An Open Letter to United Nation Security Council discussion on Rohingya Crisis

by admin, 

We, IRC would like to draw urgent UNSC attention to swiftly response and timely address the ongoing genocide of Rohingya in Arakan (Rakhine) state of western Burma (Myanmar). 

As the world aware, from 25 of August 2017, the government military and joint forces attacked Rohingya civilians brutally, indiscriminately and heavily by use of fight helicopters, rocket launchers, machine guns, and setting fire of houses, bury and burn alive, laying landmines across people fleeing. That resulted killing of more than 3,000 innocent unarmed Rohingyan civilians involving babies, children and elderly people, completely burnt down about 20,000 houses in more than 70 villages, displacing over 600,000 people and about 500,000 of them been forced into Bangladesh and the rest still trapped in the mountains and forests. It is very shock to see today under the watch of the world mechanism body UN and international communities, now about half of the total Rohingya population have been rapidly driven out from their ancestral homelands. 

Reprisal attacks in Oct 2016, also drove out about 90,000 Rohingyan people into Bangladesh, killed over hundreds of people and arrested hundreds of Rohingya including children as young as aged 12. 

Vigilant massive attacks from 8 of June 2012, total destruction across (13) different townships of Arakan state, reached at (97) religious buildings, about (23,000) houses from (95) villages, thousands killed and nearly 200,000 people displaced, and number of arbitrary detention reached at least 12,00 Rohingya and Kaman people mainly from Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Sittwe townships. Later, the government deliberately allowed such attacks spread across central Burma of Yangon, Mandalay, Pegu, Sagaing, Magwe regions where killing hundreds of people, and displacing tens of thousands of people and burnt down thousands of houses. 

Remarkably, after creation of muslim free-zones by 1983 throughout 4 townships of Arakan state and now expending to entire Arakan state as a killing zone for Rohingyans that tantamount to officially granting a killing license to Rakhine people. It is not unknown that muslims in Arakan state faced vigilant massive major attacks in every power transition period of 1949 by Burma Territorial Forces; 1978 with King Dragon Operation; 1991 by Pyitaryar Operation. In each of this occasion killed thousands Rohingyans and Kamans, displaced hundreds of thousands uploaded as refugees, destroyed and seized hundreds of villages. 

UN therefore should not fail in this matter after Rwanda and Srilanka. This cases of Rohingya can't be characterized as a clashes (or) a sectarian attack (or) a communal violence but it is a total destruction of entire 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 UNSC must also take into consideration of how other ethnic minorities of Shan, Kachin, Karen, Chin been perished and crashed; how central rulers achieving Buddhization of entire population that now reached at 86% of Buddhism since the state has been named as Buddhist religious state from 1974; and why majority of refugees from Burma are non-Buddhist communities. 

Moreover, the lie narrative of Myanmar government and dictator military general have very quickly came to label the dead bodies as 'Hindu' and blaming onto Rohingya armed group and instantly canceling of foreign diplomats' visit set on 29 Sept 2017 and swiftly burying all dead bodies on that day in order not to discover the truth. Blocking of UN Inquiry Commission, blocking of 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 hatre among the public, are very strong elements that enough to show the government's nasty and cruel behaviors towards Rohingya. 

We, IRC would like to acknowledge the UNSC steps taken for Rohingya. However, the Suu Kyi led NLD government may reluctantly say to welcome back all those who fled in order to defuse international pressure and undermine UNSC discussion. UNSC must thereupon reconsider by taking into account of how the past similar government had exploited the repatriation agreement consisted 4 main points: relocation, lifting restrictions, equal rights and rehabilitation. As well as, those repatriatees faced arbitrary arrests, detentions, brutality, extortion, destroying of identities and denial of right to have rights. Now the faith of a million of Rohingyan human beings has fallen into the hands of evil ruler. This is not a strange case anymore for us since the state rulers had mercilessly fired its Buddhism monks in 2007 Saffron Revolution, how badly treated cyclone Nargis victims and waging wars against ethnic armed groups who are protecting their own people from aggressive military operations. 

Many Rohingyans refugees today in Bangladesh are repatriated former refugees of 1978 and 1991-92. We IRC therefore would like to urge the UNSC to persuade the Myanmar government to start implementing with Rohingyans and Kamans those are in the country as part of progressive development and to see whether the government and authorities are following. 

Before the UNSC approval of a single recommendation or resolution made in favour of Myanmar government and or agreeing with Myanmar government's lies, we would like to see; 

1) About 150,000 Rohingyas and recognized Kaman people should be relocated in their displaced origin villages. 

2) Issuing of 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. 

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

It is very important to understand and not fallen into the trap of the lie nature of Myanmar government and its radical generals and corrupt authorities. The lives and deaths of a million Rohingya and Kaman people, much rely on the UNSC decision that should retrieve their lost rights. 

The Rohingyan civilians are still brutally attacked, their houses are still burning day-by-day. 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. Suu Kyi herself sided with military, defending military's heinous crimes and posting fake photos and claiming fake rapes, pretending she doesn't know about half million of people fled. 

Like the past, they really don't care about whatever pressures, calls, sanctions therefore this is the right time UNSC to exercise a practical effective action within the mandate. The crisis of Rohingya requires a concrete UN intervention to halt ongoing genocide before too late, rescuing the people on time from that genocidal reign. 

Sincerely, 

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

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

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

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