Rohingya refugees in Malaysia protest Thai actions against boat people

Source from channel news asia, 12 Feb 2009

KUALA LUMPUR : Rohingya refugees in Malaysia held two protests in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday to highlight the plight of their compatriots.

Less than 100 of them turned up at the Thai Embassy to protest against the alleged abuse of Rohingya boat people seeking refuge in Thailand.

They forwarded a memo to embassy staff in which they "condemned Thailand's atrocious human rights record".

On the alleged mistreatment of the boat people by the Thai military, they called for the issue to be brought before the International Court of Justice.

The group then moved on to the Bangladesh Embassy, where they protested the mistreatment of Rohingya refugees detained in Bangladesh.

Over the years, hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh to escape persecution in Myanmar. But they receive little or no support from the Bangladeshi government. - CNA /ls

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some photos of one of the protest in relation to boat people added by NDPHR(exile).

.............Burmese protest at Burmese emabssy, KL


1. STATEMENT ON ATROCITIES OF BURMESE MILITARY REGIME

On behalf of all Burmese people regardless of race, religion, color and sex, we, at the All Burma Democratic Force (ABDF), based in Malaysia strongly condemn the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), the ruling military of Burma for its brutal behaviors against it own people and humanity.

It is the 62nd anniversary of Burma’s Union Solidarity Day that was inked by the Burma’s Independent hero Bo Kyoke Aung San in the spirits of Pinglong Agreement on February 1947 but the people of Burma never got change to enjoy fruits of this historical instrument, since the coup of Dictator Ne Win in 1962.
It is the military that they have turned the fate of Burmese people into hardship and dangerous living within the state or forced them to leave ancestral homeland.

In period of 47 years, almost, entire Burmese people have gone into dire situation as military never considered the wills of people’s freedom of their mind, thoughts, and every other interests.
Since the eve of military coup, Burmese military has been changing their names as like Burma Revolutionary Council, Burma Socialist Programme Party (BSPP), State law & Order Restoration Council (SLORC) and the State Peace & Development Council (SPDC) but never thought to change its objectives of atrocities against people. It also did not leave respected Buddhist clergies September 2007 in times of saffron revolution.

Ignoring the calls of international community, the regime held sham constitutional referendum on May 10, 2008, when the country’s important delta was devastated by Cyclone Nargis on May 5, 2008. The regime is also stepping towards for holding another sham election in 2010 in order to legitimate it power and to indulge the wills of people that proved in 1990s Multi-Party Election.

Indeed, the SPDC is an illegitimate gang of military that is bringing unexpected economic hardship in the country and pushing the people into the endless tyranny of military. Following these, tens of thousands of Burmese people were victimized as internal displacement and refugee outflows.
The gang of military must review their policies towards reality, if they need to do a sustainable development of country, even for their families.. Otherwise, country’s economy may reach to the worst proportion of crises.

Currently, the country is facing food crises, as military does not have well-management of food and commodities. The SPDC only know the things of price hike-up rather adopting international standard mechanism to alleviate poverty and to have changes in the country throughout the sustainable economy.
The military is also wasting country’s vast natural resources to buy sophisticated weapons by which they kill its own people without any hesitation that only to control power. The military also has nuclear ambition in order to fight against world bodies, particularly against those who are assisting country pro –democracy movements and human rights activists.

Besides, the regime is extremely involved in gross human rights violations through various circles and tactics including ethnic cleansing, rape, torture, extortion, extrajudicial killings and inhuman pogroms. In all walks of the regime, ethnic minorities like Rohingya, Karen, Karenni, Kachin, Shan Mon, Chin, Pa-o, Palong, Kuki, Naga and etc. are the worst victims of such human rights violations.

On the recent statement of SPDC against ethnic Rohingyas of Arakan State, Burma, made us shocked that how the illegitimate authority can justify others concerns and how can it hide the reality of history of Rohingyas existence in Burma, staying in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)? In fact, the Rohingyas are indigenous people of Arakan, as per their deep rooted history.

Anyway, the ABDF express our firm stands that we will continue our peaceful and legitimate struggle for the restoration of democracy in Burma and to reveal the truth about real history up to our last breath. It is also our firm deed that we must end the military dictatorship in Burma in order to let a chance for the entire people to enjoy their birth and democratic human rights that accorded in various international instruments.

In these regards, we call upon SPDC:
1. To unconditionally set free Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all other political prisoners including prominent students Min Ko Naing and ethnic leaders like U Kyaw Min, U Kun  Htun Oo and etc;
2. To immediately take step towards for urgent democratization in Burma, respecting 1990s election result;
3. To cease all kinds of human rights abuses against the people of Burma, particularly against ethnic minorities like Rohingya, Karen, Karenni, Kachin, Shan Mon, Chin, Pa-o, Palong, Kuki, Naga and etc.;
4. To stop misuse of country’s natural resources, especially, Arakan Natural Gas, Yadana and Yetagong Piple line of Mon State; and etc. for the benefits of people and country and to reduce the hardship of the people;
5. To abolish fascist, and brutal leading of the regime in order to ensure peace, justice and freedom for all regardless of race, religion and etc.

Memo handing over to a senior staff from Burmese emabssy, KL

Burmese protest at Thai emabssy, KL

2.A MEMORANDUM TO THE ROYAL THAI GOVERNMENT

On behalf of all Burmese people, we at the All Burma Democratic Force (ABDF, an umbrella organization of different political, ethnic, socio-cultural and religious organizations of Burma based in Malaysia express our dissatisfaction over the role of Thailand towards Burma and Burmese people.

