More than a dozen Nobel laureates have criticised Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi for failing to uphold the human rights of Rohingya Muslims in the country's Rakhine State, urging for immediate action to avoid "ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity".
In an open letter to the United Nations Security Council late Thursday, 23 global icons, including 13 laureates and 10 global leaders, expressed their disappointment at what they see as state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi's failure to ensure Rohingya rights.
"Despite repeated appeals to Aung San Suu Kyi, we are frustrated that she has not taken any initiative to ensure full and equal citizenship rights of the Rohingya," the letter, with signatories including Desmond Tutu and Shirin Ebadi, said.
"Ms Suu Kyi is the leader and is the one with the primary responsibility to lead, and lead with courage, humanity and compassion," it said. (Courtesy of aljazeera.com)
December 31, 2016
Myanmar to take back 2,415 ‘citizens,’ no mention of Rohingyas
Myanmar said on Friday it would take back 2,415 “citizens” from Bangladesh, only a tiny fraction of the 300,000 people who Bangladesh says are Myanmar citizens taking refuge there and should go home.
“There are only 2,415 Myanmar citizens, according to our data,” Kyaw Zaya, director general of Myanmar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, referring to the number of Myanmar citizens in Bangladesh.
“We always stand with our number,” he said, adding he had “no idea” about the Bangladesh figure of 300,000.
He said the Myanmar government had a plan to take back the 2,415 in 2017.
Myanmar earlier agreed to take back 2,415 Rohingyas from the two registered camps in Bangladesh after the eighth foreign secretary-level talks in Dhaka in August 2014. The process was supposed to begin within two months, but it did not happen. After 2005, it was the first time Myanmar agreed to repatriate Rohingyas from Bangladesh. (Courtesy of dhakatribune.com)
“There are only 2,415 Myanmar citizens, according to our data,” Kyaw Zaya, director general of Myanmar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, referring to the number of Myanmar citizens in Bangladesh.
“We always stand with our number,” he said, adding he had “no idea” about the Bangladesh figure of 300,000.
He said the Myanmar government had a plan to take back the 2,415 in 2017.
Myanmar earlier agreed to take back 2,415 Rohingyas from the two registered camps in Bangladesh after the eighth foreign secretary-level talks in Dhaka in August 2014. The process was supposed to begin within two months, but it did not happen. After 2005, it was the first time Myanmar agreed to repatriate Rohingyas from Bangladesh. (Courtesy of dhakatribune.com)
Make Rohingya issue a priority
Twenty-three Nobel laureates and global leaders have urged the members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) to urgently put the persisting Rohingya crisis on the Security Council's agenda and to call upon the UN secretary-general to visit Myanmar as a priority.
“If the current secretary-general is able to do so, we would urge him to go; if not, we encourage the new secretary-general to make it one of his first tasks after he takes office in January,” reads an open letter sent to the president of the UNSC and to all its member states.
The dignitaries, who have made the joint plea for the Rohingyas, one of the world's most persecuted minorities, include the likes of Professor Muhammad Yunus, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Malala Yousafzai, Shirin Ebadi and Arianna Huffington.
The signatories that include 13 Nobel laureates and 10 other business people, philanthropists, activists and politicians of global repute expressed concern that Rohingya persecution in Myanmar bears the hallmarks of genocides and past tragedies like the ones in Rwanda, Darfur, Bosnia, and Kosovo.
They urged the United Nations to do everything possible to encourage the Myanmar government to lift all restrictions on humanitarian aid so that people receive emergency assistance. (Courtesy of thedailystar.net)
“If the current secretary-general is able to do so, we would urge him to go; if not, we encourage the new secretary-general to make it one of his first tasks after he takes office in January,” reads an open letter sent to the president of the UNSC and to all its member states.
The dignitaries, who have made the joint plea for the Rohingyas, one of the world's most persecuted minorities, include the likes of Professor Muhammad Yunus, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Malala Yousafzai, Shirin Ebadi and Arianna Huffington.
The signatories that include 13 Nobel laureates and 10 other business people, philanthropists, activists and politicians of global repute expressed concern that Rohingya persecution in Myanmar bears the hallmarks of genocides and past tragedies like the ones in Rwanda, Darfur, Bosnia, and Kosovo.
