An Open Letter to the People Republic of Bangladeshi Government

released by ARNA,14 Oct

Firstly, we ARNA on behalf of entire Rohingya people would like to thank whole-heartedly to the People Republic of Bangladeshi government and Bengladeshi people for their kind treatment towards Burmese Rohingya refugees who fled from state sponsored ongoing genocide in Arakan (Rakhine) state of western Burma (Myanmar).

As a result of attacking the Rohingya/muslim community is part of central politic and popularizing in Burma, the Burma central ruler governments have been attacking minorities particularly Rohingya soon after independence of Burma throughout waging wars, mass killing, ethnic cleansing pogroms, arbitrary arrests and detention, introduction of institutionalized discriminatory laws and orders, systematic restriction in every social, cultural, welfare, health-care, education and livelihood sectors. These became very active as part of rapid marching towards Buddhization of the country since the state religion was named as Buddhist Religion State from 1974.

Since then, a large number of Rohingyans fled into neighbouring countries particularly into Bangladesh therefore it's undeniable that the country Bangladesh has been heavily bearing Rohingyan people fleeing into her in a number of occasions prior and post independence of Burma, commonly in 1942, 1949, 1958-60, 1978, 1991, 1994-95, from June 2012, Oct 2016 and latest from Aug 2017. In each of these occasions, the government attacked by utilizing of its armed forces, joint forces, local Rakhine gangs that resulted killing of thousands of Rohingyans and Kamans, displacing hundreds of thousands uploaded as refugees, destroyed and seized hundreds of Rohingyan villages.

Recent attacks in Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Rathidaung townships of Northern Arakan state from 25 Aug 2017, the innocent unarmed Rohingya civilians were brutally, indiscriminately and heavily attacked by the government military, joint forces and Rakhine gangs with use of fight helicopters, rocket launchers, machine guns, and setting fire of houses, bury and burn alive, laying landmines across people fleeing. Up to date, there have been killed more than 3,000 innocent unarmed Rohingyan civilians mostly babies, children and elderly people, over 30,000 houses that is half of total about 476 Rohingya villages were completely razed, displacing over 600,000 people and over 500,000 of them been already forced into Bangladesh thru treacherous journey and the rest still on the way from where they trapped in the mountains, forests and remote areas.

The remaining Rohingyans in those 3 regions, Rohingyans and Kamans from southern regions including about 150,000 displaced Rohingyans and Kamans those spending over five years now in 42 concentration camps have been still facing systematic confinement from June 2012 and subsequently blocking of aid and food supplies resume from 25 Aug 2017, ongoing vigilant attacks, and various forms of brutalities. These people therefore are seriously facing starvation and given situation compelling them to leave from where they are now trapped. Hundreds of Rohingya and Kaman people from Southern regions those fled by lands and inland waters were taken over by Rakhine people never returned alive or dead once taken away. This been un-noticeably, with no doubt, exercising the expansion of muslim-free-zones comprised 4 townships (Taunggok, Tandwe, Gwa, Ponnargyuan) across Arakan state began from 1983.

Because of the world leaders and international communities still favouring of Ms. Suu Kyi led NLD government that has knowingly no power nor control over the country, today we are witnessing another genocide after Rwanda and Srilanka under the watch of UN and international communities. This case of Rohingya should not be a simply dismissed by characterizing as a clashes (or) a sectarian attack (or) a communal violence. The Rohingya and Kaman people in Arakan state have been completely BLACK out and BLOCK out. In deed, it is a total destruction of a community with a full swing of genocidal attacks involved arbitrary killings, corporal and collective punishment, slaughtering, burning alive, beheading, rapes, systematic confinement, pushing into concentration camps, destroying identities, barring permanently from a right to have rights, divide and segregation, eradication from homeland, destruction of historical and ancestral evidences, blocking aid and foods, education, medicare and livelihood and cutting off of electricity and waters.

The central government now led by Ms. Suu Kyi has been misusing her power for defending military's brutalities and trying to legalize the military's brutal actions that acceptable to the world by misinforming about the situation on the ground with reconstructed fake stories and prearranged meetings. Simultaneously, blocking of UN Inquiry Commission, aid supplies, foreign journalists, inviting of UNHCR chief to relocate all Rohingyans to a third country in Aug 2012, unwilling to materialized a single recommendation of Koffi Anan's reports and inflaming the situation by beefing up of armed forces and arming Rakhine civilians and instigating racial hatred among the public.