Currently, Thailand is carrying out the responsibilities of ASEAN chairmanship but not thoroughly going into ASEAN human rights charters.

Despite respecting ASEAN and other international human rights charters, Thailand is involved in violation of human rights in various means including spoiling of neighboring Burma and Burmese people.

We believe that it is the time to take step to review the policy of both ASEAN and Thailand towards Burma in order to let Burmese people chance to enjoy their democratic rights in their country.

Thailand should see back to the history of Burma which is historically dictator or occupier. Once, the Burmese ruler occupied Ayudaya (SIAM) of Thailand for its own benefits but now the regime has occupied the people’s rights and power, wasting the country’s natural resources.

We believe that Thailand is taking revenge against Burma, to enjoy the facilities of Burmese natural resources, especially Gas Pipeline of Yandana and Yetaggon of Mon State, timbers from Karen, Karenni and Shan States respectively, while it allows Burmese regime to set up missiles factory along Thai border line which is not far than 15 kilometer from Maela refugee camp of Thailand. Thailand is also using Burmese people in its labor sectors for its interest but never thought to have changes in Burma as Thailand may fail to enjoy certain benefits.

It is well known to the world that Thailand has reached to uphold oppressive policy towards Burmese refugees and migrant workers in the recent dates, especially against Rohingya Burmese boat people who were sent back to the sea without engine.

These are the life evidence of genocidal killings and thus we propose to bring this case to international Court of Justice.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is still denying the abuses of Thai authorities over the Rohingya Burmese boat people who would be considered as genuine refugees. Instead of allowing the independent screening into the matter, the Thai officials are stepping forward for ignoring the real issue.

In spite of calls to international community, Thailand took decision against humanity. Therefore, we call upon the Royal Thai Government that:-

1. To boycott support to Burmese military in order to meet ASEAN human rights charter;

2. To stop using of Burmese natural resources and give up it for the benefits of Burma and Burmese people;

3. To extend effective supports towards Burmese pro-democracy movement in order to bring an end military dictatorship in Burma and to ensure the rights of all people regardless of race, religion and etc.;

4. To protect Burmese refugees and migrants workers, particularly the Rohingya boat people and to ensure their refugee status for the betterment of ASEAN region;

We encourage for hosting international agencies to help boat people and to screen their cases in order to extend international protection and to help to achieve the goal of democratization in Burma from the field of Thailand.

.memo handing over to a senior staff from Thai-embassy in KL

3.A MEMORANDUM TO THE GOVERNMENT OF BANGLADESH

On behalf of all Burmese people, we at the All Burma Democratic Force (ABDF, an umbrella organization of different political, ethnic, socio-cultural and religious organizations of Burma based in Malaysia express our sincere gratitude towards the authorities and people of Bangladesh for hosting tens of thousands Burmese people in the country.

We also express our dissatisfaction for some sorts of brutal and inhuman policies of Bangladeshi Government in detaining hundreds of Rohingya and other Burmese undocumented refugees in different prisons of Bangladesh without any reasons.

Despite being a member state of Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and vast majority Muslim country, Bangladesh is reluctant to comply Islamic obligations for the causes of Muhajereen (refugees) that accorded in the universal Law Book of The God “The Holly Quran” and the best guideline of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) “The Hadiths”.

As a Muslim state, it would not neglect Quranic and Hadith orders without any hesitation to set free of refugees from their uncertain detention prisons, while the Bangladesh should not deny the actual plights of Rohingya Burmese people who were compelled to take refuge in their over populated and poor country.

It is true that Bangladesh is a close effected country from the desperated Rohingya and experiencing on their ongoing plights in their country of origin (Burma) through various kinds of human rights abuses, including denial of citizenship rights, severe restrictions on freedom of movement, education, marriage and religion, forced labor, rape, land confiscation, arbitrary arrests, torture, extra judicial killings, settlement of model villages and extortion on daily basis.

For all these reasons, we call upon the Government of Bangladesh:-

1. To immediately review the policies towards persecuted Muslim Rohingya refugees and to give full respect to the Islamic obligations that accorded in the Quran and Sunnah;

2. To unconditionally set free all Rohingya and other Burmese refugees from your prisions and handover them to United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) or other refugee concerned quarters;

3. To allow international agencies to observe the situation of Rohingya in Bangladesh and along the border in order to work with international standard mechanism that may bring an end of their miserable plights;

4.To immediately bring the Rohingya issue before the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) resolution in order to bring it to the United Nations General Assembly;

5. To adopt a frame work of international campaign to advocate the plights of Rohingya to the world and to find permanent solution to their long-standing problems.

 These  memorandum are endorsed by:

1.All Burma Democratic Force (ABDF)

2.All Burma Muslim Organization (ABMO)

3.Arakan Rohingya Refugee Committee (ARRC), Malaysia

4.Burma Muslim Community (BMC)

5.Burma Youth Liberation Front (BYLF)

6.Christian Community Clinic Center (CCCC)

7.Chin People’s Organization (CPO)

8.Community Rohingya Islam Pro-Democracy Organization (CRIPDO)

9.Democratic Federation of Burma (DFB)

10.Karenni Future Generation (KFG)

11.Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organization in Malaysia (MERHROM)

12.National Democratic Party for Human Rights (exile)

13.National League for Democracy (NLD-LA)

14.Rohingya Information Center (RIC)

15.Rakhaing Patriotic Forum (RPF)

16.Rohingya Youth Development Forum (RYDF), Arakan

Thank you,

Executive Committee
All Burma Democratic Force (ABDF)
Union of Burma

For further information, please contact:
Mohammad Sadek,  Tel: 016-3094599

Habib,       Tel: 012-2595185