sellers entice customers to their sparse but colorful stalls. But this buzz masks the harsh reality for many people here.
As Zoya prepares lunch for her family in their cramped living space, the loss of her son Mohammed is never far from her thoughts. "I begged Mohammed not to leave," she says, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Your father is sick and I am old, you must stay with us and protect the family," she remembers telling him. But despite her protestations and appeals, the 17-year old escaped the camp and fled to Malaysia by boat. (Courtesy of CNN.com)
This is home to thousands of Rohingya Muslims, a stateless people not recognized nor wanted by Myanmar's government.
Located near Sittwe, in the country's western Rakhine state, the camp is alive with sounds -- children recite verses at a makeshift school, while fruit sellers entice customers to their sparse but colorful stalls. But this buzz masks the harsh reality for many people here.
As Zoya prepares lunch for her family in their cramped living space, the loss of her son Mohammed is never far from her thoughts. "I begged Mohammed not to leave," she says, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Your father is sick and I am old, you must stay with us and protect the family," she remembers telling him. But despite her protestations and appeals, the 17-year old escaped the camp and fled to Malaysia by boat. (Courtesy of CNN.com)
March 31, 2016
Visiting humans in a zoo
When our kids were young we spent a fair amount of time at zoos around the world. It was always with mixed emotions for me. Are animals supposed to be caged in? I also remember seeing high security prisons in different counties. Uninviting and foreboding they loom on the horizon making one decide there and then never to become a criminal deserving a life behind those walls. Rarely did I imagine normal moms, dads, kids, teens, uncles, aunts or grandparents having to live behind barbed wires of the same quality as the wires used to protect humans from Grizzlies in the zoo. I never thought that rice farmers, shop keepers, fishermen, teachers and lawyers needed to be kept enclosed the same way serial killers were enclosed on Alcatraz.
We went to spend time with people behind barbed wires today. I knew I was not a criminal, just a simple woman wanting to help starving people. Yet, I needed to brake several rules in order to get to them. Mr. Z is our trusted aid and picked us up fifteen minutes early. His baseball hat was on his head as usual, his sarong was tied tightly around his waist. He smiled a smile stained with red beetle nut juice and let me know not to worry about a thing. We just had to duck when passing check points and only get out of the vehicle when he said so. (Courtesy of oddnygumaer.com)
We went to spend time with people behind barbed wires today. I knew I was not a criminal, just a simple woman wanting to help starving people. Yet, I needed to brake several rules in order to get to them. Mr. Z is our trusted aid and picked us up fifteen minutes early. His baseball hat was on his head as usual, his sarong was tied tightly around his waist. He smiled a smile stained with red beetle nut juice and let me know not to worry about a thing. We just had to duck when passing check points and only get out of the vehicle when he said so. (Courtesy of oddnygumaer.com)
March 30, 2016
Leaders Respond to Suu Kyi’s Call for Second Panglong Conference
Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma’s state counselor and de facto leader of the new National League for Democracy (NLD) government, met with the Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Committee on Wednesday, calling for the convening of a “Panglong-style” peace conference within two months and encouraging all stakeholders to help make the suggestion a reality.
Of ethnic armed organizations that opted out of signing the so-called nationwide ceasefire [NCA] in 2015, Suu Kyi said that “even though they are not yet included, we will try to include them.”
“There is no reason that we can’t make it work if there is sincere empathy,” she added.
The Panglong Conference was convened in southern Shan State in 1947 by Suu Kyi’s father, Gen Aung San, and leaders from some of the country’s ethnic nationalities, in preparation for independence from Britain. It led to the signing of the famed agreement by the same name, which has been widely praised for the spirit of inclusiveness and cooperation that it fostered between the dominant Burman majority and ethnic minorities at the time.
The Irrawaddy’s Nang Seng Nom spoke to a diverse selection of leaders about Suu Kyi’s call for a second Panglong Conference, the likelihood of these talks occurring, and their expectations for them; their responses are below. (Courtesy of Irrawaddy)
Of ethnic armed organizations that opted out of signing the so-called nationwide ceasefire [NCA] in 2015, Suu Kyi said that “even though they are not yet included, we will try to include them.”
“There is no reason that we can’t make it work if there is sincere empathy,” she added.
The Panglong Conference was convened in southern Shan State in 1947 by Suu Kyi’s father, Gen Aung San, and leaders from some of the country’s ethnic nationalities, in preparation for independence from Britain. It led to the signing of the famed agreement by the same name, which has been widely praised for the spirit of inclusiveness and cooperation that it fostered between the dominant Burman majority and ethnic minorities at the time.
The Irrawaddy’s Nang Seng Nom spoke to a diverse selection of leaders about Suu Kyi’s call for a second Panglong Conference, the likelihood of these talks occurring, and their expectations for them; their responses are below. (Courtesy of Irrawaddy)
March 26, 2016
Aung San Suu Kyi in anti-Muslim spat with BBC presenter
Burma’s Aung San Suu Kyi is globally revered for her patient, peaceful struggle for democracy, which will finally see her take power next week – but a clash revealed in a new biography of her paints a rather different picture.
According to the book, Ms Suu Kyi lost her temper after a robust interview with BBC Today programme presenter Mishal Husain and muttered off-air: “No-one told me I was going to be interviewed by a Muslim.”
The book reveals that the 70-year-old president of Burma's National League for Democracy refused to condemn anti-Islamic sentiment and massacres of Muslims in Burma when she was repeatedly asked to do so by Husain, the first Muslim presenter of Radio 4’s Today programme, during the interview. (Courtesy of Telegraph)
According to the book, Ms Suu Kyi lost her temper after a robust interview with BBC Today programme presenter Mishal Husain and muttered off-air: “No-one told me I was going to be interviewed by a Muslim.”
The book reveals that the 70-year-old president of Burma's National League for Democracy refused to condemn anti-Islamic sentiment and massacres of Muslims in Burma when she was repeatedly asked to do so by Husain, the first Muslim presenter of Radio 4’s Today programme, during the interview. (Courtesy of Telegraph)
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