Press Release: STOP SYSTEMATIC KILLING OF MUSLIM IN BURMA

Source ARNO, 23 Mar

Arakan Rohingya National Organisation (ARNO) strongly condemns the increasing anti-Muslim propaganda and organized killings of the Muslims in Burma/Myanmar.

Since Wednesday March 20, many Muslims were killed, at least 14 mosques with hundreds of Muslim homes were destroyed, shops damaged and looted, and more than 20,000 displaced in the central Burma town of Meiktila and around the airport area of capital Naypyidaw. The violence spread to Yameithein tonight where a mosque was destroyed. A lot of Muslim residents have fled their homes. Extremist Buddhist mobs with Buddhist monks armed with sticks and lethal weapons are prowling the streets and hunting the Muslims. 4 Islamic religiousteachers and 28 madrassa students, who included children as young as 12 years old, were among those killed.

The police and security forces did nothing to control the situation. The government is fully responsible for allowing such a former Yugoslavia-like genocide encouraging anti-Muslim propaganda and Islamophobia in Burma/Myanmar. This is the worst carnage after the genocide carried out in the western state of Rakhine/Arakan last year that left more than 5000 Rohingya and Kaman Muslims killed, missing or drowned and about 140,000 displaced, who have been kept in segregation under government's 'neo-apartheid policy'. It is apprehensive that the Rakhine academics and monks backed by the local administration are inciting a third massacre of the Muslims in Arakan.

It has been observed that crimes against humanity against Muslims have escalated when some powerful countries are trying to reward the ruling civil-military hybrid government while lifting or suspending sanctions on Burma under the label of democratic progress. It is worth-mentioning that human rights are universal; racism and human rights violations are foreign to democracy; and most importantly genocide, ethnic cleansing and apartheid are international crimes. We, therefore:

Demand that the government end forthwith all killing, violence and terrorization against the Muslims in Burma/Myanmar and ensure full religious freedom with their security of life, property and dignity;

1. Further demand that the government stop spreading of such pre-planned violence against Muslims in other places of Burma
2. Request the international community, United Nations, OIC, USA, UK and their western allies, EU, ASEAN and neighbouring countries to put pressure on Burma and exert concerted efforts to protect and save the Muslim community in Burma;
3. Rapidlifting or suspension of sanctions on Burma is premature in this stage; and request to reinstate sanctions in order to protect the Rohingya and other minorities, promote human rights and inclusive democratic and political reforms in Burma;
4. To scrap Burma Citizenship Law of 1982 and to replace it with a new law that conform to international law standards;
5. Request to conduct a UN independent inquiry and bring the perpetrators to the book.

For more information, please contact:

Nurul Islam: + 44 7947854652

Aman Ullah: + 880-15584 86910

Email: info@rohingya.org This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

www.rohingya.org