They urged the United Nations to do everything possible to encourage the Myanmar government to lift all restrictions on humanitarian aid so that people receive emergency assistance. (Courtesy of thedailystar.net)
Flotilla planned to help Rohingya in Myanmar
An aid flotilla carrying food and emergency supplies for Rohingya Muslims is to sail from Malaysia for Myanmar's Rakhine State in January.
Zulhanis Zainol, secretary-general of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organisations, said on Friday that the coalition organising the flotilla had applied for permission to enter Myanmar through its embassy in Kuala Lumpur, but had yet to receive a reply.
"Even if we do not receive a response, we will continue to sail as we believe this is an important humanitarian mission," he said. (Courtesy of aljazeera.com)
Zulhanis Zainol, secretary-general of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organisations, said on Friday that the coalition organising the flotilla had applied for permission to enter Myanmar through its embassy in Kuala Lumpur, but had yet to receive a reply.
"Even if we do not receive a response, we will continue to sail as we believe this is an important humanitarian mission," he said. (Courtesy of aljazeera.com)
December 30, 2016
Violence, Fear Stalk Rohingya Villagers in Myanmar State
Rohingya Muslim villagers who spoke to a group of visiting reporters in Myanmar's Rakhine state have been harassed and, in at least one case, murdered. Government and Rohingya advocates are offering conflicting accounts of who is responsible.
The body of one of the men who spoke to reporters was found headless in a river, while others fled to neighboring Bangladesh. One woman told VOA by telephone from Bangladesh that she feared for her life after telling the visiting journalists reporters that she had been raped by soldiers.
The invitation-only media tour, comprising mainly journalists from Myanmar-based publications, marked the first time reporters had been allowed into the region in Rakhine state since three police posts came under attack on Oct. 9, leaving nine border guards dead. (Courtesy of voanews.com)
The body of one of the men who spoke to reporters was found headless in a river, while others fled to neighboring Bangladesh. One woman told VOA by telephone from Bangladesh that she feared for her life after telling the visiting journalists reporters that she had been raped by soldiers.
The invitation-only media tour, comprising mainly journalists from Myanmar-based publications, marked the first time reporters had been allowed into the region in Rakhine state since three police posts came under attack on Oct. 9, leaving nine border guards dead. (Courtesy of voanews.com)
December 27, 2016
Aung San Suu Kyi is making wartime rape easier to commit
Former human rights activist Aung San Suu Kyi is leading the Myanmar government’s campaign to make sure that nothing is done to protect women from sexual assault by the military in Rakhine State.
Two of her cabinet portfolios – the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the State Counsellor’s Office – have been more vocal than any other government offices in denying allegations of rape of Rohingya women at the hands of government security forces.
On Friday, the Myanmar State Counsellor’s Office publicly accused Rohingya women of fabricating stories of rape by government security forces, calling the phenomenon “fake rape”. (Courtesy of yangon.coconuts.co)
Two of her cabinet portfolios – the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the State Counsellor’s Office – have been more vocal than any other government offices in denying allegations of rape of Rohingya women at the hands of government security forces.
On Friday, the Myanmar State Counsellor’s Office publicly accused Rohingya women of fabricating stories of rape by government security forces, calling the phenomenon “fake rape”. (Courtesy of yangon.coconuts.co)
December 26, 2016
Rohingya man found dead after media interview
The headless body of a Muslim villager was found days after he spoke to reporters on a rare government-guided media tour of restive northern Rakhine State, Myanmar police have said.
Troops have taken control of the dangerous and remote region bordering Bangladesh since Oct 9, when armed men raided police posts, killing nine officers.
At least 34,000 Rohingya Muslims have since fled to Bangladesh, taking with them allegations of mass killings, rape and torture at the hands of Myanmar security forces.
The Myanmar government has vigorously denied the accusations, setting off the latest war of words over the Rohingya. (Courtesy of straitstimes.com)
Troops have taken control of the dangerous and remote region bordering Bangladesh since Oct 9, when armed men raided police posts, killing nine officers.
At least 34,000 Rohingya Muslims have since fled to Bangladesh, taking with them allegations of mass killings, rape and torture at the hands of Myanmar security forces.
The Myanmar government has vigorously denied the accusations, setting off the latest war of words over the Rohingya. (Courtesy of straitstimes.com)
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