The lives of over a million of Rohingyan human beings both inside and outside has fallen into the hands of evil ruler now by majority represent popular Ms. Suu Kyi. Many Rohingyans refugees today reloaded in Bangladesh are repatriated former refugees of 1978 and 1991-92 and having bitter experience of forced repatriation, arbitrary arrests, detentions, brutality, extortion, destroying of identities and denial of right to have rights. We, ARNA therefore seriously concern on the thesis of military shadowed Suu Kyi led NLD government's speeches of: welcoming back of all those who fled, nothing mentioned of Rohingya identity and recognition, nothing mention about her laws and orders to bring into account for the military forces and their brutal crimes, and spontaneously building of 3 new camps targeted to host all those returnee Rohingyans. Before agreeing of repatriation, the Bangladeshi government must therefore review about how in the past similar military powered government had exploited the repatriation agreement consisted four main points of relocation, lifting restrictions, equal rights and rehabilitation. National verification cards issuing to indigenous Rohingya people as part of Koffi Anan's reports is another facilitation to deprive and illegitimate the rights of Rohingya that actually bridging to modern day segregation and dividing between nationalities that will definitely devaluate the dignity and existence of Rohingya.

We would like to appreciate the initiatives taken by Bangladeshi government's plan to build the world biggest refugee camp to accommodate recent and the past arrival total numbering about 800,000 Rohingya refugees. However, we are seriously concern firstly for the repatriation process privately agreeing with Myanmar government that actually need to avoid any use of forceful repatriation and exploitation. And secondly for the Bangladeshi government allowing the championing in registration of Rohingya refugees as 'displaced people' in stead of recognizing as refugee and issuing identity without description of Rohingya ethnicity that violate the UDHR and Refugees Convention, as well as, exploitation of their plights, identities, rights and dignity. Because, we are also concern side by side for the Myanmar government's plan to build of 3 biggest camps expected to host all Rohingya and Kaman repatriatees, displaced and non-displaced people. It is in deed nothing more than ghettoization like Nazi-concentration-camps styles of holding entire mulsim population of Arakan state.

Bangladeshi government as a nation bearing of the biggest Rohingya refugees ever must therefore persuade the Myanmar government to start implementation of its said promises to be delivered to Rohingyans and Kamans those are in the country as part of the development to see whether the government and authorities are following. These must include:-

1) Relocation of about 150,000 of displaced Rohingyan and Kaman people to their respective displaced origin villages and facilitate with full rehabilitation programs.

2) Official recognition of Rohingya ethnicity, existence and issuing of similar National Identity card with Rohingyan ethnicity written and any written descriptions on the card should be similar to IDs issued to Burman Buddhist people.

3) Lifting all forms of restrictions, barriers, segregations, and guarantee safety, security and livelihood of entire Rohingya and Kaman people.

4) Installation of Ms. Suu Kyi said rules or laws and bringing all perpetrator Rakhine people and government authorities into account for their crimes and end to rhetoric of calling Bengali, terrorist, illegal immigrant and anti-muslim activities as the government agree to take back its people.

5) Ensure aid and food supplies directly to the ground, free access of independent foreign journalists, diplomats, UN envoys and UN Inquiry Commission.

Like the past military powered government of Myanmar, now Suu Kyi led NLD government, military generals and Rakhine authorities do not feel any pressure of international communities, UN, PPT and calls of neighbouring nations. The Rohingyan civilians are still brutally attacked, their houses are still burning day-to-day. We have also received reports thru our reliable sources that the Bangladeshi Rakhine people have been abducting our vulnerable people from camps and Burmese intelligents are accessed up to Bangladeshi territory and playing vital roles.

Since the country Bangladesh has been warmly proving humanitarian assistance for Rohingyan refugees, we hope Bangladeshi government will find long term permanent solution rather than short term solution in removal of unwanted Rohingya refugees. We don't want to see the plight of these people additionally exploited, paralyzed by the modern day repatriation process handling by Bangladeshi government. This agreement must guarantee their lost rights reload in respective manners, in place mandated protection on the ground by UN if the Myanmar state ruler government failed to do so and also paved alternative settlement options if there are still risk to return.

Since the Burma rulers and majority of entire people of the country coordinately and systematically attacking, expelling, denying of these people' existence, such kind of heinous crimes can't be forgotten, nor forgiven. The Bangladeshi government must therefore rather achieve for UNSC adoption of R2P solution, UN intervention and protection within its mandate, call countries those have business ties with Burma and funding countries to effectively support UNSC taking action onto Burma.

Sincerely,

M.ILYAS -UK (chairman), h/p: +(44) 7780 359718

V-chairman: MD.Yunus (GE), +(966) 53 274 0805  

Joint-secretary: Hf.Hashim Mamood (BD), +(88) 01 729 872581

Habiburahman (G.S), (Aus), +(61) 406 310077